Hello everyone. 😉
This morning I saw three very ripe bananas sitting on my counter…
I really didn’t want to chuck them (and I already have a bunch of frozen ones in my freezer), so I decided to make some Banana Bread Protein Pancakes!
I’m so glad I did. They were wonderful! I even decided to get creative and take some pretty pictures. 😉
So yummy!
I decided to make a triple batch, so I would have a bunch leftover to freeze.
I think I’ll be set for a while!
I asked my two littlest kiddos if they wanted some Banana Bread Pancakes and my 3 year old immediately said he did.
My 5 year old said, “I just want pancakes, not banana bread.”
I said, “Well, I don’t have regular pancakes, I only have these pancakes that taste like banana bread.”
He rolled his eyes and said, “Uhhh, now that is just disgusting mom!”
So dramatic. 😉
Needless to say, he had cereal instead.
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Well I hope y’all had a wonderful weekend!
On Saturday morning, I went to my fun Muscle Class at the gym. It was awesome, as usual.
Before I left, I was in a hurry and didn’t have much time, so this is what I decided to have for breakfast…
Leftover chicken and half of an overripe banana. Yum? Yes, it was interesting, but it fit the protein/carbohydrate bill and seemed to fuel me well for my workout.
When I got home, Kev and I decided to take the kids out for a “Fun Family Day.” Our lives seem to be so busy and hectic ALL the time, so we decided to just “drop everything” and have a fun day together.
So, we decided to go on a hike! Our family loves to hike and we wanted to make sure to get one in before the weather gets too cold . We decided to head up American Fork Canyon and hike to Stewart Falls, which is near Sundance Ski Resort.
We drove on the Scenic Alpine Loop to get there and it was absolutely beautiful! We brought a picnic lunch with us and ate it at some picnic tables before we started off on the hike.
Here are some of the things I brought…
Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, apples, grapes, Babybel Cheese, Ritz crackers with Easy Cheese, Juice boxes for the kids, homemade trail mix and a Pure Protein Bar for me.
I know the Ritz and cheese are SO not healthy, but the kids were so happy I bought it because I never do. It made the “Fun Family Day” that much more fun!
I just had half of the protein bar (brought the other half with me on the hike), some trail mix and a few apples and grapes.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering, here’s what I put in my trail mix…
Rice Chex, Mixed Nuts, Cocoa Roasted Almonds, Sunflower Seeds and some Banana Chips. I pretty much just opened up my cupboard and chucked everything into a bag. It turned out great!
Anyway, our hike was supposedly 2 miles in and 2 miles back. It was beautiful and very scenic the entire time.
Look at this cool tree!
We finally arrived at Stewart Falls and it was beautiful!
The falls weren’t as full as they can be, but it was still gorgeous. Kev decided to take a couple of the kids hiking up to the upper falls. It looked pretty treacherous, but he said it wasn’t too bad.
I think it freaked my daughter out a little because she said, “I used to not be afraid of heights, but now I am!”
We hung around by the waterfall for a bit and just enjoyed the beautiful surroundings.
On the way back, we stopped at a big concrete water tank that the kids wanted to climb up on. I’m so glad we did because the view was breathtaking.
The leaves were just starting to turn color and it was beautiful.
After our hike, we drove through the canyon and to the darling little city of Heber. Heber City is just about the cutest small town you will ever see. I love it so much.
We took the kids to dinner at Dairy Keen, which is a very popular little fast food spot. Everyone got either Grilled Cheese sandwiches, Corn Dogs or Cheeseburgers and fries.
This picture cracks me up because nobody wanted to quit eating long enough for me to take a picture!
I decided to order the “Turkey Avocado Sandwich” because it looked like a healthier option and it had a little heart next to it on the menu (signifying a healthier option.)
My sandwich was very good, but I don’t think it was healthy. It was on a very white and very huge bun! It was yummy though.
By the way, those aren’t my onion rings, lol. Those are my fries though! I decided after a 2 hour hike and a hard muscle class that morning, I needed some fries!
Dairy Keen is also famous for their ice cream and shakes. So, Kev and the kids decided to get some!
My 14 year old ordered that waffle cone and it looked so good to me! BUT, I’m still goin’ strong with my 100 Days Without Sugar challenge, so I didn’t have any at all….not even a lick of my baby’s melting cone. 😉
Yay me. I think I’m about half way done with that challenge now. Woo hoo.
Anyway, we got home late Saturday night and went straight to bed. We were all tired, but we had a great day! We’re hoping to get one more hike in before the season is over.
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I decided to make a pot roast for dinner yesterday. We also had mashed potatoes and gravy, carrots and fresh peaches. Yum.
I had a leftover sweet potato instead of the mashed potatoes and also a few slices of garden tomato (yum!) with my dinner…
I decided my plate was very….orange! 😉 I definitely got my dose of Beta-Carotene in. This dinner tasted great to me.
Later on, I made some Chocolate Chip Cookies for the fam (my favorite!)
I told my kids that it was a “Labor of Love.” Hee hee. Yes, I’m a nice mom. 😉 I reminded my kids of that too.
Look at this cutie with the chocolate face…
Yes, his cookie looks dang good….dang it.
It’s okay though, I’m actually happy I’m still going strong with my sugar challenge. Every day I get under my belt makes me that much stronger!
Yes, we had a fun weekend! This post is humungous, so I will stop now. 😉 I will tell you guys all about my fun Cafe Zupas recipe and giveaway tomorrow because I HAD to tell you guys all about our fun weekend!
I’m getting ready to head out to the gym in a bit. I hope you all have a wonderful Monday night!
Wow, what an amazing hike. Such pretty photos. You’re incredible…I can’t even imagine having 5 kids. Your daughter is so tall! Have you noticed any changes from the no sugar challenge?
Thanks so much. We had a wonderful time on our hike! My daughter is growing up so fast, but that one picture of her makes her look like a giant. She’s only about 5’2″ish, but she’s quickly catching up to her older brother. Crazy. I’ve loved the no sugar challenge, but I haven’t seen major results. I’ve lost 2 pounds, but I think I’ve been gaining some muscle too. I’ll expound a little more on the blog soon!