Almond flour banana muffins

So what happens when you have a few ripe bananas, some spare time, and a sweet tooth?

A little baking, that's what.

Inspired by a few of the recipes I've seen floating around the web, these protein-packed, gluten free muffins are the newest staple in my baking lineup.

What you'll need: 

(makes 6-8 muffins)

2 ripe bananas

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 cup protein powder

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 cup egg whites OR 1 large egg + 1 white

1t cinnamon

1T baking powder

Preheat oven to 350*. Mix the wet ingredients first in a bowl, then add in the dry. Mix well. Distribute the batter evenly into a lined muffin tin and bake for 15 minutes (time varies, sometimes it can take up to 20 minutes depending on your oven and batter distribution).

Top with shredded coconut, crushed almonds, or anything else you'd like!

summer shoe round up // sneak around

i / ii / iii / iv / v

It's all in the process

From top to bottom, left to right- the chronological order of my process in creating the current logo for this blog, design etc.

Logo design is one of those things that looks oh-so-simple from the outside looking in.

But then you take a shot at it and realize how wrong you were.

I first attempted logo design this fall in my 4D design class at Pratt. We were instructed to create a personal symbol in Illustrator, and then animate it. Aside from all the little tips and tricks I picked up in regards to navigating Adobe Illustrator, I also learned the importance of process when it comes to design. My number one "design sin", as I like to call it, is rushing. When I get inspired, I immediately burst with ideas and don't take the time to sort them all or lay them out on a page for consideration. As a matter of fact, this year was the first time that I carried a sketchbook. Instead of brainstorming a solid foundation for my work, I would rush right to the nearest computer, flip open an Illustrator file, and rush into things. After doing this for so many years, I've finally learned to accept that as an artist, process plays an instrumental role in your final product. 

What I Ate Wednesday

I can confidently say that early morning is my favorite time of day.

I know, I know. I'm crazy.

To me, there's nothing like walking up to a quiet house on an early weekend morning (extra points if it's raining outside!) and fixing myself a nice breakfast. Something about having that extra half-hour all to myself lets me get into the right mindset and mentally recharge for the day ahead.

Since I spent this past year living on-campus, breakfast was also my only meal that wasn't prepared by the school's on-campus cafeteria (I'd like to thank the mandatory meal plan for that one...). It was during this year that I became a self proclaimed oatmeal connoisseur. Now that I'm home for the summer with unlimited access to a fully-functioning stove, you can find me in my kitchen with a cup of tea or coffee on any given morning whipping up creations that range from peanut butter banana to coconut cocoa.

Mixtape 01 / Explore

I spent a great deal of time this morning flipping through the pages of my mom's carefully crafted family photo albums. I've got to hand it to her, she's done an incredible job of documenting every birthday, vacation, barbecue, and first day of school this family has ever partaken in. 

I ended up landing on an album specifically dedicated to our road trip up the California coast a couple of years back. I've been lucky enough to make this same trip a few times over in the past, and although my family takes the same route for the most part each time, the trip never disappoints. 

Once I paired this overwhelming sense of nostalgia for family summer vacations with a few swipes down my pinterest homepage, I was inspired to compile a playlist to go hand-in-hand with the memories of our California coast road trips. I present to you the mixtape: Explore.  

{photo credit}