5 shelf exams done, only 1 left to go!! For the past 8 weeks on internal medicine, every week was a new attending, a new work flow, new patients, new team dynamics… I needed some constants to ground my days and that’s where food came to the rescue. Thanks to my super mom who prepared and froze me gallon-sized Ziplocs of steam buns, I looked forward to my 3-bun lunch everyday.

For breakfast, I needed something quick that would also keep me satiated for most of morning rounds. These muffins became another trusty constant. I discovered Kodiak Cakes at Costco and love the idea of their power product line. I’ve struggled to successfully incorporate protein powder into baking recipes so props to them for creating a fool-proof, economic mix. At 6g of protein for 100 cal a piece, you can feel free to eat one.. two.. or three…

Power Panuffins

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk Power Cakes Flapjack and Waffle Mix
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 3 medium overripe bananas, mashed
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract*
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips*
• 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped*

*Note: The base is very versatile. For a different variation, substitute the starred ingredients for other spices, flavorings, mix-ins, or toppings.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-well muffin tray.
2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the toppings (e.g. dark chocolate chips, walnuts).
3. Scoop the batter into the muffins liners and finish with toppings.
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs.

Matcha, goji, almond variation