Banana Bread

This recipe is straight from my mom's kitchen.  Its simple and easy but doesn't disappoint.  For some reason, we don't have a bread pan so I make mine in whatever baking dishes are clean. 

Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
6 mashed bananas (can use frozen or fresh)
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
OPTIONAL: nuts/chocolate chips etc 

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar together, add eggs, vanilla and bananas.  Mix well.
2. Mix dry ingredients together 
3. Add dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Add optional ingredients 
5. Pour into 2 loaf pans (or whatever type of pan you desire ie: muffins, cake pan etc) 
6. Bake at 350* for 50-60 minutes (if using a different pan, adjust time accordingly.

NOTE: Can substitute 2 cups grated zucchini for bananas to make Zucchini bread

PB Banana Smoothie

What should you do when your bananas start to turn brown and you know that no one is going to eat them?  Stick them in the freezer because they taste so yummy in this smoothie recipe!  You'll want to avoid the ones that are too brown or have been in the freezer for too long.  

Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie 

2 frozen banana, cut into chunks
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup milk

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Serves 2 

Cookie Bars

We had a craving for something sweet the other night so I searched my cupboards for something to make.  I try not to keep too many sweets in the house so it proved difficult.  We did have a couple boxes of cake, but that didn't sound good.  Instead I used some random ingredients to make cookie bars.  The recipe was based loosely on one I found here.  

Original Recipe:

1/2 c. butter

1 1/2 c. crushed graham cracker crumbs

1 can condensed milk (Eagle Brand)

1 c. coconut flakes

1 c. chocolate chips

1 c. chopped almonds

Melt butter in microwave then pour into a 9x9 square pan. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over butter. Evenly pour the condensed milk over the crumbs. Then sprinkle on the coconut, chocolate chips, and nuts. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes. Let pan completely cool before removing bars.

My Adjustments:

I didn't have any coconut, which was rather unfortunate, so I made do without.  I mixed the butter and crumbs and then pressed them into the bottom of the pan.  I added mini chocolate chips, almond slivers, and toffee bits.  I then poured the sweetened condensed milk over it all.  I topped it with some more graham cracker crumbs and stuck it in the oven for about 25 minutes.  

We ate them warm when they first came out, and they were good, but a little too gooey.  They have gotten better over the last few days as they have cooled and hardened up to be more cookie-like.  I think the coconut would be yummy, but the extra crumb topping was a good substitute. 

Cake Batter Cookies

These easy cookies only take 3 simple ingredients.

• Box of cake batter (any variety)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil

Mix all the ingredients, spoon onto a pan and bake at 350 for 5-10ish minutes. 

OPTIONAL: add any candies or chips to the batter prior to baking

You can customize them any way you wish.  Tonight the version was Devils food cake with peanut butter chips.

Homemade Granola

There are lots of way to do homemade granola.  This is the recipe I typically follow.  You can adjust it easy to meet your need/preferences.  It makes a lot and we love having it around for a quick snack or to throw into yogurt or ice cream. 

Ingredients:

-6 C Quick Cooking Oats

-1/4 C Flour

-1/2 T  Cinnamon

-1/4 t Nutmeg

-3 C Random dry ingredients (raisins, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, small chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, dried banana chips, rice crispy puffs)

-1/2 C Vegetable Oil

-1/2 C Honey

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients but oil and honey. Mix oil and honey and microwave until hot. Pour oil and honey mixture over dry ingredients and mix well. Spread mix over 2 baking sheets and bake until lightly golden brown on top (appx 20 min, stir and cook for longer if necessary).   Let cool, then break up into chunks.

Butter Pecan Crunch Cake

 I made this cake and didn't LOVE how it turned out but it was pretty good. The original recipe/picture shows the crumbs on top but for some reason mine sunk in the cake to the bottom.  I probably did something wrong :(

INGREDIENTS:

• Butter Pecan cake mix
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 4 Tbs. cold butter
• 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts
• 1 cup toffee chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Measure 1 cup of cake mix and put it in a bowl.  Set it aside for later.
2. Beat the remaining cake mix, melted butter, milk and egg with an electric mixer till well combined.  Pour into a greased 9×13 pan.
3. Cut the cold butter into 1 cup of dry cake mix with a pastry blender or fork to make crumbs.  Stir in toffee chips and nuts.  Sprinkle on top of the batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Recipe from:
http://eatathomecooks.com/2011/01/butter-pecan-crunch-cake.html

Easy Pumpkin Cookies

Really Easy Pumpkin Cookies

1 Spice Cake Mix
1 Small (15 oz.) Can Pumpkin or 2 cups
Chocolate Chips

Mix pumpkin with the dry cake mix until well blended. Add choc. chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15min. until cooked through.

I am not a big fan of the chocolate chips and will usually make some cookies for me to eat without them.  They are yummy too!  Brett loves the chocolate though so the majority come out with the chips in them.  

Cheesecake Bars

Cheesecake Bars

RED, WHITE & BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE BARS
www.RecipeGirl.com

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
½ stick (4 Tbsp.) butter, melted
1½ packages (12 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup lowfat milk
2 Tbs cornstarch
3 large eggs
1 cup fresh raspberries (more or less, as desired)
¾ cup fresh blueberries (more or less, as desired)


1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil. Spray lightly with cooking spray.

2. In a small bowl, mix crumbs and melted butter. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
3. In a food processor (or with an electric mixer) blend cream cheese, eggs, milk, sugar and cornstarch, just until smooth. Do not overbeat.
4. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the crumb crust. Scatter raspberries and blueberries on top.
5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until touch to center feels slightly firm and set.
6. Cool completely before cutting. Use foil to lift cheesecake out of pan and onto a cutting board. Use a thin, sharp knife to cut into clean-looking bars (wiping blade clean with a paper towel between cuts). Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Servings: 16
Yield: About 16 bars


Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 197
Calories From Fat (51%) 101
Total Fat 11.33g
Saturated Fat 6.44g
Cholesterol 66.97mg
Sodium 128.77mg
Potassium 85.81mg
Carbohydrates 20.17g
Dietary Fiber 0.91g
Sugar 13.19g
Net Carbohydrates 19.26g
Protein 4.32g

WW Points: 5

Apple Crisp

My awesome coworker has an apple tree and "unloaded" a bag full of apples on to me this week.

I decided to take advantage and make some apple crisp.  YUMMY!

Because I had to call my mom to get the recipe and because I still need to figure out a recipe system so I stop "misplacing" recipes and because I still have enough apples to make 10 more dishes and because it is my blog and I can do what I want... here is the recipe in my own words.

1. Peel and core 4 cups of apples.  Place in cooking dish.
2. Mix together the following:
• 2/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup oats
• 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3. Add mixture on top of apples
4. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes

Easy and Simple.



I am no chef and certainly no baker so its nothing fancy, but boy does it smell good!! Nutmeg and cinnamon always remind me of the holidays.  And it tastes yummy too!  Now I just need to get some vanilla ice cream to go with it.