Easy Banana Bread

Ok first off.. I am no cook.

Secondly... I don't remember where I got this recipe.. but oh my gosh.. is it good!! And.. its super easy to make. I already had all the ingredients in my kitchen...   and everyone in the family loves this bread. I predict it will be gone in about a day and half... haha.

If I can make this, so can you!


Banana Bread

You’ll need:

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
Pinch of Cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together and place in loaf pan. (8x4)
Preheat oven to 350 and cook for 1 hour.

PS. I am no food photographer. It's seriously yummy though. 

Banana Pudding Milk Shake

One of my favorite bloggers, Amber, at Airing My Dirty Laundry, One Sock At A Time is having a Chick Fil A give away here. Check her out and enter the contest.. she is a great writer and has a hilarious blog.

After entering her contest, I remember the Chick Fil A Milkshakes that we had there a few months ago, Banana Pudding.  They were so yummy and tasted like some southern goodness. Comfort food.

So I decided to look on the Internet for a recipe and found this...

• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons banana cream instant pudding mix
• 1 cup Homestyle, Slow Churned Vanilla Ice Cream
• 4-6 vanilla wafers, crushed
• diced banana (optional)
• Cool Whip (optional)
• Cherry (optional)

Recipe Source: Divas Can Cook

I changed a few of her things because I cannot do soy milk.. so I used regular.

and I ONLY use Blue Bell Ice cream... but I am sure any will do.

Yummy! Almost as perfect as Chick Fil A... and I just saved almost $3!!

The Mummy Dogs

I saw these in a magazine and thought they were adorable and easy to make...

Joshua asked me for hot dogs the night before, so this was perfect.

I made them for him as a snack when he got home from school. He liked them so much that he ate 3 of them before we headed out to Trick or Treat.

Aren't they cute? Just hot dogs and I took crescent rolls and cut them into small strips and just wrapped them around the hot dog to look like a mummy. The eyes are Nerd candy and the mouth is a piece of red licorice.

I think they would of been cuter if I had icing and could pipe on the face.. but when in a bind.. Improvise.

Mummy dogs were a hit at our house!

Toasting Tuesday's

Spinach and Cheese Quiche

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère
• 1 9-inch unbaked pie shell
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• Salt and pepper
• Pinch of ground nutmeg

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, stirring. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
• 2. Sprinkle onion mixture, spinach and Gruyère over bottom of pie shell. Beat eggs and milk together, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Gently pour into crust.
• 3. Bake quiche for 40 to 45 minutes, until set and nicely browned. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

Source:All You Magazine

Toasting Tuesday's

Black Bean and Squash Chili

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and minced
• 4 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 14.5-oz. cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 4 cups butternut squash (about 2 lb.), peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

• 1. Warm oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add bell peppers and jalapeños; sauté until tender, about 3 minutes.
• 2. Transfer pepper mixture to slow cooker. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Arrange squash on top. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
• 3. Season chili with salt and pepper. Serve with sour cream, salsa and other accompaniments, if desired.

Source: All You Magazine

Toasting Tuesday's

Want to try this one at our Halloween party this year!


Devils on Horseback

Ingredients

• 24 pitted prunes
• 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 12 strips of bacon, cut in half crosswise

Preparation

• 1. Preheat broiler to high. Soak 24 toothpicks in a small bowl of water for 15 minutes. Mist a large, rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and place a wire rack on top.
• 2. Halve prunes lengthwise, taking care not to cut all the way through. Place a small amount of cheese in center of each prune, in cavity left by removed pit. Wrap each prune with bacon, securing with toothpick.
• 3. Broil for 10 to 12 minutes, turning halfway through.

Source: All You Magazine

Toasting Tuesday's

Look how yummy!! This is going into my fall recipe box for sure!!!


Honeyed Apples

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored, sliced
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream

Preparation

• 1. Stir honey, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, 2 Tbsp. butter and 1/4 cup water in a medium skillet, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in apples. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until apples are tender and liquid begins to thicken, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1 Tbsp. butter. Transfer to a bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
• 2. Divide ice cream among 6 bowls. Top with apple mixture and serve immediately.

Source:  All You Magazine

Toast Tuesdays

Carrot Souffle

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped  ( I actually used canned carrots.. its all I had)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup margarine, softened
• 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the carrots until very tender. Drain, and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
3. While carrots are warm, use an electric mixer to beat with sugar, baking powder, and vanilla extract until smooth. Mix in the flour, eggs, and margarine. Transfer to a 2 quart baking dish.
4. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until top is golden brown. Sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar before serving.

Joshua helped me with this.. he did a great job and it turned out wonderful!!

Toasting Tuesdays

Mexican Meatloaf

2 lbs ground beef or turkey
1 Cup Picante Sauce (2/3 in loaf and 1/3 over top of loaf)
1 Cup Bread Crumbs
1/2 Cup Egg Substitute

Combine above ingredients saving the 1/3 cup picante sauce for top of meat loaf.  Form into a loaf and place into a ovenproof pan sprayed with nonstick spray.  Top with remaining sauce.

Bake at 350 degrees for  1 1/2 hours.


Yumm!!!

I did this with turkey the other day.. but 1 lbs turkey, 1 cup picante sauce, 1 cup bread crumbs and 2 eggs.

Joshua helped me make it and it turned out soooo good.

I cut back on the mean because there is only three of  and we don't really care for left overs.

Toasting Tuesdays

Honey Cucumber Salad

1/4 Cup White Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Honey
1/2 Medium Green Pepper diced
2 Cups Cucumbers (peeled, thinkly sliced)

Mix together and chill for several hours before serving.


We made this the other day and instead of the green pepper.. I had a bag of frozen cut onions, red pepper and green bell peppers. I unfroze  half a cup of these and used them instead. It came out just as great!!

Toasting Tuesdays

Mac And Cheese
by Nestle Carnation

1 2/3 cups dry, small elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (12 fluid ounce) can Evaporated Milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided



1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 2-quart casserole dish.
2.Combine cornstarch, salt, mustard and pepper in medium saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk, water, and butter. Cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted. Add macaroni; mix well. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
3.Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and light brown.

Toasting Tuesdays

Crock Pot Lasagna

1 pound chuck or 1/2 pound chuck
1/2 pound ground turkey
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 28 oz jar spaghetti sauce (your favorite)
1/3 cup water
8 lasagna noodles
1 4 1/2 oz can mushrooms
1 15 oz carton ricotta cheese (optional)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown meat and seasoning, drain.
Mix spaghetti sauce and water. Place 4 uncooked noodles in lightly greased crockpot.

Layer with beef mixture, sauce and mushrooms.

Spread evenly with ricotta cheese and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella.

Layer with remaining noodles, meat, sauce mixture, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese.

Cover, cook on high 1 hour.

Reduce heat and cook on low 5 hrs.

Yield: 4 servings

Toasting Tuesdays

Because everyone needs to be able to cook more than just toast.





Today is a family favorite. My husband will beg me to make these...

Sausage Balls

3 Cups Bisquick
1 Pound Jimmy Dean hot sausage
1 Pound Sharp Cheddar Cheese Grated

Makes at least 24 balls.

Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl with hands. It takes a while to get everything really good and mixed. Form small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes. This is nice for a special breakfast with eggs and syrup. I have also used ground deer meat instead of sausage and had a really good response to that as well.

In fact.. I think it liked the deer meat better.. and I normally don't like deer.

Toasting Tuesdays

Because everyone needs to be able to cook more than just toast.




This week, we are going to explore.. desserts.. because they are my favorite.

I believe I got this recipe from one of my July 2008 moms, Jess G.

Last summer, I think I made this once a week. And I did it with all kinds of fruits.. apples, peaches, cherries and blackberries... its all yummy!! and easy!.. so enjoy!




Fruit Cobbler

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
2 cups sliced fresh peaches
2 pinches of Cinnamon

1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter in a 9 x 9 inch baking dish.
2.Blend together flour, baking powder, sugar, and milk.
3.Pour batter in baking dish over the butter. Sprinkle fruit on top of the batter, do not stir. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown.

It is the best when eaten hot.. and with a scoop of ice cream. No Ice Cream? Add a little milk and its just as delicious.

Toasting Tuesdays

Toasting Tuesdays

Because everyone needs to be able to cook more than just toast.

Ok.. So I have Seven on Sundays.. (which yes, I know I am behind. I have the pictures, just not the time).. and I am going to take on a new challenge of posting a family favorite recipe.

When I started out cooking, I was horrible. Ask my husband.... or my brother.. But really.. yes I burned Mac and Cheese.. I burnt.. GASP.. Toast!!

Ummm.. truth be told.. I still burn toast... I burnt Joshua's pop tart this morning. In my defense though, someone keeps turning the dial on the toaster all the way to the right which means... CRISPY!! But in my attempt to get better, learn, and have a place to store my favorite recipes... here is my first one...

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Stew beef
1 pkg. Lipton onion soup mix
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 c. water
8 oz. sour cream
Egg noodles

Brown stew beef in skillet. Place in crock pot with soups, onion soup mix, water, and mushrooms. Cook 6-8 hours on low. One-half hour before serving, add sour cream to mixture. Serve over egg noodles.

Easy!! I add a few secret items too.. not really.. just all purpose seasoning. Love that stuff!

It's so great though.. and cheap! Stew beef is normally only a dollar or two. And the rest of the items are normal staples in my household.. so I am good to go.

Yummmmmm...... This is sad.... I'm hungry now.. and I am stuck with a corn dog at the moment.