Banana Bread

We often enjoy this moist banana bread recipe that my sis in law, Kari, shared with me. The smell of banana bread baking in the oven... Ahhh, just heavenly.


3 bananas
1/2 cup butter, slightly softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tblsp buttermilk* (see below how to make your own)
2 cups flour


In a small bowl, mash bananas and set aside. Mix butter and sugar together until creamy. Add in eggs, vanilla and buttermilk, mixing well. Add dry ingredients and the mashed bananas alternatively to the batter, until completely combined.

Grease a bread loaf pan and pour batter in. I find that this recipe make one LARGE loaf, or one regular sized one and a mini loaf. I like to make the latter because the girls get a kick out of the mini loaf. (okay, so do I).

Bake 325 F for 1 hour or until when toothpick inserted comes out dry. The mini loaf will be done sooner, around 30 minutes or so.

*If you don't have any buttermilk on hand (I never do), you can make your own!

Buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup milk

Combine and let sit for 15 minutes. The milk will start to curdle and there you go...buttermilk!

Black Bean Salsa

I just discovered this tasty salsa last weekend at a party for the first time. Then again at a baby shower today! My friend Nicole was kind enough to let me take some extra home! I'm addicted. This recipe is from Julie Clark.

1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tomatoes, chopped in chunks

1 avacado, chopped in chunks

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

chopped green onions (to taste)

1 envelope italian dressing

Mix italian dressing according to packet directions in medium bowl. Add remaning ingredients and serve with tortilla chips!

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Just about everyone knows and loves croissant sandwiches,

found at practically every baby shower or brunch party.

But why wait for those special occasions?

You can make them NOW

with regular bread if you don't have croissants

and they're still really yummy!

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

1 canned chicken, fully cooked (found near tuna section)
1-2 celery stalks, chopped
Mayo or Miracle Whip
Grapes sliced in half (optional)
Walnuts or cashews, chopped (optional)
Bread or croissant
Pepper (optional)

Open can of chicken, drain out liquid. Empty chicken into a medium bowl. Add chopped celery, grapes, nuts and desired amount of either mayonnaise or miracle whip to make a creamy mixture. Slather onto a slice of bread or croissant and add fresh ground pepper on top if you’d like!

Sliced Baked Potatoes

Sliced Baked Potatoes

4 medium potatoes with skins, washed (or however many you need)
1 tsp salt
3-4 tblsp melted butter
2-3 tsp Thyme (or other herbs of your choice)
4 tblsp grated mozzarella cheese

1. Cut potatoes into thin slices but not ALL the way through. Use a handle of a spoon to prevent knife from cutting all the way.

2. Put potatoes in a baking dish. Fan them open slightly.

3. Drizzle melted butter evenly over the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and herbs.

4. Bake potatoes at 425 F for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until potatoes are soft when tested with a fork.

Enjoy!

These are a superb side dish to homemade chicken nuggets, and just about any other meal too.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

Recipe taken from my friend Becky's blog. She made these for us when we came over to visit teach her and we quickly became addicted!!

My words are in the purple italics. The following is from Becky:

These are so delicious. They are good as bars too. I served them warm out of the oven with vanilla ice cream, whip cream and hot fudge.

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter (I used natural because I didn't want the extra sugar)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 & 1/4 cup flour
2 cups oats
1 -12oz. bag chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate, Guittards brand) (I used half a bag and still had TONS of chocolate chips in the bars, and definitely go with milk chocolate of any brand)

1. Beat together butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer on high speed for about 30 seconds.
2. Add sugars, baking powder and soda. Beat until comobined.
3. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.
4. Beat in flour slowly until combined. Stir in rolled oats and chocolate chips.
5. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet in rounded balls (or in a 9x13 pan as cookie bars)
6. Bake @ 375 for about 10 minutes for cookies and about 20-30 minutes for bars. Keep checking bars until the top starts to turn golden brown. They will still look kind of doughy, but they set up pretty fast. Not good if you over-bake them. DRY!

I have made this recipe twice as the bars and just LOVE them! Thanks Becky for a yummy treat!

Scrumptious Carrot Cake

With real cream cheese frosting that is to die for!

I made this for Trevor's birthday cake

and it was so GOOD that I made it again for his welcome home cake from Wisconsin too.

I'm not a frosting person, but I REALLY love this cream cheese frosting! SO, that's saying something! This is also the same frosting I use when I make Cinnabon Cinnamon rolls.

Trevor says this is the best carrot cake he's ever had!

Ingredients

4 eggs

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup oil

1/2 cup applesauce

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

3 cups grated carrots

1 cup pecans (we omitted these because Rae's allergic)

Mix first six ingredients all together. In a separate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together. Gradually add all of dry ingredients to the wet cake batter. Stir in carrots and nuts.

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake 350F for 45 minutes or so until when inserted toothpick comes out dry.

While cake is baking you can start on the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened but not melted
1 tsp vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

Mix until smooth. Be careful! The powdered sugar may want to fly out of the bowl at first! If the mixture is too stiff, it will soften as the cream cheese becomes room temperature. If it is still too thick, you can soften it by using a VERY LITTLE amount of milk, like 1 maybe 2 tsp.

Let cake cool completely before frosting.

Serve and enjoy! Refridgerate any leftover cake.