Banana Muffins (or Bread)

I have been making this recipe For-ev-er!  It is one of my kids favorite kinds of muffins. The recipe comes from a family friend, Kim Fox, although I have tweaked the recipe a bit from the original.  They are extremely moist and bake up nicely.  If you would like to make loaves of bread instead of muffins just double this recipe and it will make 2 large loaves. 

1 C. Sugar
3 Ripe Bananas
1/4 C. Butter, melted
1 Egg
3/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 3/4 C. Flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all ingredients together and measure in 1/4 C. fulls into a greased or lined 12 cup muffin tin.  Bake 20-25 minutes until tops are golden brown.  *Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour for loaves of bread.

Grandma's Vegetable Soup

Another crock pot recipe coming at you.  I told you I was on a mission!  My grandma is a fantastic cook.  She can make anything taste good and I probably don't even know how many of my favorite recipes originated with her.  This is a thick, hearty soup, perfect for a cold day.  I love that it is ultra packed with veggies.  Even the broth is mostly tomato juice.  So the next time you are in a soup mood, give this one a try.

1 lb. Ground Beef, cooked and drained
1 quart tomato juice or 1 15oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 quart water
1 1/2 C. Chopped Carrots
3/4 C. Chopped Celery
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 1/2 C. Chopped Potatoes
3 cubes Beef Boullion
1 C. Shredded Cabbage

Add all ingredients to a large crock pot.  Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.  I like to add my cabbage about 2 hours before serving to get it soft but not mushy. 

Crock Pot Roast Beef Sandwiches

Oh, yum.  I am not kidding when I tell you that you have got to try this meal!  I can't imagine anyone not liking this.  It is reminiscent of a french dip sandwich but the flavors the spices give the meat really don't compare with any french dip I have ever had.  Definitely a crowd pleaser, this meal is likely to be a favorite for men, women and children alike, at least it was at our house.

3 lb. Beef Roast (I used a shoulder roast but any boneless cut will work)
1 1/2 C. Beef Broth
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Dried Parsley
1 bay leaf
1 pkt. Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix

Spray your crock pot with cooking spray then put the roast in the bottom.  Pour Beef Broth over top of meat then sprinkle all seasonings over top.  Cook on low heat for 8 hours.  You really don't want to cook this on high because you want the meat to kind of fall apart and shred easily.  After the 8 hours, shred meat, removing as much fat as possible, and return to juices.  Serve on hard rolls with juices from meat on the side for dipping.  You can serve with slices of provolone cheese if desired.

Hot Fudge Sauce

I came across this recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook years ago.  It is so easy to throw together and is simply the best hot fudge sauce ever!  You can save left overs of the sauce for a week or so in a small sauce pan in your refrigerator so it can be reheated quickly when those ice cream cravings start coming on!

3/4 C. Chocolate Chips
1/4 C. Butter
2/3 C. Sugar
5oz. can Evaporated Milk

Melt butter and chocolate together over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Add sugar then add milk gradually.  Bring to a boil then reduce the heat.  Boil gently over medium low heat until you reach the desired thickness.  Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

This recipe is one of my top 5 favorite crock pot recipes.  I happen to be a big fan of Stroganoff.  The combination of pasta with mushrooms in any form is bound to be a personal favorite for me.  My kids devoured this dish and the stew meat made it a hearty, filling meal that my husband thoroughly enjoyed. 

1-2 lbs. Stew Meat
1 tsp. Salt
Pepper, to taste
1 Onion, sliced
Garlic Powder, to taste
1 T. Worcestershire Sace
1 T. Ketchup
1 1/2 C. Beef Broth
1/3 C. Flour
1/2 C. Water
8 oz. Fresh Sliced Mushrooms
1/2 C. Sour Cream

Put stew meat into your crock pot and sprinkle chopped onion, salt, pepper and garlic powder over top.  In a small bowl combine the broth, ketchup and worcestershire sauce.  Pour over top of meat.  Cook on high 4-5 hours. (You can also cook it on low heat for 7-8 hours but I feel like the meat becomes overly tender and falls apart when small pieces of meat are cooked for that long.)  After about 4 hours, whisk together the flour and water and pour into the crock pot.  Stir into the meat mixture to thicken juices.  Add mushrooms, cover and cook 30 minutes longer.  Stir in sour cream just before serving and ladle over top of cooked rice or pasta.

Carbonara

I love this pasta.  I ordered it a lot when I was in Italy before I got married and find myself craving it for the taste and the memories.  It is a cheap, fast and easy dinner choice but, I must confess, not low in calories.  This is my own version adapted from Rachel Ray's recipe.

1 lb. Spaghetti
1/2 lb. Bacon, chopped
1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
6 Cloves Garlic, pressed
1/2 C. Chicken Broth
1/4 C. Heavy Cream
2 Egg Yolks
1 C. Frozen Peas, rinsed with water to thaw 
1/2 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese
Pepper
Fresh or Dried Parsley

*Hint: I like to do all the prep ahead for this meal because it has to come together really quickly.  It's best if you have everything you need ready and sitting on the counter next to the stove before you begin cooking the pasta.

   Heat a large pot of water for the pasta.  Add a generous amount of salt to the water after it boils, then add the spaghetti noodles.  Cook according to package directions.  While pasta is cooking heat a skillet and cook bacon.  I cut my bacon up into pieces before I cook it to avoid the crumble stage.  When bacon is almost completely cooked add crushed red pepper and garlic.  Cook for 2 minutes longer.  Reduce heat to medium low and add chicken broth and cream to skillet.  Cook stirring for 1 minute then remove from heat.

   Beat egg yolks in a small mixing bowl and add 1 ladle full or 1/2 C. of water from the pot of pasta to temper the egg yolks.  Drain pasta and stir the bacon mixture, yolk mixture, peas, pepper and cheese into the piping hot noodles.  Continue stirring pasta until most all the liquid has been absorbed into the noodles.  Transfer to serving dish, grate additional parmesan over top and sprinkle parsley over pasta for garnish.  Serve immediately or pasta will get kind of sticky and gluey.

Crockpot Cashew Chicken

Christin and I have been talking lately about how we don't have enough crock pot recipes so I have been on the hunt for some new recipes to try out.  We had this one last night and we liked it.  It takes more prep work than the average crock pot recipe and doesn't cook as long so you can't put it all together until 4 hours before dinner.  The breading on the chicken was so delicious so don't be tempted to skip that step.  You could skip the cashews if you want to but, personally, I liked the added crunch and so did my family.

5-6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
1/4 C. Flour
1/2 tsp. Pepper
2 T. Oil
1/4 C. Soy Sauce
2 T. Rice Vinegar
2 T. Ketchup
1 T. Brown Sugar
2 Cloves Garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp. Peeled Fresh Ginger, grated or minced
1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 C. Cashews

If your chicken is frozen, take it out of the freezer early in the morning or the night before and put it in the refrigerator to thaw.  The chicken has to be completely thawed before you assemble this recipe.  In a zip lock bag combine flour and pepper then add chicken and shake to coat.  Heat oil in a large skillet and add chicken.  Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until all chicken pieces are browned but not cooked through.  Transfer chicken to crock pot.  In a small bowl combine soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes.  Pour over top of chicken and cook on low for 3-4 hours.  Just before serving, add cashews to crock pot.  Serve over rice.

Chocolate Cake

Last night I taught the teenage girls in my church class about fondant.  When I decorate cakes I always make a cake from scratch.  They are more firm and much easier to work with than a cake made from a box.  This cake was delicious, baked up perfectly and came out of the pans without any problems.  I will definitely use this recipe again.

2 C. Flour
1 1/2 C. Milk
2/3 C. Sugar
2/3 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 C. Cocoa
3/4 C. Butter
3 Eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients and mix with an electric mixer until batter is smooth.  Grease and flour 2 8" pans and divide batter between both pans.  Bake for about 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few crumbs on it.  Let cool for 5 minutes before inverting to a cooling rack.  After cakes are completely cooled, frost or wrap in saran wrap until ready to frost.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

I love my homemade spaghetti sauce!  We have traditional spaghetti at least once a month (probably more) in my family and my kids just can't stop eating it.  The other day when I made this I had to cut my oldest two kids off at 4th helpings so there would be enough for my husband's lunch the next day.  The trick to really good spaghetti sauce is cooking it for at least 45 minutes before serving it.  That gives the spices a chance to break down and blend with the other flavors of the sauce.  If you don't cook it long enough it can be watery and taste over seasoned. 

1 lb. Hamburger
2 15 oz. Cans Diced or Crushed Tomatoes
1 8oz. Can Tomato Sauce
1 onion, chopped or 4 T. Dried Onion
1/2 C. Water
1 tsp. Oregano
1 1/2 tsp. Basil
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/2 tsp. Salt

Brown hamburger then add all other ingredients.  Cover and simmer on medium low heat for 45-60 minutes.  Serve over your favorite type of pasta and grate fresh parmesan cheese over top if desired.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

A very good friend of mine brought me some of this cake a couple of years ago and I fell in love with it.  I was so happy she was willing to share her recipe.  Anything with zucchini in it is very moist so you can imagine the texture of this cake and with a streusel topping of brown sugar, chocolate chips and pecans, each bite of this cake is a little piece of heaven.

2 1/2 C. Flour
1 3/4 C. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
3 heaping T. Cocoa
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 C. Oil
1/2 C. Butter
2 Eggs
1/2 C. Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 C. Zucchini, grated (if you use frozen zucchini be sure to drain it well)

Topping:
3/4 C. Pecans, chopped
1 C. Chocolate Chips
3/4 C. Brown Sugar

Preheat oven to 340 degrees.  Mix together wet ingredients well.  Add dry ingredients, mix well.  Pour into a greased 9x13 pan or, if you would like your cake to be thinner, pour batter onto a greased jelly roll pan.  Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over top of batter.  Bake 50 minutes (less if you use the jelly roll pan).  Wait to cut cake at least 30 minutes or it will crumble as you cut it. 

Blueberry Syrup

This syrup is yummy.  I love having a variety of recipes for pancake and waffle toppings to change breakfast up a bit.  It seems like breakfast can get boring, there isn't an endless supply of ideas out there like there is for the dinner menu but with delicious toppings like this, traditional pancakes can feel different and taste amazing.  I used this syrup on whole wheat blender pancakes. 

2 1/2 C. Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/3 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Orange Juice
1 T. Corn Starch
2 tsp. Lemon Juice

In a small sauce pan combine the blueberries, sugar and 1/4 C. orange juice.  Heat mixture to boiling while stirring occasionally.  While berry mixture is heating up, mix remaining orange juice with corn starch until completely smooth in texture.  When berry mixture comes to a light boil add the cornstarch mixture and stir for one minute until sauce thickens.  Remove pan from heat and stir in lemon juice.   

Blonde Brownies

Oh, this cookie is good.  It is soft and chewy even on the very edges.  It is kind of like eating cookie dough.  I know it requires a lot of each ingredient but it makes an entire cookie sheet full (24-32 servings depending on how you cut them) so I always end up with a huge bag in my freezer for later.  I love having treats like this in my freezer for unexpected chocolate cravings.

1 1/3 C. Butter
4 C. Brown Sugar
4 C. Flour
2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Baking Powder
4 Eggs
4 tsp. Vanilla
2 C. Chocolate Chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter then add sugar, vanilla and eggs.  Add remaining ingredients except chocolate chips.  Grease a jelly roll pan (the large metal cookie sheets) with cooking spray.  Spread cookie dough into pan evenly then sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Cool at least 30 minutes before cutting. 

Elegant Dinner Salad

As I said in my last post, I was in charge of a big dinner this last weekend.  This salad was the hit of the night!  Everyone raved about it.  It is so, so simple to prepare but it looks and tastes amazing. The candied pecans are the big secret!

1 Head Romaine Lettuce, chopped
1 C. Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 C. Craisins
1 C. Chopped Pecans
1/2 C. Sugar
Brianna's Brand Poppy Seed Dressing

At least 1 hour before you want to serve the salad but up to a day in advance, toast and candy pecans by combining pecans and sugar in a small sauce pan.  Heat on medium high heat and stir constantly until all of the sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and stir every once in a while to break up pecans.  They will stick together as they cool.  To assemble the salad, put all of the lettuce in the bottom of a large serving bowl.  Add craisins, parmesan, then candied pecans.  Mix the top a tiny bit to let a little green show through but don't mix it too much or all the toppings will fall to the bottom.  Serve with poppy seed dressing.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

On Friday night I was in charge of a formal dinner for 30 people.  I made this chicken and it was a huge hit with everyone.  The presentation was beautiful, the chicken was moist and the bacon was crispy... absolute perfection!

4-5 Chicken Breasts, fresh not frozen
1 8 oz. pkg. Cream Cheese
2-3 T. Fresh Chives
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
4 Slices Bacon
Pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Soften cream cheese then add chives, garlic powder and salt and blend with an electric mixer until smooth.  Pound chicken to 1/2 inch inside of a ziplock bag.  Spread a heaping tablespoon full of cream cheese mixture onto one side of each piece of chicken and roll up.  Wrap each portion with a slice of bacon and place in a greased baking dish.  Sprinkle pepper over top.  Bake for 40-45 minutes then broil for 3-5 minutes just before serving to crisp up bacon.  Watch carefully so the bacon doesn't burn but you want it to be as crispy as possible. 

Brownie Cherry Cheesecake

This dessert has become a family tradition for all of us.  We have it every year on Thanksgiving and Christmas and usually at least once during the year too.  You can't beat the decadence of a chewy brownie combined with a cheesecake type of filling.

Brownie:
1/2 C. Butter, melted
1 C. Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 Eggs
1/2 C. Flour
1/3 C. Cocoa
1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt

*Cherry Pie Filling (for the topping)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease the bottom of your pie plate very well with shortening and then flour it and dump off excess.  In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs.  Add all dry ingredients and mix until they are completely blended in.  Spread into pan and bake 25-30 minutes.  (The brownie will still be fudgy.)  While brownie layer is cooling mix ingredients for filling.  Wait until the brownie is completely cool before spreading it on top.  Spoon an entire can of cherry pie filling over the top, cover and refrigerate until serving.

Cheesecake Filling:
1 8 oz. pkg. Cream Cheese, softened
1 C. Powdered Sugar
1 C. Whipped Topping

Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together with an electric mixer until creamy.  (If you need to soften your cream cheese a little, put it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.)  Fold in whipped topping.