Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I had two bananas that were really starting to turn brown and the thought of just throwing them away made me sad.  I didn't want to just make banana bread because everytime I make it, I think I am going to eat it and then half the loaf gets eaten and the other half ends up in the garbage.  So I thought banana chocolate chip muffins would be a great idea and since school just started it would be a great breakfast on the go.  This recipe came out great and I love that it calls for plain yogurt.


1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I am sure vanilla yogurt would work fine too)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 mashed ripe bananas
3/4 cup chocolate chips

In large bowl mix dry ingredients.  In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt, and vanilla.  Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until moistened.  Fold in banana and chocolate chips.  Fill muffin pan, if not using liners then you must grease the pan.  This made just 12 muffins for me, and I filled the muffin cups almost to the top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Strawberry Infused Vodka

As we say good-bye to summer, I had a wonderful summery drink that I made with my strawberry infused vodka.  To be honest I think that when I am feeling the winter blues, I am going to be mixing up a drink with this yummy vodka.

Infusing vodka happens to be very easy and I think the flavor is much better than the flavored vodkas that are out there on the shelves.

To make the strawberry vodka you need to hull and slice your strawberries, put them in some sort of air tight container, and then pour your vodka over the strawberries.  I used a mason jar and used about a pint of strawberries.

Then let the strawberries and vodka sit in a cool dark place for about three days and agitate it once per day.  You will notice the strawberries will soon become white.  Once you have let your strawberries sit you will need to strain them.  I used a coffee filter over a strainer.  If you just use the strainer you end up with small bits of strawberry seeds.  Your vodka will end up with this wonderful red color to it.

I then stored my vodka in the fridge and mixed it with seltzer and a wedge of lime.  The best thing about this cocktail, besides how great it tastes, is that it doesn't have a ton of calories either.


My sister-in-law made raspberry infused vodka and we mixed it with lemon-lime soda, a splash of cranberry juice and a wedge of lime and it was a hit at her party!  I think we might try and make our own sweet tea vodka next.

Baked Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is my son's absolute favorite meal.  Whenever we ask him what he wants for dinner he replies with "mac and cheese".  I am not a huge fan of the neon orange cheese that first starts out as powder, so I tend to make this baked mac and cheese and it is extremely indulgent.

1 lb macaroni (sometimes I use small shells or cavatappi)
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1/2 tsp salt
pepper (to taste)
2-4 cups grated cheese (I tend to use 4 cups and I like a combo of sharp cheddar and monterey jack and I don't use the kind that is already shredded, for some reason I feel it doesn't have as much flavor)
1/2 cup bread crumbs sauteed with 1 Tbsp butter for the topping

Cook pasta according to directions.  In a medium saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour.  Slowly pour in milk while stirring to keep the mixture thick.  Do the same with the cream.  Add in your salt and pepper.  Add in your cheese and stir to melt it.  Pour the pasta and cheese into a baking dish and top with breadcrumb mixture.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

*for a lighter version, use only milk (no cream) and use 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp flour rather than the 4 listed above.

New England Clam Chowder

I absolutely LOVE New England Clam Chowder and have made this recipe a lot over the years, and I love to make this on a cold, rainy Sunday.  Although it is not exactly cold today, I think it makes for a great meal during the aftermath of a hurricane!

2 Tbsp butter
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 Tbsp dried thyme
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp flour
1 pint half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock
1-2 potatoes, depending on the size
2 cans minced or whole baby clams and their juice

In a large pot over medium high heat melt butter. (I like to use my dutch oven for this recipe.)  Add bacon and let the bacon cook a bit and get a little brown.  Add onions cook for 1-2 minutes and then add celery, thyme, salt and pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Add flour and stir and cook for another minute or two.  Add half-and half and stock and bring to a bubble.  While you are waiting for the soup to bubble, peel and cut your potatoes and cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes so they are partly cooked.  Once soup is bubbling, add potatoes and clams.  Bring soup to a boil and reduce heat and simmer until your chowder is nice and thick and can coat the back of a spoon.  The longer you simmer the thicker the soup will get.  I like mine to be very thick, so I simmer it for awhile, about 30-45 minutes or more.

Banana Pudding Gone Amazing

My friend Nicole made this and calls it "Banana Pudding with a Twist" but I think it should be called Banana Pudding Gone Amazing because it truly is amazing!

Pre-heat oven to 350.  Makes an 8x8 dish, for 9x13 double the recipe.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick, softened)

1 cup flour

1 cup coconut flakes

1/4 cup white sugar

1 box instant banana pudding

2 cups of cold milk

2 bananas sliced thin

1/2 container Cool Whip

Combine butter, flour, coconut flakes and sugar in a bowl until a crumbly mixture forms.  Put the crumbs on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 min (stirring once or twice so it cooks evenly) until light brown.  Allow to cool.

Make the instant pudding as per directions on box.

In a 8x8 dish put 1/2 coconut mixture.  Gently top with banana pudding, then a layer of thin sliced bananas, cool whip and the remaining coconut mixture.

Refrigerate until served.

Peanut Butter Frosting YUMM

I made this frosting for my mom's birthday. I put it on chocolate cupcakes.  I was not crazy about the chocolate cupcake recipe I used, it was way too dry and more like a chocolate muffin than a cake, but I will be trying again.  Next time I am going to try a new recipe and make the chocolate cupcakes with a mini peanut butter cup in the middle and then top it with this frosting!  The frosting will be enough for about 16 cupcakes.

1/2 cup peanut butter
5 Tbsp softened unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1-3 Tbsp milk (only needed to thin, if desired)

Beat butters together with an electric mixer.  Add sugar, thin with milk if you would like a thinner consistancy. 

Two Cheese Corn Gratin (courtesy of Good Housekeeping)

I made this for a BBQ and it was sooo yummy!  I will definitely be making this as a side dish again!

• 1 pound(s) yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 pound(s) ripe tomatoes, halved, seeded, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
• 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tablespoon(s) chopped basil
• 1 1/2 cup(s) whole milk
• 2 tablespoon(s) cornstarch
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup(s) snipped fresh chives
• 5 ear(s) corn
• 3/4 cup(s) panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
• 3/4 cup(s) shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup(s) shredded mozzarella cheese

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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In greased shallow 3-quart. baking dish, arrange squash and half of tomatoes in single layer, overlapping. Drizzle with half of oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and half of basil. Roast 25 minutes or until slightly dry.
3. Meanwhile, in large bowl, whisk milk, cornstarch, and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper until cornstarch dissolves. Whisk in eggs and half of chives.
4. Cut corn kernels from cobs. In bowl, combine panko, 1/4 cup Cheddar, 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and remaining basil, chives, and oil.
5. Sprinkle remaining cheeses evenly over roasted vegetables. Top with corn; pour milk mixture over all. Place raw tomatoes around edge, slightly overlapping. Sprinkle panko mixture evenly over top.
6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until browned and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. 

Sangria

I LOVE sangria, and what mommy doesn't need a little drink every now and then.  My friend Derrick gave me this recipe after I had it at a party and it is delish, and not very strong, which I happen to like about it.  I don't like when a drink suddenly knocks me on my ass, and this one you can have a few glasses of and still feel fine.

1 Bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rioja, Zinfandel, Shiraz)- I used Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet, my favorite red of the moment
1 Lemon cut into wedges
1 Orange cut into wedges
1 Lime cut into wedges
2 Tbsp sugar
3 Cups of lemonade
2 Shots triple sec (optional)- I left this out since I don't have it in the house and used gin instead
1 Cup of raspberries and/or strawberries (frozen) - I used frozen mixed berries
1 Small can of diced pineapples (with juice)
4 Cups ginger ale

Preparation:
Pour wine into a large pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon, orange and lime into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and pineapple with the juice, then add sugar, lemonade and triple sec. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale, and frozen berries just before serving. If you'd like to serve right away, use chilled red wine and serve over lots of ice. However, remember that the best Sangrias are chilled around 24 hours in the frig. - allowing the flavors to really marinate into each other.
I never use ice, I don't like the ice to melt, it will kill the flavor, so I use lots and lots of frozen fruit. You can also jazz it up by added a few shots of gin and using Mike's Hard Lemonade. Also shave just a pinch of cinnamon into the mix, gives it a nice aroma a touch of spice.

Lower Fat Alfredo Sauce

I wouldn't call this recipe low-fat due to the amount of cheese but it certainly is lower-fat than a traditional alfredo sauce.

1 lb pasta (I like to use any long flat noodle like fettuccine or pappardelle)
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
3/4 cups grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Optional: sauteed spinach or steamed broccoli

Cook pasta according to directions.  Meanwhile in a large saucepan melt butter and whisk in flour creating a paste.  Slowly whisk in milk so that the liquid gets absorbed and the mixture stays thick.  simmer over low heat about 1-2 min.  Stir in parmesan cheese and salt.  If you sauteed spinach or  steamed broccoli, add in now.  Add pasta and coat with the sauce and serve.  YUMM!

I made this the other night with spinach which I sauteed with a little olive oil, garlic and salt.  I also used fresh pasta from Uncle Giuseppe's.

"Sand" Dessert

This is such a great dessert to bring to a summer BBQ!  I am sure you are probably familiar with the dessert called "dirt"where you make chocolate pudding and put crumbled Oreos on top with gummy worms, this is kind of like the vanilla version.

1 box of vanilla oreo cookies

1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 stick of unsalted butter, softened

1 cup of powdered sugar

3 small boxes of instant vanilla pudding

3 1/2 cups milk

1 small container cool whip, thawed

8 inch sand bucket with plastic shovel

Crumble cookies into a fine texture. I like to put mine in a ziplock and beat it with a mallet or bottle, it's how I get my aggression out :-) , and set aside.  In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, butter and sugar.  Beat until smooth, set aside.  In a large bowl, make pudding according to the directions (you may need more than the 3 1/2 cups of milk).  Fold in the cool whip to the pudding, once mixed fold in the cream cheese mixture.  Mix thoroughly. Butter the sides of the bucket and alternate layers of pudding then cookie crumbs, then pudding, etc.  Make sure you leave enough cookies to top the pudding with the cookies so it looks like sand.  Chill for at least 2 hours.  Serve with a plastic shovel.

My Menu for the Week 4/3

I thought it would be a good idea to share my menu for the week and how I plan my meals.   On Saturday or Sunday I sit down with my husband to plan our meals for the week.  As much as I try and stick with my menu plan sometimes throughout the week I end up changing meals around or changing it completely.  Last week I had planned to make my chicken with stewed tomatoes and peppers but I forgot the stewed tomatoes and never made it to the store so instead I made chicken with lemon and wine sauce and added in some spinach because I had it in the freezer and I wanted to add some more nutrition.  So, as much as I plan, I also know that things don't always go according to plan.

So here is my menu for the week:
Sunday- Bacon Cheeseburgers with Onion Straws and Baked Sweet Potatoes
Monday- Beef Stir Fry with Snow Peas over Rice Noodles
Tuesday- Rigatoni with Mushrooms, Chicken, and Wine Sauce
Wednesday- Greek Chicken over Salad
Thursday- Bacon and Egg Toast Cups  (from Annie's Eats)

I usually don't plan for Friday night or Saturday because my husband and I will order in or just make do with what is in the house, this way we don't have to throw out ingredients we didn't use.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

I tried this recipe the other night and it was DELISH! I happen to love sour cream so this was right up my alley. I know some people don't like cottage cheese and so if you don't care for it I would use only sour cream instead of the cottage cheese. I got this recipe from here.

Ingredients

• 1-¼ pound Ground Chuck
• 1 can 15-ounces Tomato Sauce
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 8 ounces, weight Egg Noodles
• ½ cups Sour Cream
• 1-¼ cup Small Curd Cottage Cheese
• ½ cups Sliced Green Onions (less To Taste)
• 1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown ground chuck in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce. 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.
Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.
To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar. Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.
Serve with crusty French bread.

Irish Soda Bread

I could eat an entire Irish Soda Bread on my own, it is that good! Mine happens to be moist and I really like it that way but I know some people prefer it to be dry.

3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
pinch of baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter (softened; I put mine in the microwave for about 15 seconds to get it soft)
1 cup raisins
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
caraway seeds (about a tablespoon)

Mix dry ingredients and work in soft butter to a crumb mix, add in the raisins. Beat eggs in a small bowl until light and add the eggs and buttermilk to the flour. Once all the ingredients are well mixed add in caraway seeds and mix in. Grease a cast iron skillet and bake at 375 for about 40-45 minutes until nicely brown.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

I LOVE corned beef and cabbage, but I only make it for St. Patrick's Day. Same with my Irish Soda Bread, which I will share my recipe for. I make my corned beef and cabbage in a slow cooker but I am sure on the stovetop with a dutch oven will work as well.

6- 8 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into thick slices
3 medium carrots, thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 corned beef brisket, about 3 pounds
1 cabbage, about 2 pounds
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups water

Lightly spray 5-6 quart crockpot; layer potato slices over bottom of pot with carrots. Place corned beef on vegetables. Slice cabbage into 8 wedges and arrange the cabbage around the meat. Sprinkle with the pepper and add water. Cook on low for 6 hours, or high for about 3. When done remove meat and let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Rigatoni with Mushrooms, Chicken and Wine Sauce

I found this recipe and it looked really good so last night I decided to finally make it. Unfortunately my daughter, Leah, was being extremely cranky and whiny so I was cooking while holding her and listening to her whine and cry, which made me read the recipe wrong and instead of 1/4 cup of wine, I used 2 cups. I thought I had made a disaster but decided to just let the wine reduce a while longer and it turned out FANTASTIC! So my mistake ended up being a success. My husband even said he would prefer this dish to ordering in Italian, which is a BIG thing cause he would order from our favorite Italian restaurant pretty much every night if he had the option!
8 oz. rigatoni
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ cup chopped onion
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced ( I buy them already sliced so I don't have to do it)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream (I used half and half, but heavy cream would be better)
1 tsp corn starch
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. butter
Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, cook pasta and drain well.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. When cool enough to handle, cut into bite-size pieces.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan with the heat on medium-high. Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add the mushrooms to the pan and continue to cook about 5 minutes more. Mix in the garlic, then add the wine, scraping with a spoon to deglaze the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer, lower the heat to medium and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half. This may take about 15- 20 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook until heated through. (if the sauce is very liquidy and you prefer it thicker add in the corn starch to thicken) Add in the herbs, Parmesan and butter; mix until well blended and the butter is completely melted. Add the chicken back to the pan and then add the rigatoni and toss with the sauce. Top with a bit more parmesan cheese. It may seem that the sauce is a bit liquidy but the more it sits the thicker it will become.

Sweet potato with apples and maple syrup

I was going to make my butternut squash and apple side dish the other night but my squash was pretty sorry looking so I had to think quick and realized I had a sweet potato sitting on the counter and I improvised. I also thought that maple syrup might be nice to use instead of the brown sugar I use with the squash, and I am so glad I tried it this was delish and the kids really loved it!

1-2 apples skinned and chopped
1-2 sweet potatoes skinned and chopped
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp butter

In a baking dish mix together all ingredients and bake at 400 degrees until tender.

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

So I usually plan my meals in advance. My husband and I sit down on Saturday or Sunday and plan for the week what we will eat and then one of us goes to the supermarket. Tonight was going to be chicken wings with butternut squash and apples as a side dish. But when I opened the package of chicken they did not smell good, so in the garbage they went. Then when I opened the pre-cut squash they felt all slimy, so that also went in the garbage. This left me without a plan for dinner. Luckily earlier in the week I bought chopped meat because we were planning on having bacon cheeseburgers but went to dinner at my sister-in-law's house instead. That's where the bacon cheeseburger meatloaf came to be.

I have made bacon cheeseburger meatloaf once before when I was pregnant with my son, so about 4 years ago and it was a Paula Deen recipe and it was really good but also VERY fattening! This recipe is still not healthy but not as bad as the Paula Deen recipe.

1 lb ground beef (or you can use turkey or chicken if you prefer)
1 cup grated cheese (I used cheddar but you can use whatever you like)
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
worcestershire sauce
2 strips of bacon

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together the meat, egg, bread crumbs, and worcestershire sauce. Take 1/3 of the mixture and form into the base of the meatloaf, so kind of a rectangle. Make a well in the middle and put cheese in the well. Take the rest of the meat and cover the cheese, making sure that the sides are sealed together, you don't want your cheese to ooze out while cooking. Take bacon and cut it in half and lay it on top of the meatloaf. Bake in oven for about 20-30 min. The bacon will be nice and crispy and the cheese in the center will be oozy and melty. YUM!

Enchildas (SORTA)

I got this recipe from my favorite food blog annies-eats. She calls them Benchiladas. They were really easy to make and VERY yummy! They weren't exactly enchiladas so that is why I called them sorta enchiladas.

4-6 boneless chicken breasts (or use some leftover chicken)
4 oz sour cream
4 oz ranch dressing
flour tortillas (8-10)
salsa
shredded cheese (I used cheddar but you can use any mix of cheese you like)

Shred chicken and mix with 4 oz. sour cream, and 4 oz. ranch dressing in a small mixing bowl. Spread chicken mixture in the middle of the tortilla, layer on top with salsa and cheese and then roll up and place tortilla seam side down in a greased 9x13 in baking pan. Repeat with remaining ingredients and bake at 375 for 25-30 min.

I served them with some refried beans and mexican rice.

Cat's Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ok, this isn't a dinner recipe, but it is SOOOOO good I just had to post it! My good friend Cat made this on our girl's weekend down in North Carolina Beach and it was so good I even ate it cold and loved it! This is perfect to serve for the Super Bowl today!

1 can chicken, drained
1 8oz. pkg cream cheese
1 8oz. pkg, shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 c. ranch dressing
...1/3 c. buffalo sauce

Can be doubled, and can increase Ranch/Buffalo to desired taste.
Soften cream cheese in the microwave, then mix in all the other ingredients. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes and serve with tortilla chips. :-)

Crockpot Chili

This is super easy, and I am providing a link. I use the McCormick seasoning packet and follow the recipe on the back. Just make sure not to leave your chili cooking for too long.

Shrimp Scampi

This recipe is so tasty and so easy! I don't really measure when I cook this so I will give you estimates for the ingredients. Make sure you taste it as you go.

1 lb linguine
1 lb cooked frozen shrimp (defrosted)
1/4 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic (minced) I use the minced garlic you can keep in the fridge
Juice of 1-2 lemons
1/2 cup white wine
4 Tablespoons butter
Fresh chopped parsley

Boil water for pasta. While pasta cooks saute garlic in olive oil on medium-high heat, make sure the garlic doesn't get brown and burn. Add in wine and reduce down, about 5 min. Add in juice from the lemons. Depending on how lemony you like this dish use 1-2 lemons. I usually use 1 1/2 lemons. Add in salt and pepper and butter, stir while letting butter melt. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes and add shrimp at the very end to warm. Drain pasta and add pasta to sauce. Toss with fresh parsley and serve.