Banana Chocolate Chip Bread
This banana bread can be made in just a few minutes and is SO good! It is a great thing to do with those bananas that go ripe too fast. And – only 3 -4 ingredients! Put your bananas in the freezer, peel and all, until you have enough bananas to make this recipe. You will never want to throw old bananas away again…. or, you will purposely let them go bad just so you can make this delicious bread!
3 – 4 over ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 yellow cake mix
1 cup chocolate chips – I like using the mini chocolate chips but the regular ones work fine too.
1) Beat bananas
2) Add eggs
3) Add cake mix
4) Add chocolate chips
5) Grease and flour a large loaf pan or spray with a baking spray with flour.
6) Bake at 350 degrees for 55 – 60 minutes or longer. It is very important to insert a toothpick in the middle of the loaf, in several places, to check to make sure it is done. If it is at all sticky or even damp, continue baking for a few more minutes. If you take it out too early, it will sink and be gooey in the middle.
This batter can also be made into cupcakes. I baked them at 350 degrees for 17 minutes.
Or, this can be made into 4 small loaves.
Loaf and cupcakes freeze well.
Recipe Source: Artsy Fartsy Mama (found on Pinterest)
FULL RECIPE WITHOUT PICTURES —
BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP BREAD
3 – 4 over ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 yellow cake mix
1 cup chocolate chips – I like using the mini chocolate chips but the regular ones work fine too.
1) Beat bananas
2) Add eggs
3) Add cake mix
4) Add chocolate chips
5) Grease and flour a large loaf pan or spray with a baking spray with flour.
6) Bake at 350 degrees for 40 – 45 minutes or longer. It is very important to insert a toothpick in the middle of the loaf, in several places, to check to make sure it is done. If it is at all sticky, continue baking for a few more minutes. If you take it out too early, it will sink in the middle.
This batter can also be made into cupcakes. I baked them at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Or, this can be made into 4 small loaves.
Loaf and cupcakes freeze well.
Recipe Source: Artsy Fartsy Mama (found on Pinterest)
Veggie Pizza
This was such a great little pizza! I loved it! This really isn’t a “recipe” but just a great idea for a quick meal. Use any veggies that you have in your frig – plus I added a little pineapple. Delicious and very filling!
These are the ingredients that I used – spinach, pineapple, mushrooms, zucchini, and cheese – although I forgot to add the cheese to the picture. I used mozzarella, but any would do.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
I smeared 2 T. of pizza sauce on a Boboli pizza crust.
Then I added my chopped veggies and fruit.
Then I sprinkled the cheese on top. Putting the cheese on the top, rather than the bottom, allows the cheese to melt down around the veggies and hold them in place.
Bake at 425 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes.
NOTE: The first time I made this pizza, I baked it on a baking sheet. The result was a more doughy bread-like crust. The next time I made one, I put my pizza on a wire rack. The result was a crispier crust. The instructions on the Boboli package say to just put it on the rack in your oven. My oven has really wide spaces and I was afraid that I would lose my pizza so I used a flat wire rack as shown below. I preferred the crispy crust.
Gazpacho
Gazpacho is a cold fresh vegetable soup. So delicious on a hot summer day.
All of these ingredients are approximate. You can just throw in whatever you like and whatever you have.
6 – 10 tomatoes – diced
1 pkg. Good Seasonings Italian dry dressing mix
Stir seasoning into diced tomatoes.
2 large cucumbers – diced
4-5 green onions – chopped very small
1/2 bunch cilantro – diced very small
OPTIONAL:
2 medium green peppers – diced
1 medium red onion – diced
Mix all vegetables together.
Add:
6 T. vinegar
1 tsp. pepper
Cover with half tomato juice or V8 juice and half Clamato juice.
We just pour the juice over the vegetables to the desired thickness.
Chill for about 4 hours or best to chill overnight for flavors to blend.
For an extra zip, add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce.
FULL RECIPE WITHOUT PICTURES
GAZPACHO
6 – 10 tomatoes – diced
2 large cucumbers – diced
4-5 green onions – chopped very small
half bunch cilantro – diced very small
OPTIONAL:
2 medium green peppers – diced
1 medium red onion – diced
Mix all vegetables together.
Add:
6 T. vinegar
1 tsp. pepper
1 pkg. Good Seasonings Italian dry dressing mix
Tomatoe juice *
Clamato juice *
Cover with half tomato juice or V8 juice and half Clamato juice.
We just pour the juice over the vegetables to the desired thickness.
Chill for about 4 hours or best to chill overnight for flavors to blend.
For an extra zip, add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce.
Fruit and Vegetable Bags
Have you ever tried these? I won’t go without them! When these first came out in the store I questioned them and really wondered if they really worked. One day I saw them at the “Dollar” store and figured I would try them. They are wonderful! I have found that fruits and vegetables stored in these bags stay fresh about 3 times longer than in a regular plastic bag. As soon as I get home from the grocery store, I pack the fruit s and vegetables in these bags and I have stopped throwing away old wilted produce – totally worth the dollar I spend on them!
How they work: Always Fresh bags remove ethylene gas to prolong the life and freshness of the produce. Most fruit and vegetables release ethylene gas after harvest. Exposure to the gas accelerates aging in fruits and vegetables. Unlike ordinary plastic bags, Always Fresh bags breathe so that damaging gases produced by the fresh produce are removed. Bags minimize moisture formation and inhibit bacteria growth, maintain fruits and vegetables at their peak.
I buy this brand because they are available st our Dollar store. I am sure any brand of this type of product would work the same.
Sour Cream Marinated Cucumbers
I LOVE these marinated cucumbers! If you like marinated vegetables, you will love these too. They are a great compliment to any summer dish and on Weight Watchers – they are virtually no points.
1 cup fat-free sour cream
2 T. vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar (* see note below)
Mix sour cream, vinegar, salt and sugar together in an air tight container.
2 T. chopped green onion
Chop green onions and add to sour cream mixture.
2 large cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
When using cucumbers in a recipe or salad, I always cut a slice out of the middle and taste it. Some cucumbers can be bitter. You would hate to ruin an entire recipe with a bitter cucumber.
Add sliced cucumbers to the sour cream mixture and stir them as best you can. As they marinate, they will soften and be easier to stir.
Refrigerate several hours.
* Note: I tried using Slenda in this recipe and it just didn’t taste the same.
FULL RECIPE WITHOUT THE PICTURES
SOUR CREAM CUCUMBERS
2 T. vinegar
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar (* see note below)
2 T. chopped green onion
2 large cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
Mix all ingredient except cucumbers. Add cucumbers.
Refrigerate several hours.
* Note: I tried using Slenda in this recipe and it just didn’t taste the same.
Composting ? or not
Do you have a composting bin? I have tried to do this in the past, but I am just not diligent enough to stir the mess. I don’t like how it smells either….. I also can’t bring myself to throw all those peeling down the garbage disposal.
Solution – I save the peelings in a bowl and just sprinkle them around the garden. They dry up and then when we till again in the fall, they will add to the richness of the soil.
Banana Bread
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
5 over-ripe bananas – approximately (they have to be very ripe, otherwise they don’t puree well and it just doesn’t taste right)
Beat bananas and measure out 2 1/4 cups. Set aside.
Beat together:
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/8 cups shortening
Add:
5 eggs
2 1/4 cups mashed banana
Add:
4 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/8 tsp. soda
Grease and flour 2 large loaf pans.
Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 60 mins. Insert toothpick to check if it is done. If bread is not done but getting dark on the top, lay a piece of tin foil lightly over the top of bread.
SMALL LOAF PANS: This recipe makes 6 small/medium loaves. Bake 45 mins. at 325 degrees.
FULL RECIPE WITHOUT PICTURES
BANANA BREAD
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Beat bananas and measure out 2 1/4 cups. Set aside
Beat together:
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/8 cups shortening
Add:
5 eggs
2 1/4 cups mashed banana
Add:
4 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/8 tsp. soda
Grease and flour 2 large loaf pans.
Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 60 mins. Insert toothpick to check if it is done. If bread is not done but getting dark on the top, lay a piece of tin foil lightly over the top of bread.
This recipe makes 6 small/medium loaves. Bake 45 mins. at 325 degrees.
Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon
This salmon was unbelievably good! My niece and nephew, Chelsie and Mike Oakford, served this when we were invited to their home tonight. It was beautifully glazed with honey, sesame oil, soy sauce and ginger which complimented the rich flavor of the salmon. This is a dish that I will definitely make again!
1 1/2 pounds raw salmon
MARINADE:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T. toasted sesame oil
2 T. rice vinegar
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, grated or chopped
1 T. freshly grated ginger
Mix above ingredients and marinate salmon for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
Line baking dish with foil. Place salmon, skin-side up and broil 10 – 12 minutes
GLAZE:
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ginger, grated
1/2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
Combine all glaze ingredients. Glaze salmon as soon as you take it out of the oven.
GARNISH:
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 – 2 T. toasted sesame seeds
RECIPE SOURCE: Chelsie Oakford
4th of July Cake
Isn’t this cake fun??!! My niece and nephew, Chelsie and Mike Oakford had us over for dinner and this is the wonderful dessert that she made. She took 1 1/2 white cake mixes, divided the batter into 3 bowls, added the red and blue food coloring – bake as directed.
She topped it with strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
In addition to being so beautiful, it tasted so light and refreshing too.
RECIPE SOURCE: Chelsie Oakford
Barbequed Salad
This salad was SO good – it is a meal in itself. My niece Chelsie and nephew Mike served it when they had us over for dinner tonight. They recreated it from their favorite salad they order at Zupas. They did a GREAT job in their recreation. This salad is so refreshing and delicious!
SALAD FIXINS:
Mixed greens
sliced olives
tomatoes
corn
red onion, finely chopped
grilled chicken, cut in bite-sized pieces
DRESSING:
BBQ sauce
Ranch salad dressing
