Banana Bread

We had some extremely mushy bananas in our house today, so I turned them into the most marvelously soft and delicious banana bread! We don't have a bread pan, so I used muffin tins instead and they were the most excellent little treats. The aroma that filled our little apartment while they were cooking was absolutely mouth watering. 

I have no idea where this recipe comes from, but it takes literally 3 minutes to throw together and pop in the oven. I love it! 

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used homemade applesauce to make it healthier)

3-4 ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

What to do

Cream sugar and oil. Add eggs and mashed bananas and beat. Add flour, soda and salt. Pour into greased glass baking dish for one large cake, or divide into bread pans or lined muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes

Lemon Broiled Asparagus!

Spring has (almost) sprung and with that means... asparagus is in season! 

I love asparagus so much. Jase and I have eaten it with dinner at least three times in the past week. My favorite (simple) way to make it:

Wash and pat dry asparagus. Cut off the bottom inch or so and place in a single layer on a tin-foil covered cooking sheet.

Drizzle some (I used less than a TBS) olive oil over the asparagus and roll them all around in it so they're equally covered. I have also seen some people simply spray it with cooking spray... but I think that's gross. Go for the olive oil.

Squeeze the juice of half of a lemon over asparagus, then sprinkle lots of salt and pepper on it. Finally, cover with desired amount of grated Parmesan cheese.

Broil on High for about 5 minutes, until the cheese starts to brown and the asparagus is tender. 

Enjoy!

Easy as pizza.

My amazing mama can be credited for this pizza recipe. It is one of my favorite meals from home! We make it at least once every two weeks....Jase and I love to roll out the dough and cut it with a heart-shaped cookie cutter (about 5" wide) for perfect "baby pizzas." Enjoy!


Dough Ingredients 


1 pkg active dry yeast (a small tablespoon)
1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
2 Tablespoons of oil
2 and 1/2 cups of flour

What you do

Put the yeast in a bowl and add the water and the sugar. (sugar helps to activate yeast) and wait about five minutes. It should foam up just a little) A tip to measuring the water temperature is to keep your hand in the water as it runs and just before it gets too hot to keep your hand there, that is the perfect temperature)


After five minutes, add the salt and oil and flour. Mix it all up, give it a little while to raise (if you have time).


Then, roll it out, cut it into little circles and add desired toppings!

Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes.

Key Lime Tarts

I saw these on Our Best Bites and it was love at first site! 

photo from ourbestbites.com

They are the easiest, tastiest little treats I have ever made. Jase and I took them over to my parent's for Sunday dinner and they were a huge hit. 


Ingredients

10 mini graham cracker pie crusts (available near the regular 

graham cracker crusts in the baking aisle)

5 egg yolks

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Around 1/2 c. lime juice. 

2 drops green food coloring 

What to do 

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and lime juice. Mix well and add 2 drops green food coloring. Distribute among graham cracker crusts and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature, then chill in fridge until ready to serve.Add a dollup of whipped cream before serving and enjoy! 

Cornbread muffins

This is an amazing recipe from the Our Best Bites cookbook. It's a cake-like muffin you won't be able to put down! We had them tonight with chili and fresh asparagus and it was delicious. The recipe makes about 3 dozen muffins.


Enjoy! 

Ingredients

1 box yellow cake mix

2 boxes jiffy cornbread mix

eggs, milk and oil according to both packages (substitute all water for milk)

What to do

Combine and mix well.  
Bake according to cake package.  
Serve with honey butter.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Cheesecake Bars

I found this recipe on the Tasty Kitchen and knew I had to make it, because Jase and I are big fans of both Reese's and cheesecake...and a recipe with the two together? It looked amazing! I was a little nervous, because I had never made a cheesecake before, but this turned out unbelievably well... It was SO good. Like, take a bite and go "Oh, wow" good. The next time you are craving a some sugar, or you want to impress family/friends with your baking skills, I would definitely recommend these little beauties. 

 (To see the original (printable) recipe, please click here)

 

 

What you will need:

• 7 whole Graham Crackers, Broken Into 1-inch Pieces
• 6 Tablespoons (3/4 Stick) Unsalted Butter, Melted And Cooled
• 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
• ⅛ teaspoons Salt
• 2 packages (8 Oz. Each) Cream Cheese, Softened
• ⅔ cups Granulated Sugar
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• ¼ cups Sour Cream
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 12 whole (0.75 Oz Each) Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Divided, Cut Into 6 Pieces Each
• 2 ounces, weight Bittersweet Chocolate, Chopped (I used semi-sweet)
•  

What you should do:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

• Prepare an 8-inch square baking pan by lining the pan with aluminum foil, leaving 3-4 inches of foil draping over the sides of the pan.

• The crust:
• Place graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the crackers form fine crumbs, about 30 seconds. To the crumbs, add butter, brown sugar, flour, and salt. Pulse until the ingredients are fully combined. Using the bottom of a measuring cup or your fingers, press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Bake until the crust is beginning to brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Let the crust cool on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes.

• The filling:
• In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until it is very smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape the beaters and sides of bowl frequently. Gradually beat in granulated sugar until the mixture is combined, about 1 minute. Beat in eggs, one a time, making sure that each is fully incorporated. Beat in sour cream and vanilla extract until fully combined, about 30 seconds.
• Unwrap and cut 9 Reese’s peanut butter cups (0.75 ounce each) into 6 pieces. Gently fold into the cream cheese mixture. Scrape the cream cheese mixture into the baking pan, over the top of the cooled crust. Spread evenly.

• Bake until the edges are set but the middle still jiggles slightly when the pan is shaken slightly, about 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
• Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow the bars to cool for 2 hours. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, and up to 24 hours.
• Using the overhanging foil, lift the bars from the pan. Gently remove the foil and cut into 16 bars.
• Place bittersweet chocolate in a small bowl. Microwave on 50% power until melted, stirring every 15 seconds. Drizzle the chocolate over the bars, top each with a small chunk of a Reese’s peanut butter cup and serve.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I got this lovely recipe from a friend who promised it was the easiest, heartiest, best tasting stew around. She was right! It took me ten minutes to get everything in the crockpot, I left for school/work, and when I came home at 6pm my house was filled with the most savory aromas- seriously, my mouth was watering! Jase and I both agree it pretty much rocked our world. Enjoy! 

Crock Pot Beef Stew

1 pound beef stew cubes

4 carrots, sliced

4 medium potatoes, cut in large chunks

1 (1-oz) package dry onion soup mix

2 (10.75-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup 

(you could get light soup to make the stew healthier)

1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce

1 (10-oz) package frozen green peas

Mix all liquid ingredients in a medium bowl. Add all ingredients to a slow-cooker and cook on low for up to 12 hours.

Sugar Cookies

Jase and I are somewhat addicted to sugar cookies but have had lousy luck with a good recipe in the past. I found this one on a random blog (sorry, I don't remember the link) and tried them out for Valentines Day... they were perfect! A huge hit with Jase and I, plus everyone who had the good timing to come visit us that week. Simple, easy, and a perfect fix for any sweet tooth. 

I'm still looking for the perfect frosting recipe, however... any suggestions?

Ingredients 

2 C sugar
1 C soft butter
2 eggs
1 tea vanilla
1 C sour cream
5 C flour
4 tea baking powder
1/2 tea soda
1/2 tea salt

Instructions
 

Cream together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until creamy. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Roll out dough on a floured counter top. Place cookie shapes on lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake 350 for 10 minutes then remove from oven and let rest for 2 minutes and then remove from baking sheet to a wire rack, let cool before frosting.

Actually the perfect chocolate chip cookie

Credit for this amazing recipe belongs to my dear friend Alyx. She shared it with me about two years ago and I was immediately hooked. It's a little more work than your traditional choco-chip cookies, but it's also INCREDIBLE. Well worth the effort. Seriously, it's a huge crowd pleaser. Anytime I bring it anywhere I always get multiple requests for the recipe. The cookies are softer, sweeter, and overall have a better taste than most recipes.

May I also recommend using these chocolate chips in your cookies:

They're bigger than most chocolate chips, and they taste incredible, with no weird aftertaste (does anybody else have an aversion to chocolate chip aftertaste?)

Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 3/4 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 c unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 c Crisco (plain or butter flavored, I prefer plain)
1 c light brown sugar
1 c minus 2 T white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 1/2 c chocolate chips

 In a small bowl gently mix the flour, salt, and baking soda until the ingredients are evenly distributed.  This allows the final dough to have an even distribution of ingredients without over-mixing it.  Set aside.

Using an electric hand mixer or a wire whisk attachment of a stand mixer,  cream the butter and shortening until light and fluffy 3- 5 minutes.  This gives the dough a better rise in the oven, making the cookies lighter. Butter is good for taste and shortening is good to make the cookie softer. 

Add both sugars and beat 2-3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until fully incorporated.

Switch to a paddle attachment or mix by hand with a sturdy mixing spoon.  Add the chocolate chips and mix gently.  Adding them at this point evenly distributes them without overmixing the final dough.  Do not over-mix or it will discolor the dough. 

Add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.  This is the point when you no longer see white spots of flour.  Do not overmix!

Touch test the dough.  It should feel slightly sticky, but not much should stick to your finger.  If it is very sticky add 2T flour at a time.

Using your hands, roll the dough into balls. Work quickly so you don’t overwork and heat the dough. If the dough is sticky and doesn't form a smooth looking ball, you will need more flour. If you have to force it into a ball, it has too much flour.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet 3 inches apart.  

Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm. As soon as you put the dough into the refrigerator, position the oven rack to the second highest setting. Preheat the oven to 375. 

After 30 mins, remove the dough from the refrigerator and bake 8-10 minutes.  They are ready to come out of the oven when they are domed and puffy, show few signs of browning and look a bit underdone. 

Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes.  They continue to cook from the heat of the sheet. Remove them to a cooling rack so they will cool evenly.  They will continue to cook from  the heat of the cookie. 

Baked Lemon Pasta

Another delightful recipe from The Pioneer Woman (that lady is genius).

I love it because it has lemons.

Jase loves it because it is filling, creamy, and absolutely mouth-watering.

It's simple, refreshing, and the lemon-on-pasta thing gives a unique spin on pasta. We love it!

One problem we run into a lot when cooking, is that we often end up with loads of leftovers that go to waste (because one of us refuses to eat left overs. It's me. Sorry folks, I just can't do it) This recipe is nice because if there are just two or three of you, you can easily half it and cook it in a little 8x8 pan for a perfectly portioned meal.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 pound Thin Spaghetti
• 4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
• 2 cups Sour Cream
• ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste
• Plenty Of Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
• Extra Lemon Juice

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente.

In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.

Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.

Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)

When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

Raspberry Cream Pie

We found this amazing recipe on Pioneer Woman's website and it became an instant favorite. It's sweet, not too tart, and incredibly easy. Enjoy!

 

 Ingredients

 

• 25 whole Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (my note: also, those pre-made oreo pie crusts work marvelously. And are way less work)
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• For the Filling
• 1 cup (generous) Raspberries
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar
• 2 containers (6 Ounce Each) Raspberry Yogurt
• 1 package (3.4 Ounch) Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
• 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• Extra Raspberries For Garnish

How to do it

To make the crust, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crust cookies in a food processor (or smash in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin). Stir in melted butter until all combined. Pour into a regular pie pan and press crumbs all over the pan and up the sides. Bake for 3 to 4 minutes—just long enough for it to set. Cool crust completely. (Like I said, the pre-made crusts work just as well and cut down the prep time substantially)

 

Place raspberries on a plate or in an empty pan. Smash them with a fork, then sprinkle on 3 tablespoons of sugar (Or Splenda). Stir together and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine raspberry yogurt with the instant vanilla pudding mix (just the powder itself.) Beat on low until combined, about 1 minute. Pour in heavy cream and whip on low for 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Turn mixer on medium-high speed and beat for two minutes, or until mixture is thick. 

Turn off mixer, then fold in raspberries until just combined. Pour into cooled pie pan and spread evenly. Freeze for two hours, or until very firm. Cut into slices and top each slice with cookie crumbs, dollops of whipped cream, and extra raspberries. Keep in freezer, allowing time to thaw before serving.