Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bread

050

I am so sick of being sick.  I feel like an elephant is sitting on my face.  Thought I was getting over it, but turns out I was wrong.  I know shocker.  I have absolutely no medical degree or background and my diagnosis of myself turned out to be wrong.  I may need to suck it up and go see someone with an actual medical degree... you know, those people who slaved at med school...Doctor's I think they call 'em.  I am to sick to care.

051I really wanted a bread with oatmeal and chocolate chips.  I tried one that sounded ubber promising and it turned out to be too dry to consume, and I even cooked it 5 minutes less than the suggested time.  Why anyone would put a recipe like that on a blog and say it was good is beyond me. 

 I found this recipe over at tasty kitchen.  The addition of bananas made it a winner.  Very moist and very tasty.  I would not say this makes 2 loaves.  I mean, I made 2 loaves, but they were not very big.  Next time, I will make one loaf and muffins with the rest. 

BANANA OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP BREAD  

adapted from: tastykitchen

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups White Whole Wheat Flour
  • 1 cup Rolled Oats
  • ½ cups Organic Cane Sugar (I used reg.)
  • ½ cups Brown Sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoons Salt
  • 1-½ cup Buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 whole Eggs, Lightly Beaten
  • ¼ cups Butter, melted
  • 1 cup Ripe Bananas, Mashed (about 3 Medium)
  • ¾ cups Semi-sweet (or Dark!) Chocolate Chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9×5 inch pans with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
In a medium bowl, mix together buttermilk, eggs, butter, vanilla and bananas. Pour into dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
Pour batter into prepared pans, sprinkle with turbinado sugar, and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Note: You can also use the batter to make muffins. You can make one loaf and use the remaining batter for muffins. The muffins will need to bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Post Workout Berry Smoothie

nov 2012 297
I love to make smoothies after I work out. There is something so refreshing about them, and I feel like I am sucking up pure goodness.  I sometimes just do a shakeology, but they are very expensive, and my kids like to partake in the shake with me.  I get a little possessive with shakeology, which is not in my nature.  I am all about sharing my food normally.  I have been making smoothies for a fun dessert for years, but I feel like I have perfected it since I make them more often.  My kids watch me put "salad" in it and are unfazed because they know it tastes great.
A few weird ingredients, that you can click on the links to learn more about.  Chia seeds are packed with protein and omega fatty acids.  Flaxseed meal is full of omega fatty acids as well.  You want the meal verses the seeds, because our body can not break down the seeds to get all those fatty acids.  You will get fiber from the seeds, but that's about it.
Kale is a superfood, like spinach, packed with antioxidants and can be found prepackaged near the packages lettuces usually, and can be found in almost any supermarket.
Stevia is a natural sweetener that is better than many alternative's out there, is calorie free and leaves no aftertaste in my opinion.
Greek yogurt is packed with protein, which is needed to help repair muscles after a workout.
I buy my frozen berries from Sam's Club in bulk, because I am making this for 5-6 of us at a time.
Last thing, when your bananas are about to go bad, peel them, throw them in a baggie and freeze them for smoothie's. 

POST WORKOUT SMOOTHIE

nov 2012 296

INGREDIENTS:
makes 3-4 large smoothies
DIRECTIONS:

Throw all, except for spinach/kale, in a blender or smoothie machine and blend. Add spinach/kale and blend until smooth adding milk if necessary to thin.
I calculated the nutrition below by using a nifty calculator.  

Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1/3 of above recipe

Amount Per Serving
Calories
240    Calories from Fat 51
                                          % Daily Value*
Total Fat 5.6g                           9%
Saturated Fat 2.8g                    14%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 14mg                      5%
Sodium 91mg                            4%
Total Carbohydrates 36.1g        12%
Dietary Fiber 7.1g                     29%
Sugars 24.2g
Protein 14.0g

Vitamin A 45% Vitamin C 66%
Calcium 27% Iron 8%
Nutrition Grade A-
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Mini Pumpkin Bran Muffins with Chocolate Chips

nov 2012 307
These were tasty little morsels.  The chocolate pumpkin combo is a bit of a surprise, but the kind I like!  I made these for church and they were gone!  I opted to leave out the raisins, and also, made some big ones as well.
Have lots to post so I amnot going to say much more.  I liked this muffin...  different with the bran, pumpkin, chocolate combo, but very good!


MINI PUMPKIN BRAN MUFFINS WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 cup unprocessed wheat bran
1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
4 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
2 tbsp light molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:


Preheat the oven to 375F and generously grease 24 mini-muffin tins and 6 regular muffin tins. Or use just the 12 larger muffin tins.


In a large bowl, stir buttermilk and bran together and let sit for 5-10 minutes. If you are using buttermilk powder, simply add 5 tbsp to the bran and then stir in 1 1/4 cups of water. Whisk in pumpkin, raisins, chocolate chips, brown sugar, egg, melted butter, molasses and vanilla.


In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Gently fold flour mixture into the bran mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined.


Spoon batter into prepared tins, to just the top of each tin. Bake until tops are set and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 14-18 minutes for mini-muffins, and 20-24 minutes for larger muffins.

Spinach Anrtichoke Brie Stuffing

008

 

The festivities are complete.  Now we are on to preparations for Christmas.  Isn't that how it is? My kids are already asking about presents and are so excited for the next holiday to come.  Of course to them, watching all the Black Friday ads, Black Friday was a holiday as well.  Black Friday just got out of hand this year.  I am all for the deals, but this year I think some retailers went too far.  

 

006

Anyway, Thanksgiving food... This ain't you mama's stuffing! I love this stuffing!  There is something so comforting about bread and cheese.  Add garlic, cream, spices, artichokes and spinach, and you got a meal!  I have been eating the leftovers as a meal.  

SPINACH ARTICHOKE BRIE STUFFING

foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

  • 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cups spinach, washed and chopped roughly (or 1 frozen pkgs., squeezed dry)
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onions
  • 1 tablespoon roughly chopped garlic
  • 1/2 TBSP plus 1 tsp. Emeril's Italian Essence, or other Italian seasoning blend
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-2(8 1/2-ounce) cans quartered artichoke hearts, any tough outer leaves removed
  • 1 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cups chicken stock
  • 1 TBSP lemon juice
  • 6-7 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old French bread (1 loaf)
  • 8 oz. Brie, rind removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus some for topping
  • handful fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2- 9 by 13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 30 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water. Once cool, squeeze as much water from spinach as possible, then roughly chop, and reserve.Or thaw, and squeeze frozen one dry.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, 1  teaspoons of Italian Essence, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the artichokes and cook, stirring, another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve.
Combine the eggs, cream, chicken stock, lemon juice, remaining  Italian Essence, remaining salt, and remaining pepper in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the bread, spinach, artichoke mixture, brie, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and parsley and stir to combine. If bread does not absorb all of liquid immediately then let rest until this happens, about 20 minutes.
Pour the bread pudding mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over the top and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Bake until firm in the center and golden brown, about 1 hour. Serve warm.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Southwest Egg Rolls with Cilantro Cream Sauce

 Back in the day when I didn't care about the difference between fried and baked food, I LOVED Chili's Southwestern egg rolls.  I mean, they were little bites of heaven to me.  Then I found our the difference between fried and baked and that ruined them for me forever.  I can't stomach fried foods, quite literally.   Don't agree with me.
So, I was one happy girl when I saw this baked version on pinterest.  And my, oh my, these egg rolls were delicious.  They were very popular in a sea of other foods I made for a party.  Delicious other foods.  Would be an awesome superbowl food and I could just eat them for dinner.  Love them with the cilantro dipping sauce.
SOUTHWESTERN EGG ROLLS
Yield: 10-12 Egg Rolls
adapted  from: mrshappyhomemaker

INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
  • 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts – diced
  • 1 medium-large onion, minced
  • 1/2 red or orange pepper, diced
  • 1 cup frozen corn (I used roasted frozen)
  • 1 (14.5oz) can black beans, rinsed & drained
  • 2.5 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 1/2 jalapenos, seeded & minced
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese(I used cheddar)
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 10 taco sized flour tortillas
DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium. Add in the chicken, season with salt & pepper to taste, & saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the diced onions and peppers & cook until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the spices, jalapeno, black beans, corn, & baby spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted. Remove from the heat, and stir in the cheese.
Spoon about 1/4 cup of filling into the center of each taco sized flour tortilla, and roll up like a burrito, folding in the top and bottom, then rolling tightly. Brush each side with a good coating of oil, and place in a baking dish. Bake for 25-35 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy.
Serve with Cilantro Cream Sauce, if desired.

NOTE: Next time I would cook these at a higher temp to get them crispier.  Also, even with brushing them with oil, they take a long time to crisp up.


CILANTRO CREAM SAUCE
Yield: About 2 cups

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 (7oz) can tomatillo sauce or salsa (same thing, different companies label them different)
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2-4 jalapenos, seeded (or leave the seeds in for extra heat)
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro
  • the juice of half a lime
DIRECTIONS:

Combine all the ingredients together in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a jar with a tight fitting seal, and refrigerate for up to 1-2 weeks.

Blueberry Syrup (sauce)


 Been having some technical difficulties with blogger.  They limit the number of photos you can upload apparently, and I was over my limit.  Seems to be a theme in my life.  I overfill my quota of lots of this... like calories.  Which bringing me to this yummy treat.  Let's be clear.  I usually eat 1 pancake... max 2.  And only 1 waffle...  I make these plates up and pass them to my husband.  But still, over my limit.  *sigh*
 

 We had some frozen blueberrries that were just about begging to be used up.  I had been making smoothies and all sorts of stuff with them, but my husband requested some blueberry syrup before he deployed (boo-hoo... cry break).  I did my search on the net and found this.  So dleicious! This would be amazing with lemon pancakes as well.  The reviews on allrecipes all said it was better to make and let sit for an hour for the orange flavor to mellow, and they were accurate.  We loved this syrup and I would make it again and again.


BLUEBERRY SYRUP
 recipe from: allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:
  •  2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries 
  • 1/4 cup water 
  • 1 cup orange juice 
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
 DIRECTIONS:
 In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, 1/4 cup of water, orange juice, and sugar. Stir gently, and bring to a boil.  
In a cup or small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water. Gently stir the cornstarch mixture into the blueberries so as not to mash the berries. Simmer gently until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the almond extract and cinnamon. Thin sauce with water if it is too thick for your liking.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Peanut butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread



 I love banana bread, love peanut butter anything and love chocolate, so I knew this would be a winning combination.  If you are not expecting peanut butter, it makes it a bit of a surprise when you bite into this, but it was yummy.  The bread was very moist, and the peanut butter makes it stick to your ribs, as mama used to say. 
 Now, the original recipe does not call for any butter, making peanut butter the only fat in the bread.  I added a few TBSP of softened butter because I was too nervous not too.  It would probably have been fine without, but the neurotic in me just couldn't let it be, okay?!?  I have issues, I know. I mean obviously I have food issues, because I am a baking maniac. If you only knew the half of it.
 I also added stresel because my neurotic behavior doesn't let me make a bread without it.  If you are looking for a delicious, easy and a little bit out of the ordinary quick bread, then whip this up.  It's delish.

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD

adapted from: recipe girl

Yield: 2 loaves
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 50 min

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 2 TSBP butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips
Streusel Topping:
  • 3 TBSP soft butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup flour   

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 9x5-inch loaf pans (or muffin tins) with nonstick spray.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, combine mashed bananas, milk, peanut butter, vanilla and egg. Add to flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 50 to 55 minutes (give it a check at 40 minutes), or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

TWD:BWJ Buttermilk Crumb Muffins


BUTTERMILK CRUMB MUFFINS

These muffins were fantastic!  Super easy and I was not expecting such a plain, and simple muffin to be so tasty.  But they were great.  I am not a huge fan of baking with shortening, so when I make them again, I will make them with butter.  They were also very sweet, even for a sweet tooth like mine, so I my try to ease up on the sugar next time.  If you use butter, line the pan with muffin liners as they stick!

Recipe was tried "as is", except for adding a bit of vanilla, which I make no baked good without.  Thanks for hosting Alisa from Easier than Pie for hosting!  For the recipe, head to hear blog!