Banana PB Granola

A few weeks ago I was on overload. I didn't really have time to cook any meals and was pretty much living off snack-type foods. That combined with not having time to workout as much as I like left me feeling pretty gross. I stumbled across this recipe for Banana Peanut Butter Granola on Annie's Eats and immediately put the ingredients I didn't have on hand on my grocery list. I made it that evening and have made 4 batches of it since. I have yet to make a recipe from her blog that isn't a big hit in our house. Matt and I absolutely love the crunchy combination of Banana and Peanut Butter with a hint of chcolate. Vanilla yogurt with this granola mixed it has become my number one snack lately.

Another reason I absolutely love this is because with my old oven I could not make a batch of granola without burning it. My new oven however makes this beautifully. Each time I've made this granola I messed around with the amount of ingredients a bit, the first time I made I used more Rice Krispie (3.5cups) than Oats (2.5 cups) because I ran out of Oats. That has been my favorite batch. I also like to add some of the chocolate before mixture completely cools. Below I have the recipe as found on Annie's blog.

Banana Peanut Butter Granola
Souce: Annie's Eats



Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal
2 tbsp. honey
1/3 cup applesauce
1/3 cup mashed bananas
1/3-1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, warmed slightly (I use 1/2 heaping cup)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar
1-1 1/2 cups dried banana chips
1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts
3-4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (optional)



Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats and puffed rice cereal. In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, applesauce, mashed banana, peanut butter, salt, cinnamon and brown sugar until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until the oat mixture is evenly coated. Spread onto the prepared baking sheet in a thick even layer.

Bake for 30 minutes. Then, using a large spatula, turn the granola over in segments. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. Depending on the size of your baking sheet, the center may not be fully dried. If necessary, remove the edges of cooked granola and bake the remaining granola for 10-15 minutes more or until done, being careful not to over-bake. Cool on a wire rack.

Once the granola has cooled, crumble it into a large bowl or plastic bag. Add in the dried banana chips, honey roasted peanuts and bittersweet chocolate, if using. Mix well to combine. Store in an airtight container.

Conquering My Fears

When I asked Matt what he wanted for his birthday he told me cinnamon rolls. I cringed on the inside. Cinnamon Rolls?

That involves yeast. Yeast is complicated and scary.
That involves time. I don’t have a lot of time.
He loves his mom’s cinnamon rolls. I can’t compete with that.
Cinnamon Rolls? Yuck

But, being the stellar wife I am, I cowboyed up and accepted the challenge. I’ve had some packages of yeast in my cabinets for a few months, but have just been too intimidated to try and use them. I did a little research and decided I could handle it.

Next was the search for a cinnamon roll recipe. I would have loved to use the recipe I saw on all the Daring Bakers Blogs from Peter Reinhardt's The Bread Baker's Apprentice, but there is that whole time thing again. I just don’t have much. So I searched allrecipes and found Cinnamon Roll recipe that requires a bread machine. The bread machine does all the hard work – perfect!

Since his birthday was yesterday, I prepared these Sunday night and stuck them in the fridge. We got up at 5 Monday morning to work out and I took them out of the fridge and let them come to room temp before poppin them in the oven (almost 2 hours.) I topped them with a cream cheese frosting.

The results? Well, I don’t like cinnamon rolls, but Matt ate three of them so I take that as a good thing. I made a dozen and asked if he was going to take some to work. He told me he planned on eating them every day for breakast. He had two this morning. I think he likes them. This recipe got excellent reviews on allrecipes, a few people said this was a lighter cinnamon roll. I tried a small one and thought “meh, it’s a cinnamon roll”.

Cinnamon Rolls
Adapted From: Allrecipes
(I used cinnamon rolls II for the dough and clone of a cinnabon for the filling and frosting )

note: originally I didn't put that much frosting on them. The husband insisted I use all the frosting and drown the cinnamon rolls in that sticky, yummy goodness

Dough:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup white sugar
1 eggs

Filling:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened
This made way more filling than I needed. I put the cinnamon/sugar mixture in a container and will make another batch of cinnamon rolls with it soon

Frosting:
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt



In saucepan, heat 1 cup milk, water, and 1/4 cup butter until very warm (butter doesn't need to be completely melted).

Place milk mixture, salt, flour, yeast, sugar, and eggs in the pan of the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the Dough cycle. Press Start.

Once Dough cycle is complete, remove the dough from the bread machine. Punch down.

On a floured surface, roll dough into a large rectangle. Smear rectangle with the softened butter. Combine cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle over the rectangles.

Roll the dough up into a log starting at the long side. Cut the log into 12 slices. Place the rolls cut side down into two 9x13 inch greased baking pans. (I used two pans - I didn't want pull-apart rolls) Cover, and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled. (I covered the pans with saran wrap and stuck them in the fridge at this point. The next morning I set them out for about 2 hours before I baked them.

Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden. While rolls are baking beat together cream cheese, butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Spread frosting on warm cinnamon rolls before serving.


There's the birthday boy! I even pulled out the Special Plate for him. Apparently I can't take clear pictures early in the morning.

Breakfast Casserole

So many posts, so little time. School is kicking my butt right now, but I feel the need to blog. I can always cram tomorrow, right? This past weekend we celebrated the hubs birthday. We decided to have a small shindig at the last minute and honestly thought we’d have maybe 6 people over. We ended up with 18 and a few rugrats… not bad! My mom called me Friday night and asked if they could come up too. I said, of course – the more the merrier. Matt asked if we could make breakfast and then we decided a breakfast casserole would be the best bet. Prepare it the night before and pop it in the oven for an hour in the morning. This allows us to get another hour of sleep to cure any signs of a hangover (and believe me, there were signs).

I went to allrecipes to try and find an egg/ham/cheese/hashbrown casserole. I had it narrowed down to two and finally decided on one. I didn’t realize until right before I went to prepare it there were no eggs in this casserole. I need to start paying more attention.

The casserole ended up being pretty good. The fam all liked it. There is definitely nothing healthy about this recipe, but it sure hits the spot after a long night. This is definitely comfort food. The dish is very rich, totally could have done without the sour cream in it. I’m not sure I’d ever make it again. Next time I’ll make sure to find a recipe with eggs.

Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole
Adapted from: All Recipes
Serves: 12


1 (32 ounce) package frozen Potatoes O'Brien
16 ounces cooked, diced ham
1 can condensed cream of potato soup
1 can cream of cheddar soup
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
2 cups shredded cheese - I like Monterrey Jack
S & P to taste
Cheese for Topping - I used Cheddar Jack
Breadcrumbs/crushed cornflakes (I used chex cereal) for Topping


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix hash browns, ham, cream of potato soup, sour cream, and cheese.

Spread evenly into prepared dish. Bake 40 minutes. Sprinkle additional cheese and bread crumbs on top . Bake another 20 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve immediately

Pumpkin Pancakes

One of my new favorite blogs is Cookies with Boys. Pamela has some wonderful recipes on there and her boys are too cute. Yesterday morning I was catching up on my Google Reader and I saw her post for Pumpkin Pancakes. I decided I needed them immediately and whipped them up for lunch yesterday.

The pancakes are so good! My BIL(Josiah) and husband loved them. Josiah liked his plain, Matt liked his with butter and I had to slather mine in butter and maple syrup. I wanted to top with some whipped cream too, but we didn't have any.

The pancakes are a bit more dense than any pancake I've made before. I loved the subtle pumpkin flavor. I also added 1 tbsp of wheat bran and 1 tbsp of ground flax seed to the batter. It was the perfect breakfast..errr lunch on a gorgeous fall day.

Pumpkin Pancakes
Source: Cookies with Boys
Orginally from: allrecipes
(no pictures of these, my camera battery was dead)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice I used pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp wheat bran
1 tbsp flax seed
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 whole large egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vinegar


In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, salt, wheat bran, and flax seed, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Healthy Muffins

Lately, my schedule is insane. I'm taking 11 hours at school, and work 32. Monday and Wednesday are my school related days and Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I work. Yuck. I usually end up eating at least 3 meals a week sitting in the parking lot before class. I don't want to spend the money or calories on eating out and I don't care for deli meat or sandwiches, so those meals usually consist of raw veggies and hummus, a handful of almonds, a banana and apple or nectarine, and a granola bar or trail mix - not super satisfying. I decided to go on the hunt for something that was easy to eat, filling, and healthy that I could throw in the mix every once in a while.

My hunt ended at this recipe from Cooking Light - Morning Glory Muffins. These fit my criteria perfectly. The yogurt and banana make these incredibly moist and I love the trail mix feel to them. An added bonus - I read the reviews and there was a comment on how well they freeze. I can make a batch of 18 and just take one at a time out of the freezer as I need it. I also love how you can change up the ingredients. I am really surprised at how delicious these are. Matt really liked them too. He declared them "The Perfect Breakfast Food".

Morning Glory Muffins
Source: Cooking Light





Yield
18 servings (serving size: 1 muffin)
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 cup whole wheat flour (about 4 3/4 ounces)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
1 cup regular oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon wheat bran
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2) (I had a little under 2 cups, so I added some applesauce)
1 large egg
1 cup chopped pitted dates (I used 1/2 cup golden raisins and 1/2 cup cranberries)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (I used soy nuts)
1/2 cup chopped dried pineapple
3 tablespoons ground flaxseed (about 2 tablespoons whole)




Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°. Place 18 muffin cups liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife.

Combine flours and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine yogurt, banana, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in dates, walnuts, and pineapple.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle evenly with flaxseed. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information (for original recipe)

Calories:186 (21% from fat)Fat: 4.4g (sat 0.5g,mono 0.7g,poly 2.8g) Protein: 4.2g Carbohydrate: 35.2g Fiber: 3.4g Cholesterol: 12mg Iron: 1.2mg Sodium: 190mg Calcium: 42mg

More Hot Fruit?

After giving Juicy Strawberry Scones a shot and actually liking them, I wanted to make another recipe that involved Strawberries. I planned on making these Strawberry Muffins for breakfast on Sunday, but the mister and I didn’t get out of bed til 11:00 – this is something that never happens. So tonight I decided to play hooky from all my school work, make the muffins and do quite a few blog updates.

I put these in the oven, ate dinner, and forgot about them. They turned out a bit more brown than I would have liked, not burned or anything, just not as soft as I would have liked. Don’t worry though, that didn’t stop me from eating 2 of them for dessert. =)

Strawberry Muffins
A Taste of Heaven Cookbook




2 1/4 Cups Flour
1/3 Cup Sugar
3 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Oil
1/2 Cup Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 Cup Sliced Strawberries (I chopped mine)

Stir together flour, sugar, baking power, and salt in a large bowl. In a small bowl beat eggs and then blend in oil, vanilla and milk. Add contents of small bowl to contents of large bowl. Mix until moistened. Fold in strawberries. Spoon into greased muffin tins. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden.

I don't know what got into me

This recipe is not like me for 2 reasons:

1) I don't usually like scones, there is something about them that I just don't like. I think it's because the scones I've had in the past have been really dry.
2) Normally I don't eat any sort of baked good with fruit in it; pies, danishes, fruit crisps, you name, I don't like it. There is just something about hot fruit that grosses me out.

For some reason though, when I saw this recipe for Juicy Strawberry Scones, I had to make them. Maybe it's because everything on Good Things Catered looks absolutely delicious? That must be it.

I don't think mine really look like scones, but they are so good. I added extra strawberries because I was afraid it they would be too dry (that was silly, the name of this recipe is Juicy Strawberry Scones.) I also omitted the orange zest because I was out of oranges and didn't know it until it was too late. I think I'm going to make another batch soon, minus some strawberries and with the zest. I can only imagine how amazing they are when the recipe is followed exactly!

Juicy Strawberry Scones
from: Good Things Catered




2 1/4 - 2 1/2 c. all purpose flour (depends on how ripe your strawberries are)
1/4 c. granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 egg
1/4 c. yogurt
1/4 c. milk
2 tsp orange zest
1 c. fresh strawberries, diced


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment

In small bowl, combine egg, yogurt, milk, zest, whisk to combine thoroughly and set aside. In large bowl combine flour, sugar, powder, salt, and whisk to combine.

Using pastry cutter or two knives, cut butter into flour until all pieces are smaller than pea-sized. Add strawberries, and toss to coat. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix in lightly with fork until dough just comes together.

Turn dough out onto well floured work surface and pat into large ball. Cut dough in half. Shape half of dough into flat disk shape and cut into 8 slices.

Place on baking sheet and repeat with other half of dough. Sprinkle tops of scones with sugar and place in the oven. Bake until turn slightly brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool

Not what I was expecting

I've been dying to use Connie some more but I'm not quite in the mood for cookies, brownies, or cupcakes. I found this recipe and thought it was the perfect thing to make... that is until I read the directions and it doesn't require a mixer. Oh well. This was still pretty good. I'm not a huge coffee cake fan but the hubs lurved it.

New York Crumb Cake
from Martha Stewart


Picture courtesy of Martha Stewart
(mine really did look like that though!)

Makes one 9-by-12 1/2-inch cake

2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for pan
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. Place rack in center of oven, and heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly brush a 9-by-12 1/2-inch baking pan with canola oil, dust with flour, and tap to remove excess. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a second bowl, whisk together egg, milk, canola oil, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture.

2. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan, and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine remaining 2 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour melted butter over flour mixture, and toss with a rubber spatula until large crumbs form. Sprinkle crumbs over batter.

3. Transfer pan to oven, and bake, rotating pan after 10 minutes. Continue baking until a cake tester comes out clean, about 10 minutes more. Transfer baking pan to a wire rack to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Using a serrated knife or bench scraper, cut into 3-inch squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Perfect for the Weekend

I’ve wanted to make this coffee cake since before Thanksgiving. I had some family come up and stay with us this weekend, so it was the perfect time to make it. I’m not a big fan of coffee cakes but this was pretty good. Everyone else agreed!

Cinnamon-Walnut Coffee Cake
From …and a cookie for dessert

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon orange zest, finely grated (I omitted this)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

1) Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan (I used an 8 inch square).

2) In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed beat together the butter, sour cream, eggs, orange zest, 3/4 cup of the sugar and the vanilla until blended. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until smooth.

3) In a bowl, stir together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the cinnamon and walnuts. Spread half of batter evenly into prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with half of walnut mixture. Top with the remaining batter, spreading it evenly, and sprinkle with the remaining walnut mixture.

4) Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool slightly in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares and serve warm.

Eggcellent

A while ago I found a recipe for a Fast ‘N Fresh Frittata in my Pampered Chef It’s Good For You Cookbook. I’ve wanted to make it for a while but the hubs does not like 2 of the main ingredients (asparagus and tomatoes). Last night when I got home from the gym I was really craving an omelet when I remembered the frittata so I based this recipe off the original one. The original recipe calls for a bigger skillet, but I just used an 8in last night.

Easy Frittata
(I didn’t get a picture of it last night. Here is a frittata I found online that looked pretty similar to ours except for the salsa on top)



These are all estimates, I just threw stuff in

1 tbsp Olive Oil
¼ cup chopped red peppers
¼ cup chopped green peppers
¼ cup canned corn
1/8 cup chopped green chilies
¼ cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped Leftover Turkey Day Ham
1 small potato - diced
Shredded Cheese (to taste)
2 eggs and 2 egg whites whisked together
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Garlic Salt to taste (or you could use fresh pressed garlic)


Heat olive oil in skillet on medium-high heat until hot. Add potatoes, veggies, ham, and garlic salt. Cook and stir four minutes, reduce heat to low. Add shredded cheese and salt and pepper to potato mixture. Pour eggs over top potato mixture. Cover; cook on low heat for 14-15 minutes, or until center is set. Remove from heat, sprinkle cheese on top, let stand until melted. Cut into wedges.

This was excellent, we both loved it. It tasted great with a nice cold glass of chocolate milk. Next time I’ll definitely use a larger skillet so we have leftovers.

So bad, yet so, so good

I few weeks ago at work I was food-blog stalking and found this marvelous recipe. I got it from Culinary Infatuation who got it from Cara's Cravings who got it from Epicurious. It was very good, super sweet but it really hit the spot.

Banana Coffee Cake with Chocolate Chip Streusel

1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted room temperature butter
1 large egg
1 1/3 cups (about 3 large) mashed very ripe bananas
3 tablespoons buttermilk



Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan. Stir chocolate chips, brown sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon in small bowl until well blended; set streusel aside. Sift all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, room temperature butter, and egg in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in mashed bananas and buttermilk. Add dry ingredients and blend well



Spread half of batter (about 2 cups) in prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with half of streusel. Repeat with remaining batter and streusel. Bake coffee cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool coffee cake in pan on rack.

I couldn't find my metal pan, so I used a glass one. Also, the recipe I printed off some how managed not to have the 3 tbsp of buttermilk on it. So I used the whole little container of buttermilk. It turned out good, just had to cook it longer. The cake is super moist. I also added more chocolate chips to the top. That is totally not necessary. It's sweet enough without the extra chocolate.

Mornin' On Ya

My In-Laws came up for a visit this weekend so I made this for breakfast Sunday morning. I will definitely be making this again. Maybe even for dinner one night.

Farmers Casserole

Prep: 25 min Bake: 40 min Oven: 350 degrees

Non Stick Cooking Spray
3 Cups frozen shredded has brown potatoes
¾ Cup Shredded Cheddar
1 Cup Diced Cooked Ham or Canadian Style Bacon
4 Beaten Eggs or 1 cup Refrigerated Egg product
1 1/2 Cups Milk or one 12 oz Evaporated Milk
1/8 Tsp salt
1/8 Tsp black pepper

1) Coat 2 quart square baking dish with non stick cooking spray. Arrange potatoes evenly in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with cheese, ham, and green onion.

2) In a bowl combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture.

3) Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean

To prepare ahead of time follow steps 1 and 2 cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Remove and bake for 50 - 55 mins.

Next time I make this I'll definitely make sure to use a 2 qt pan, I used a 3 qt and the casserole wasn't as thick as I'd like it to be. I'll also add some jalapenos, more pepper, and maybe more potatoes.