Cinnamon sugar banana bread

I still have more bananas in my freezer, so I will continue to be making banana bread or muffins for awhile. I really liked the added cinnamon to this recipe. It gave it a bit of a crunch and tastes like a savory banana bread!

Cinnamon sugar banana bread-adapted from Tasty Kitchen (originally recipe from La Casa de Sweets)

Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Makes 1 loaf of bread

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Then add the remaining ingredients and stir just until moist with a wooden spoon. 

Turn dough into the greased loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Peanut butter oatmeal banana cupcakes

Do you freeze your bananas when they get ripe? I think I learned this from my mom. Once the bananas get to the point that you don't want to eat them by themselves anymore, wrap them in tin foil, put them in a freezer bag, and stick in the freezer. We eat a lot of bananas, and sometimes, my eyes at the store are bigger than what Scott and I actually eat throughout the week. All you need to do when you're ready to make these cupcakes (or banana bread) is put the bag in the fridge to thaw. Then they're perfectly ripe to mash!

I call these cupcakes, but I feel like they actually have more of a muffin feel to them. Because I put frosting on them, I've determine they're cupcakes. It's a real simple recipe, that Scott, and my coworkers, loved. Because I took them to work, I also got to use my cupcake carrier. Which is one of my favorite things!

I obviously need to work on my frosting skills

Peanut butter oatmeal banana cupcakes-adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Total time: 40 minutes

Makes 12 cupcakes

Muffins

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed

Frosting

• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1-3 tablespoons low fat milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of your mixer, combine the dry ingredients for the muffins just until combined. Add in all the wet ingredients and mix until combined.

Spoon batter into a muffin tin filled with cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cupcakes cool completely. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix all ingredients for the frosting. Add as much milk as needed for desired consistency of the frosting. Spread onto cooled cupcakes.

BBQ Shredded Beef

Using honey chipotle barbecue sauce may be my new favorite thing for shredded beef. It adds a bit of heat, but not too much that I don't like it. I did cook the beef on high for about 4 hours and it was very tough where it really didn't get shredded, but I had to slice it instead.

I know I don't normally post specific brands in my ingredient listings. You can certainly trade them out, but Sweet Baby Ray's is the only way to go for shredded beef in my opinion!

BBQ Shredded Beef-adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Total Time: 5 hours
Serves 8

• 3 pound beef chuck roast
• Garlic salt and seasoned pepper to taste
• 1-16 ounce bottle Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce
• 1 12-ounce can beer (I used Sierra Nevada Pale Ale)
• 1-22 ounce bottle Sweet Baby Ray's Traditional BBQ Sauce
• Rolls and cheese for serving

Rub the roast with garlic salt and seasoned pepper to taste. Place roast in a greased 5-quart slow cooker and cover with remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours.

Take out beef and shred or slice. Return to slow cooker and serve with rolls.

Steakhouse potatoes

Oh. Em. Gee. Let me tell you about these potatoes. I think I'm pretty good at making mashed potatoes but these were something else. I couldn't. Stop. Eating them. You won't be sorry making these.

Steakhouse potatoes-adapted from Ree on Tasty Kitchen
Total time: 25 minutes
Serves 4

• 5 large red potatoes, quartered
• 1 stick butter, softened and cut into pieces
• 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup french fried onions
• 1 cup cheddar cheese

Boil potatoes as if you are making mashed potatoes-about 20 minutes. Drain and return to pan. Smash with a potato masher and add in all other ingredients, mixing well. Top with additional cheese and french friend onions, if desired.

Garlic and butter green beans

This is such a simple recipe, but it's so good. It's probably all the butter. I seriously cannot say no :)

Garlic and butter green beans-adapted from thechefs(ex)wife on Tasty Kitchen
Total time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound frozen green beans, thawed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients and saute until heated through, 5 to 15 minutes depending on if beans are still frozen. 

Crunchy French Toast

French toast is something I rarely make, but decided to treat ourselves today! I was a bit hesitant of the flour, but it made them crunchy, which was just awesome!

Crunchy French Toast-adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Serves 8

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups milk
• 1 loaf french bread, sliced into 1-inch slices
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Syrup for serving

In a large bowl, mix thoroughly salt, flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and milk. There may be lumps which is okay. Heat a skillet over medium heat and allow the butter to melt. Then dip each piece ofr bread into the flour mixture, coating both sides. Cook each side for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining bread slices.

Can be frozen, and reheated for 30 seconds in the microwave.

Waffles

As I was started to register for wedding gifts, I was telling my mom I was thinking of registering for a waffle maker. Even though Scott and I tend to stay pretty basic for our weekend breakfasts (eggs, bacon, toast), every once in awhile I want to try something new, or do breakfast for dinner! Instead of me registering for a new one, my mom gave me hers that was barely used. I'm pretty sure it's from their wedding (26 years ago!), but it works fantastically!

I loved this recipe. It was extremely easy to make, and makes about 3 waffle irons full (my waffle iron makes four smaller waffles, so this was about 12 waffles for us).

Waffles-adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Serves 5

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Syrup and butter for serving

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, baking soda and sugar. Add in milk, vegetable oil, egg and vanilla extract and whisk until well blended. Heat up your waffle iron and cook according to package directions. Serve with syrup and butter as desired.

Orzo Salad with Kale and Tomatoes

Orzo is one of my favorite pastas. I remember the first time I made it (for my parents-recipe here), I was really nervous because I had never heard of it before. It's easy to make and tastes delicious as a salad. Adding kale and tomatoes to this dish was another wonderful gift from Growing Power! I LOVED it. It was hearty and delicious.

Orzo Salad with Kale and Tomatoes-adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

• 1 cup dried orzo
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/2 bunch kale, stems removed
• 3 roma tomatoes
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded

In a large pot, cook orzo according to package directions. Meanwhile, add olive oil to a small pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir just until fragrant. Let oil cool.

In a large bowl, combine cooked orzo, kale tomatoes, cheese and the cooled garlic oil. Toss until well blended. Can be served hot or cold.

Tuna Bake

A good tuna bake is the best. Easy, you can make ahead of time and everyone is happy!

Tuna Bake-adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Total Time: 50 Minutes
Serves 6

• 2 cups dry egg noodles
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups cheddar cheese
• 12 ounces chunk tuna
• 15 ounces peas
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2-quart baking dish.

Cook noodles in boiling water according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and seasonings. Add milk and whisk until slightly thickened-usually by the time it starts to boil. Add cheese to mixture and whisk until blended. 

Stir in tuna, peas and cooked noodles and mix well. Transfer to the greased baking dish. Top with the breadcrumbs. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

S'mores Pie

I made this pie for Pi Day in March. There has been a lot of s'mores stuff going around online that I had been wanting to try, so this was the best one to start with! It was ridiculously sinful, but definitely tasty! It's also quite messy-I listened to the original poster and didn't try to cut into it when it's still warm. If you even attempt, you'll see how messy it is.

Before:

After:

S'more Pie-adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Total Time: 25 Minutes

Serves 6

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 7 ounces marshmallow creme
• 8 chocolate bars
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows
• 1/4 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 inch pie pan with baking spray.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until combined. Add in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour, graham cracker crumbs and baking powder.

Divide the dough in half, and press half into the bottom and up the sides of the pie pan. Evenly spread the marshmallow creme over the bottom crust. Separate the chocolate squares and place on top. Sprinkle with miniature marshmallows.

Using the remaining crust pat sections of dough on top and around the marshmallows. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and bake 20 minutes until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting.

Pot Roast

Pot roast is a favorite at my house, or at least for me. It brings back memories from my child hood. Pretty sure we had pot roast every Sunday at my Gramma's house. I love the slow cooker recipes for pot roast because it's done when I get home-delicious!

Pot Roast-adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Total Time: 7 hours
Serves 4

• 2 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 2 cups baby carrots
• 14.5 ounces beef broth
• 1 ounce package dry onion soup mix
• 1 tablespoons Worcestershire
• 1/4 cup A-1 steak sauce
• 3/4 cup water

Season beef with salt and pepper. Place into a 4-5 quart slow cooker. Place onion and carrots over beef and mix in rest of the ingredients. Cook an low for 7 hours or until beef is tender. Serve with carrots and onions.

Pasta Carbonara

A long time ago, I had a friend make me pasta carbonara. I hadn't had it again until I made this recipe. It had a lot of flavor and goodness to it, that I want to make it again. Oh, if only I was eating pasta more often!

Pasta Carbonara-adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Serves 6

• 12 ounces pasta (I prefer spaghetti)
• 8 pieces thick cut bacon, diced
• 1 small medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup peas

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, fry the bacon pieces in a large saucepan until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Cook the onion and garlic in the bacon grease until golden brown. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix together eggs, cheese, cream, salt and pepper until smooth. When the pasta has finished cooking reserve about 2 cups of the water. Continue to drain the pasta and place in a large bowl.  Slowly add the egg mixture to the pasta, stirring the entire time. This will become thick and coat the pasta. Add some pasta water to get your desired consistency. Halfway through, add the bacon, onion, garlic and peas to the pasta mixture.

Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bites

Snickerdoodles are one of my favorite cookies, and cheesecake is a favorite dessert in general. Coming across this recipe was putting me in dessert heaven. And let me tell you-it also tastes like it! These bites were the perfect combination of snickerdoole and cheesecake, and I would make them again in a heartbeat! It's so easy-just give it a try!

Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bites-adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves 10
Crust

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking sode
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cinnamon sugar recipe (below)

Cheesecake

• 12 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cinnamon sugar recipe (below)

Cinnamon Sugar

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons sugar

Stir cinnamon and sugar together in a small bow. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy, stir in egg. Add in flour mixture until well combined. Turn out onto a greased 8x8 inch baking dish and sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven and poke holes in it with a for to reduce puffiness. Allow to cool.

Cream together cream cheese and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Stir in remaining cheesecake ingredients until well combined. Pour the filling mixture onto the cooled crust and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. 

Let cool and then place in the fridge for at least 3 hours. To serve, cut into 1 inch cubes.

Feta Pasta Salad

I'm learning to love pasta salads! The antipasto pasta salad I made recently was a favorite, but this one is really good too! It was really easy and had some great flavors to it! It's great for a gathering!


Total Time: 20 MinutesFeta Pasta Salad-Adapted from LuLu's Recipe Box
Serves 10

• 12 ounces bowtie pasta
• 1 whole red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 white onion, chopped
• 6 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup black olives
• 8 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Dressing

• 1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix (make According To Directions On Envelope)
• 3 teaspoons dried parsley
• 3 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain and rinse with cold water. Prepare all of the vegetables.

For the dressing, prepare the Good Seasons Italian dressing according to the package instructions with vinegar, olive oil and water. Then add the rest of the dressing ingredients. Shake well in a dressing bottle or small tupperware container.

Combine pasta, cheese and vegetables in large bowl. Add salad dressing and toss lightly with minced fresh basil.

Store in the refrigerator in a covered container.

Moist & Crispy Chicken Breasts

This was super awesome! It reminded me a lot of the Ranch Fried Chicken I made back in September. But the flavors were even better! The beef bouillon cubes add a lot to the flavor. The chicken was moist, as the title suggests. And it was easy! Give this a try!

Moist & Crispy Chicken Breasts-adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Total Time: 50 Minutes

Serves 4

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 1 cube beef bouillon, crushed to a powder
• 2 teaspoons onion salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 stick butter

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Butter a 13×9 glass baking dish. Melt the rest of the butter and set aside.

Mix together all of the dry ingredients on a plate.

Coat each piece of chicken in sour cream thoroughly.  Dredge the chicken piece through the breadcrumb mix, coating it completely. Place the coated piece in the baking dish, and repeat with the rest.

Arrange chicken in the baking dish until they fit and there is about 1/2 inch of space between each one.

Once all of the chicken is in the pan, drizzle the melted butter over each piece of chicken as evenly as possible. You don’t need to be super precise.

Bake the chicken for 45-50 minutes at 375 degrees, uncovered.

"Chinese" Cheesecakes

These are mini cheesecakes that are wrapped in egg roll wrappers instead of having a crust. They were SO good! Scott actually ended up eating all the leftovers!! These were a little bit time consuming, but overall they are very easy to make! They taste delicious and you can make them with whatever fruit you prefer! I definitely recommend when you’re looking for a new sweet to serve at a dinner party!

 Chinese Cheesecakes-adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Total Time: 25 Minutes

• 1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1 cup Fresh Berries
• 1 package Egg Roll Wrappers
• 8 Ounces Cream Cheese
• 3 Tablespoons Ricotta Cheese
• 2-½ Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
• 1 whole Egg
• 3 Tablespoons Milk
• 1-1 1/2 inch Canola Oil

  In a bowl, whisk-mix the cream cheese, ricotta, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the powdered sugar until thoroughly blended.

Beat egg and milk together.

Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of cheese mix in the center of the back of each egg roll skin and place berries in the center of the cheese mixture.

Brush the egg wash around the edges of egg rolls skin and fold left and right sides of skin in about 1/2-inch, and then roll from back to front, ensuring that the roll is sealed. Like a burrito, more or less, except closed on top as well.

Heat 1-inch of canola oil in a large saute pan (about 325 degrees F). Place rolls in oil and cook both sides until golden brown. Remove onto paper towels to drain for a few minutes.

Dust with cinnamon and sugar and top with whipped cream (if desired, of course).

I've Linked UP!
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Spinach Artichoke Jalapeno Dip

As you can tell from the blog, I rather enjoy making spinach dip of any kind. I usually prefer the warm dips, but cold dips are nice for when you know it will need to sit out for awhile. This was a little different, but in the end I really liked it! The bits of jalapeno made for just enough kick to make it interesting. I still prefer this artichoke dip, but this is a close second!

Spinach Artichoke Jalapeno Dip-adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Total Time: 15 Minutes

Serves 8

• 1 block (8 Oz. Size) Cream Cheese
• ½ cups Sour Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
• ½ pounds Frozen Spinach, Thawed And Pressed To Remove Fluid
• 1 cup Chunky Chopped Marinated Artichoke Hearts
• 1 clove Garlic, Chopped And Lightly Toasted In A Little Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Chopped Jalapeno Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• ¼ cups Grated Parmesan Cheese (fresh Is Best)
• ½ teaspoons Salt, Or To Taste
• ⅛ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper, Or To Taste

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise until well blended. I use either an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer for this.

In a blender, pulse-blend spinach, artichoke hearts, and toasted garlic. Do not blend too fine. Add to the cream cheese mixture and mix well.

Fold jalapeno peppers, lemon juice, and Parmesan into the above mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chill for several hours to blend flavors. Serve with vegetables, crackers, or a variety of breads torn or cut into bite-sized chunks.

Snickerdoodles

I have never ever made snickerdoodle cookies. I don't even remember having them as a child. These were hands down the best cookies I made during my cookie extravaganza last weekend. They were soft and delicious! Go make these now! 5/5

Snickerdoodles-adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Total Time: 20 Minutes

Makes 24 Cookies

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Cinnamon Sugar

• 4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookies sheets, or line them with parchment paper. Set aside.

Sift flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt into a bowl, and set aside.

Cream butter and both sugars on medium speed for several minutes until it is light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine.

Add the flour mixture in two batches, making sure the first half is incorporated before adding the second. Stop when the second batch is fully combined.

For the cinnamon sugar, stir together cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Roll 1-inch balls of dough into the mixture. Place them on the cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Flatten the balls slightly with the palm of your hand.

Bake for 9 to 10 minutes for a chewy cookie or 12 to 13 minutes fir a crispy cookie. Cool the sheets on wire racks for a few minutes, then transfer cookies directly onto the racks to let them cool.

Ranch "Fried" Chicken

Earlier this week, Scott and I couldn't decide what to do for dinner. I've been super busy with stuff for work, so we really haven't been keeping up on our cooking like we like to. It's been more of a make pasta or go out to eat kind of last couple of weeks. Our birthdays were both in there too. And the start of football season! We just haven't seemed to be able to make the time at the beginning of September!

So, in came this recipe. Thanks to the wonderful world of the Tasty Kitchen, I came across this recipe while trying to find something to eat with very few ingredients in our apartment. It was so incredibly easy, and I love that it is baked instead of fried! The ranch gives it such flavor that you don't get in other recipes that use just milk or eggs. I was out of cornmeal, but searched online and found a great substitute-crushed tortilla chips! It turned out great! We gave this a 5/5 and will definitely add it to our list of regular meals!

Ranch "Fried" Chicken adapted from But Mama, I'm Hungry!

Serves 6

Total Time: 40 Minutes

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup ranch dressing
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup cornmeal (or crushed tortilla chips)
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

On a large plate, mix together breadcrumbs, cornmeal, parmesan cheese, cajun seasoning, and garlic salt. Pour ranch into a bowl then dip each chicken piece into ranch and then covered liberally with breadcrumb mixture. Transfer each piece of chicken onto foil covered baking sheet. Repeat until each piece is breaded.

Place baking sheet into oven and cook for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.