Moist Banana Nut Bread Recipe

My brother and sister came to visit not too long ago and I always pick up extra fruit when people come over, it's a quick easy snack and I don't have to worry about people raiding my fridge. Usually by the time they leave they bananas, apples, and peaches are gone but this time I guess they didn't want any so I have a ton of stuff left. My fiance keep asking me to make banana bread again with the extras so I did. 

I usually  add 3 bananas but since I had 5 I just put them all in, it took a little longer to cook but other then that came out perfect.

Moist Banana Nut Bread

The loaf I made for my Rob.

Servings- 12

Serving Size- 1 slice
Calories- 100
Fat- 5 g
Carbs- 12.8 g
Fiber- 0.7 g
Protein- 3 g 

 

3 of the mini  muffins I made are one serving.

What you will need.

3-5 ripe bananas, smashed
1/2 cup melted butter (I used unsalted)
 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup sugar
2 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
2 cups of all-purpose flour

Method

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour and chopped walnuts last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour depending on your cookware. Remove from pan, cool on a rack and slice to serve.

I always steal some of the mix to make mini cupcakes for myself.

Thanks for viewing, hope you enjoy!

Apple Upside-Down Cake Recipe

Apple Upside-Down Cake Recipe

What you will need. 

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup packed golden brown sugar

2 medium apples, peeled and cored

1 9oz pack of yellow cake mix

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. rum extract

Spray a 10 inch round pan with nonstick baking spray. 

Line the bottom with parchment paper. 

In a medium skillet  melt butter over medium heat. 

Add sugar and cook for 1 minute or until bubbling. 

Spread evenly on the bottom of the pan. 

Set aside to let cool. 

Slice applies into thin wedges. 

Place wedges slightly overlapping each other in a circular pattern on the sugar in the pan.

Prepare cake mix according to package directions.

 

Add in cinnamon and extract.

 Mix it all up!

Pour batter into pan over apple slices. 

Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick come out clean. 

Remove cake from oven, let cool for 3 minutes. 

Carefully invert onto a serving platter.

Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

  Enjoy!

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Cranberry Applesauce Muffins Recipe

I don't know what has changed in me but after years of hating cranberries I have become obsessed with them in the past few months. 

I had a ton of dried berries so I made a batch of these to have in the mornings.

They are so good!

 Recipe makes 12 muffins.

What you need:

1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 eggs, beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a muffin pan, or use paper liners.
In a small bowl, mix together applesauce, oil and egg. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in egg mixture. Stir until just moistened. Fold in cranberries and pecans. Spoon into muffin cups, 2/3 full.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 2 minutes before removing.

Enjoy!

Orange smoothie just like the dream machine!

I have loved the Orange Dream Machine smoothie from Jamba Juice since the first day I had many years ago. I recently have been getting it a couple times a week but sadly had a cold last week and didn't feel up to going out of the house just for a drink so I looked for a recipe that would match and played till I was happy with it. It still is a little different from it is so good & will save me some money doing it at home so I can have more!

For a large smoothie-
7oz of Orange Juice
4oz of Soy milk
2 scoops of orange sherbet
2 scoops of vanilla frozen yogurt
and a scoop of crushed Ice

Direc­tions:
Add the liq­uids on the bot­tom first, then the solids and finally the ice.
Using a house­hold blender, blend until it’s a creamy smoothie.
Poor in a fun glass with a straw and a piece of fruit for a garnish.

Done and done, enjoy!

Looking for a fun Memorial Day recipes and snacks?

 Before I start with the treats this Memorial day I am thinking of my grandad who started as an Irish immigrant and died a proud American.

Holding my ma in '55!
 
I am doing something very easy but cute today since and I just barbequing with just my fiance today. 
I am a huge watermelon fan and he loves blueberries so this plate is perfect for us and that watermelon will be so good after I am done with my ribs!

Check out these other fun Memorial Day goodies!

How about cupcakes by Recipebyphotos

Fourth of July cake from The Secret Life of a Chef's Wife

A Clear Cocktail to Show Off Your Red, White, and Blue from Yum Sugar

 

 

Double Dip Sugar Cookies

 Double Dipped Sugar Cookies from Recipe Gold Mine

Double Dip Sugar Cookies

What are you coking today?

Happy Memorial Day all!

Holiday Pineapple Apricot Glazed Ham

My family has never been very big on ham so my mom only made it once a year. I always loved Easter because I love ham and that was when she made it. My mother taught me how to make this glaze when I was about 12 and her father taught her. When I was 16 I took over the holiday cooking and have been making the ham this way ever since. Sadly, this year I will be the changing the recipe. I am allergic to pineapple and if I only had a little before it wasn't too bad but now even a little kills me. So this year I will be doing an apricot only glaze, goodbye sweet pineapple. I hope it comes out alright.

Enjoy!

Pineapples and apricot add a sweetness that complements the salty flavor of the ham.

SERVES: 8-10

INGREDIENTS:

5-7 pound ham

1/2 cup cloves

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 can (16 oz.) apricot pineapple preserves

1/3 cup yellow mustard

1 can (20 oz.) sliced pineapple (rings)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Rinse the ham with cold water then pat dry with a paper towel. Using a sharp knife make surface cuts in the shape of a 2-inch X all over the ham. Place 1 clove in the intersection of each X.

Place individual rings of pineapple on the ham, using more cloves to secure the pineapple.

Place the ham in a large roaster pan. Cover the pan, place in the oven, and bake for 1 1/2 hours at 350F degrees.

In a mixing bowl, add the sugar, mustard and preserves. Stir until the glaze is mixed well. You can start with 1/2 a cup of sugar or add more mustard if you'd like. Play with it till you like it best. 

Uncover the ham and pour the mix on top. Cook for 30 minutes more, occasionally basting with the mix to form a sweet glaze.

Prepare the ham for serving by removing the pineapples and the cloves. Discard the cloves. Serve each slice of ham with 1 pineapple ring and some glaze.

Enjoy the glaze, the ham and the pineapple!

Happy holidays!

Check out my other Easter post!

Easter Garlands

Easter Eggs

Kool-Eggs for Easter!

Use Kool-Aid to Dye your Easter Eggs

Here is a fun project to try with the kids around Easter.  

You can actually dye eggs using Kool-Aid.
So grab a few cheap packets in different colors and mix each one up with about 2/3 cup water. Just lay the eggs in the cup of the color you want for just a short bit.  Take out the egg and let dry. This is a fun way to make a rainbow of colors for Easter Eggs.

 

Check out a few of my other Easter post/recipe/tutorials :)

Easter Garlands!

Holiday Pineapple Apricot Glazed Ham!

Easter Eggs- Confetti eggs, egg shell planter & onion skin eggs!

What is your favorite style of egg for Easter?

I have been a huge fan of the wax Ukrainian Easter Eggs since I was a kid and saw these on Reading Rainbow. I love love love these!

Thanks for viewing, Happy Easter!

My Favorite Sugar Cookie Recipe

Makes about 2 dozen

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cups brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. sugar, for topping
1 tsp. cinnamon, for topping 
adding cinnamon to any cookie makes it better!
butterscotch chips, optional

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, followed by vanilla extract. Gradually blend in the flour mixture until dough comes together and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.

Place sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar before placing on baking sheet. Allow about 2 inches between cookies to allow for spread.

Bake for 11-14 minutes, until cookies are set and very lightly browned around the edges.

Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 3-4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  While still one the baking sheet you can press a butterscotch chip in the center of each cookie.

You can use a chocolate chip if you want but my fiance likes butterscotch :) 

Enjoy!

Juniper Berry & Peppercorn Rubbed Pork Loin Recipe

When my best friend/cousin and I were both single and had more time on our hands we use to get together at his place on weekends to try to cook new things... Truth be told we use to look at thisiswhyyourfat.com for inspiration. Our best experiment was a bacon wrapped meatloaf, it was the best I have ever had. I am still kicking myself 5 years later for not writing down what we used and how much for that meatloaf. Anyway, we decided that we needed to start that up again so he stopped by and we made a juniper berry peppercorn pork loin. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. I made garlic fries and steamed cabbage to go with... and had maybe too much Guinness!

If you are in So Cali you can buy juniper berries from Penzey's Spices in Santa Monica or Torrance, I know they are sometimes very hard to find.

For the juniper rub:

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt 

1 1/2 tablespoons juniper berries*

 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

 2 garlic cloves, finely minced

 2 1/2- to 3-pound boneless pork loin

DIRECTIONS

For the juniper rub:

Place the salt in a small bowl. Using a mortar and pestle or a mallet, crush the juniper berries and peppercorns. Add to the salt. Crumble the bay leaves and add them, along with the garlic, to the bowl. Mix everything well. 

Press the salt mixture evenly over the entire surface of the pork loin. Place in a shallow pan, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the pork loin in the pot and brown it on all sides, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Remove the pork loin from the pot.
Bake until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 30 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest, covered for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice the roast, arrange on a serving platter and serve. 

 Ours turned out pretty well.

 but a little too salty...

because my lovely cousin who likes very salty food decided to add a little extra salt while he was mixing everything.

Thanks for looking, let me know if you give it a try and how it turns out!

Like it? Pin it!

Beat Breakouts with a Tomato Lemon Face Mask

Whether it’s hormones, humidity, or just bad luck, breakouts are no fun at all. You feel self conscious about your blemishes, and often those zits can even hurt!

The best way to fight breakouts is by preventing them in the first place, both from the inside out and on the surface. A healthy diet full of fruits and veggies can go a long way towards healthier skin, and drinking plenty of water can also help prevent breakouts. On the outside, it’s of course important to keep your face clean, but you can add a little oomph to your breakout-fighting routine with this tomato lemon face mask!

The citric acid in the lemon and tomato along with tomato’s lycopene help your skin get rid of dead cells and other gunk that can clog pores and cause breakouts. I do have two things to caution you about this mask:

It is OK to use the lemon tomato mask while you’re dealing with a breakout, but if you have broken skin on your face you’re better off waiting. The acid in the lemon and tomato can irritate broken skin.

Lemon juice makes your skin more sensitive to light, so make sure you wash this mask off thoroughly after using it, and it’s best to do it in the evening, to give your skin time to bounce back before too much sun exposure.

You can use this mask once a week to help maintain glowing skin and avoid breakouts. Here’s the recipe!

DIY Tomato Lemon Face Mask

Ingredients
1 teaspoon rolled oats
1 small tomato – about the size of your fist or smaller will do the trick
1 teaspoon of lemon juice

Put the oats into your blender or food processor and blend until it forms a powder, then add the tomato and lemon juice and blend until smooth.

After washing your face, massage the mask on, letting it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then use a warm, damp washcloth to wipe the mask away.

Three ingredients and maybe 20 minutes from start to finish.

A very yummy beef roast recipe.

 The one day of cold weather we had Southern California last week has made my stew and roast hunger start. I make light chicken soups in the summer and heavy beefy stews in the colder months. Anyway, although California has changed it's mind and went back to summer weather I have started the first of many roast for this year. 

This is the man that has started it all. 

My grandpa, he made it this way and showed my ma and she showed me. Pretty much any roast or stew Mr. John Flood made was not right unless it has brown gravy, potatoes, and onions. That man was crazy about onions too, my ma use to tell me that after the war he would eat onions like apples almost everyday. I do that with garlic but an onion is a little too much for me!

So, here is how you make this lovely homemade roast and or stew.

This services 4-6 people depending on the serving size. 

You will need for the roast

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 (2-3-pound) boneless chuck roast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (14-ounce) can beef or veggie broth- we have always used Swanson

2 oz tomato sauce

2 tbsp brown gravy
1 bay leaf
4 large carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
3 medium or 4 large potatoes

1-2 cups of fresh petite green beans

Add any other veggies you want, I like to add cabbage... to everything.

If stew double the broth, pepper, tomato sauce, gravy, bay leaf, and add about a tsp of cumin, some water, and whatever veggies you want. I always add cabbage and cauliflower and sometime I add a tsp or two of cayenne pepper.

The beef!

I marinade it over night in some veggie broth, pinch of salt and pepper & some garlic power.

Preheat oven to 325º.
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chuck roast with salt and pepper. Add roast to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove roast from pan. Add onion to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender.

Place browned roast in your baking dish. Add all of your goodies to your dish and bake at 325° for 2.5 hours or until the roast is almost tender.

Remove bay leaf from dish.

 Yummy!

Shred meat with 2 forks. Serve roast with vegetable mixture and cooking liquid. 

If it is stew just put everything in a pot and cook for a few hours. I cook it until the cauliflower has become one with the broth because my fiance hates cauliflower.

Enjoy!

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