Banana Bread

I picked my niece up from daycare last Friday. The owner of the day care smiles and says, “I have bananas that would be perfect for banana bread!” Here’s the back story. Months ago I noticed her bananas had turned brown. I mentioned she should make banana bread with them. She says no, but offers them to me and my niece. We take them home and make bread for the the next week. The kids loved the bread! So basically, now we are the keepers of over ripe bananas to turn them into banana bread and proof “no good deed goes unpunished!”

We had six ripe and very ready to go bananas. I looked in the pantry and realized we were low on canola oil and then when I glanced in the fridge we were low on eggs.  I remembered a client saying that they have substituted mayonnaise for egg and oil in cake mixes before. This practice dates back to World War II when baking ingredients were scarce.

If you know me you know I loathe mayonnaise and eggs. I’m near gagging as I type this. It’s no wonder I hate mayo, it’s made up of oil and eggs!!! So I looked up on the inter webs how to convert the mayonnaise to eggs for recipes. Below is the recipe I used for Banana Bread when you do not have the correct ingredients.


MAYO BANANA BREAD

3 very ripe bananas (mashed)
1/2 cup heaping scoop of real mayonnaise (nothing else will do)
1 egg with the cordy thing removed
1/2 cup firm packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
One shake ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp pink salt
1 1/2 cup flour

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl blend together the mashed bananas, (gag) Mayo and egg. Mix together until combined. Add. The sugars and mix well. Then add dry ingredients and stir by hand until  all dry items are incorporated.

Pour the mixture into two  medium loaf pans or Two 12 count lined  muffin tins. With his recipe I poured half in a loaf pan and made muffins out of the rest of the batter. The loaf took a little over an hour and the muffins approximately 25-30 minutes. Be sure to test with a tooth pick.



Optional additions:
Diced strawberries
Chocolate chips
Pecans
Walnuts

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chex Marshmallow Treats

For the past couple years I have been trying to be gluten free. After many an appointment with doctors of western medicine, I was referred to a doctor of eastern medicine. My fertility Accupuncture doctor  told me that I was congested and I needed to cut out gluten and sugar from my diet. Sugar posed to be extremely difficult. But I thought to myself, sugar versus flour? Hmm, if you drop a tablespoon of flour in a small glass of water what will you get? Paste? Cloudy water? The flour never really dissolves. Sugar however, in a small glass of water will dissolve. Cutting out flour and gluten products was a no brainer.  Sugar for me however is a harder sell.  Cutting out flour and gluten was much easier. I started this blog originally inspired by my sister who is the creator and writer of LifeasMOM.com and GoodCheapEats.com. I will still post in this blog, however I have started another Just Me Trying To Be Gliten Free at JustMEtryingtobeGLUTENfree.blogspot.com.

I will post most of my gluten free recipes in the new blog. Although most of my recipes on this blog could be made gluten free by substituting a GF flour for regular flour.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chex Marshmallow Treats

1/4 cup butter
One 10.5 bag mini marshmallows
1/4 cup crunchy or regular peanut butter
6 cups Chex cereal

In a large pan heat butter until melted. Swish butter around until all of the pan surface is coated with a little butter. Add mini marshmallows and cook on low until all marshmallows are melted ams smooth. Remove from heat and add the peanut butter. Stir peanut butter into marshmallow butter mix until the peanut butter is incorporated and white 'mallow mix turns light peanut buttery brown.

Slowly add cups of Chex cereal until all Chex squares are lightly covered in 'mallow mix.  Spray your casserole dish or aluminum pan with oil spray. Pour ' mallow covered cereal into prepared dish/pan. Spray a ziplock bag with oil and pat the cereal down with oiled side of bag to evenly s
Distribute the mix.

Allow to cool and cover dish/pan with foil or plastic wrap. Cut into squares when cooled and enjoy!!!

Gluten Free Cranberry Vanilla Chex Marshmallow Cereal Bars

Eating Gluten free tends to be a bit of challenge sometimes. Like today. It's Super Bowl Sunday. We will be heading off in a bit to a party. Seeing as not all folks have medical conditions requiring a gluten free diet, and not all folks have jumped on the GF Bus... I BYOGF! Yes I do. I bring my own little GF foods, snacks and what have you to most gatherings. I try to never ever ever come to a get together empty handed. Below you will find a simple gluten free sweet that even gluten lovers will enjoy. The recipe can be tweaked many ways to make the perfect marshmallow cereal bar to your liking.

Gluten Free Cranberry Vanilla Marshmallow Cereal Bars

1/4 cup butter
1 jar marshmallow cream
2 cups mini marshmallow
6 cups vanilla Chex cereal or any flavor you like
1 cup dried cranberries or whichever dried fruit you prefer

On the stovetop I n a non stick pan, melt butter.  Coat the bottom of pan with your melted butter.  Scoop marshmallow cream into butter and stir. As it melts a bit add your mini marshmallows until all marshmallow products are "happy together" in a soft white syrupy sugary heaven.

Remove the melted saucy marshmallow mix from the heat and slowly stir in your cereal and cranberries. Pat the mixture in a greased casserole dish or half pan disposable aluminum pan.

Allow to cool, cut into squares and serve. They are simply amazing,,,

Gluten Free Augratin Potatos

Ore Ida had a special on their frozen' taters. I walked right up to that freezer and said to myself "I'm not stupid. These things are like gold and if ya can get them on sale. Buy some!" So a bag of Ore Ida frozen GF hash browns went in the cart. Below you will find the gluten free version of Augratin Potatos from the mid west relatives.

Gluten Free Augrtain Potatos

16 oz sour cream
8 oz Pacific brand Organic Roasted pepper and tomato soup
3 Tbs melted butter
1/4 cup dried chives
Salt and pepper
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 tbs Jamie and Robby's Seasoning
One bag Ore Ida hash brown potatoes

In a small oil sprayed crockpot or medium bowl combine sour cream, soup, butter, chives and seasoning. Stir until well combined.  Add cheese slowly and stir until we'll mixed. Slowly add hash browns until fully incorporated. If using the crockpot place lid on crock and place crock in the heating unit. Cook on low for 6-8 hours stirring every couple hours. 

If you are cooking in the oven, spray a small casserole dish with oil. Pour potato mixture in the dish and place in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes to one hour or until casserole is bubbly and top slightly browned.

Spicy Chili Crockpot Meatballs

On a mission to find a new recipe for the crockpot.  I searched Pinterest for inspiration. I was limited with ingredients on hand and I already visited the market. Below is the recipe created with what I had.

Spicy Chili Crockpot Meatballs

1.5 pounds lean ground beef
2 eggs with white thingies removed
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped white onion
a few shakes Lawry's garlic salt
a few twists of fresh black pepper grinder
a few shakes dried parsley
a few shakes dried chives
1 tbs Lea & Perrins Worchestershire sauce

Mix the above ingredients together until well combined and shape into tablespoon sized meatballs.  Brown meatballs in a pan with olive oil until they are lightly browned OR bake on an aluminum foil lined cookie sheet for 25-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

In your lightly oiled crockpot combine the following ingredients

1 10.1 ounce bottle of Trader Joe's Sweet Chili Sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
a few shakes Lawry's Garlic salt
a few twists of fresh black pepper grinder

Add meatballs and gently stir until all meatballs have a little sauce on them.  Set the crockpot on low and cook for 6-8 hours.

Serve over

Chive Parsley Calrose Rice

2 cups Calrose rice
4 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
1 tbs dried chives
1/2 tbs dried parsley
a few shakes Lawry's Garlic salt

Combine in a rice cooker
Serve your Spicy Chili crockpot Meatballs over rice and enjoy.  The husband tasted and approved the recipe.  I had it for dinner last night and today for lunch.  It is excellent day off and even better the next day as left overs.

Greenwood Fireball Brownies

Good friends and good food collide at times.  This recipe is in honor of our friends Mitch and Jenn.  I name brownies after my friends and their likes.  This brownie recipe is easy to make with the help of a Betty Crocker brownie mix

Greenwood Fireball Brownies

One 10.25 Betty Crocker Brownie Mix
Following the package directions but making the substitutions below
1/3 cup part canola part olive oil
2 TBS Fireball Whiskey
1 egg (with the white thingies removed)
a shake of ground cinnamon
6 ounces good quality chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  In a small bowl dump the contents of the mix.  Add oil and whiskey.  Stir.  Add the egg and cinnamon.  Stir again.  Add the chocolate chips and then stir again.   Spray the bottom of a small baking dish or line cupcake pan with liners.  For this amount I was able to fill a disposable 6 x 8 1/2 inch foil container and six cupcake liners. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Serve hot with ice cream or cooled plain.

Vanilla Bean Snickerdoodles

A twist on an old favorite! As a kid I would read the recipe and wonder how come there are called a Snickerdoodle with no Snicker bars in the list of ingredients.  Not exactly sure how the cookie was named, but Snickerdoodles are amazing.  Sweet, chewy cinnamon goodness now with vanilla flavors.

Vanilla Bean Snickerdoodles

1 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups vanilla bean sugar
2 eggs with white thingies removed
1 tsp vanilla
2 2/3 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup vanilla bean sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Whip butter and vanilla bean sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well blended. Mix in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and sea salt until a soft dough forms. Shape dough balls using a teaspoon.  Roll dough balls in sugar mixture and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are set. You can freeze dough balls for later use if you desire.