Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

I always buy too many bananas.  I eventually forget that I even have them and they just sit on the counter screaming "Please use me!"

Days later my girl's finally see them and start screaming for bananas.  I pull them out of the bag the grocer packaged them up in and TADA!...they have black polka dots, are extremely squishy, and I have to somehow think of a way to destract the kids with some other type of snack.

This bribing doesn't work for them.  They don't forget anything and they aren't going to just let me get away with this. I tell the husband to occupy them for a little bit and I make something they will agree with.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread!!!

Ding! Ding! Ding!

We have a winner ladies and gentlemen!!

The bread wasn't even out of the oven yet before everyone started shouting and jumping up and down in anticipation.  I had to fight my husband off quite a few times just so I could take a picture!  My own piece of bread?....HAHAHA yea right! Mom's don't get anything "food related" to their own.  Especially when it is filled with bananas and warm melted chocolate chips!

They keep calling it cake.  Which I can't totally disagree with.  It was pretty delicious and super moist!  They have had 3 pieces this morning and are currently jumping up on the table telling me.... "Mommy! More cake!!"

I don't know what excuse I am going to use when it's all gone! HELP! 

  .

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

By: Crystal Barrett

Makes 1 bread loaf                                     (Click Here to Print)                               

Ingredients 

3 old very ripe bananas

1 tsp lemon juice

2 c all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

8 tbsp softened butter

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 c brown sugar

1/2 c sugar

1 c chocolate chips

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 c sour cream

Directions 

Preheat oven to 325 F

Grease and flour bread pan.

In a medium bowl mash he bananas until they are creamy.  Stir in lemon juice and set to the side.

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

In a large bowl cream the butter with the eggs, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.

Fold in bananas.

Add vanilla and sour cream.

Mix well.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Add dry ingredients and fold very gently.

Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until you can stick a toothpick in the center an it comes out clean.

Click Here to Read More »

Gluten Free Dairy Free Apple Cake with Honey Glaze

Apple Cake is one of my favorite desserts! The first time I had it was Christmas Eve and I was only 9 years old!  Unfortunately, it took until now for me to find a recipe to try it again.  Yes, it has been 15 years since I have had it; and guess what? ... It is still my favorite!! 

This Apple Cake tastes just like a cinnamon roll.  Better yet.... one of those cinnamon raisin biscuits from Hardee's. It can be eaten for dessert.... or breakfast ;) and I always pretend it's healthy for me because of the apples.  I can pretend right?

Recently my husband and I have built a new home together.  With a new home there comes a lot of new visitors and entertaining.  Visitors and entertaining is fine by me because I love an excuse to cook!  However, my husbands family has started a gluten free-dairy free diet.  When knowing they are coming for dinner I admit I panic a little.  Thinking of gluten free-dairy free recipes may not seem difficult, but at the moment everything we can think of includes some type of noodle or cheese.  I settle with the easy baked chicken and vegetables.  But what about dessert?  I'm known as the dessert queen so it has to be a killer gluten free dessert!  I automatically wanted to try my apple cake.  This cake has been made completely gluten and dairy free and it is just as scrumptious as before!

I have made this cake 5 times in the last two months!  I'm guessing it's everyone else's favorite now too :)

If you make this Apple Cake, please feel free to come back and leave me a comment telling me what you think!  If you have any suggestions please feel free to share! 

  .

  Gluten Free Dairy Free Apple Cake with Honey Glaze

By: Crystal Barrett

Makes 1 Bundt Pan. About 15 servings.

                                 (Click Here to Print)

                                                                                                    

Ingredients 

Glaze: 

2 cup powdered sugar

4 tbsp. honey

4 tbsp. soy milk

Cake:

3 peeled and diced granny apples

1 cup chopped toasted walnuts (or 1/4 cup Earth's Balance and 1 cup regular chopped walnuts)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. cinnamon

3 cup gluten free all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

You will need 3 large bowls, a small bowl, a mixer, and a bundt pan.

Directions 

1-  Heat oven to 350 and lightly grease bundt pan

2- In a small bowl melt walnuts and 1/2 a stick of unsalted butter in the microwave for             about 2 minutes.  Stir every 30 seconds.

3- In a large bowl mix the diced apples, walnuts, cinnamon, and vanilla.  Set aside.

4- In a separate large bowl mix the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set this aside as well.

5-  In another large bowl beat the sugar, oil, and eggs for about 2-3 minutes. Add the flour        mix and beat until well combined.  Fold in the apple mixture.

6-  Scrape batter into the bundt pan and bake in the over for 1 hour 30 min or until done. 

7-  Allow to cool for about an hour before dumping the cake onto a plate.

8-  When you have turned the cake out, in a small bowl, mix the

     powdered sugar with the soy milk.  Mix really good with a spoon making sure to                  dissolve all sugar clumps.  Add the honey and stir very well.  Drizzle the glaze over the        Apple Cake.

9- Enjoy!!!

** If you don't want this to be gluten or dairy free:

     Use regular all purpose flour in place of the gluten free

     Use regular milk in place of the soy milk.

     If using Earth's Balance to toast your walnuts, use 1/2 a stick of unsalted butter.

Click Here to Read More »

Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins

 Muffins.  They are easy, fast, and incredible on the go!  Even better...my 1 year old loves them!  Especially since they can be made "mini"!  Which I do :)

I started off with a Betty Crocker recipe for banana muffins...but with my own additions and changes, I created my own yummy muffin!  The banana chocolate chip oatmeal muffin!

I made 10 big muffins and filled an entire mini muffin pan with this recipe and I was scared to death they wouldn't last until the morning!

Remember when I was telling you my husband use to hate sweets? Well guess what...he's not a muffin lover either...UNTIL NOW!

I kept begging him to try one when they were hot and straight out of the oven and he just wouldn't give in.  Finally I begged so much he told me to go get him one off of the stove.  So I did!  I sat quietly, staring, waiting for his first bite and approval....

and he made the "MMMM!" sound! EEEK!  I was so thrilled.  Before I got too excited too soon I asked what he thought.

He asked me to go get him another one!  Then 5 minutes later...2 more!

YAY!  I have not only converted him to cookies, pies, and cupcakes....but now muffins!

My work here is complete :)

Here's the recipe:
2 medium bananas - I like the wait until they have browned a little.  They taste better and are easier to mash.
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 vegetable oil or melted butter
1 egg
2 c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 salt
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c chocolate chips
1/2 oats

Go ahead and preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Grease your muffin cups or pan.

In a large bowl, mash the banana's and mix well with milk.

Beat the milk mixture with the egg, oil, and vanilla with whisk.

Stir in flour, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder all at once.  Stir just until moistened.

Fold in the oats and chocolate chips.

Divide batter evenly to the muffin cups about 3/4 full.

Top with oats or granulated sugar if you wish.  Adding sugar on top will add extra crisp and sweetness to the muffin when it is done.

Bake in oven for about 20 minutes.  (If you are making mini muffins it will be about 12 - 15 minutes)

When the muffins are done, take them out of the pan and let them cool.

Enjoy :-)

Click Here to Read More »

Bacon Ham and Cheese Breakfast Ring

  

If you have ever have made a taco ring you would know that they are not only really easy to make but so much fun!  There are always so many options when it comes to rings.

Breakfast rings are also a family favorite in my home.  My 1 year old even loves them!  It is a ring at first but when pulled apart they become little breakfast sandwiches.

In this ring I used bacon, ham, cheese, green pepper, and gravy for dipping sauce.  Last time I sauteed onions along with the green peppers and used salsa for dipping sauce. The great thing with rings is that you can put anything you like inside!

 Use your creativity. That's the fun part!  You cant possibly mess it up because it is inside a delicious crescent and everything is good on crescents.

Bacon Ham and Cheese Breakfast Ring:

1/2 a precooked slice of Smithfield ham (diced into chunks)
3 pieces of bacon (divided in halves)
1/2 green pepper (chopped)
1 - 2 c shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs (beaten)
1- 8oz can of cresent rolls

 -  After prepping the food cook bacon until done (not crispy because it will continue to cook in oven)
    You can warm or brown ham on another skillet if you wish.

-  I began sauteing the green peppers in a small skillet while the bacon in cooking.

-  Scramble your eggs and cook them until done.

-  Layer crescent rools on a round cookie sheet or pizza pan (I covered mine in aluminum foil but you do not
    have to).  The wide edges should be on the inside. 
    Layer the wide parts onto one another so they stick to each other while baking.

-  On each wide end of the crescents place a bacon slice, few pieces of ham, green pepper, egg, and top
    with cheese.

-  Fold the pointy edges over top of the eggs and tuck under the wide edge.

-  Bake in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until crescents are brown and flaky

The end result should look like this.  Sorry for the bad picture!  Now just pull apart and eat!! It's so yummy!  Serve with gravy, salsa, ketchup, whatever your family prefers!

Click Here to Read More »