Banana Blueberry Quick Bread

I made this bread up and it's name stood true...it did not take long at all! I did modify it a bit and it turned out super tasty, but if you would like to see the original recipe, then just click here.

Banana Blueberry Quick Bread
**1/2 c. blueberries (I used frozen)
**1 5/8 c. flour
** 1/2 c. quick cooking oats
**1/2 c. chopped pecans
**1 tsp. baking soda
**1/4 tsp. salt
**1/2 c. applesauce
** 1 c. sugar in the raw
**2 eggs
**1 c. mashed bananas
** 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
**3/4 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Grease two small bread pans or one regualr size bread pan.

2. In a medium bowl, dredge blueberries in 2 TBSP. on flour. Gently stir blueberries together with oats, nuts, 1 1/2 c. flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

3. In another bowl, combine sugar, applesauce and vanilla. Add both eggs and stir. Stir in mashed banana. Add this mixture to the blueberry mixture and stir until moistened. Spoon into bread pan(s).

4. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until wooden toothpick comes out clean. (May need longer time if using one regular loaf pan.) Cool and serve warm.

Yum!

Kitchen Tip Tuesday: No oil or eggs?

We are not a 'sweet' family. As far as indulges go, in our home we prefer salty and crunchy. But, every now and then, a sweet cake does sound good.

Too be honest, I am not sure how this tip originated. I just heard it from my mom who heard it from hers, I'm sure. Nonetheless, it works!

To the point...ever buy a dark cake mix and realize you don't have any eggs or not enough oil? No problem...grab a can of Diet Coke! Literally, a can of Diet Coke can completely replace the eggs and oil.

You can bet we have done this with any boxed cake I have made since learning this. The cake still turns out moist and delish, and you can not taste the difference.

Proof:
Pour the cake mix in a bowl and add the Diet Coke (12 oz.). The only difference between this and the regular method is this seems to be foamy.

Pour in the pan and bake as normal.

Allow to cool and ice the cake.

Enjoy!

For some inspiration on flavor combos where you can taste a hint of the soda..
Add Diet Sprite to lemon cake. (Don't use 7-Up)
Add Diet Root Beer to white or vanilla cake.
Add Diet Orange soda to white, orange or vanilla cake.

Use your imagination!

A few technicalities, a can of regular coke works just as well, but we always have Diet Coke in our home, so it just gets first dibs. And it does not have to be name brand soda.

Hope this helps you out one day.

For more tips to help out in the kitchen, hop on over to Tammy's blog!

Italian girl at heart

I love pasta...any kind. White sauce, red sauce, cheese sauce. Sauce with seafood, chicken, bacon or just plain. I could eat pasta for every meal.

One of my favorite home cooked meals is lasagna. But because it is such a long process to make, I don't get around to making it very much. (And the store bought kind is not the same.) Whenever I do get the time to make it, I try to make an extra at the same time and stick it in the freezer. I still don't get it often enough.

So, when I saw this, I had to try it. Quick, easy and scrumptious!

I modified it a bit to our taste and the girls and I loved it. Unfortunately, Jeremy was at rugby so it did not get to try it fresh out of the oven, but I have no doubt he will love it also. Plus it has no pasta in it.

That's right...lasagna with no pasta. But, it taste just like the real thing!!

Here we go:

Rice Lasagna (modified from Jane 4 Girls recipe)

2-3 c. cooked rice (I used brown rice)
1 pound of ground beef
1 onion, diced
A big handful of fresh baby spinach, chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, depending on your taste, minced
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese (I used an 8 oz. block of cheese and shredded myself and it was enough.)
1 c. Parmesan cheese
2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If need be, start to cook your rice. Once cooked, drain of the water and set aside to cool.

2. Heat pan to medium high. Throw in the onion and garlic. After a few minutes, add the ground beef. Once beef is fully cooked, drain the pan to get rid of the grease.

3. Return the beef mixture to the pan. Add the baby spinach. Once it starts to wilt, add the spaghetti sauce and let simmer while you finish the rest.

4. Combine the eggs and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Add the cooked rice. Stir it around until fully mixed.

5. In another bowl, put all the mozzarella cheese and the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, Mix well.

6. Now it where you start to layer...rice mixture, beef and sauce mixture, cheese mixture. Repeat as necessary. I only had two layers of each.

7. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is bubbly, about 15 minutes.

I am telling you, this tasted just like lasagna! It is a kid-friendly recipe also...Macie and I made it in about 15 minutes from start to finish. It looks like it will be freezer friendly also, which means it will be great during busy nights!

Let me know if you try it!

Added: I also linked this post to Girlymama's "comfort food" recipes post. Thanks for hosting Melissa! I will be better prepared next week with a new recipe.

Family favorite: "Stuff you put over toast"

We had a bbq last weekend and wound up with some leftover baked beans. I am not a big fan of baked beans but love them when I make Stuff You Put Over Toast.

This recipe is so easy, simple and can be eaten over toast or without toast. But then you would just have stuff. :)

{I apologize in advance for no pictures.}

Stuff You Put Over Toast

• 1 large can of baked beans or pork and beans
• 1 lb. of ground beef
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• Bug handful of baby spinach, chopped
  
• 1 can tomato sauce
  
• 1-2 TBSP sugar
• Salt and pepper

1. In a large pan, add diced onion and green pepper. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain fat.

2. Add in everything else and continue to leave on heat until it is warm throughout.

2. Toast bread.

3. Served over toast.

I like to get me bread extra crispy so it does not become all soggy immediately. But I also hear my brother in law likes his to be soggy, so whatever your preference is will work.

The great thing about this recipe is it's versatility! Don't have enough baked beans? I have used a small can and it is been fine. Only have 1/2 pound of ground beef? Throw it in and it will still be perfect. I have subsituted so many things in this recipe and it still taste the same way.

Let me know if you try it!

Easy Oat Bread

Yesterday, I got a cookbook in the mail I requested a while back. It is recipes taken from Nancy Baggett's cookbook titled, "Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-free, No-Knead Bread".

I have some oatmeal that needs to be used so I was excited to see that there was a recipe for Oat Bread. Last night, I made it and today is is sitting on my kitchen counter rising for the second time. (I also made the Oatmeal Muffins...so good!)) I will bake it tonight and let you know how it turns out!


Easy Oat Bread - Yield 2 medium loaves

• 5½ c. unbleached all-purpose white flour or unbleached white bread flour, plus more as needed
• 1 c. old fashioned rolled oats or quick cooking oats (not instant), plus 4 TBSP. for garnish
• 3 TBSP. granulated sugar
• Scant 2¾ tsp. table salt
• 1 tsp. Fleischmann's RapidRise Yeast
• ¼ c. clover honey or light (mild) molasses
• ¼ c. corn oil or other flavorless vegetable oil, plus extra for coating dough top and baking pans
• 2 ¼ c. plus 2 TBSP. ice water, plus more if needed

First rise:
In a very large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, oats, sugar, salt and yeast. In a medium bowl or measuring cup, thoroughly whisk the honey or molasses and oil into the water. Thoroughly stir the water mixture into the larger bowl, scraping down the sides until the ingredients are blended well. If the moisture is too dry to incorporate all the flour, a bit at a time, stir in just enough more water to blend the ingredients; don't over moisten, as the dough should be stiff. Brush or spray the top with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. For best flavor or convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. If convenient, vigorously stir once during the rise.

Second rise:
Vigorously stir the dough. If necessary, stir in enough more flour to yield a hard to stir consistency. Generously oil two 8 ½ x 4½-inch loaf pans. Sprinkle a tablespoon of oats in each; tip the pans back and forth to spread the oats over the bottom and sides. Use well oiled kitchen shears or a serrated knife to cut the dough into two equal portions. Put the portions in the pans. Brush or spray the top with oil. Press and smooth the dough evenly into the pans with an oiled rubber spatula or fingertips. Sprinkle a tablespoon of oats over each loaf; press down to imbed. Make a ½-inch deep slash lengthwise down the center of each loaf using oiled kitchen shears or a serrated knife. Tightly cover pans with nonstick sprat-coated plastic wrap.

To finish the rise, let it stand at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. The dough should come pretty close to the plastic wrap.

Baking:
Preheat oven to 375º and place rack in lower third of the oven 15 minutes before baking time. Bake on lower rack for 50 to 60 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Cover with foil, then bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out a very little particles on it. Bake another 5 minutes longer to be sure the centers are done. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then take out of the pan and cool thoroughly. Eat it up!

This recipe should be kept well for 3 days at room temperature or frozen for up to 3 months.

I really feel like a mom now.

Last night, I was talking with Whitney about cooking more meals with the intention to freeze them. We have talked about this before but never set a date to actually do it. (Tara...why don't you join in!) Whitney and I penciled in a date to do this so I have been looking through all my magazines and blogs with the hope of finding several meals and/or snacks to cook for this purpose. I came across these and hope they taste as good as they sound!
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Healthy Nut Muffins (Taken from Today's Diet and Nutrition)

• 1 c. all purpose flour
• 3/4 c. quick cooking oats
• 1/2 c. brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 c. wheat bran
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup green, red and/or black grapes, halved
  
• 1/2 c. grated carrots
• 1/2 c. skim milk
• 1/3 c. applesauce
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 c. walnuts, chopped, for garnish

Preheat your oven to 350. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, bran, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, carrots and salt in a medium bowl and mix well. Stir in the grapes, carrots, milk, applesauce, oil and egg until evenly moistened.

Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin tins and sprinkle with nuts.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Let cool. Store in airtight container.
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If you have any ideas on make ahead meals, please let me know in the comments section. I have gotten a few ideas from Crystal's 'AKA Money Saving Mom' personal blog and plan in trying them out. Have you ever frozen meals?

Another weekend...

The main purpose of this post is to tell you that I made homemade Hot Pockets! It took a while, as in hours, due to waiting for the bread to do it's thing, but they are worth it! I made around 20 of them and individually froze them for quick breakfast in the morning for MJ. I used whole wheat flour and added wheat germ to them and you can't even tell. I love it when I sneak stuff in food!

After I made them and was trying it out, I realized I could put just about anything in them! I could do pizza ones, broccoli and cheese...etc. I plan on making a ton of them next time to try it out.

Sunday we headed to shop early! We was at Walgreen's by 10:00, then it was off to JCPenny for a kitchen cart (in black). Our rental house is much smaller than our old house. My kitchen is about half the size of my old one and I finally found a stand that I liked and had storage, plus I can put my microwave on it. Even though it is not my first pick style wise, it will work for now. We made a quick stop at Lowe's after that and then headed home. I thought I might get a nap, but it just didn't happen. Oh well, maybe next weekend.

Now on with my Monday...ugh!

More doctors and a dip!

I'm off to take Zoa to the doctor (She has had a cough for three weeks now...bronchitis like MJ had?) but I wanted to share this recipe before I forgot. I had it last weekend and it is great spread on Wheat Thin style crackers. It is actually a stuffing for pork shops but they used it as a dip.

Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach Dip...yummy!

Update: Bronchitis it is. Ugh.

Food!

This year, we are doing Thanksgiving at my mom and dad's house. My mom plans on making a whole table full of food, complete with dressing, turkey, ham and chicken and dumplings (Count 'em, that's 4 entrees!) My sisters and I are bringing some sides. This recipe I received from a night group from church and it is delicious! I love it! Best of all, you only spend 15 minutes (!) making it. If you are a mom, you truly appreciate this. So, I thought I would share in case anyone needs an idea for their thanksgiving...

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Makes: 10 servings, one slice each

Turtle Pumpkin Pie- Recipe from Kraft
*1 c. milk
*1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. caramel ice cream topping, divided
*1 Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)
*1/2 c. plus 2 tbsp. pecan pieces
*2 pkg. Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding and Pie Filling
*1 c. canned pumpkin
*1 tsp. ground cinnamon
*1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 large tub of Cool Whip , thawed and divided

Pour 1/4 c. caramel topping into the crust, sprinkle with 1/2 the pecans. Beat milk, dry pudding mixes, pumpkin and spices with a whisk until blended. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the whipped topping. Spread into crust. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Top with remaining whipped topping, caramel topping and pecans just before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

(To help with all the sweets and calories, I will use Fat Free Cool whip and and fat free, sugar free Jell-O. I omitted the pecans.)

I will post a picture tomorrow evening.