Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour

Instructions:

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat oven to 350 F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4X8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour (or to make muffins 20-25 minutes).

-Sarah

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 lb butter
• 1 ½ cup sugar
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 4 – 5 cups flour (you don’t want to add too much flour- I add it until the dough is just sticky)
• Chocolate chips (and nuts) as desired

Method

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix butter and sugars. Add eggs and beat until creamy. Add salt, baking soda, baking powder and vanilla. Add flour (don’t add too much and don’t over mix). Add chocolate chips (and nuts). Place tablespoon size “lumps” on greased baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes- until the edges and bottom are barely starting to turn golden.

Note

This recipe makes lots of dough. I often bake what I want and then shape the rest into tablespoon size balls to put into a freezer safe ziplock bag and freeze for later. Good to have on hand.  

-Sarah

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

The chicken coating ingredients

• 3-4 boneless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ¼ cup canola oil

The sweet and sour sauce ingredients

• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• ½ cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

Method

Start by preheating your oven to 325 F. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. Heat your ¼ cup oil in a large skillet and cook you chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a 9X13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour ingredients in a bowl and whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.  

-Sarah

Chocolate Mousse Pie

Ingredients

• 5 oz Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• ½ cup milk
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream (with ¼ cup sugar mixed in while being whipped)
• 1 (9 inch) graham cracker crust or chocolate crumb crust or pastry shell, baked

Method

In a heavy saucepan, heat the chocolate, marshmallows and milk over low heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Cool. Fold in whipped cream; pour into crust. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Refrigerate leftovers.  

-Sarah

Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients for the sheet cake

• 1 can (16 oz) pumpkin
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt

Method

In mixing bowl, beat pumpkin, sugar and oil. Add eggs and mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to pumpkin mixture and beat until well blended. Pour into 15 in X 10 in X 1in baking pan. Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Ingredients for cream cheese frosting

• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese softened
• 10 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 3 to 4 tablespoons milk

Method

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla very smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar- mix well. Add milk until frosting reaches desired spreading consistency. Frost cake when it is completely cooled.  

-Sarah

Garden Vegetable Soup (diet recipe-42 calories, 0 g fat, 2 g fiber)

Garden Vegetable Soup (diet recipe-42 calories, 0 g fat, 2 g fiber)

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup sliced carrot
• ½ cup diced onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups fat free broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
• 1 ½ cups diced green cabbage
• ½ cup green beans
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup diced zucchini

Method

In large saucepan sprayed with nonstick spray (or I use a very small amount of olive or vegetable oil) sauté the carrot, onion, and garlic over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add broth, cabbage, beans, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and salt; bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered for about 15 minutes or until beans are tender. Stir in zucchini and heat 3-4 minutes. Serve hot. Makes four 1-cup servings.  

-Sarah

Easy Crock-Pot French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 2-3 lb oven roast
• 2 cans beef broth (about 4 cups)
• 2 packages Lipton Onion Soup Mix
• White Italian Sub rolls Or Ciabatta Rolls (My personal favorite)
• Provolone cheese slices

Method

Put oven roast in crock pot. Add beef broth and soup mix. Cook on low 7-8 hours. Shred roast with a fork, and return shredded beef to crock pot for a few more minutes. Slice open break, and place a good amount of beef on one side, top beef with cheese slices. Broil open sandwich in oven for just a few minute, until the cheese gets melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and serve with a ladle of au-jus left in crock- pot.

-Sarah