Upside Down Caramelized Banana Bread Skillet Cake

What You Need:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled + 3 tablespoons
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar + 1/3 cup
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 bananas, mashed (about 1 1/4 cups) + 2 bananas, sliced
1/3 cup milk

 Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400*.
In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

 Heat a cast iron skillet (min was 12 inch) over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of butter, and let sizzle and melt, then whisk in 1/3 cup brown sugar and add in the sliced bananas in a single layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside while making batter.

 In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugars. Once combined, whisk in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add in dry ingredients, stirring to bring together, then add in mashed bananas and mix. Add in milk and mix until combined.

Pour batter over bananas in skillet and spread evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until cake is golden and set in the middle. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then serve hot with ice cream. Note: this same recipe will most likely work in a 10-inch skillet and just yield a taller cake. I would begin by baking for 30 minutes and check the cake. If you are using a smaller skillet, I would cut the recipe in half and start by baking at 20 minutes.

The Non-Baker's Sugar Cookie

I am not a baker. I, for some reason, can NOT bake! It is my "Achilles heel" in the kitchen. Well, since I rarely bake, I am ALWAYS missing the necessary ingredients to make even the most basic baked good. Today Andrew and I were talking and he wanted to make cookies.  HMMM...what to do. I glanced through a few of my recipes and of course EVERY RECIPE I ran across needed ingredients I didn't have in my cabinet. Never fear, we can Google! I typed in "Sugar cookie recipes made with less than 5 ingredients".

I found this one: Butter -check, Sugar -check, Egg -check, Flour -check and Salt -check. Easy enough. The kiddos helped me and within a half an hour, we were eating cookies.

What You Need:
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 large egg
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Preparation:

Mix and cream butter and sugar. Add eggs; mix until creamy. Add flour and salt and mix until smooth. Roll in small balls; flatten with glass dipped in sugar (I added cinnamon as well and the kids cut them into shapes).

Make very thin.

Bake at 350°F until edges start to brown.

Cherry Limeades at home!

-Crush Ice in blender

-Add 7up, grenadine, Lime juice
-Top with Cherries

Meat & Vegetable Stelline Soup

What You Need:
-8oz Stelline Pasta
-1/2 lb ground beef
-1/4 cup green beans
-1/4 cup chopped, peeled carrots
-1 clove garlic
-2 cups tomato juice (I used crushed tomatoes)
-2 tbsp. Beef-flavored bullion
-1 tsp Marjram Leaves, dried
-1 tsp. Basil Leaves, dried
-1 tsp. salt
-1/2 tsp. black pepper
Parmeseam Cheese, Grated (Optional)

Preparation:
-Brown ground beef and drain
-Stir in next 9 ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 min.
-Add cooked Stelline and cook another 8 to 10min.
-Top with Parmesean Cheese and enjoy!

Fajita Salad with Black Bean & Corn Relish

Spicy Chipotle & Lime Marinated Chicken Fajita Salad (with Fire Roasted Pablano Ranch Dressing) 

 *Chicken:
Spicy Chipotle Marinated Chicken
-1/4 cup lime juice
-2 tsp. The Spice Hunter Chipotle Chili Pepper
-1/2 cup cilantro
-2 green onions
-1/4tsp. salt and pepper
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1 lb chicken breasts
(combine all and mix in a bag. Marinate. grill or bake until done)

*Veggies:
Grill or broil: Peppers, onions and tomatoes

*Lettuce
*Shredded Cheddar Cheese
*Black Olives

Black Bean & Sweet Corn Relish 

*Black Beans

*Sweet Corn
*Diced Green Chilis
*Sweet Onions
*Avocado
*Cilantro

Teenie Taco Salads

What you Need: 

Taco Meat/Filling of choice
Beans of choice.
Salad Fixins of choice (I did, Lettuce, Red Bell Pepper, Avacado, Cheddar Cheese, Tomatoes, Olives, Cilantro and Onion)
Corn Tortillas & Oil to fry.

Preparation: 
-Prepare your meat and beans of choice and set off to side.
-Chop all your Veggies and lettuce.
-Fry Tortillas in a little bit of oil and form into a cup. (I used a metal ice cream scoop as a mold).
-Fill Cups with salad ingredients and top with whatever toppings you want! (Salsa, Jalapeno Ranch, Sour cream...)

ENJOY!  

(I made a plate with NINE and ate one. Dave finished the rest...I think it's safe to say he enjoyed.

Banana "Ice Cream"

The kiddos love Banana "Ice Cream"...they don't know that it's not ACTUALLY Ice Cream...so it's a win-win....they get to have a special "treat" and I'm feeding them fruit!


-Peel & Chop a banana
-Place banana pieces in a baggie and place in freezer
-Throw in a food processor and blend until smooth
-Serve immediately and ENJOY!

Italian Chicken & Steamed Zucchini "Spaghetti"

Zesty Italian Grilled Chicken Over Steamed Zucchini "Spaghetti" Topped with Fresh Tomato & Basil Marinara  

Chicken:
Favorite Italian Dressing
Chicken Breast (tenderized and cut into about 3 inch hunks)
***Marinate Chicken a few hours and grill

Marinara:
Roma Tomatoes (diced)
Fresh Basil (chopped)
Garlic (minced)
White onion (diced)
Salt, pepper, rosemary, oregano
Olive oil
***Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add remaining ingredients and simmer on medium low about 20 min.

Zucchini "Spaghetti"
***Slice fresh zucchini into straws and steam in steamer until soft.

***Place zucchini on plate, add chicken to the zucchini and top chicken with marinara.

Blue Cheese & Spinach Stuffed BBQ Chicken

One of my favorite salads has BBQ smothered chicken pieces over spinach with blue cheese crumbles, onions crisps and ranch dressing along with other ingredients...so I took that salad as inspiration when I came up with this dish!

What You Need: 

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
salt, pepper, garlic, lemon pepper
Blue Cheese Crumbles
Fresh Spinach
BBQ Sauce
Panko Bread Crumbs OR Frenches Fried onions
Toothpicks
Ranch Dressing

Preparation: 

-Tenderize Chicken with a meat cleaver and pound out thin.
-Season meat with salt, pepper, garlic and lemon pepper
-Place blue cheese crumbles and spinach in the center of each breast
-Fold each breast and secure with toothpicks
-Place in a shallow baking dish and smother with BBQ sauce of choice.
-Bake about 20 min.
-Remove from oven. Remove toothpicks and top with Panko bread crumbs or Frenches Fried Onions and bake another 3-5min.
-Remove from baking dish and top with blue cheese crumbles serve over fresh greens and drizzle ranch dressing over top if you want!

It was a rich and delicious Chicken dish!

We packed it up alongside brussel sprouts, baked beans and onion rings and took it to the fire station and enjoyed lunch with daddy today <3    

Think Before You Eat: Childhood Favorite...tweaked:Cinnamon Toast

a little smarter...
Cinnamon Toast

Certain foods from my childhood, I just crave! There are times I wake up and I want that food that brings me back to my childhood. PROBLEM: a lot (well let's be honest) MOST of those foods are not the best decision if you are looking at maintaining or losing weight. Look at how you feed your kids, and the foods they enjoy sometimes....would you be able to eat those meals without your tummy expanding? No!

Today, I was craving a warm cup of coffee and cinnamon toast! I decided to change it up. Crazy right? I mean how much can I benefit from changing a silly little cinnamon toast recipe?

Here's how is adds up in one serving:
Classic cinnamon toast. White bread, butter, sugar and cinnamon.
White Bread (2 slices) 133 calories 
1/2 Tbsp. Butter          81  calories
1/3 Tbsp. Sugar          16  calories 
1/3 Tbsp. Cinnamon      6   calories 
Total: 236 calories 

My Cinnamon Toast: Whole Grain Toast,Smart Balance Omega Plus™ Buttery Spread, vanilla extract and cinnamon.
Whole Grain Bread       70 calories 
1/2 Tbsp. Butter Spread 25 calories 
1 tsps. vanilla extract      12 calories 
1/3 Tbsp. Cinnamon       6 calories 
Total: 113 calories 

It makes quite a bit of difference! My breakfast was super satisfying and even more so now that I don't feel guilty about what I ate! ---Hope this little recipe will help you out if you like cinnamon toast....and help you think outside of the box and start making little changes to your recipes to help you enjoy them guilt-free :)

Recipe: 
-Preheat oven to 350*
-In a small bowl, mix butter spread, vanilla extract and cinnamon until smooth.
-Spread mixture over whole grain bread.
-Bake about 8-10 min.

Enjoy! 
***Tip: Smart Balance Omega Plus™ Buttery Spread contains healthy oils, no trans fats, plus the added benefit of natural plant sterols which help support healthy cholesterol levels. But,it does contain a few preservatives and artificial flavors...

 INGREDIENTS: Natural Oil Blend (Soybean Oil, Palm Oil, Canola Oil, Olive Oil), Water, plant sterols, contains Less Than 2% Of Salt, Whey, Soybean Lecithin, Potassium Sorbate, Lactic Acid (To Protect Freshness), Natural & Artificial Flavor, Vitamin 3, Calcium Disodium EDTA, Vitamin A Palmitate & Beta-Carotene Color.

Think Before You Eat: Mini Stuffed Peppers---Egg White Breakfast Bites

What You Need: 
6 slices of bacon (of choice) cooked and broken into bits
3 egg whites
3 sliced of whole grain bread (cut into cubes)
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2  onion (chopped)
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/4 cup chopped sweet peppers
1/2 cup low-fat feta cheese
salt, pepper & garlic to taste
6-10 mini bell peppers

Preparation: 
-Slice, rinse and remove seeds from peppers and sit off to the side.
-Beat egg whites with a wire wisk and add milk, garlic, sat & pepper and bread cubes. Set off to the side.
-Preheat oven at 350*
-Saute chopped onion, spinach & peppers in skillet on medium heat in 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
-Add veggies to mixture along with 3.4 the bacon bits and add feta cheese. Mix.
-Spoon mixture into each pepper half.
-Bake at 350* for 30min. or so (until eggs are cooked, cheese is melted and peppers are soft)

ENJOY! 

Cream Of Wheat: Strawberry Banana Silly Faces

---Mash up a banana and add it to your cream of wheat along with some cinnamon and sugar and top with strawberry jam....makes for a fun, sweet and yummy breakfast the kiddos will love :)

Chicken and Veggie Orzo Pasta

Andrew is feeling under the weather today, so I made a batch of one of his favorite meals:

Chicken & Veggie Orzo Pasta

I've been making this for him since he started eating solid food. It tastes a lot like Chicken noodle soup, but kiddos can feed themselves perfectly because the pasta, chicken and veggies are small enough that they can easily pick up with their little fingers or fork/spoon and it's a different consistency than soup, so they don't spill the broth all over themselves.  

What You Need: 

Chicken Breast (cooked and cubed---I season mine in a little bit of garlic, salt, pepper & Italian spices and cook on the griddle) 

1/2 cup Celery , diced 

1/2 cup Carrots, diced  

1/2 cup Peas 

1/2 White Onion, diced 

Garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, oregano, 1-2 chicken bullion cubes 

1 tbsp. olive, vegetable or canola oil 

2 cups of Orzo Pasta 

4 cups (or so) of water   

Preparation: 

-Heat oil on med-low heat. 

-Saute and brown pasta in hot oil. 

-Add chicken and veggies to pasta and brown for a few min. 

-Add water, bullion and all the seasonings to the mixture. 

-Cover and allow to boil about 10 min. Reduce to low heat.  

Enjoy! 

(Andrew LOVES Saltine crackers with a little bit of butter with this and I top his bowl shredded cheddar cheese) 

 

Lemon-Garlic Chicken Over Pasta

I typically don't cook unless David is home...because it's just me....but I threw this together with some random ingredients I had and it turned out pretty delicious!

 What You Need: 
Chicken: 
Chicken Breast
Garlic Salt, Salt, Pepper, Lemon-Pepper,
Lemon Juice
Olive Oil
Pasta:
Pasta
Cherry Tomatoes
Kale or Spinach
Minced Garlic
Fresh Rosemary & Oregano
Olive Oil
Feta & Ricotta Cheese
Preparation:
-Marinade Chicken in seasonings and lemon juice a few hours
-Grill Chicken until cooked and place off to the side
-Cook Pasta of choice and drain, set off to the side
-Saute Cherry Tomatoes, Kale or Spinach with a clove or so of garlic and seasonings in olive oil.
-Add pasta and chicken (sliced) to the veggies
-Toss in Cheeses
Enjoy! 

I brought it over to my parents and my mom made these awesome soft pretzels she got from the Schwans guy! Man I love their frozen food! These were so yummy....so if you order from Schwans, I reccoment adding this to your order once!

Think Before You Eat: Banana-Walnut Pancakes

What You Need:
-1 cup whole wheat flour
-2 tsp baking powder
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp cinnamon
-1 large banana, very ripe, mashed
-1 cup 1% milk
-3 large egg whites
-2 tsp oil 1 tsp vanilla
-2 tbsp chopped walnuts
-1 tbsp ground flaxseed
-olive oil or butter flavor cooking spray

Prep:
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine milk, egg white, oil, vanilla and mashed bananas in a bowl and mix until smooth. Combine wet ingredients with the dry and mix well with a spoon until there are no more dry spots. Don't over-mix.

 Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Spray cooking spray to lightly coat and pour 1/4 cup of pancake batter. When the pancake starts to bubble and the edges begin to set, flip the pancakes. Repeat with the remainder of the batter.

Individual Muffin-Tin Sweet and Spicy Meatloafs

I will probably never make one big meatloaf again! These are awesome and it doesn't break when you go to make yourself a piece!

I added chili paste to the topping and it added a perfect amount of spice to the meatloaf! YUM!

Think Before You eat: Baked Grapefruit

Ever had a baked grapefruit???!!! I recommend! It was a yummy addition to my breakfast this morning!

How to:
-Preheat the oven to 350°
-Line a metal baking pan with aluminum foil
-Cut a grapefruit in half crosswise and trim the bottoms to make sure they sit flat and level in the pan.
-Top each grapefruit half with 1/2 Tbs of brown sugar
-Drizzle about 1/2 tsp. of water (just enough to coat the top) over the grapefruit half.
-Bake for 15min

***I enjoyed mine alongside an english muffin with peanut butter this a.m :)

ENJOY!

Think Before You Eat: Spinach & Turkey Meatballs

What you Need: 

-1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (or about 2 cups of fresh spinach chopped and steamed)
-2 egg whites
-1 cup whole grain bread crumbs
-1/2 onion
-finely chopped fresh oregano, fresh rosemary, garlic powder, seasoned salt, salt & pepper
-1 lb. ground turkey

Prep: 

-In a bowl, combine spinach, egg whites, bread crumbs, onion and seasonings. 

-Add turkey and mix well.  Shape into 2-in. balls.
-Bake uncovered at 375* for 20 min or so.

*** I served mine on a bed of steamed zucchini "noodles" and garnished with diced tomatoes and fresh basil.

 ENJOY!

Think Before You Eat: Vegetarian Vegetable Soup

What You Need:
1 Garlic Clove
Carrot
Celery
Zucchini
Onion
White Beans
Diced Tomatoes
2 cups Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
Dash Olive Oil

Preparation:
Saute Garlic, Carrot, Celery, Zucchini and Onion in a little bit of Olive Oil on medium heat until Tender. Add Beans, Tomatoes and Broth. Turn down to low-heat. Let simmer about 45min.

From the Field to our Table: Yummy Elk Stew

What You Need: 
1 ½ pounds elk stew meat
2 large carrots (chopped)
1 medium onion (chopped)
2 stalks celery (chopped)
1 zucchini (chopped)
½ quart beef stock or as needed
1 cup red wine
1 Tbs fresh thyme
1 Tbs fresh oregano
1 bay leaf
2 tsp garlic paste
1 – 2 Tbs flour
1 – 2 Tbs canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste

What you do: 
Begin by cutting the elk meat into uniform sized cubes. In a medium sized bowl, coat the elk meat with flour, salt and pepper. Place a thick bottomed pot with a tight fitting lid (I used a Dutch oven) on the stove and heat to medium high heat. Add canola oil and the elk meat. Brown the elk on all sides, be careful not to burn. Add beef stock and red wine to the pot and use a spoon to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Add onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and oregano. Turn heat down to low and cover. Cook for an hour and a half or until the meat is fork tender. Add carrots and celery and cook covered for an additional 30 minutes. If needed, thicken stew with a flour and water mixture. About 15 minutes before serving add zucchini. Taste and correct your seasonings. Add a dash of Kitchen Bouquet for a richer colored stew (optional). Remove bay leaf and serve with mashed potatoes. Makes 4 servings.