Chocolate Banana Bread

This is one of the creations I left go way too long. 

I know I found my inspiration from Pinterest,

but I can't remember the changes I made to it.

I know I used sour cream instead of yogurt.

And my topping is just a little different.

But you can add any kind of topping you want to sweet bread.  

I'm not a big fan of banana bread.

But I do have to say, this one was very good.

My work crew loved it.

I will just give you the link so you can make it yourself.

Here it is: Running With Spoons, Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Blueberry/banana Breakfast Cake

Are you one that likes something a little sweet with your coffee?

I'm a cookie dunker.

And my favorite cookie to dunk in coffee is oatmeal.

I had a partial container of blueberries that needed to be used quickly.

So I searched for a recipe using blueberries.

My inspiration came from this blog: Alexandra's Kitchen

I will list the changes I made to accommodate my ingredients on hand.

Or you can just use Alexandra's recipe.

I only had about 1 c. of blueberries so I added one mashed banana. I mashed the banana and added just a splash of lemon juice, and stirred in the blueberries.

I also didn't have any fresh lemon peel, so I used the dried California lemon peel found in the spice section at the grocery store. 

Other than the few changes I made everything is exact.

Oh and, I also sprinkled the amount of sugar on top to my liking. I do believe it was more than 1 TBS.

This is a very good moist cake.

Apple Fritter Cake

 Do you like those apple fritters from the bakery?

You know, the ones that are as big as your head,

and you can never eat a whole one?

They are so good, but I always pass them by because I don't want 

to be wasteful.

But anyway, this cake tastes exactly like those bakery apple fritters.

No joke!

I didn't sway from this recipe because I don't like to experiment much with

baked items. 

So I stuck to the exact directions.

I'm so glad I did. 

This cake is amazing. 

And you can cut the pieces any size you want.

So, instead of typing out the recipe I'm just going to give you the link

to take you to the original recipe.

Here it is: Nerdy Baker, Apple Fritter Cake

Pulled Pork Sliders

 I see slider recipes come through Facebook and Pinterest all the time. I wanted to see what all the hype was about. So I set out to throw together some sliders.

 I headed to the grocery store to get my cheeses and some of those awesome Hawaiian Rolls.
To make things simple I left Schwan's do most of the cooking. I used Schwan's pulled pork and oven roasted peppers and onions.
Hey, sometimes even I like simple.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
I cooked the peppers and onions in a little olive oil and butter.
I had thawed the pulled pork overnight so it was ready to go when I assembled the sliders.
I cut the rolls in half (tops and bottoms) and placed the bottom half in a glass baking dish.
I placed Monster cheese slices on the bottoms of the rolls.
Spread the pulled pork over the cheese.
Spread the peppers and onions on top of the pork.
Topped the peppers with provolone cheese slices.
I placed the roll tops on top of the provolone cheese slices.
I melted 2 TBS butter along with 1 TBS dried oregano.
When the butter was melted I drizzled it over the rolls.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes.

Portuguese Sausage Sauce

 One question I often ask myself is,

Why do you make things harder for yourself?

During the summer months Johnie and I tend to be very busy.

We spend the summer months traveling on the motorcycle

whenever we get a chance, and we also use the warm weather

months to do our family visiting. 

So the blog tends to be neglected.

Oh, we still cook and take photos of our creations.

But I, the information provider.

I tend to let things sit.

Procrastinate.

I know you know what I'm talking about.

And then when I find time to post I have to weed through

all the photos, note pads, and Pinterest.

It's kind of like putting a jig-saw puzzle together

with no shapes.....

I put together this sauce not to long ago. 

I was in search of a pasta sauce recipe that called for chorizo.

I headed to my favorite recipe finder....Pinterest.

But I wasn't happy with the recipes I found.

So what I did was, I pieced together many recipes to 

come up with this one.

Portuguese Sausage Sauce

I had about a pound and a half of bulk Mexican Chorizo.

I cooked the chorizo in about two TBS of olive oil.

Added 3 cloves chopped garlic

3 green onions, tops included, chopped

3 celery hearts, chopped fine

1/2 c. chopped fresh mushrooms

I left the veggies cook with the meat until glassy/tender.

I added a jar of good quality marinara

Brought it to a low simmer and added 3/4 c. of heavy cream.

I left it simmer until heated through.

Then I added 1/3 c. chopped parsley before serving over pasta.

Easy Pineapple Cobbler

I was Pinteresting......
You know what that is right?
I know you know, because you do the same thing.
I am not alone here people.
But as I was Pinteresting I ran across a recipe
called Tropical Cake.
After I put my own twist on it I realized that
this dessert is not worthy of the name CAKE.
It is nowhere near CAKE consistency.
So in my tiny little mind cobbler kept knocking.
This is definitely a cobbler.
A very good cobbler.

This is what I did.

Pineapple Cobbler

1 can pineapple chunks
1 can crushed pineapple
Drain both and reserve juice
1/3 c. pineapple juice
1 small jar maraschino cherries
1 1/2 c. flaked sweet coconut
3 stick unsalted butter
1 box yellow cake mix

Melt 1 stick butter in a 13x9 cake pan in a preheated 350 degree oven. Place it in the oven for about 5-8 minutes. Or you can just keep checking to see if it is melted.
Mix the pineapple juice, pineapple, and cherries in the melted butter. Sprinkle the cake mix (do not prepare cake as package directs) over the pineapple. Sprinkle the coconut on top of the cake mix. Slice two sticks of butter in equal sized squares (use the marks on the butter paper) and lay on top of the coconut.
Place in oven for 60 minutes turning the pan 1/4 turn every 15 minutes.

Johnie's French Toast

 This blog is team based,

but we never hear much from Johnie.

He sure can BURN.

That's slag for, he sure can cook.

That is your lesson for today.

 This was a walk through the grocery store idea.

Do you ever have those?

You see something and think, that sure sounds good.

This one was, if you get some Texas toast I'll make you some 

French toast for breakfast.

What woman in her right mind would turn that down?

Not this one!

So the Texas toast was purchased.

Was it good?

It was GREAT!

And here is the proof to show you.

Johnie's French Toast

1 c. heavy cream

4 eggs

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. sugar

pinch of salt

A dash of French vanilla coffee creamer

Whisk all ingredients together.

8 slices Texas toast

Dip one piece of bread at a time into the liquid mixture and place on a med/high preheated griddle or cast iron skillet. Brown on both sides.

A Twist on Mexican Rice

 Whelp,

Since I haven't been here for a while 

I'm going to start this post with a cute highchair sleeping baby.

Is there anything more cute?

Now that you are done going OOOOO, AAHHHHH

we can move on to the Twist on Mexican Rice.

 We are all trying to eat healthier, better ingredients, low calories,

right?

I know, I am.

I have made the switch to all organic produce.

Once I do some more research on meats I will add organic meats 

into my diet also.

Just by switching to organic produce,

I feel better

I have more energy,

food digests better,

I've lost weight (not much, but some),

and I'm in an all around better mood daily.

Our bodies were not created to digest chemicals, and preservatives.

Now that I have switched, there is no way I can ever go back to eating

plastic, fake, no nutrition, no flavor at all produce.

 The twist on this Mexican rice is,

I used ground chicken in place of ground beef.

Was it just as good?

It was better!

 As I went along creating this I jotted down everything I put in it.

Now all I have to do is put it in recipe form for you.

This makes a fantastic side dish.

A Twist on Mexican Rice

1 lb. ground chicken
1 c. rice (not instant)
1/2 of a green pepper (chopped)
1/2 of a medium sized onion (chopped)
Add about a TBS of olive oil to a deep skillet. Heat over medium heat. Once olive oil is heated add all four ingredients listed above. Brown all of them together until chicken is done.
Add:
1 TBS oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Stir together well.
Add:
2 c. chicken broth
1 can chili beans (un-drained)
1 can diced tomatoes (un-drained. I used seasoned tomatoes)
Bring to a boil, turn down heat to low, cover with lid, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Hummus Deviled Eggs

 I have created something wonderful.

And everyone loved them.

The next holiday is Easter,

so make sure you save this idea.

 I don't have an exact recipe because when it comes to 

deviled eggs, I just dump.

I use the norm:

mustard

spicy brown mustard

mayo (and with the hummus you can cut back)

hot sauce

horseradish sauce

celery salt

salt 

pepper

and now the new ingredient, hummus.

This is what I used to flavor my deviled eggs.

It is a single serve size that came in a box of 12.

Also, it is edamame instead of garbanzo beans, or chick peas.

I like the edamame hummus better because it does not have the chalky texture.

I boiled up 12 eggs, and used three containers of this hummus to the yolk mixture.

And like I said earlier, by using the hummus you can cut back on the mayo.

Another plus with using the hummus,

It increases the amount you can put in each egg half. 

As you can see, my eggs were bursting with the yolk goodness.

I like a spicy deviled egg with a bite.

Some people like them sweet.

I top each of mine with a jalapeno slice and paprika.  

See Ya'all Soon!

Sweet Italian Chicken

 You know, if you review this blog carefully you will find 

that our go-to meat is, chicken.

Check out the list of labels over there --------------->

So far, 13, as I've counted today, recipes are chicken.

 There is just so much you can do with chicken.

When I put this together,

I won't lie,

I had my doubts.

Can you really combine sweet with Italian?

But I love the way this caramelized while it was baking.

Just two ingredients,

30 minutes,

and you have dinner.

A great dinner!

1 pkg Italian salad dressing mix

1 c. brown sugar

Mix them together and roll chicken breast cutlets in the mixture.

Place them on a foil lined cookie sheet with edges, 

and bake at 375 degrees F. for 25-30 minutes.

We served ours with chicken stock rice and kitchen cut green beans.

Kitchen cut?

I never knew there was a kitchen cut green bean 

until I bought some on accident.

See, we learn something new everyday.

See Ya'all Soon!

Beer Split Pea & Ham Soup

 Sometimes our kitchen longs for a little something different.

Something crazy out of the norm.

Let me tell you how this craving came about.

My mother's husband was rooting through their fridge like he always

does when we visit.

He searches for food to send home with us.

While his head is buried deep in the fridge he yells,

"Oh my gosh Ang, you should see what I found".

He backs out of the fridge with a deli meat package in his hand.

 "I got these ham pieces for 1.25 a pound".

Then he goes into explaining how they sell them so cheap.

I looked at the package label and said,

"But Bob, that says doggy treats".

"Yeah, yeah I know. But there is enough ham on those shavings

that you could chop them up and use them for beans or something".

"But Bob, it says doggy treats".

I just couldn't get the "doggy treats" out of my head.

What this meat market does is, they trim the hams and put the scraps

in bags FOR DOGGY TREATS.

But I kindly took the bag of doggy treats and headed home.

That is where this craving came from.

I will share the link for the recipe I followed.

I made a few changes of my own.

I found the recipe at Pig and Paint.

As far as the changes:

I chopped up my doggy treats and browned them in about 2 TBS of bacon grease.

I added onion and garlic powder. I didn't have any fresh garlic.

I also added some great northern beans that I had blanched and froze. 

About a cup and a half worth.

Just follow the recipe as printed, or make the changes I did.

Whichever way you choose to make this soup is up to you.

But you have to make it.

It is one amazing soup.

See Ya'all Soon!

Banana Pudding Cheesecake

 Leftover bananas?

Why run to the same old boring banana bread recipe when

you can have this gorgeous banana pudding cheesecake?

 This has got to be the easiest cheesecake I have ever made.

And it turned out perfect.

Perfect recipe is definitely a perk.

Instead of typing out the recipe for you I'm just going to

take you directly to the source.

The only thing I did differently is,

For the crust I did ingredients and a half.

I love a thick crust under my cheesecake.

A crust where you have to use your fork teeth to bust through it. 

So here is the source for you: Spicy Southern Kitchen

See Ya'all Soon!

Caramelized Onion Chicken

Is there anything better than caramelized onion?

I think not!

This recipe turned out so good.

And please don't freak-out over the amount of bacon grease that was used. 

It's all good!

Bacon, that is.....

This chicken had all the bacon, onion flavor that one can only die for.

It also had just a tad bit of heat.

The good heat, not the bad.

My soon to be 2 year old grandson loved it.

And I think this would be a restaurant worthy dish.

Let me see if I can put this together for you.

Caramelized Onion Chicken

5 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 c. bacon grease (I keep my leftover grease in a glass jar in the fridge)

1 onion, sliced thin, then rings cut in half

1 TBS smoked paprika

1 TBS oregano

A sprinkle of red pepper flakes

A sprinkle of garlic powder

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degree F.

Caramelize onion in bacon grease until it is nice golden brown color. Add spices and stir.

Salt and pepper the chicken breasts and place in a foil lined pan. Place the onion mixture evenly on top of the chicken breast, along with any liquid left in the skillet. Place in preheated oven for 45 minutes. 

I served mine with cooked pasta and corn.

See Ya'all Soon!

Pickle Wrap Dip

 Here is another one of the many dips, spreads, cheese balls, that

we tried over the holidays.

This one was pretty darn easy to put together.

Just three ingredients and you are ready to dive in with your crackers.

16 oz. cream cheese, soft

12 oz. deli sliced ham, diced

16 oz. baby dills, drained and diced

Mix all together and chill

 We found out that if you let this chill overnight the flavors seem to pop more.

And yes, this tastes just like the pickle wrap slices.

 The recipe came through my Facebook feed without a link.

So I don't have anyone to credit this recipe to.

I will admit that the recipe does not belong to me.

Whoever it was that thought of doing this is a genius.

Sure does beat spreading, wrapping, and slicing.

See Ya'all Soon!

Ice Coffee Syrup

 What does water and sugar mean to you?

Not much, right?

But water, sugar, some extract, and spices

makes for a damn good ice coffee syrup.

I'm hooked!

 I will never buy an overpriced ice coffee again.

Not when I can make it BETTER in my home.

When I stumbled upon this Web Site, How Sweet It Is,

I knew there would be a love commitment that could not be broken.

Ice Coffee is one of my all time favorite treats.

And to sample all the different syrups.....

My kitchen is my own coffee shop.

I just need to go in search of some cute glass containers to keep my syrups in.

Out of the three shown, our favorite is the brown sugar cinnamon.

Go ahead, make them yourself and find your favorite.

Just click on the Web Site link above.

I am going to experiment to see what other flavors I can come up with.

We used pint size jars to drink our ice coffee out of, and this is the ratio I used:

Crushed ice (about a half glass)

3 TBS syrup

Fill with cold coffee (I made mine the night before and refrigerated it)

Leave enough room for a little milk 

Stir

Straw

and Drink

See Ya'all Soon!

Baked Cream Corn

Corn casserole is one of the must-haves during the holidays,

but anytime in our house is a good time for corn casserole.

 January is the month when bloggers share all of their holiday recipes

AFTER the holiday is over.....

I threw this together at the last minute for one of our holiday meals.

And it turned out great.

Thank goodness I took the time to write down my ingredients 

and preparation.

This is what I did:

Baked Cream Corn

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (set aside)

1 - 14.75 oz. can of cream corn

2- 14.75 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained

1/2 c. carnation milk

1/2 c. shredded 3 cheese Italian (Frigo) 

A good amount of crushed black pepper

Mix all together (save some bacon pieces for garnish) bake @ 350 degree F for 50 minutes. Garnish with bacon and shredded cheese.

See Ya'all Soon!