Skinny Chocolate Chip Coconut Oatmeal Banana Bread

 Another recipe I got from Ambitious Kitchen.  This is so excellent.  The chocolate is perfect for satisfying those cravings.  The denseness of the oatmeal makes this bread a special treat.  

1 ½ cups flour ¾ cups oatmeal 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon cinnamon 3 medium banana, mashed ½ cup brown sugar 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 large egg whites ½ cup coconut milk ¼ cup greek yogury, plain ½ cup coconut , flakes ½ cup chocolate chips extra coconut flakes and chocolate chips, for sprinkling

1.Preheat: Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2.Whish: together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.

3.Beat: together mashed bananas, dark brown sugar, oil, vanilla, and egg whites until well combined. Stir in greek yogurt and coconut milk.

4.Add: dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until just combined. Gently fold in coconut flakes and chocolate chips. Sprinkle a tablespoon or two or chocolate chips and coconut on top of the bread, if desired. (I love it because the coconut gets toasted when you bake it.)

5.Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-60 minutes or until knife comes out nearly clean with a few crumbs attached. Cut into slices, so delicious

Carrot Banana Bread

I have really been researching clean eating.  So far I think it's a mind set, that I feel better.  I am sure it will kick in for reals soon.  I am starting to crave more natural things.  My morning ritual for a while has been 2-3 cups of toffee coffee.  Lately that has been way to sweet. I haven't even wanted Starbucks (which was every Saturday morning for me)   Even the jam on my toast has been too sweet.  This bread is perfect.  Great texture, full of whole grain goodness.  No solid fats.  Even though it has a small amount of coconut oil in it, the taste really pops.  I found this recipe from "Ambitious Living".  I plan to get more recipes from her site.

1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour ¼ cup oatmeal 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt 2 banana, mashed ½ cup brown sugar 1 large egg 1 large egg white 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon coconut oil 3 tablespoons applesauce, unsweetened 1 cup carrots, shredded ⅓ cup almond milk ¼ cup walnuts, chopped

1.Preheat : oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8x4 or 9x5 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2.Whisk: together flour, quick oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.

3.Mix: together mashed banana, brown sugar, egg, egg white, and vanilla until well combined and creamy. Add in coconut oil, applesauce and almond milk, then fold in carrots.

4.Add: wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold in 1/4 cup of pecans.

5.Pour: into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean with a few crumbs attached.

6.Remove: from oven and place on wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan and place on wire rack to finish cooling.

7.Frosting: Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon together on medium speed for a minute or until smooth. Spread over cooled bread. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped pecans. Cut and enjoy!

Halloween Pumpkins

I love Halloween!!  Every year, for the past 7 or 8 years it has been our tradition to trick or treat with Jake and Kandi.  These are the treats I took over.    Pumpkin Chocolate Chip mini bundt cakes. Then you just dip them in orange icing (mine was a little this time) and decorate with a stem and leaves.  These little goodies are always a hit for fall.   They are cute and delicious, what more could you ask for? 

I

Recipe:

1/2 Cup brown sugar

2 Tbs butter

mix together, and set aside.  

3C flour

1 Tbs Cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Combine in medium bowl. 

 

2 C sugar

1 c butter

 4 eggs

Beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Then add eggs one at a time. 

Then add remaining ingredients.

1 C pumpkin

2 tsp vanilla 

1 C choc chips

 

Assembly in mini bundt pan, fill 1/2 with batter then sprinkle with brown sugar mixture, then fill with batter again.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

I hope to get to enjoy this deliciousness soon!!!

Cardamom Cookies

Walnut Cardamom Cookies 

I came across this recipe about a year ago, in a book I got specifically for gift giving cookies! The recipe called for almonds. Almonds are not a nut I keep on hand, I do have walnuts though. So, yep the improvision queen strikes again! My dad says…”She’s always done her own thing, never did pay much attention to directions, or those giving them.”LOL

Anyway~ These are an interesting cookie to prepare. I do mean interesting in an easy way. They have a really great flavor too.  To decorate I cut out fondant with the same cookie cuter

that I cut the cookies out with.

RECIPE:

2 C flour

1/2 t salt

1 t ground cardamom

1 C butter

1/4 C sugar

1/4 C brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

*In processor combine walnuts and 2 Tbs of the flour, process until finely

ground, but not pasty.  Add the rest of the flour, and all the spices.  

*In a mixer combine butter, both sugars, and vanilla, about one minute

until fluffy.

*Flatten dough, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 2 hrs.

* Roll dough to 1/4" thick, and cut with cookie cutters.

*Bake 350 for 8 minutes. 

Hope you have  delicious day!!!!  :)

Spiced Pear Bread

SPICED PEAR BREAD

My mom has a pear tree in her back yard, and every year she has an abundance of pears.  Spiced pear bread is just the thing to make so those pears don't go to waste.

RECIPE:

6 pears, peeled, cored, and smooshed

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup applesauce (unsweetened)

1/4 cup canola oil

3 eggs

3 1/4 cups flour

1 Tbs cinnamoon

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp salt

Add Pears, sugar, apple sauce, oil, and eggs to mixing bowl, blend together.

In another bowl combine dry ingredients. Then blend together, don't over mix.  pour into two prepared loaf pans. Bake at 350 for  40-50 minutes, until tooth pick comes out clean.  Delicious bread! Really!

 

Thank you so much for stopping by.  I hope you bake some bread today. 

Happy Bday Gwynie~ Cake Pops

I made these for my Gwynie.  I love that little girl. I am so glad that her and her family were put in my life.  Her and her brother started as part of my childcare.
I quickly fell in love with them, and their parents are some of
my best friends.


Cake pops are the best thing ever invented to use up a cake that flopped in the middle. I didn't ruin one today.  I did have an extra in the freezer though, so it was sacrifices for some cake pops I wanted to make for a birthday party.
**The box, and card are cut from "Cricut-Sweet treats" 

*Break up the cake, then place in mixer, turn on mixer and crumble up cake a little. Add frosting while stirring.The cake should resemble brownie mix.  Allow mixture to set for a few minutes before shaping.  Melt the chocolate and place the sticks in the bottoms, allow to rest in fridge until stiff.  Then you can decorate you cake pops however you desire. 

RECIPE: 

2 - 8" cakes 

2 cups frosting 

lb melting chocolate 

Popsicle sticks

After letting the pops set up. I decorated this box, put some styrofoam in the bottom and funfetti! All you gotta do is stick the pops in and you are ready to give this as a gift. Shown above is a picture of the cake  box and matching card.  It looks so cute with the pops inside. Very fun idea, and gift.

Spaghetti Sauce

 How lucky am I?   My man~ has a most wonderful tomato garden this year.  We have had plenty of tomatoes for salad all year.  We also made a tomato, feta salad, It was great.  Seems all the tomatoes are ripening all at once as the end of the season approaches.  I can’t let these delicious morsels go to waste.  Today is the day I try my hand at spaghetti sauce from scratch.  Yep, with real tomatoes from the garden, not a can!

First I cored the tomatoes, and cut a cross on the bottom (this step makes it easier to peel) then blanched them in batches of 6 for 30 seconds, immediately placing them into ice cold water for 30 seconds (this stops the cooking process).  The pees just fall right off. 


 It has been cooking for 3 hours at this point, and my house smells wonderful.  I can only imagine what Italy smells like.  ;) Well, the sauce is done, it is nice and thick, stand alone sauce.  It tastes really delicious.  The only problem is, I made it a little too spicy for the young ones.  I am sure will mellow a little when mixed with some pasta though.  I will freeze this into single dinner amounts, since I made so much.  I am planning on making raviolis and kielbasa with this sauce.  I hope it tastes delicious…..Wish me luck!

                       Started with these perfect tomatoes, fresh basil, oregano, parsley, yellow pepper, onion, mushroom.  I sauteed the onion with garlic in a couple tablespoons of butter until the onions were clear.   Then added the tomatoes 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, and began to simmer to reduce the liquid.  you can see the process in the pics.                              

In the beginning it looks like goulash

Half way there

It's ready, see it's a nice thick sauce now.

Bagged for freezer


RECIPE
2 Tbs butter
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups mushrooms
1/2 yellow onion
*melt butter in saute' pan, add garlic, onions,and mushrooms saute' until onions
are clear.
2 oz green onion
1 oz fresh parsley
1/2 oz fresh basil
1/2 oz fresh oregeno
1 yellow pepper
*process until chopped, in food processor.
6 lbs prepared tomatoes
2tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
*Add all ingredients to pot and begin to simmer. Simmer sauce until liquid has condensed, to desired thickness. 



Have and excellent day, thanks for stopping by! 

Donuts for Mommy Day

My little family over at my moms to wish her a happy mother's day. My sister and I meet every year.

She brings the fruit, I bring the carbs!!!! This year I chose to make donuts.

These are baked not fried, and so easy to make. Here is the recipe if you'd like.
Recipe:
2 C flour
3/4 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 TBS butter
2 eggs
3/4 C milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Mix all ingredients together. Put 3Tbs in each donut slot.
 Such fabulous results. Hope you enjoy!