Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I make these AT LEAST weekly. "Healthy" (whole wheat, and fruit) and tasty (chocolate chips). Garner asks for these EVERY DAY. So go ahead, make some. I know you probably have two banana's turning brown on your counter. I know I do.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/banana-chocolate-chip-muffins-recipe

Just going to link it rather than type it from my book. Thank you KA website!

Vermont Oatmeal Maple Honey Bread

Very lightly sweet and moist. EASY. Smells INCREDIBLE when baking.
From "King Arthur Flour, Bakers Companion."

2 1/4 to 2 1/2 Cups Boiling Water
1 cup Rolled Oats
1/2 cup Maple sugar or brown sugar
1/2 tsp maple flavor (optional)
1 Tablespoon Honey (or Maple Syrup)
4 Tablespoon's Butter melted
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon instant yeast (or one packet)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups all purpouse flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, oats, maple sugar, maple flavor, honey, butter, salt and cinnamon. Let cool to lukewarm.

Add the yeast and flours, stirring to form a rough dough. Knead (about 10 min by hand, 5-7 my machine) until the dough is smooth and satiny. Transfer to lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise 1 hour it should be double in bulk.

Divide in half and shape each into a loaf. Place the loaves in two greased bread pans. cover and allow to rise till they've crowned about 1 in over the rim, about one hour.

Preheat oven to 350, bake 35-40 min. Remove from the oven when golden brown, Can check with thermometer, internal temp should be about 190.
ENJOY

Nutty Bar Cheesecake

This is to die for. Literally...cause there's cream, butter, cream cheese and candybars in it. Made this for Josh's birthday, it was a big hit. The filling was nice and smooth, not too sweet. Presentation was very cool!

Ingredients:

24 Nutty Bars (little debbie cakes, 2 boxes)

2 8oz packages cream cheese

1 4oz package Instant Vanilla Pudding

2 cups chunky peanut butter

2 cups milk

1 cup whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

Directions:

Unwrap 12 nutty bars, chop in blender until finely crushed, pour into bowl. Add butter and mix well. Press into bottom of a 12in spring form pan, set aside.

Unwrap remaining bars, and cut in half. Line the rim of the pan with the bars, standing up on end, creating the rest of the crust.

In a seperate bowl, whip cream cheese, milk, peanut butter and sugar together till fluffy.

Add whipping cream, pudding mix, vanilla to cream cheese mix and mix two min.

Pour filling into crust, Chill overnight.

Lemon Pancakes

EASY and delicious. Reminds me of the Lemon Pie in my previous post.
From Joy of Cooking (Keep reading Toni! It's worth it!)

LEMON PANCAKES
Prepare and preheat your griddle
Whisk together in a large bowl:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Whisk together in another bowl:
3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and gently whisk them together, mixing until just combined. Fold in:
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
The batter weill be thick and bubly simialr to cake batter. Spoon 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake nudging the batter into rounds. Cook until the top is spekled with bubles and some have popped, then turn and cook until underside is lightly browned. Serve immedieately or keep warm in a 200 oven.
Serve with
Honey or
Sweetened sour cream (with honey or sugar)

Chicken and Vegetable Rice-One skillet, and use up leftover chicken

This is one of Josh's creations, and a staple at our house. It basically chicken and rice soup, without the soup part. He was trying to re-create something he saw on a travel show about Thailand. A basic rice chicken and veggie dish that you can put any kind of sauce on. We like Hoisin, or Sweet Chili Thai sauce. Plain is great too.

Saute in a skillet in some olive oil:
1 onion
3 carrots
1-2 stalks of celery
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopping them small with a chopper makes the veggies cook quicker, also Garner will eat carrots etc if they are small enough.
When veggies are tender, put in 1 cup rice uncooked, and let it toast with the veggies on med high for a min or so.
Add 2.5 cups of whatever you prefer of a water/broth/stock combination.
Bring to a simmer, then cover and turn all the way to low. Let it cook about 15 min, or until all the water is gone. DON'T Stir it during cooking. That's the secret to great rice. Dig into a corner to check the water level if you simply must.
Stir in leftover cut up chicken or turkey, enough to warm it up.
Serve plain, or with any number of sauces!

The BEST Lemon pie EVER. Yes...ever.

Yes, it really is the best lemon pie ever. Maybe the best pie ever. Anyway...it's a recipe from my dear friend Toni who provides me with most of my totally awesome deserts. Enjoy!

Sour Cream Lemon Pie
From a Canadian Jr League Cookbook

Filling
1 cup sugar
3 T. cornstarch
1 T. flour
1 T. lemon rind/zest grated
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup light cream

Bring all this slowly to a boil, and stir constantly.
Add 4 T. Butter and cook until thick and smooth. Let cool. then add
1 cup sour cream.
Pour into baked pie shell. (traditional or graham cracker)

Whipped Cream Topping
Whip 1 cup heavy cream and 2 T. confectioners sugar

Fold in 1/2 cup sour cream. Spoon over filled pie. Sprinkle top with
Grated lemon rind.

SO SO SO Good!

Carrot Cake

Sarah’s Carrot Cake
Ok, so I’m calling this mine because it’s a combination of three recipes with a little of my own ideas combined, we voted it my best carrot cake ever.

Preheat oven to 325

In a large bowl whisk to combine well:
2 cups Flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp freshly grated or ground nutmeg
½ tsp allspice

Add to dry ingredients:
4 eggs beaten
1 cup cooking oil (or applesauce)
2 cups shredded carrots
½ can of pineapple pulsed in food processor
1 cup (aprox) shredded coconut

Beat at med speed of your mixer for aprox 2 min.

Pour into greased pans
Bake at 325 for 50-60 min in a 13x9 pan, or 30 min in 2 9 inch cake rounds


Cream Cheese Frosting
(Joy of Cooking with a few additions)

In your mixer, beat until just blended:
8 ounces cream cheese: COLD
5 tablespoons butter: ROOM TEMPERATURE
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 to 21/2 cups powdered sugar

Optional additions: fresh grated lemon or orange zest, cinnamon or fresh grated nutmeg (highly recommended!) I love the orange zest and nutmeg combo. I also added a little coconut to the frosting.
Keeps refrigerated for 1 week, frozen for 3 months