Banana Muffins.

Whenever I am in the grocery store, I always grab a bunch of bananas. They are one of the easiest foods to feed anyone in my family since I can add them to cereal, in pb sandwhiches, in crepes, in smoothies, etc.

Whenever I see them go brown, and my family won't touch them.  I put them in the freezer, peel and all, and save them for a giant batch of muffins.  We love mini muffins, because it just feels more fun to eat 3 instead of 1.  I throw them in a container and into the freezer so that they will keep for instant snacks.

DRY                                                            WET

3 cups flour                                                   4 cups ripe bananas, mashed (about 12 bananas)

3/4 cup whole wheat flour                             1 ½ cups brown sugar

1/4 cup ground flax seeds                              4 eggs

2 tsp baking powder                                      2/3 cups applesauce or vegetable oil

2 tsp baking soda                                   

1 tsp salt

2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease muffin cups well.  Mix dry ingredients together and then wet ingredients together.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just blended and moist throughout.

Fill cups ¾ to full. 

Mini muffins: bake 15 minutes until firm and golden.

Standard muffins: bake 25-30 minutes or until firm and golden.

These freeze super well for up to a month.

Tip: Start collecting over ripe bananas by putting the whole banana (unpeeled) in the freezer.

Defrost and then peel off the skin, use as you would a regular banana. 

Or freeze puréed bananas in portions.

Ready for the freezer.  You can't even tell that there is flax whole wheat and fruit in there. 

Liv tries frozen banana.  Don't tell the health inspector.

Dahlia & Liv mash the banana, and of course, another taste test.

Fresh muffins out of the oven are a thing of beauty.  I think they should make a Yankee candle in this scent...I would buy it and then maybe try and eat it.

Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette.

A beautiful salad needs a beautiful dressing!  The red in this salad is Radicchio, has a bitter taste that adds a lots of depth and color to any lettuce salad.  

Friends were coming over any minute and I needed a great salad dressing for a very plain salad. I was craving a vinaigrette with a little sweetness to balance off the bitter arugula in the salad.  This one is a great mix of sweetness, vinegar, and oil.  Stores well in the fridge for another couple of servings.

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 
  

Place the vinegar, onion, soy sauce, honey, sugar, garlic, and red pepper flakes into a blender.

 Puree on high, gradually adding the olive oil. Continue pureeing 2 minutes, or until thick.

Pour over individual salad servings 

or add to a large bowl of salad and toss right before serving.

Everyday ingredients can come together to make a great salad dressing.   The clear container on the right is the finished product.  I put it in a cream pitcher for serving at the table to look a little prettier.  I am storing the leftover dressing in an empty olive oil bottle, labelled, and ready for the next salad. 

From: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/honey-balsamic-vinaigrette-2/Detail.aspx

Cinnamon Rolls.

• I made these over Easter weekend, since they take a little time and I am scolded by my husband for making them when he is not around.  These cinnamon buns are THE BEST.  It is worth the effort to make these since they can be made in advance. I have made these for groups, brunches, retreats, and just for breakfasts on the run.   This cream cheese icing will have you  licking the bowl.  
• 
  
• 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast or 1 package
• 2 tsps honey or white sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup margarine, softened or shortening or butter
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour (I use all purpose and it turns out fine, just add in 3 Tbsps extra milk.) (can sub in half whole wheat flour if desired)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup white sugar
•  
• Filling:
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• Optional: Chopped pecans, walnuts, raisins
• 
  
• Icing: 
• 1/2 block cream cheese, (125 g) softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Step 1: 
If using traditional yeast:

Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and sugar or honey until foamy, about 10 minutes. 

Mix in the margarine, salt, and eggs, in a large bowl, add in yeast/milk mixture.

Add flour and mix well. 

If using quick rise yeast:
Mix 1/3 your flour with yeast, the sugar, salt and then add very hot milk.  
Add in the eggs, mix, then butter.


Step 2: Knead until smooth and elastic, using a dough hooks on a mixer or your hands for about 6 minutes.

Step 3: Put in a bowl, cover with a moist tea towel or saran wrap, and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour, or until doubled in size. 

(I use my oven that has been heated to 200 degrees and then turned off.)

Step 4: Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. 

Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. 

OR mix the butter and sugar mix together first and then spread.

Step 5:  Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. 

Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch glass casserole dish. 

Step 6: Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.

 Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Place the rolls close together, so you have to pull them apart, or more separated and will be more crisp on the outside.

Step 7: Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. 

Step 8: While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Turn buns over when they get out of the oven or the filling that has dripped out will stick them to the pan.

Make ahead option:

Roll the dough with the filling, cut into rolls.  Place in greased glass casserole dish, cover dish with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Place chilled dish and rolls(right from the fridge) into a COLD oven.

Turn on the oven 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until cooked through.

Freezer Instructions:

The unbaked rolls freeze well 
(I used 2 8-inch square disposable pans and put 6 rolls in each pan.) 

The night before, simply put the pan into the fridge. In the morning, they're ready for the oven. Easy and great to have on a cold morning. I was a little concerned that they didn't look doubled before I baked them this way, but they rose perfectly in the oven. Sure beats having to get up 3 hours before breakfast!

Taken from allrecipes.com; "Clone of a Cinnabon"

Proofing the yeast: your milk should be as hot as a drinkable coffee, add some sugar and sprinkle the yeast granules on top.  It will start to foam after about 10 minutes.   

Knead the dough with your hands or a mixer until the dough is smooth and elastic.  This will have your arms toned by the end.

Roll out the dough and add butter, sugar, cinnamon, (and walnuts).  Leave one seam that has less stuff, that will be your outside seam so that everything will not leak out.  The thinner you make the dough, the more the filling will  be apparent and the tighter the roll.

When the rolls come out of the oven, flip them onto a plate so they don't stick to the dish.  Pull them apart and top them with the cream cheese.  

No-Cook Homemade Play dough.

Ok, so this isn't a recipe for something you eat, but definitely a MUST with young kids.  Especially during these rainy spring days and a few days off
The key to this recipe is adding VERY hot water.   It keeps for over a month in a sealed container, I use a large clean yogurt container.
Play dough is so great to have on hand to develop fine motor skills, and develop creativity.  Even the process of making it is a learning activity in itself.  We have a good collection of cookie cutter, presses, and tools, but we have also made good use of tooth picks, large googly eyes, bottle caps, plates, disposable utensils, beads, to make it even more fun.


1 cup salt
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons cream of tartar (powder)
4 tablespoons oil
+ 
2 cups boiling hot water
Color (food colouring, powder tempera paint, or unsweetened kool aid packet)


Mix all dry ingredients together, make a well in the middle, add oil.
Boil water so it is as hot as it can be.  
Add colour to measured out water, mix.
Add hot water to oil in the dry ingredients.
Mix immediately until the dough comes together and solidifies into a dough.
The dough will be sticky at first, then will come together into a beautiful pliable dough.

My son, a few years ago, we had a lot of fun making some space guys with tooth picks and googly eyes.

Lentil Soup.

If you have been keeping up with any media lately, the buzz words around food right now is sustainable, organic, meatless, and healthy.
I love vegetables, which is rare for some, but I grew up with two green thumb parents and woudl go out and pick green beans, carrots, snow peas right from the plant and snack whenever I wanted.  It really does taste better fresh.  My dad would always eat his vegetables with the same satisfied statement, "Just like candy." We would roll our eyes, but I think as I have aged, I have inherited his taste buds and his appreciation for this heart and health friendly food.
As I consider meatless meals, this one came up from Weelicious that I love for the sake of ease and straight forward directions.  And bonus...the kids like it!

This recipe is inspired by Aimee, whom I told had to cook double the amount if she cooked something vegetarian for the swap so that it would be fair cost wise.  She changed her dish, but it left me with a craving!

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Large Onion, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
2 Leeks, chopped (use only the white and light green part of the leek)
2 Large Carrots, chopped
3 Celery Stalks, chopped
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp Fresh OR 1 Tsp Dried Thyme
2 Tsp Kosher Salt
8 Cups Vegetable Stock (you could also use chicken stock)
1 32 Oz Can Chopped Tomatoes with juice
2 cups Dried Lentils (
2 Cups Kale or Swiss Chard, chopped (I used frozen spinach in a pinch.)

1. Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the onions for 4 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.

3. Place the onion mixture with the remaining ingredients in a crock pot and stir.
4. 3.  Rinse your dried lentils under some water. Add the drained lentils to the crockpot, cover and cook on high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 8 hours or until lentils are tender.

5. Top with desired accompaniment (sour cream, cheeses, salt, pepper, hot sauce) and serve.

* You can also place all of the ingredients in a large pot over low to medium heat and cover for 90 minutes or until tender.

Fantastic for freezing!  I freeze this in medium ziplock bags for lunch sized portions rather than one giant pot that would have us eating the same soup for days on end.

Less time on lunch, so that I can focus on THIS!  "Sorting toys day"...it gets worse before it gets better . :)

Weekly Menu Planner & Freezer Inventory.

Half of the stress of dinner is due to being disorganized.  Here are two tools that I have been using to help my scattered self become a little more efficient. Click on the link to download from Google docs.

Freezer Inventory Sheet (Download or print)

• I write my stack of freezer meals from the exchange so that none get forgotten.
• Helps me keep track of all the great deals on meats, etc, that I need to use up.
• It helps with meal planning, I sit with this list, my calendar and the weekly flyers to be most effective
• Helps me fight the infamous freezer burn.
• Allows me to know why the door won't close

Weekly Menu Planning Sheet (Download or print)
When I use this:

• I  grocery shop appropriately and eat properly! 
• I ACTUALLY make the recipes I clip from magazines & web, because I planned to have the ingredients when I need them.
• I use up my freezer items that I have bought on sale, remember to defrost them, and save time.
• Am prepared to make my freezer exchange meals, even clearing some space in the freezer helps!
• This helps me keep a record of what I cooked in the past.
• Most of all, I am way less hurried and stressed everyday at 4 pm when I start thinking about or making dinner.

Enjoy!  Let me know if you have a better system, I will post any other resources or tips!

Pretty basic in style, but a quick template for planning goes a long  way.

Sweet Marie Bars.

We were at my in-laws house this weekend and I devoured these.  Every time they were passed around I found myself saying, "Just one more..." These bars are nicknamed, "Bars of Goodness"by my sister in-law, and are a good mix of  peanut butter, chocolate and chewy crunch.   Enjoy, I know I did. ;)

 1 cup brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter (unsweetened or else these bars are intensely sweet)
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal 
1 cup nuts (optional)
1 cup chocolate chips 
1 tbsp peanut butter


Melt sugar, corn syrup and peanut butter in a large pot, but do not boil!
Add the rice crispies and butter, mix until combined.
Press into a large pan, should be a little less than and inch thick.
Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in microwave in 10 second spurts.
Spread chocolate over the base, cut while still warm and then let cool or else they get harder to cut. Let them sit for about an hour to harden a become more solid.


These freeze exceptionally well, so will be perfect for late night snacks or unexpected guests.
I used Puffed wheat cereal, was a little chewier but still delicious

Mind the dishes in the back, this is real life and some baking needed to get done!

Licking the bowl: Is that considered cleaning up?

Lamb Meatballs.

Who doesn't like meatballs?  I am excited to try these out with ground lamb, and freeze the extras for yummy sandwiches or a quick supper.

Makes 4 portions.

1 lb ground lamb or 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 ground lamb meat.
1 small onion, finely chopped, fried in a little oil, chilled
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground Cayenne pepper or sambal oelek or harissa
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 eggs
1/3 cup regular bread crumbs (or as needed)
1/4 cup raisins (swelled in hot water) or pine nuts
3 sprigs of fresh coriander, to taste
3 sprigs parsley, chopped, to taste
3 sprigs of fresh mint, chopped, to taste

Yogurt Sauce
1 cup plain yogurt
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
3 Tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
salt & pepper to taste

+fresh tomatoes, diced cucumber, pita bread, lettuce.

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together well.
Oil your hands lightly and shape the mixture into balls of about 10 ml (2 teaspoons).
preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Put the prepared meatballs onto a greased rimmed pan.
Grill the meatballs for about 20-30 minutes or until done.
Shake the pan so that the meatballs will turn over and then return to the oven half way through cooking.
Serve the meatballs in pita bread and with chopped lettuce, diced fresh tomatoes, diced cucumbers, and yogurt sauce.

Thanks, Deb!

Quinoa, Parsley & Tomato Salad.

My mom left this salad at my place and it was quickly devoured!  

Here is a salad that is like Tabouleh, a middle eastern salad that prides itself on being fresh and hearty.

 Try Quinoa, a very healthy ingredient that is both full of fiber and delicious.    At first I was very intimidated by this ingredient which is pronounced KEE-NWA.  But when I read that it is prepared like rice, it removed some of the mystery and I am trying to use it on a more regular basis.

Quinoa is full of fiber, vitamins, and can be used as a substitute for rice or couscous.

This would be a great salad beside the lamb meatball recipe, BBQ'd meat, or on it's own for lunch.

Best if  made ahead of time so that all the flavours can blend together. 

(all ingredients use to your tastes or preferences)

1 cup prepared Quinoa or Couscous (cooled)

3 diced fresh tomatoes

3/4 cup fresh parsley, off stem and chopped

2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped (optional)

1 tsp minced fresh garlic

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 a small onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO for short!)

salt and pepper 

How to cook Quinoa

Soak the Quinoa for 5 minutes in a pot, which helps it cook more evenly and removes any bitter taste.

Drain and rinse the Quinoa carefully in a mesh strainer.  

Cook 1 cup of Quinoa in 1 1/2 cups water and a 1/2 tsp salt.

Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat to a simmer.

Cook for 15 minutes.

Remove pot from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

When ready, fluff with a fork, serve.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole.

Whenever I mention this recipe, I always get the same reaction, " I love that dish!  I make it all the time!"  

It is easy to put together and is good to get rid of any extra broccoli.  It is quite rich tasting and will fill everyone up without a problem.

Underneath all that topping is a creamy casserole that everyone will love.

2 (10 oz) packages frozen chopped broccoli (or 1/2 of one frozen bag)

4 cooked chicken breasts, cut into chunks (or more if you like)

+

1 (10 3/4 oz) can of cream of mushroom soup

2 tbsps milk

1/2 cup miracle whip

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 small onion, chopped

1 tsp lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp curry powder

topping: 1 1/2 cup Brownberry Oven Herb Stuffing Mix + 1/4 lb melted butter

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees 
2) Cook and drain broccoli. Place in casserole dish.
3) Cook chicken thoroughly in frying pan. Add to broccoli in casserole dish.
4) Combine soups, mayonnaise, curry and lemon juice in another bowl off to the side. Pour over ingredients in casserole dish  5) Make your stuffing and then add to the top of the casserole.
6) Put in oven and cook for 30 minutes. Serve hot. Freezes wonderfully, defrost before cooking. Thanks, Jamie!  Great recipe!