Banana Bread

My family goes through bananas like no other!  Sometimes, they brown quicker than we can eat them.  What do you do with ripe bananas?  Make banana bread!  I always make the classic bread loaf but you can add nuts, chocolate chips, or any other fun addings you enjoy and/or make it into muffins if you'd like!  Most recipes I've found don't call for cinnamon but I like to add about 1/4 tsp to the mix and sprinkle some on top as well.  Spreading melted butter and a cinnamon-sugar mix on top just before its done is great too.

Here is an easy recipe I follow:
2-3 very ripe bananas, peeled
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar (3/4 cup if you want a little less)
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup flour

Preheat the oven to 350 and butter/oil a loaf pan

In a medium mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork (I use a mashing tool) until smooth.  Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas.

Mix in the baking soda and salt.  Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla.  Mix in the flour (this is where I add cinnamon).

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 1 hour (check after 45-50 minutes and adjust if necessary).  To check: insert a toothpick into the center - if it comes out clean, its done.

Cool completely on a rack before serving (although we like to eat before its cool and add butter!).

Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with Shallot Sauce

I found this recipe in People magazine forever ago and, on a whim, tried it.  It was surprisingly easy and, not surprisingly (given the ingredients), delicious!  I am writing the directions directly from the recipe with my notes.

I prepared my chicken the night before so that my husband could just put them in the oven at dinner time before I got home.  I also made the sauce the night before and heated it up in the microwave when serving it.  My guess is that it would have been better fresh rather than this way but a great alternative as it takes a while to prepare (well, at least when you have hungry boys waiting!)

8oz. goat cheese, softened (I used crumbled from a container and only needed probably 2oz)
4 (6-oz) boned and skinned chicken breasts (I used 6 frozen tenderloins, thawed in the microwave enough to cut into them)
Salt, pepper to taste
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (I just sprinkled on some dried leaves, enough to make it look pretty)
20 (2x6-in) slices prosciutto (I bought packages of 6 and used 12 total, 2 for each tenderloin)
2 tbsp olive oil (I used coconut oil, probably about 2 tbsp...?)
2-3 shallots, thinly sliced (I bought two and only used 1.  It was the first time I've used shallot so I didn't want to overdo the taste.  Super cheap by the way!)
1/2 cup each white wine, chicken broth and reduced-fat milk
1 tbsp flour

Preheat oven to  350 degrees.

Chicken:
Cut lengthwise pocket in each breast and stuff goat cheese in pockets.  Season breasts as desired with salt, pepper, and thyme.  Wrap prosciutto evenly around breasts (I forgot to season the first three before wrapping and just seasoned the outside of the prosciutto instead - oops!  I don't think it affected the taste).

Bake in a lightly greased 9x13-in baking dish for 15-25 minutes or until thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 165 degrees and juices run clear (yeah, too complicated for me - I cut into a thick one to make sure the chicken was cooked).

Sauce:

(I recommend having everything ready to go before starting this.  I tried to get it together as I went and felt rushed and afraid of burning something!)

Cook shallots in hot oil in skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often (so they don't burn), 2-3 minutes.  Add wine and broth; bring to a boil.

Whisk together milk and flour; whisk into broth mixture.  Return mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes until sauce thickens (it thickens a lot once you take it off the heat so don't worry about it being thick after 8 minutes).  

Spoon sauce over chicken and sprinkle with additional pepper.  

I served this with a small salad, a nice meal!  I should have taken a picture...I was hungry, sorry.

Cheesy Chicken in the Crock Pot

This one is from a tin of crock pot recipes and I hadn't made it in a while.  I've discovered that cooking overnight is best for me and especially with my older crock.  It turned out delicious and easy...and inexpensive. 

6 count or about 1 1\2 lbs chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can cheese sauce (from the soup isle)
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic (recipe calls for garlic powder but I minced fresh garlic)
Pasta, rice, or potatoes to serve over (I used rotini pasta)
Parsley

Lay half of the chicken at the bottom of the crock pot and season with salt, pepper, and garlic. Repeat with rest of the chicken.  Mix the soups in a small bowl and pour over the chicken.  Cook on low 6-8 hours.  Pour mixture over the pasta of your choice and sprinkle with parsley.

When ready, I mixed the chicken and sauce in the crock so that the chicken shredded as I mixed.  After I cooked and drained the pasta, I mixed it all together.

Next time I would like to add in some red pepper flakes to spice it up!

Feta and Cream Cheese Chicken

I love feta cheese to make Greek-inspired salads and omelets.  Problem is that I never seem to use it all.  I found a recipe where you use the below cheese mixture to stuff chicken breasts.  I had frozen chicken tenders so figured I would make my own creation!

1/4 cup feta cheese
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon (rough estimate) Italian seasoning*
1 teaspoon (rough estimate) fresh lemon juice**

I pan-seared 4 chicken tenders in coconut oil and sprinkled them with pepper.  While they browned, I mixed all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Once they were cooked, I used a spatula and basting brush to spread the mixture on top of the chicken and let it melt a bit on low heat.

I served it with fresh, uncooked asparagus and a little salad. Yum!

* the original recipe called for basil but I used this instead since I didn't have basil
** this was my own addition and added a nice touch I think

Tilapia, rice, and broccoli dinner

This might easily be the tastiest, easiest, and most "elegant" dinner I've made yet!  I am pretty proud :-)

We bought some frozen tilapia that I wanted to use up so I got creative, using a recipe on the bag...modified.  In a small bowl, I mixed a chopped roma tomato, chopped green pepper, dried onion flakes, garlic salt, black pepper, and olive oil. This was all eye-balled.  The recipe also called for cilantro and lime juice but I didn't have those. Would have been a nice touch but didn't need them.  At least a bit of lemon might have added some nice flavor.

On a sheet pan, I made a little shallow bowl with aluminum foil, put the tilapia down, then spread the mixture on top. I closed the bowl and baked them for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. 

While the fish was cooking, I made some white rice (I always just make the quick rice with a bit of butter and salt) and steamed fresh broccoli.  For the broccoli, I shredded cheddar cheese when it was nice and hot from the microwave and let it melt.  We use white cheddar seasoning for popcorn so I sprinkled that, salt, and pepper and shook it to mix. 

Side note: one of the handiest gadgets I have from Pampered Chef is the large micro-cooker, which is how I steamed, drained and mixed the broccoli!

This all came together in less than a half hour and even my 6 year-old ate it all!

Finding Wonderful with Coconut Oil, Baking Soda, and Vinegar

Rather than posting about a new recipe, I thought this time I would talk about my new craze: coconut oil, baking soda, and vinegar.  These products are inexpensive, versatile, and work great!  Here are some of my favorite uses...

Cooking:
Coconut oil serves as a great cooking oil.  I use it whenever I cook something in a pan: eggs, chicken, hamburger meat, boiling pasta, etc.  It leaves no taste and melts fast (at 76 degrees in fact). 

I also stir coconut oil into my oatmeal. I use the minute oats, about a teaspoon of coconut oil, some honey to sweeten, and fresh blueberries...so good!!

It is also possible to replace butter with coconut oil.  I tried this making "no bake" cookies but it just wasn't the same.  It wasn't bad...just not the same.  I like the butter we use so I'm not up for switching that out just yet. 

Skin care:
I unfortunately have dealt with toenail fungus for what seems like forever.  I also regularly develop athletes foot between two of my toes (the same two every time).  I used to use an athletes foot cream whenever it showed up and have just hid the toenail fungus with polish. I could have used various treatments to try and clear it up or spent hundreds of dollars on doctors to treat it...knowing that it may or may not even work.  But, guess what, coconut oil takes care of it!  It fights fungus naturally and softens your feet at the same time!  It rub it on my toe nails and in between my trouble toes twice daily.  I've noticed the fungus slowly going away and it keeps that nasty athletes foot at bay.  I've also been rubbing some on my heals to help with the dry, cracked skin that always happens in the summer.

After shaving, I rub coconut oil on my legs and bikini area.  It works great as a skin softener and helps with those nasty bumps in sensitive areas.  I also use it after plucking my eyebrows, the redness goes away almost instantly and no longer hurts.

For years I have been using an apricot scrub to clean my face.  I loved the grit because it feels like it cleaned my face well.  Now, I mix baking soda and water to make a paste, plus a few drops of lavender essence oil, and it works amazing!  I don't have a formula to give you, I just fill up a small Tupperware tub about 3/4 full of baking soda and slowly mix in some water until it forms a paste.  I make it a little more watery than a paste actually because after a few days, it forms a dry paste and I just mix in water from the shower until its back to how I want it again. 

Hair care:
I've been trying a few combinations to get my hair care regime just right.  You can use coconut oil in the shower as a conditioner but for me, it came out a bit too greasy.

Baking soda and water makes a great shampoo.  Weird right?  One tablespoon of baking soda mixed in 8oz water is all you need to clean your hair, not all this expensive stuff companies have been telling us all this time.  I mix it together in a measuring cup and pour it into a spray bottle.  To use it, shake up the bottle a bit and spray, making sure to get all over.  You don't need a lot but get it all on there and use your fingers to rub it in. 

For a conditioner, use the same formula (1 tablespoon and 8oz) of vinegar and water.  I use good ol' white vinegar but some say apple cider vinegar is better.  And, despite what you may think, you can't smell it after the shower.  Yes, you can smell it in the shower but once you rinse it out, the smell does not linger. 

I now wash my hair every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with this method.  You don't need to wash your hair any more than that and some people even wash less!  There is no icky residue left and it cleans so well that your hair still feels great the next day.  A side benefit to using them in the shower is that it also helps to clean your shower and tub, not make it worse!

I also stopped using product (mousse, gel, etc) and instead rub a bit of coconut oil on my hands and through my hair.  This works surprisingly well to hold my curls while keeping my hair soft. 

Personal care:
Mixing equal parts baking soda and coconut oil serves two purposes: toothpaste and deodorant.  Yes, its true!  I mix the two in another small Tupperware and keep it by the sink.  I use my finger to tab a bit on my toothbrush and add just a drop of regular toothpaste to get the minty flavor.  You can mix in some of your favorite mint essence oil but I figure I might as well use up my toothpaste I have lying around! 

For deodorant, just dab some on your fingers and rub it in your armpits.  I used this for the first time yesterday and went for a bike ride at about the hottest part of the day.  I was sweaty every where but my pits!  It did sting for about a half hour after applying but it goes away and is probably because of shaving.  I'm wondering if dabbing on some baby powder on top might help.

I keep another small Tupperware tub of plain coconut oil to use as lotion, hair product, and lip care.  I am addicted to lip gloss and chapstick so this is an ok supplement but doesn't quite feed the addiction (I know, pathetic). 

There is am ancient technique called "oil pulling" which you can use coconut oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, or whatever you like.  It is supposed to help with teeth and gum cleaning as well as any other mouth ailment you might have.  You simply swish a teaspoon of oil for 20 minutes before brushing then spit and rinse with water.  I tried it but can't do it for the full 20 minutes so switched to the homemade toothpaste and called it good.  Maybe I will try it again another time but it just wasn't for me. 

Home care:
One day I will make my own laundry detergent (its actually pretty easy to make) but for now I buy a large tub of store brand powder detergent and I've enjoyed the savings compared to liquid and have not noticed a difference in quality.  This week, I started using half detergent and half baking soda.  This cuts down on using the detergent so it lasts twice as long and my clothes are actually softer! 

I read that adding a half cup of vinegar during the rinse cycle acts a softener.  I tried this on a few loads but didn't see much of a difference. 

I've been sprinkling some baking soda over the dishes and at the bottom of the dishwasher.  It doesn't take a lot but seems to help get it all clean.  This also means that I don't need to use as much detergent. 

To wash my wood floors, I simply pour some vinegar (I don't measure, just pour until I think its enough - you don't' need a lot) into a sink of water.  I don't use a bucket but the same method applies.  It dries quick, doesn't smell, cleans great, and sanitizes the mop all at the same time!  I've been interested in adding some lemon juice as well. 

Final thoughts:
As you can see, I am pretty passionate about using coconut oil, baking soda, and vinegar!  I found the best place to shop for it all is Sam's Club.  I found a 54oz tub of coconut oil for about $12, a huge bag of baking soda for about $6, and two large jugs of vinegar for about $4.  All of this lasts quite a while so its a huge savings, especially considering how much I am also saving on the products that I've created instead of buying! 

There are lots of sites out there dedicated to do-it-yourself projects like these.  I haven't found one that I like over others but its an easy search to read more.  I encourage you to do your own search and try things yourself.  Its all about experimenting and seeing what is right for you.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, other projects you've tried, and new ideas!

Turkey & Cranberry Roll

Need something unique to use up the Thanksgiving leftovers?  This is one of a collection of fun "filling" recipes by Pampered Chef.  They give a few different ways to create a "shape" using crescent roll dough and you pick the filling.  We used this one for my first host party and have made it a few times since.

2 cups chopped cooked turkey (I cut up leftover pieces with the kitchen shears)
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese (I didn't have any Swiss this time so I just used mozzarella)
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries (I used good ol' canned whole cranberries I had for leftovers)
3 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley (fresh? ha! 1 tablespoon of dried parsley works fine)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey Dijon mustard (I only had brown spicy mustard...good enough.  And I used a little more than 1 tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon coarsley ground black pepper (I just used my pepper grinder shaker thing until I thought it was enough)
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine all ingredients (only 1 cup of the cheese) except for the egg and mix well.

Time to make the shape!  I used the wreath shape; here are some online instructions.  And here are some pictures of the book (All the Best).

Mine never looks that great but who cares, it all tastes the same in the end!

Once the shape is constructed, brush the egg white over the dough and sprinkle the rest of the cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.