Banana Muffins

Today I made this classic banana muffin recipe. We have been eating them for a few days. They make great breakfasts and excellent little snacks too!

Banana Muffins

These were a huge success!!!! Everyone loved them!

Classic Banana Muffins Recipe

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 mashed bananas (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 2 large eggs
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin liners or lightly grease muffin pan. Set aside. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in large bowl; set aside. Mix mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter and vanilla with wooden spoon in medium bowl. Lightly fold banana mixture into dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined and batter looks thick and chunky. Scrape batter into prepared muffin cups; bake until muffins are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

They were picked at before I even got a picture. :-)

Things I've Learned

• This whole using a spatula to fold wet ingredients into dry is kind of a huge deal! Before I almost always resorted to mixing with my hands. With this spatula technique I don't feel as inclined to do so!

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

I decided to make these chicken nuggets for the girls for dinner today. I wish I could say the girls ate lots of them, but they didn't.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

I thought they were delicious though.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets Recipe

• 3 whole, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp Italian seasonings
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup oil
• Place chicken, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, cayenne and 1 tsp of salt in the food processor and process until smooth. Combine 1 tsp salt with flour in a bowl and beaten eggs in another bowl. Roll the chicken paste into a small tablespoon size ball and flatten. After dipping in egg on both sides, dip into flour. Make sure both sides are coated well. Place them on a plate or baking sheet until you are ready to fry them. Heat oil in a large fry pan and place as many as will fit without overlapping. Fry 3-5 minutes on each side until browned. Find your thickest nugget and check to make sure inside is not pink. If cooked thoroughly enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce!

They don't take much.

I don't have a food processor,
so I tried our Bullet and Blender.
Neither really worked that great.

Frying away...

... and all fried up!

Full chicken bites for Jason and I.

Yum!!!!

Things I've Learned

• A blender does not work the same as a food processor.

"Pink" Chocolate Cookies

Tonight the girls and I made these cookies together. I didn't have the same cake mix as the one in the recipe, so I tried to dye the cookies pink. The girls wanted pink cookies. They had a little pink in them...

"Pink" Chocolate Cookies

All cookies are yummy!!!!

Pink Velvet White Chocolate Cookies Recipes

• 1 box Pink Velvet Cake Mix (I only had Classic Yellow Cake Mix.)
• 1 stick (8 oz butter)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup white chocolate chips (I used chocolate chips.)
• Combine butter, egg, vanilla, and cream cheese. Slowly add in cake mix until fully combined. Stir in white chocolate chips. Roll chilled dough into one inch balls and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow the cookies to cool before eating. Enjoy!

Girls ready to help make cookies!

All you need.

Such great helpers!

Mixed up!

Ready to go in!

Crumbly when they first come out,
but amazingly moist once the cool!

Things I've Learned

• The girls are excellent sweet little helpers! :-)

BL(T) Grilled Cheese

I made this Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe for lunch today. I didn't have tomato, so it was more like a a BL Grilled Cheese Sandwich. 

BL(T) Grilled Cheese

BLT Grilled Cheese Recipe

• bacon
• bread
• softened butter, for grilling
• Dijon mustard
• tomatoes (Yeah I forgot okay!)
• cheese
• lettuce
• Place a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil, then set a baking rack on top. Lightly mist with rack with cooking spray, then arrange the bacon in a single layer on top. Bake in the oven until crisp, 15-20 minutes, depending upon the thickness of your bacon. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and lightly pat dry. Set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium low. To make each sandwich, spread one side of a bread slice with butter, ensuring that you cover all the way to the edges. Spread the other side of the buttered slice with 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, then layer on half of the cheese, 2 strips of cooked bacon, tomato slices, and a small handful of lettuce. Spread another slice of bread with Dijon mustard, then place it mustard-side down on top of the lettuce. Butter the remaining topside of the bread. Repeat for all other sandwiches. Once the skillet is warm, cook the sandwiches on each side, until the bread is golden and the cheese melted, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Be patient and resist the urge to turn up the skillet heat-low and slow will ensure a golden toast and gooey center. Transfer to a plate, let cool a few minutes, slice, and enjoy.

Bakin' the bacon!

I don't think I've ever had Dijon Mustard.

Things I've Learned

• I like Dijon mustard! I'm shocked!

Egg, Ham, and Cheese Muffins

I made these delicious Egg, Ham, and Cheese Muffins this morning. They were so amazing!

Egg, Ham, and Cheese Muffins

Yummy!

Ham and Cheese Egg Muffin Recipe

• 1 dozen eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup diced ham
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tin with non stick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Stir in cheese and ham. Pour mixture into 12 muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes or until muffins are set in the middle.

Things I've Learned

• I am amazed at how a little salt and pepper can make something taste so amazing!

Tuna Burgers

I made these Tuna Burgers for lunch. I don't know if I was really able to taste it. I was kind of in a rush for lunch. They were good... I think.

Tuna Burgers

Tuna Burgers Recipe

• 2 cans tuna
• 1 1/2 cups cracker crumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 stalks celery
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I just like miracle whip better.)
• In a medium bowl add tuna and flake well with a fork, add cracker crumbs, egg, celery, and mayonnaise. Form into patties. Place in a lightly greased pan and cook on low-medium, approximately 4 minutes on each side until browned. Serve immediately. Enjoy! 

I had this cute helper!

Things I've Learned

• Kind of random, but I don't think I have been sitting for meals lately. It feel like there is just too much to do. Maybe I can taste my food someday.
• I think this would also be good as just a tuna sandwich?

Swedish Pancake

This morning for breakfast I made some Swedish Pancakes. They were so yummy!

Swedish Pancakes

Yum!

Swedish Pancakes Recipe

• 3 eggs 
• 1 cup flour
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
• Mix all ingredients together. Heat a nonstick skillet until hot. Add a small amount of butter and immediately pour a thin even layer of batter to coat the bottom of the pan. When bubbles start to appear and edges lift easily, flip the pancake with a spatula and cook until brown. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with powdered sugar, jelly, or syrup. Enjoy!

Things I've Learned

• I've had danish pancakes before which are very similar to these. I can't stand them plain, but with powdered sugar and/or jelly it is delicious!

Mexican Lasagna

For lunch... and well dinner also... we had this amazing delicious wonderful Mexican Lasagna!

Mexican Lasagna

Probably our favorite recipe so far!!!!

Mexican Lasagna Recipe

• 1 jar Ragu Old World Style Pasta Sauce
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
• 4 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 6 (6 in) flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set aside 1 cup Pasta Sauce. Brown ground beef over medium-high heat in 10 inch skillet; drain. Stir in remaining Pasta Sauce, corn, and chili powder. Spread 1 cup sauce mixture in 13x9-inch baking dish. Arrange two tortillas over sauce, overlapping edges slightly. Layer 1/2 of the sauce mixture, then 1/3 of the cheese over tortillas; repeat layers, ending with tortillas. Spread tortillas with reserved Pasta Sauce. (I kind of forgot to do use the left over sauce.) Bake 30 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake an additional 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted. (I had to get kids from school, so I only baked ours for 15 minutes total.)

Most of the ingredients + tortillas.

Cooking the beef.

Sauce, Corn, and Chili added!

A couple layers!

Complete

So amazing!!!!

Things I've Learned

• We are a burrito/cheese tortilla kind of family, so this was a fun delicious alternative to the same old same old.