EXTREME banana nut bread

I recently made this EXTREME banana nut bread from allrecipes.com.
It is the very non-healthy version- and TASTE LIKE CANDY!!!



I usually make just half the batch- since I only have one loaf pan and usually only have a few over-ripened bananas at a time. So here is the recipe for just ONE loaf.

Ingredients
* 1 cup1 all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoons baking soda
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 cup mashed overripe bananas
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. Sift the flour, salt and baking soda into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the butter or margarine and sugar until smooth. Stir in the bananas, eggs, and walnuts until well blended. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture, and stir just until blended. Pour into loaf pan.
3. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted into the crown of the loaf comes out clean. Let the loaf cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack, and cool completely. Wrap in aluminum foil to keep in the moisture.

Teriyaki Sesame chicken pasta

We went to a fun ward pizza party at the Bishop's house last night. They have an outdoor pizza oven and everyone got to make their own mini personalized pizza. Bishop's wife made homemade pizza sauce and dough that was fantastic.

So Jeremy signed me up to bring a salad. I usually always sign up for dessert (vs. salad), so I was a bit nervous but up for the challenge. I looked through my file folder of recipes I've collected over years but haven't gotten around to making yet. I found this one torn out from a Taste of Home Magazine from August 2007. Yum Yum Yum!! I made it Thursday night first to make sure it was good, and it sure was!! I was snacking on it all day Friday. This isn't a very good picture, but feel I always have to have a picture when posting a recipe.



Teriyaki Sesame Chicken Salad
1 package (16 oz.) bow tie pasta
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup white wine vinegar (I didn't have this so i used half red wine vinegar/half rice wine vinegar)
2/3 cup teriyaki sauce (I used Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki which I would recommend using)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cans (11 oz each) mandarin oranges, drained
2 cans (8 oz. each) sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 package (9 oz) fresh spinach, torn
1 package (6 oz.) dried cranberries
6 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup sesame seeds, (toasted in oven at 400 degrees for 3 minutes)

Cook Pasta according to package directions; drain and place in a very large bowl and add cubed chicken. In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, teriyaki sauce, sugar and pepper. Pour over pasta and chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Just before serving, add the remaining ingredients; gently toss to coat.
(Yield: 22 servings at 1 cup each)

Tomato Basil Pizza

I've seen and heard about the Pioneer Woman for quite some time, so I figured it was about time for me to make something from her website. I love all of her pictures and the step-by-step commentary and visuals.

I followed her directions for TOMATO BASIL PIZZA (with a Pesto Sauce).



It was a yummy and fresh meal last night. Head over to her blog for the recipe.


I'm still on the lookout for a good pizza crust recipe. I wasn't a big fan of hers. I thought it was a bit dense and heavy on the olive oil flavor.

Thai chicken peanut noodles

I saved this recipe from the Sister's Cafe a long time ago. I've been on a cooking roll lately! And I love it! This is one of Jeremy's and my new favorites... seriously DELICIOUS!!! especially if you like Thai or peanut sauces. I changed just a few tiny little things in the recipe, so I wrote what I did below.



1 lb regular thin spaghetti noodles ( I only used 3/4 of noodles, because I didn't want to dilute the sauce too much.)
2 garlic clove, peeled
1 (1 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled
½ Cup smooth peanut butter
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
¼ Cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 scant teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ Cup hot water
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 Cup finely chopped white onion
½ Cup finely chopped red or orange bell pepper
2½ - 3 Cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
¼ Cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼- ½ Cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped

First I boiled 2-3 chicken breast for 10 minutes. And then boiled the noodles according to package. And while the chicken was boiling and noodles a-brewin', I made the sauce.

The sauce was incredibly EASY to make in the food processor.
Place garlic and ginger in food processor until well chopped. Then add peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and red pepper flakes. Pulse until well combined and slowly add hot water. Set aside.


{picture of sauce before pouring in hot water.}

Place olive oil in hot skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in chicken breast, cilantro and salt. Stir until heated through.


Add sauce.


Then Add the chicken and sauce mixture to pot of drained noodles. Toss to coat and garnish with peanuts and more cilantro if desired.

foiled wrapped dinner

The last time we were at Jeremy's parents home, I raided Leslie's (my mother-in-law) cookbooks and recipe box for recipes. She is an amazing cook, and Jeremy raves about her meals growing up all the time. I tried to type as many recipes as possible until my fingers got tired.

I found this particular recipe in her recipe box, so this one Jeremy said his mom made more than once. It was fun doing something different with chicken. It kinda reminded me as a kid when my mom made us foil dinners for a camp-out that were super yummy. Don't remember what was in them exactly.

Anyways... here is a quick picture of the chicken foil packages before I wrapped them and put them on cookie sheet in oven.

• 4 bone, skinned chicken breast
• Dijon mustard
• Flour
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 4 T. butter
• 4 mushrooms
• 4 T. soy sauce

Brush chicken on both sides with mustard. Roll in flour. Place on square of foil. Divide onions and mushrooms between breasts. Add 1 T. butter, 1 T. soy sauce to each package. Wrap and seal in foil. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve over rice.

Chicken Dorito Casserole

This was one of me and my siblings favorite meals as kids that our mom would make. What kid wouldn't love Doritos in their dinner? I was chatting with my college brother earlier this week and he said he was making this, so I've been craving it ever since. A major bonus, a large bag of Doritos were on sale at Target for $2.50.  This is a yummy home-style meal especially great for kiddos.

Here is a picture before I put in oven. I serve individually with sour cream on top. And also sprinkle some leftover chips on top for some crunch.



2 cans cream of chicken
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can Ro-Tel
1/2 cup - 3/4 cup water
1 big bag Nacho Cheese Doritos
2 chicken breast, cooked and shredded or cubed
Sour cream (for topping)

combine all can ingredients, and add some water to make it a little soupy (no too soupy). Layer half of chips, then half of chicken, then half of soup mix. Repeat layers, then top with shredded cheese. Serve with sour cream.

Costa Rican Rum Cake

Or as Jeremy calls it "C double R cake". It's his absolute favorite, so birthday cake it was! It's super easy to make. It's just a yellow cake mix. But the yummy part comes when you poke holes throughout while its still warm out of the oven with a creamy rum sauce.



And my favorite part...topped with home-made whipped cream and chunks of macadamia nuts!



INGREDIENTS:
Cake: 1 package yellow cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs

Sauce:
1 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup rum (or 1 teaspoon rum extract)
14 ounce sweetened condensed milk
12 ounce can evaporated milk

Topping:
1 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1/3 cup coconut toasted (optional - we did not use this)

METHOD:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9" baking dish. In large bowl, combine all cake ingredients at low speed until moistened; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Pour into greased baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees or 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Poke holes in cake. Mix together sauce and pour over while cake is still warm. Cool and keep in refrigerator. Cut into squares and top with whipped cream, toasted coconut (optional)  and chopped macadamia nuts.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART!! I love you!!