Banana Chocolate Chip & Walnut Muffins

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 overripe bananas
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and spray 2 muffin tins (20 muffins positions) with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together like you mean it, for a good 3 minutes. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Fold in the nuts, chocolate chips and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins to fill them about a little over halfway.

Bake until a toothpick stuck in the muffins comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before turning the muffins out. Serve warm or at room temperature.



Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese Soup

This recipe was removed due to the fact that it tasted like really awful baby food.  You certainly could not even taste the cheddar cheese.



Weekly Menu #7

Sunday:  Football snack: chix wings  D:  swedish meatballs over egg noodles

Monday:  smoked sausage jambalaya

Tuesday: cornish game hens, potato gnocchi w/ bacon & peas

Wednesday:  enchiladas (w/ black beans)

Thursday:  spicy maple chicken, au gratin potato,  zucchini cakes

Friday:  B:  breakfast burritos  L:  salad  D:  broccoli & cheese soup



Weekly Menu Plan #6

Sunday:  Pork Chops (breaded w/bread crumbs), apple sauce, mac n’ cheese, green beans

Monday:  In-Laws

Tuesday:  Pot Roast, potatoes, carrots, onions

Wednesday:  Chili over spaghetti noodles

Thursday: Au gratin potatoes w/ ham & broccoli casserole

Friday:  Fish, smashed potatoes, corn

Saturday:  Pork chops somehow

Sunday: Cornish game hens, potato gnocchi w/ bacon & peas



Weekly Menu #5

This is going to be for a long week because I’m including this weekend as well as next.

Friday:  Fish fillets, corn and boiled Yukon gold potatoes (fresh from our garden)

Saturday:

Sunday:  L:  hot pockets D:buffalo wings from freezer & jalapeno poppers  Also on Sunday make a large batch of breakfast burritos for the freezer.  Also, make a loaf of bread and a batch of brownies.

Monday:  B:  breakfast burritos    D:  Honey Garlic Chicken, yellow rice, broccoli

Tuesday:  B: breakfast burritos  D:  chili (make large batch and freeze some)

Wednesday:  B:  cereal, OJ and fruit L:    D: sausage, peppers and onions over rice

Thursday:  B: breakfast burritos L:  e D:   Creamy Macaroni & Cheese, pork chops, apple sauce, cauliflower

Friday:  B:  cereal, OJ and fruit L:  ??  D:  beef roast, potatoes, carrots, onions, beef gravy.

Shopping list:

2 cartons of eggs

red bell pepper x 3

yellow onion x 4

2 lb bacon

block of cheddar (BJs)

2 pkgs of 10 flour tortillas

flour

vanilla

cucumber

croutons

bag of chips

grapes

bananas

3/4 lb deli ham

frozen broccoli

frozen cauliflower

garlic bulb

honey

soy sauce (check cabinet)

yellow rice

diced tomatoes (BJs)

onion powder

garlic powder

12 jalapenos

cream cheese

mozzerella cheese

cilantro

elbow pasta

butter

heavy whipping cream

small block of gruyere

apples

pork chops

beef roast

beef gravy



Honey Garlic Chicken (direct from Stephanie at A Year of Slow Cooker Meals) Untested

1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4 or one thigh per family member)
3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup  soy sauce (La Choy or Tamari wheat-free are gluten free)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey


The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker (if using a 6-quart, this will cook faster. Check after 3 hours on high, 5 hours on low).
Put the chicken into your cooker. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, then pour evenly over the top.
Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 (I’d go with low—).



Maple & Walnut Pie

1 refrigerated pie crust

1 1/2 cups maple syrup

3 eggs

6 tb butter, room temp

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 cups chopped toasted walnuts

1 tb vanilla

1/4 tsp ( or less) freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Prepare the pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate.  Prick bottom and sides with a fork and line crust with a double thickness of foil.  Bake 8 minutes, remove foil and bake another 5 minutes and cool.  Lower oven temp to 350.

In a small saucepan bring maple syrup to a boil, reduce to a simmer, uncovered for 10-12 minutes or until syrup has reduced to about 1 cup.

Beat eggs with electric mixer on medium-high until thick and lemon-y colored, about 5 minutes.

In another mixing bowl beat butter on high speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar and brown sugar.  Beat in syrup and eggs.  Fold in walnuts, vanilla and nutmeg.  Pour into pie crust.

Bake pie on a baking sheet lined with foil for 35 minutes or until set around the edges are set.  Let cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.



Spicy Maple Glazed Chicken

1 LB chicken breast tenderloins (or boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

2 tsp of Montreal steak seasoning (spicy or regular)

1/4 cup maple syrup, plus 2 TB for finishing

1/2 cup sliced green onions

In a large zip top bag, combine maple syrup and seasoning.  Drop in chicken tenders and coat.  Marinate for 1-4 hrs before cooking.  Heat a little canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink and internal temp is 170 degrees.  Remove chicken from skillet.  Heat finishing syrup and green onions until just warm and serve over chicken.



Breakfast Burritos

These freeze decently, but really need a very airtight bags.   I have made a huge pile of them and frozen them for breakfasts during the next couple of weeks.

Whole wheat or vegetable tortillas

Red & yellow peppers

Yellow onion

White button mushrooms

Box of frozen spinach (thawed and drained)

Salsa

Cheddar cheese

Eggs

Sausage or bacon

Dice all the vegetables you want to use.  Saute vegetables.  Saute meat.  Scramble eggs and mix in vegetables and meat.  Heat tortillas so they are pliable.  Put cheese in the center, put in some of the egg/vegetable/meat mixture.  Roll tortillas.  Either serve immediately or freeze.



Walnut and Dried Fruit Bars

12 bars, serving size: 1 bar

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quick-cooking oats
  • 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or regular whole-wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (make your own the day before)
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1 egg, beaten to mix
  • 1 egg white
  • 3/4 cup chopped dried tart cherries (or other dried fruit)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
  • Cooking spray
  • 1/4 cup apricot preserves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, wheat germ, cinnamon and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the honey, applesauce, oil, egg and egg white until well combined. Stir in the oatmeal mixture until well combined. Add the dried cherries and walnuts.

Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out

clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Put the preserves in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. As soon as the bars come out of the oven, brush with the preserves. Cool completely and cut into 12 bars, about 4 by1 1/2 inches each.