Yummy Banana Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour (if you want healthy use 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup of wheat germ)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup  brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup  banana chips, loosely chopped
1 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped


Preheat oven to 375 degrees, racks in middle/upper middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, or stand mixer, beat the butter until lightly and fluffy, then beat in the sugar until it is the consistency of a thick frosting. Beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next, and scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times along the way . Stir in the vanilla. Add the reserved flour mix in two increments, stirring/mixing a bit between each addition (but not too much). By hand, stir in the banana chips, chocolate chips and walnuts - mix just until everything is evenly distributed.

Drop 1 heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie onto the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart and bake for about 7 - 8 minutes, until barely golden on top and bottom. Resist over baking, they will come out dry and not as tasty. Cook on racks.

Eggnog Cream Pie

1 graham cracker pie crust
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup milk
1/2 cup eggnog
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
cool whip

Mix the pudding mix, milk, eggnog, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and 2 big spoonfuls of cool whip in a bowl until smooth.  Pour into pie crust and refrigerate for 1 hour.  Top with cool whip and enjoy!

Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup LIBBY's 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in medium bowl.
Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended.  Beat pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract
until smooth.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, then remove to cool completely.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Candy Cookies

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups Reeses Pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease cookie sheets.

In a large bowl, beat sugars and butter with mixer on medium speed until creamy.  Beat in peanut butter, vanilla and egg.  Stir in flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Stir in candies.(I usually add 1 cup of candy to dough and reserve the rest to add on top so they look pretty!)

Dutch Apple Pie

This recipe is amazing!  The key is using tart apples, like granny smiths or pink ladies. Don't worry, the paper bag will not catch on fire, you will not open the oven to find flames.  You just get a perfectly cooked, delicious apple pie.

 For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. milk
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.  Mix well and pat into the bottom and sides of a pie pan. (Don't roll the dough out.)

For the Apple Filling:
5-6 apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. almond extract
Combine all ingredients except the apples in a bowl.  Mix well, then toss the apples in the mixture.  Put the apple filling into the unbaked pie crust.

For the Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the four and sugar, mix until crumbly.  Cover the apple filling with the crumb topping.

Yes, you really do put the pie inside a brown paper bag.  Once the pie is inside, roll up the the top of the bag and close it together with either staples or large paper clips.  Place the bag on the lowest shelf in the oven.  Bake at 350 for 90 minutes.  Don't open the bag until the time is up and you have let it cool outside the oven for about 5 minutes.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.  So good!

Indoor Smores

Don't have some hot coals handy??  These yummy smores come out of the oven just as good as their
outdoor counterparts.

Ingredients

• 4 graham crackers
• 2 milk chocolate candy bars
• 12 marshmallows

Directions

1. Preheat the oven broiler. Line a small pan with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
2. Break the graham crackers in half and lay 4 of the squares out on a serving plate. Break the candy bars in half and lay one piece on each of the graham crackers on the plate.
3. Arrange the marshmallows in a single layer in the prepared pan.
4. Broil the marshmallows until the tops brown, turn the marshmallows to brown the undersides. Keep a close eye on the marshmallows so they do not burn. They will brown very quickly.
5. Remove the marshmallows from the pan and place three on each of the chocolate squares. Top with the remaining graham cracker halves.

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

Wow!  I just found this recipe and yum, yum, yum.....  Did I mention, yum?

Ingredients:

2 apples
2 kiwis, peeled and diced
peaches
pineapple
2 bananas
strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
lime or lemon juice
10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
butter flavored cooking spray
2 cups cinnamon sugar


Directions:
1. In a large bowl, cut all fruit up into tiny pieces and add a little bit of lime or lemon juice for flavoring. Then add sugar. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
4. Bake in the preheated oven 10 to 13 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

Banana Oatmeal Hot Cakes

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just found this recipe and it sounds amazing!  Can't wait to try it!  

Ingredients

1/2 cup maple syrup 

1/2 cinnamon stick 

3 whole cloves 

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 

1 cup water 

2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar 

2 tablespoons canola oil 

1/2 cup whole-wheat (whole-meal) flour 

1/2 cup all-purpose (plain) flour 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/2 cup 1 percent low-fat milk 

1/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt 

1 banana, peeled and mashed 

1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, cinnamon stick and cloves. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves with a slotted spoon. Set the syrup aside and keep warm.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the oats and water. Microwave on high until the oats are creamy and tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and canola oil. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon. Whisk to blend.
Add the milk, yogurt and banana to the oats and stir until well blended. Beat in the egg. Add the flour mixture to the oat mixture and stir just until moistened.

Place a nonstick frying pan or griddle over medium heat. When a drop of water sizzles as it hits the pan, spoon 1/4 cup pancake batter into the pan. Cook until the top surface of the pancake is covered with bubbles and the edges are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook until the bottom is well browned and the pancake is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Repeat with the remaining pancake batter.
Place the pancakes on warmed individual plates. Drizzle with the warm syrup and serve immediately.

Fried Potatoes

We have some friends that come over for dinner quite often.  The husband always asks for my fried potatoes.  I am an Idaho girl, so I like to think I can cook some mean potatoes.  Actually, I don't really know what's so special about this particular side dish, but since he seems to be so infatuated with it, I thought I would share the process.

Peel and cut 5-6 potatoes into smaller pieces (about 1 inch)
Put 3-4 tablespoons oil into pan
Place potatoes in pan
Add seasonings of your choice.  (I like to add garlic powder, salt, pepper, and onion powder)
Add a little water to the pan after the potatoes start to sizzle.  (It helps the spuds get nice and soft)
Continue cooking until potatoes are soft.  Enjoy!

Very Vanilla Cake

2 Sticks soft butter, plus enough to grease your bundt pan

1 1/2 Cups sugar

6 eggs

2 1/3 Cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 Cup plain fat free yogurt

4 tsp vanilla extract

confectioner's sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 and put cookie sheet in at same time. Butter or spray (use A LOT) bundt pan. Cream butter and sugar in mixing bowl until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, along with 1 TBS flour for each egg. Fold in rest of flour and baking soda. Add yogurt and vanilla. Pour mixture into greased pan and spread evenly. Place cake pan on preheated cookie sheet and bake 45 to 60 minutes, until cake rises and is golden. After 45 minutes, insert knife to test; if it comes out clean, it is done. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Gently pull cake away from pan edges, then turn out cake. Let cool, then dust with confectioner's sugar.  You can add strawberries and whipped cream. Pure heaven.