You take the good, you take the bad.

About once a year (not even, really), Andy makes a French Silk pie.  It is one of his favorites, and he really is the baker in the family, so he can make whatever he chooses in my opinion.  And he is so good about letting Whit do a lot of the work - such a patient man.  Sounds like the perfect situation, right?  A man who loves to bake, who teaches his kids how to bake, and feeds mommy delectable delights.  

I was cleaning the kitchen last night when he made his most recent masterpiece, so I was not paying too much attention.  That all changed when I walked over to the sink and was met with this horror - a spatula with a ton of chocolate still on it.  If it was not already soaked in water, I would have dug it out and gotten to work on ingesting it.

This matter was quickly resolved by me offering to pour the final product into the pie crust, and then proceeding to lick the new spatula and bowl clean.

He did let each of the kids lick a beater, which renewed my hope that he can be trained in the future so this disaster can be avoided!

Iced Sweetness

Seeing as I had a few bananas just chillin' in the freezer as part of my Banana Reclamation Project, I decided it was time to try making banana ice cream.  It is loads of work and requires tons of ingredients: bananas.  So easy a monkey could follow the recipe below!

1. Slice a ripe banana or two, and place in the freezer for at least two hours (I am lazy and never slice mine, just thaw them a bit to peel and use).  

2. Place in a food processor and pulse-blend until the consistency is like, well, ice cream.

3. Add any accouterments you would like.  We chose Nutella for this batch, and it was fabulous.

4. Let little creatures taste test for approval, or take a big heaping spoon for yourself.

Healthy goodness!  The batch can then be stored in the freezer to harden if needed.  I recommend some slight thawing before serving, however, as it freezes into a banana block:)

As American as Apple Pie

Happy 4th of July! We celebrated by making our secret family recipe apple pie to take to a BBQ later today...and fortunately had enough apples left to make an apple crisp to tide us over until then. Quinn felt the need to wear my onion goggles while Whit peeled the apples - safety first.

Greek Yogurt Muffins

I had been wanting to try these muffins for a few days, and thought I had gathered all of the ingredients.  Clue one to this being an uphill battle should have been my insistence on getting the eggs at the gas station on the corner instead of waiting until my next shopping trip.  And.....as I write this I realize I forgot to add the eggs to the recipe.  Wow.  It's Friday, folks!  Either way, they turned out super yummy, and so I still have to share.

1c plain Greek yogurt

2 ripe bananas

2 eggs

2 cups rolled oats (old fashioned or quick)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup chocolate chips, mini or regular

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF and prepare muffin pan by either spraying with cooking spray or lining with paper (because there is no oil in the recipe, it is best to also spray paper liners with cooking spray to avoid sticking).  

2. Blend all ingredients except the chocolate chips in a food processor (they also suggest a blender, but that was an EPIC fail, so go right for the big guns) on high until oats are broken down and batter is smooth.  Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan, filling each cavity about 3/4 full.  Sprinkle chocolate chips on top if desired (I only sprinkled my chips on top, didn't blend them, so it was a bit less cholatey).

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are set and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes in pan.  Store in an airtight container for up to a week (if they last that long!).

Yum!

While I was trying to get my food processor to work and losing the chopping blade amidst the gooey ingredients and transferring it out and back in and - to the point Joy - Quinn stealthily grabbed the PAAS egg decorating pens that came with a set a few years back.  We never even used them, but I put them in a bag to save for someday.  I thought they would likely be dried up, and fairly harmless.  WRONG.  They were quite healthy, and containing food coloring that of course is NOT easy to remove.  After scrubbing her face and hands with alcohol and likely removing a layer or two of skin, she still looks like a Smurf.  Awesome.

PBBCC (Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip) Quesadillas

I've recently discovered that quesadillas are an untapped resource for our family. As one who likes to throw together random ingredients, I think I am really missing out on the power of the tortilla as a delivery method. 

Starting slow and easy, here was our evening snack on Monday (it was taco night - I love a good theme, and I'll ride it to the end). We use whole wheat tortillas that are low cal, low fat, and high fiber. I layered half of one with peanut butter (it's the same color as the tortilla, but it's there), banana slices, and a few semisweet morsels. I heated it in the microwave for about 45 seconds to get it all gooey, and then folded and cut. Heavenly I tell ya. And the kids thought so too, as they shared the one triangle I was willing to unhand.

More to come on the quesadilla front, I am sure of it.

Bodacious Bananas

Bananas have multiple cardiac and gastrointestinal benefits, and they also pack a little punch of power in terms of providing energy to our bodies.  They are a great source of vitamin B6, manganese, vitamin C, fiber, potassium, biotin, and copper.

These golden beauties are a staple in our household.  The juvenile yellow ones hang out on our counter, waiting to be manhandled and devoured by little hands or shred to pieces in a blender for my daily shake.  The lucky few that escape and turn brown are placed in the freezer to be used in whatever recipe I feel like whipping up - a sort of banana reclamation project it you will.  Here is one of our favorite "nanner" recipes!

Easy Peasy Banana Oatmeal Cookies

2 large ripe bananas
1 C of oats (quick or regular; if you use regular it is nice to chop them up a bit for better binding)

That's it.  Two ingredients.  If you are feeling saucy, throw in a handful of raisins, chopped nuts, or chocolate chips (I love to add the tiny semi-sweet chocolate chips), or even 1-2 tsp of cinammon.

Mash the bananas, then stir in the oats until well-mixed.  Add your flare (chocolate, etc.) and mix until a doughy consistency is reached.  Since there is no Banana Law, each fruit is obviously a different size.  If the consistency is too wet, add some more oats.  I always start slow adding the oats so that it doesn't get too dry.

Plop spoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350º for about 15 minutes.  Then step out of the way before your family consumes them like cattle at a trough.