Memories and healthy recipes for your dinner table.
The Summer sun is upon us and it is relentless. Thank goodness for pools and sprinklers. Check it out here, the way you can winterize your irrigation system. There is nothing more refreshing in the dead heat of summer than cool sweet juicy watermelon. “When …
I have longed for summer fruit since December. The stock of homemade jams and frozen fruit vanished before the new year. I was fortunate to discover a U-Pick strawberry and blueberry field close by. The kids went hog wild filling up buckets of fresh picked …
One of our favorite things to do when we travel is find neighborhood parks to play at. Some of the parks we have discovered are so grand and amazing that we add them to our day trip list. The day trip list consists of locations that are within a two hour radius from our home. These are places we can choose to go to during school breaks or the kids can choose one when they fill the bead jar up for displaying good thoughtful behaviors.
At home we make it a game to scout out all the parks in our city as well. This summer our goal is to visit all the parks in our city. Our playgroup friends have join in on the adventure. Each week we pick a new venue to meet at. To get the kids more involved we hung up a map to mark all the parks we find. The parks the kids like the best get a shiny star sticker.
Photo: Dancing in the Rain, courtesy of Photo Bucket Someone once told me they were leery of overly happy people because they must be hiding something. I think that there are individuals out there who are genuinely happy. The faults of life roll off their …
On Saturday or Sunday morning I like to make omelets as a way to use up left over vegetables. Ideally to make this recipe for potatoes and asparagus omelets use precooked cubed potatoes and steamed asparagus to cut down on cooking time. If leftovers are …
Ideally one should be able to take any cake or quick bread recipe to make muffins. The banana bread recipe that we love so much by Baker’s Illustrated is not an exception to this rule. However, for our banana muffins we prefer a more delicate tender crumb with a little extra oat fiber mixed in. When oats were added to our favorite banana bread recipe the result was a bit dry. With a few alterations wa-la we have banana oatmeal muffins. These little beauties make a perfect treat when hiking or on a road trip.
3 bananas, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup rolled oats
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
In a large bowl combine the mashed bananas, sugar and butter; mix until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until well blended.
Sift the flour, powder, soda and salt. Fold in the nuts. Add flour mixture to the banana mixture stirring until just combined. Pour batter into greased muffin tin. Bake 30-35 minutes or until firm to the touch and golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack.
Makes 18 muffins
Variations:
Sprinkle a 1/4 cup of chopped dried pineapple, chopped crystallized ginger, shredded coconut or chocolate chips for an extra treat.
Jeff Eusebio is the CEO and Co-Founder of FamilyMint.com. Jeff created Family mint to give families an easy fun way to teach children and teenagers how to manage their money. Teaching children about investing early helps them develop good financial habits and understand the importance …
I learned long ago in music appreciation class about the surreal power of music. Years later I felt that power as I sat in the front row of the music hall, with tears streaming down my cheeks, listening to a classical pianist’s rendition of Chopin. …
There is a never ending conundrum about what to do with old bananas. Banana bread is always a good option. It freezes well and makes nice little gifts. I did consider Frosted Banana Bars because they are oh so heavenly but decided against them because they seemed a little to fussy for a light afternoon snack. In the end the kids and I chose door number 3- Banana Cookies. They are actually called Banana Whoopie Cookies; however, on this occasion we omitted the extra sugary frosting and gobbled down two cookies each instead one.
Source: Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes about 3 dozen
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mashed banana (from 1 large ripe banana)
1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Combine banana and sour cream in another bowl.
Beat butter and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed, until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, beating until incorporated. Add banana mixture in 2 additions, alternating with flour mixture.
Drop spoonful of dough on prepared baking sheet. Bake until edges are golden, about 12 minutes. Slide parchment, with cookies, onto wire racks. Let cool.
In the past I posted a Southwestern Chicken salad recipe and another recipe for Taco Salad. They are simple recipes with very few ingredients. This recipe for Black Bean Chicken Salad is a step up and showcases a zesty dressing that turns the ordinary into …