Yum Yum Banana Bread

This one comes from Chris's side of the family. I was never a big banana bread person until I tried my mother-in-law's, it's so moist and tasty!

1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 ripe bananas

Stir flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Beat the sugar and shortening. Add eggs one at a time. Add milk. Add flour and banana alternately. Grease pan. Bake at 350 for 60-65 minutes (mine usually is done after 45 minutes).

Chicken Pizzettes With Vegetables

I wouldn't say these are like, the best things I've ever had in my life, but they were pretty good for a really quick and easy, semi-nutritious, kid friendly lunch or dinner. The husband thought they'd be better with salsa or a different sauce...you could play around with it.

Recipe created by Robin Miller
Found on Oprah.com

Ingredients:Serves 4

1 package chicken nuggets or tenders
4 whole wheat flour tortillas , taco size
3/4 cup prepared pizza sauce or pasta sauce , regular or reduced sodium
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups mixed, chopped vegetables, such as broccoli florets and mushrooms and bell peppers and onions and zucchini and pitted olives and baby spinach leaves
4 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried oregano , optional
Preheat the oven to 400º. Arrange chicken nuggets on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.

Remove chicken nuggets from the oven and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.

Arrange tortillas on a flat surface. Top each tortilla with 3 tablespoons of the pizza sauce.

Top the sauce with mozzarella cheese (1/4 cup per tortilla). Top the cheese with the chicken nugget pieces and any combination of vegetables.

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and oregano (if using) over top.

Transfer pizzettes to baking sheets and bake 5 to 7 minutes, until cheese melts and tortilla is golden brown.

Poppyseed Bundt Cake

My roommate would make this all the time, and I would eat like half of it each time. I'm sure she loved that. I'm so glad to finally get the recipe so I can make it myself now.

Mix together:
4 eggs
1 c plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 small box instant vanilla pudding

Add:
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 c water
1/3 c poppyseeds

Pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until top is golden. Cool completely before removing from the pan. Recommended that you then allow it to sit 15 minutes before cutting.

Toasted Marshmallow Shake

i have been having fun browsing around the recipes on Oprah.com (link below). As luck would have it i have all these ingredients handy today...

Recipe created by chef Spike Mendelsohn, owner of Good Stuff Eatery in Washington, D.C.
Found on Oprah.com


Photo: Good Stuff Eatery

End your night on a sweet note with chef Spike Mendelsohn's creamy marshmallow milkshake. As the owner of Good Stuff Eatery in Washington, D.C., Spike created this dessert in celebration of the 2009 inauguration.

Ingredients:Serves 4

1 bag jumbo marshmallows
2 cups milk
1 Tbsp. sour cream
2 cups creamy vanilla ice cream

On a medium-size cookie sheet, place 1/2 bag of marshmallows in a row.
Place under your burner in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, until completely charred.
Take out of oven and let cool.
Repeat this step but only let the marshmallows toast, so they are slightly burnt.
Take out of oven and let cool.

In a blender, pour milk, sour cream, ice cream and charred marshmallows.
Mix for 5 minutes.

Pour in a large glass and top with 2 to 3 toasted marshmallows.

French Dip Sandwiches with Au Jus

I found this recipe on Favorite Family Recipes.

Her picture's prettier but I like to show you what an average cook's version looks like, complete with ghetto paper plate.

I should warn you there is nothing healthy about this recipe, but I've been having crazy meat cravings lately and this did the trick.

2-3 Lbs. oven roast
2 cans beef broth (about 4 cups)
2 pkgs Lipton Onion Soup mix
French hoagie or sub rolls (whatever bread you like to do)
Swiss cheese slices

Put oven roast in a crock pot. Add beef broth and soup mix. Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours. Shred roast with a fork, then return the shredded beef to the crock pot for a few more minutes (to absorb more of that juicy goodness). Slice open the bread and place a good amount of beef on one side (scoop out some of the bread first if you don't like it really bread-y). Place a slice or two of Swiss cheese over the shredded beef and broil for a minute or so until cheese starts to bubble and brown a little. Remove from broiler and serve. Use a ladle to scoop out some of the juice from the crock pot and serve as au jus.

Apple Crisp

Another variation to the apple pie is an apple crisp. This is quicker and easier, or if you have leftover apples from your apple pie you can make one of these for someone.

4 cups sliced apples

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

7 Tbsp. butter or margarine

3/4 cup flour

Combine apples, water and cinnamon in baking dish, 8x8x2.'' Mix flour, sugar, and butter to crumble stage. Cover apples with the mixture. Press down with hand until flat.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 50-60 minutes.

Mom's Apple Pie with Crumb Crust

6 to 8 tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced

3/4 to 1 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon

dash ground nutmeg

Pie crust (store bought works fine, or there's a recipe below if you want to be an over-achiever)

If apples lack tartness, sprinkle with about 1 Tablespoon lemon juice. Combine sugar, flour, spices, and a dash of salt. Mix with apples. Line 9 inch pie plate with pastry crust. Fill with apple mixture. Sprinkle crumb crust (recipe below) over filling and place on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake in oven at 400 degrees for 50 minutes or until done.

Pie crust: (although I'd actually recommend just buying one at the store...)

2 1/2-3 cups flour

1 cup shortening

1/2 tsp. salt

Mix first three ingredients with pastry blender (I use a fork) Beat 1 egg, add 1 Tbsp. vinegar and 1/4 cup cold water. Makes one crust plus some extra (I used the extra to make my little heart decorations).

Crumb crust:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup firm butter or margarine

1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix three ingredients together with a pastry cutter (I just use a fork) until crumbly. Sprinkle over apple mixture in crust. Cover topping with aluminum foil the last 10 minutes of baking to avoid crust browning too quickly.