Banana Cream Pie

My dad is a real meat and potatoes kind of guy. Nothing makes him happier than stick-to-your-ribs stuff like pot roast and mac & cheese. To him, gravy is a condiment to be used liberally! And as far as desserts go, there's nothing more classic than pie, right? This is a very easy, quick version of banana cream pie I made for dessert when we had dinner recently with my parents. Since my dad is a diabetic and has a few other health issues I used mostly sugarfree/low cal products, but feel free to use the sugary/full fat products if you prefer. ;)

BANANA CREAM PIE

INGREDIENTS:
3 medium bananas, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 (9 inch) premade graham cracker crust
1 (.9oz) box instant sugarfree/fatfree banana pudding mix
1 (.9oz) box instant sugarfree/fatfree vanilla pudding mix
3 cups skim milk
1/2 cup Cool Whip Light, for filling
2 cups Cool Whip Light, for topping

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl combine bananas and lemon juice and toss to coat. Spoon evenly into graham cracker crust.

2. In a medium bowl combine banana pudding mix and vanilla pudding mix. Gradually add skim milk, whisking briskly until thoroughly combined. Fold in 1/2 cup of Cool Whip Light. Spoon into pie over banana layer until graham cracker crust is filled (you may not use all of the pie filling). Chill in fridge at 4 hours or overnight. Top pie with remaining 2 cups of Cool Whip before serving.

Potato Salad with Gorgonzola, Parmesan and Bacon

How can you even begin to reinvent a good ol' fashioned potato salad? Add cheese and bacon of course! I love the flavors of gorgonzola and bacon together so I decided to try adding those flavors to a potato salad for a twist. Gorgonzola cheese can be pretty strong, so I also added some grated Parmesan cheese to balance out the flavors. It's a creamy, tangy, cheesy, smoky rendition of the classic potato salad. :)

POTATO SALAD WITH GORGONZOLA, PARMESAN AND BACON

INGREDIENTS:
5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
4 slices thick bacon, diced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper


DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill a large saucepan 2/3 full of water and set to boil over high heat. Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces and drop into boiling water. Cook until tender and a knife easily pierces the potatoes. Remove potatoes from water and either plunge into an ice bath or run under cold water to stop cooking process. Drain and set aside.

2. In a small frypan cook bacon over medium heat until crispy, stirring frequently. Remove from pan and drain bacon onto paper towels.

3. In a large mixing bowl combine mayonnaise, Gorgonzola cheese, Parmesan cheese, dill, salt and pepper. Add cooled potatoes and bacon and gently stir to coat. Cover and store in fridge at least 2 hours before serving.

Mini Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

So there's this chain of grocery stores called Trader Joe's. People who shop there are generally really, really fantatical about how much they love the place. There's actually a Trader Joe's about 2 minutes from my house, but ironically I hardly ever shop there. It's growing on me though, and one thing I've found is they make the best peanut butter cups I've ever had. They also make them in a mini version and I thought it'd be fun to make a cookie using the mini peanut butter cups instead of chocolate chips. I ended up giving a tin of these as part of a birthday gift for my brother-in-law, who loves peanut butter almost as much as my hubby does. :)

MINI PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups mini peanut butter cups (recommended - Trader Joe's brand)



DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar with a handheld mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well incorporated. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Carefully stir in mini peanut butter cups. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets.

4. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until just golden brown. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Pecan Monkeybread

I made this for a brunch treat when my hubby had his friends over on Saturday morning. I had left to run some errands, figuring I'd have a sample when I got back. Surely they couldn't eat the ENTIRE thing in just a couple hours, right? Wrong. It was devoured, with just a few sad crumbs left as evidence it ever existed. Oh well, at least they enjoyed it! :)

PECAN MONKEYBREAD

INGREDIENTS:
2 packages Pillsbury Grands extra large biscuits
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter



DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Remove biscuits from packaging and cut each biscuit into quarters. Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a large resealable freezer bag. Drop biscuits about 8 pieces at time into sugar mix, seal bag and shake to coat, repeating until all biscuit pieces are coated. Layer biscuit pieces and pecans loosely in bundt pan - do not press down.

3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar, stirring constantly until mixture reaches a boil. Boil one minute, then remove from heat and pour evenly over biscuits.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto serving tray. Do not cut, just pull apart to eat.

Curried Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I made these sandwiches for a Southern style tea party I had with friends. The ingredients might sound like an odd combo, but the savory chicken and tangy curry contrast really well with the sweetness of the fruit. The flavors only get better when they've had a chance to sit together, so I'd recommend chilling it overnight before assembling the sandwiches and serving. My husband already requested I make this again sometime! :)

CURRIED CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICHES

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups chicken breast, cooked and diced
1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
1 cup red grapes, halved
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Bread - sliced thin with crusts removed

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper. Fold in chicken, apple, grapes, raisins and almonds. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Spread between slices of bread and cut diagonally into triangles.

Breakfast Trail Mix Bars

My husband Jeremy is working at a Surveying job during his summer break from school. It's a pretty physically demanding job, and we found that the store bought breakfast bars he was taking for breakfast just weren't filling him up. So I did a little searching on-line for different versions of breakfast/energy bars and pieced together a recipe of my own. These are really moist and chewy, and with all the fiber and protein my hubby says they keep him full for hours.

BREAKFAST TRAIL MIX BARS

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups trail mix
1 (7oz) bag Sun-maid dried mixed fruit, coarsely chopped
7 cups high fiber cereal flakes (recommended - Smart Start)
1 (18oz) jar all natural peanut butter
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered milk


DIRECTIONS:

1. Spray a 9x13 baking pan lightly with nonstick spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine trail mix, dried fruit and cereal. In a medium microwave-safe bowl combine peanut butter, corn syrup and granulated sugar. Heat in microwave until warmed thru, about 2 minutes, stopping to stir frequently. Add vanilla extract and powdered milk, stirring until thoroughly combined.

3. Add peanut butter mixture to cereal mixture - mix thoroughly until coated. Spoon into prepared baking pan and press evenly. Allow to cool before cutting into bars - store in refrigerator.

Blueberry Almond Cake

What?! A blueberry recipe, on my blog?? Gasp! What can I say - I love my husband, he loves blueberries, hence I bake with a lot of blueberries. Plus it's a great time of year for them - they're fresh and inexpensive! This is a dense poundcake type of blueberry cake with a little crunch from sliced almonds, frosted with whipped cream cheese frosting.

BLUEBERRY ALMOND CAKE

INGREDIENTS:
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 cup blueberries

1 can Duncan Hines whipped cream cheese frosting



DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8x8 baking pan.

2. In a large bowl combine melted butter and granulated sugar, beat until smooth. Beat in egg, sour cream, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Add flour, baking powder and salt and mix until combined. Fold in almonds and blueberries then pour into baking pan - spread evenly.

3. Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting with cream cheese frosting and cutting into squares.

Krispy Chocolate Caramel Bars

Ahh, who doesn't love Rice Krispy treats? These are basically chocolate Rice Krispy treats on steroids - a chocolatey cereal layer topped with marshmallows, almonds, caramel and more chocolate! :)

KRISPY CHOCOLATE CARAMEL BARS

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons margarine
40 large marshmallows
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
8 cups cocoa rice cereal
3 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup sliced almonds

Caramel ice cream topping, for drizzling
Milk chocolate chips, melted, for drizzling

DIRECTIONS:

1. Spray two 12x8 disposible aluminum trays with nonstick cooking spray. In a large stockpot, melt margarine and 40 large marshmallows over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Add vanilla extract and 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips - stir until chocolate is melted. Add cocoa rice cereal and stir until thoroughly coated. Divide mixture in half and spoon into prepared trays. Press evenly into pan (you may find it easier to use your hands - spray your fingertips with nonstick spray to prevent sticking).

2. Sprinkle mini marshmallows and sliced almonds evenly over cereal layers. Drizzle lightly with caramel topping, then drizzle with melted milk chocolate. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Hodge Podge Blondies

Blondies are kind of like brownies, only not chocolate. So I guess they're really not like brownies at all. Hmm... well, if nothing else I found that they're a great way to clean up your pantry. This recipe was adapted from BakingBlonde's basic blondie recipe - a very simple recipe (and I loved that it uses melted butter so you can make it right away and don't have to wait for the butter to soften like most recipes). I added a little baking powder to give it some lift, and stirred in basically just leftovers from my baking pantry - roughly a quarter cup each of semi-sweet chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, toffee chips, walnuts and pecans. You can add any combo of your favorite baking goodies. I just slightly underbaked them for a soft gooey middle - fabulous served slightly warm with a glass of cold milk! :)

HODGE PODGE BLONDIES

INGREDIENTS:
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspooon salt
Additional mix-ins of your choice (chocolate chips, candies, nuts, etc.)


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8x8 baking pan.

2. In a large bowl combine melted butter and brown sugar, beat until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Add flour, baking powder and salt and mix until combined. Fold in any additional mix-ins and pour into baking pan - spread evenly.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes until set in the middle. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Talk about a simple recipe! This is the easiest way to make pulled pork sandwiches I've ever tried - just a crockpot of pork (I used boneless top loin) with, of all things, a can of root beer! Start it in the morning and by dinnertime the meat is amazingly moist and just falls apart. This is a recipe from allrecipes.com. Use a really good BBQ sauce and feel free to add some seasonings and spices as well.

SLOW COOKER PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

INGREDIENTS:
1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
1 (12 oz) can or bottle root beer
1 (18 oz) bottle your favorite barbecue sauce
8 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted


DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours.

2. Drain liquids and stir in barbecue sauce to taste. Serve on hamburger buns.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This one is for my girl Natalie. She had a simple request: oatmeal cookies, with raisins, no nuts. So I whipped these up and made half the batch without walnuts and half with for the nutty folks. Hope you like 'em Nat!

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla with a hand held mixer until well blended. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, stirring until just combined.

3. Fold in rolled oats, raisin and walnuts (if desired). Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes and remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cookies

I'm in a very "cookie baking" place right now. Things are a bit hectic at work, and I think the precision of measuring and mixing and baking cookies is almost soothing and mellows me out. Or it could just be because cookies are freakin' good. Either way as long as it's comforting for me to do, and as long as my friends and co-workers (and my hubby's friends and co-workers, and pretty soon random people on the street) are willing guinea pigs for my creations, a-cookie bakin' I will do! One of my favorite things to do is to take the flavors or components of a dessert and make a cookie version of it, and here's my interpretation of a turtle candy. It's a buttery thumbprint cookie filled with caramel and pecans and drizzled with melted chocolate. Note this makes a LOT of cookies, at least 4 dozen, so you may want to cut the recipe in half for a smaller batch.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL TURTLE COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

For cookie dough:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 sticks butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For topping:

1 (14oz) bag of individual caramel candies, unwrapped

2 tablespoons water

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 teaspoons Crisco shortening

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with a handheld mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Form dough into a flat disc, wrap with plastic wrap and chill in fridge until firm, at least 4 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. In a medium saucepan combine caramel candies and water over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until caramel is melted and mixture is smooth. Reduce heat to low.

4. To prepare cookies - take heaping teaspoons of chilled cookie dough and form loosely into balls. Place on baking sheet 2 inches apart. Return remaining dough to fridge to stay chilled until ready for the next batch. Using a small spoon or your fingertip, make an indentation in the middle of each cookie and spoon 1 teaspoon of caramel sauce into each indentation. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

5. Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on sheets 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

6. In a small bowl combine chocolate chips and shortening. Microwave for 15-30 seconds, stopping to stir once halfway thru. Drizzle chocolate across surface of cookies and allow to cool until chocolate is set.