Banana Nut Bread

2 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¾ cup salted butter, softened

1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

3 cups ripe bananas (about 7 medium), mashed

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup (4 oz) chopped walnuts

Chocolate chips (as requested by my hubby)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 9 by 5 inch loaf pans.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.

In a large bowl cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, bananas and vanilla and beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Add the combined flour mixture, walnuts, and chocolate chips, then blend at low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake on center rack of oven for 60-70 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean and bread should pull away from sides of pan.

Cool to room temp before removing and slicing.

Yield: 30 ½ inch slices (15 slices per loaf)

Source: Mrs. Fields Cookie Book

Chocolate Chip cookies

Sadly, this blog has been neglected. There are several reasons why: vacations, it's summertime, and Daniel starting 3rd year is killing my dinner planning groove (I don't really know what time he'll be home each day and that has thrown me off). So today I'll share a cookie recipe since I feel like making cookies.

1 1/2 sticks of butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
chocolate chips
nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter with sugars until extremely fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Sift together flour, soda and salt (I usually just stir it together in a bowl.) Mix dry ingredients into butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts if desired.

Bake 11-11 1/2 minutes until slightly browned. Leave cookies on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing to cooling racks.

Mandarin Orange Spinach Salad

1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar (sometimes I use a little extra :))
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 bad pre-packaged washed salad spinach
1 (10 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup Craisins

Cook sugar and almonds over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, set aside to cool. Mix spinach, oranges, and Craisins in a large bowl. When ready to serve, pour dressing over spinach and toss well. Sprinkle with almonds on top.

Dressing:
1/4 cup oil
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Shake all ingredients together in a jar with a tight lid.

Source: Courtney Walker, Wheaton Ward Cookbook, 2001

Kitchen Tools

This is the garlic press I have from IKEA. It works great and was not expensive. I love it. If you don't have one, you should consider getting one. They are amazing. I don't spend forever mincing garlic anymore thanks to this beautiful tool.

Butter vs. Shortening

Awhile ago I was making cookies. I always use butter when cooking or baking, always. I was looking a few recipes and pondering why some recipes use butter and others shortening. I found these fun videos from a friend. They discuss a lot more than just butter and shortening, but do address the differences butter and shortening have in cookies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB-KVveLp3k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWoN0PtsIIQ&NR=1

I don't like the taste of cookies made with shortening, but after watching these videos I think I'll try making cookies with butter flavored shortening just to try it out.

Chicken Cordon Blue

(from the Taste of Home Cookbook)

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 thin slices fully cooked ham
4 thin slices Swiss cheese (I use Provolone)
4 strips bacon (can leave this out for a healthier meal, but my husband likes it with)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Flatten chicken breast to 1/8 in thickness; spread butter on the insides. Sprinkle with thyme. Top with a slice of ham and cheese; roll up tightly. Wrap each chicken with a slice of bacon and secure with toothpicks.

In a small bowl, beat eggs and milk. Place flour in another bowl. Combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder, oregano and cheese. Dip each chicken breast into the egg mixture; coat with flour. Dip each again into the egg mixture, then coat with crumbs.

Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Remove toothpicks before serving.

Yield: 4 servings

Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter, softened

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 Tbsp. baking powder

3 1/2 cups of flour

Cream the sugar and butter. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until blended. Mix the baking powder and flour in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture. Chill for a few hours. Roll out and cut into shapes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool, then frost.

Yield: about 3 dozen

Frosting

About 2 cups of powdered sugar

3 tablespoons of butter, melted

2 tablespoons of milk

1 tsp. of vanilla

Mix all ingredients.
Alternate powdered sugar to make thicker or a little milk to thin to your liking.