Banana Blueberry Muffins

I made this "new" recipe today because it looked good with two types of fruit in there... and I needed to use up my two overripe bananas. It turned out great! I got it from my "Favorite Brand Name Cookbook".

Banana Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients
2 extra ripe bananas, peeled
2 eggs
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup melted butter
1 cup blueberries
1 tsp vanilla
2 ¼ cup flour (I did half white, half whole wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon dash salt

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Puree bananas (I just used the electric mixer in the bowl till done). In medium bowl, combine bananas, eggs, sugar, and butter until well blended. Stir in blueberries and vanilla.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture until evenly moistened.
4. Spoon into 12 muffin cups. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Fabulous Fillet of Salmon

For supper today I made salmon. This recipe is somewhat similar to something I've made before, but it is NOT the same recipe. I actually really enjoyed it. Since Chuck came in from the field and needed to eat and go, I missed taking a pic, so this is the pic from the recipe itself. I got this recipe from the Milk calendar. I halved the recipe and served it with steamed rice. Perfect for 2.

Fabulous Fillet of Salmon

Ingredients
4 thick salmon fillets
2 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 sweet red pepper, cut into strips (I didn't have this, used celery)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened (1/2 brick)
1 1/2 cups milk
grated rind of 1 lemon (didn't have this, so I omitted it)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill or chives, or 1 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease 13x9 inch baking dish.
2. Place salmon in dish, 1 inch apart. Sprinkle carrots and pepper over and around fish.
3. In bowl, using electric mixer, beat flour and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in milk, then lemon rind, dill, salt and pepper. Pour over salmon and veggies. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and salmon flakes easily with a fork. Broil if desired until golden. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve over rice, and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Prep: 10 min
Bake time: 15 min
4 servings.

Cocoa Fudge Cake - Happy Father's day!

For Father's Day I made a double batch of this cake, which is really super easy, and turned one batch into a 9x13 cake, and the other into an 8x8 and 15 cupcakes... large cake for my family and my dad, cupcakes for Chuck (and us... lol), and 8x8 for his parents. I topped the cakes with whipped cream and then decorator's icing. The cupcakes have no whipped topping, as we'll be adding that seperately later.

Cocoa Fudge Cake

Ingredients

-1 2/3 cup flour
-1 1/2 cup sugar
-2/3 cucp cocoa
-1 1/2 tsp baking soda
-salt
-1 1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1 Tbsp lemon juice mixed with milk to make 1 1/2 cup)
-1/2 cup shortening
-2 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350F. Grease and flour pans (see below). Beat all ingredients in a large mixer bowl on low 30 seconds, scraping constantly. Beat on high, scraping bowl occasionally, 3 minutes. Pour into pans.

Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. cool. Frost if desired.

13x9 pan - 35-40 min
2 round 8 or 9inch layers - 30-35min
bundt cake pan - 40-45 min
2 1/2 dozencupcakes (fill 1/2 in papers) - 20 min

Carrot-Coconut Cookies

Today I wanted to bring cookies to a friends house for supper, and since I already had chocolate chip, I figured I'd try something I've never made before, these Carrot Coconut Cookies, as they looked "healthy" in the sense that they add veggies to a "treat". They took a bit for me to make as I hadn't planned in advance. I suggest cooking an extra amount of carrots next time you make them for supper, and then mashing them or however you choose to do so later so you decrease prep time. This recipe came from Betty Crocker's cookbook.

I'll warn you, these cookies are good!

Carrot-Coconut Cookies


Ingrediants

1 cup mashed cooked carrots (about 4 medium or 20 baby)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup shortening (I used 1/2 shortening, 1/2 butter)
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose or whole wheat flour (I did half and half, next time will be all WW)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup shredded/flaked coconut
Frosting

1. Heat oven to 400F. Mix sugar and shortening, then add carrots and eggs. Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt mix. Stir in coconut.

2. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet (un-greased if nonstick). Bake until almost no indentation remains when touched, or 8-9 minutes.

3. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and cool. Frost with Orange Butter Frosting.

Makes about 3-5 dozen.

Orange Butter Frosting

Mix 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar into 2-3 tablespoons of softened butter (little at a time to prevent frustrations). Add 1-2 tablespoons of orange juice gradually until frosting is of spreading consistency.

Mix-&-Match Potato Dinners

Here's a recipe I really like to make. I make a double batch using one pound of hamburger, then freeze one and bake the other. It keeps in the freezer for 3 weeks, and each recipe is good for 2-3 people. I got this recipe from Kraft.

Mix-and-Match Potato Dinners

1. Mix 2 cups frozen hashbrowns and a handful of shredded cheddar cheese in a 9x13inch baking dish

2. Layer with 1 cup each of cooked meat, your favorite sliced veggies, and sauce. Sprinkle with more cheese.

3. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes.

Here are the combos Kraft suggests:

boneless skinless chicken breasts with onions and peppers, and barbecue sauce

ground beef with corn and green onions, and salsa

pepperoni with mushrooms and onions, and pizza sauce

meatless with broccoli, zucchini, and peppers, and canned tomatoes.

I prefer the ground beef with mixed frozen veggies and salsa myself.