Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

I have tried several recipes...banana, banana chocolate chip and banana oatmeal...this time I decided to combine two of them and came up with this recipe!! I love banana and oatmeal together and the chocolate chips are just perfection!!

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

2 eggs

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup milk

1 cup mashed bananas

In large bowl measure in flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt & chocolate chips.

Mix well and make a well in the center.

In small bowl mash bananas. I do this with a fork - it seems to separate the banana better than a spoon.

In small bowl combine eggs, oil, milk and bananas.

Mix well.




Pour liquids into the well in the dry ingredients.



Stir just to moisten. The batter will be a little lumpy. Fill greased muffin cups.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes. This makes 12 full muffins. I prefer them a little larger.
Here is the muffins all warm and toasty brown. By far the best recipe I have tried.

Simple Chicken Bake

This is a nice simple recipe - throw together - put it in the oven and relax...or do one of the other 100 jobs that there is for us mom's to do ;0)

Simple Chicken Bake

1 1/2 cups long grain rice, uncooked
3 lbs chicken parts, skin removed
1-10 oz can Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 cups water
1 pkg of dry onion soup mix
1 tsp paprika

Put rice into a 3 quart casserole.

I purchased chicken legs with the backs attached and cut them apart into the backs and the drums. I then pull the skin off.

Lay chicken parts on top of the rice.

In medium bowl stir the soup, water, soup mix and paprika until mixed well.

Pour over chicken.

Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours til rice and chicken are cooked through.

Here is the finished dish.

I had less than 3 lbs and I fed 5 on this with 1 piece of chicken and some rice left over.

Stuffed Round Steak, Broccoli with Toasted Garlic & Smashed Potatoes with Sour Cream

Stuffed Round Steak

Serves 6

2 lbs boneless beef top sirloin steaks (about 1 lb each)

4 bacon strips, diced (I had part of a bag of bacon bits and use this instead)

1 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 1/2 cups unseasoned stuffing cubes

1 tbsp minced parsley

1/2 ts salt

1/2 tsp celery salt

1/4 tsp sage

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 cup beef broth

1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce

Recently while trying to pound out meat I tried putting the meat between 2 flexible cutting boards. In the past I have used plastic wrap or waxed paper. Both rip and get into the meat and make a mess. The flexible cutting boards are perfect. You can pound the top layer - you can lift the cutting board and see if the meat is pounded enough. And when you are done -the cutting boards go into the dishwasher. So easy and cost saving too.

Here are the two steaks after they have been pounded out.

Saute onion in a tsp of olive oil.

Combine stuffing cubes, parsley, salt, celery salt, sage & pepper in a bowl.

Add bacon - as I mentioned - I had a partial bag of bacon bits that I keep on hand for salads etc... I decided rather than open a package of bacon - I would use up this bag which equaled about 4 slices of bacon. Add onion once is cooked, add to stuffing mixture.

Spread stuffing mixture over each steak with within 1 inch of edges.

Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short end. Tie with kitchen string. Place in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.

Pour beef broth over steaks.

Cover and bake for one hour at 325 degrees.

After one hour, remove from oven and uncover.

Take tomato sauce and pour over rolls.

Bake another 45 minutes or til cooked through.

See finished meat product at the end of the recipes.

Broccoli with Toasted Garlic

1 bunch of broccoli

1 cup of water

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

salt and black pepper, to taste

Cut broccoli into florets an put in a steamer basket in a pot of water. Steam til tender.

I have dried garlic chips and decided to try to rehydrate them in the oil. This didn't work - it was a dismal failure and the garlic burned quickly and was bitter smelling. I use minced garlic and I added that to the oil and just cooked til the garlic flavor was infused in the oil.

Once broccoli is cooked add the garlic and oil to the broccoli and salt and pepper to taste.

Smashed Potatoes with Sour Cream

1 1/4 lbs potatoes unpeeled

1/4 cup chicken broth, warmed

1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

salt and black pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until cooked. Smash in the skins and add both the chicken broth and sour cream.

I had potatoes left over from the low country boil so used these and a full can of chicken broth. Just heat til the potatoes are warmed through. I drained the potatoes and reserved the broth. I added the 1/4 cup broth back in and smashed the potatoes in their skins. Add the sour cream. I added a little more of the reserved broth - and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Here is the finished potatoes.


Here is the complete meal - lol - sort of :0) Most important is the meat so you can see what the finished product looks like after the string is removed and it is sliced up. The family really enjoyed this meal. It was a definite comfort meal.

Low Country Boil

We lived in Georgia for 2 1/2 years. While there we were introduced, fell in love and cannot resist...Low Country Boil. Such a simple meal - but such yummy food and wonderful memories every time we eat this meal.

Low Country Boil

2 lbs frozen little ears of corn, thawed (they are regular ears that are cut into about 3 pieces)

2 lb raw shrimp

1 lb kielbasa

2 lb new baby potatoes

1 bag Old Bay Crab Boil

Bring Water and Crab Boil seasoning bag to a boil. Add potatoes and boil 20 minutes.

Cut kielbasa into pieces and add to potatoes. Boil 5 minutes.

Add mini corn cobs to potatoes and kielbasa and boil for 5 minutes.

Add shrimp to the pot and cook just until cooked.

Drain food and put onto platters and serve.

This is a feel good meal. Yummy corn, especially on the cob in the winter!!! Great tasting shrimp. Kielbasa that is bursting with flavor and those beautiful little red potatoes that remind me of summer. This meal is one that you can play with the ingredients. Cook more or less of what ever you prefer. We serve it with seasoning salt and Old Bay seasoning. Enjoy.

Turkey Stroganoff, Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower, Salad & Pillsbury Breadsticks

Tonight we had 11 for supper. Our oldest son was in a band and we had the band with their new members for supper and hang out time. It was nice to reconnect with these young adults again. Along with them our family and a friend of my daughters. One of the band members is sort of vegetarian - but she eats turkey/chicken. I did turkey version of Beef Stroganoff. It was a low calorie version that turned out very nice.

Swedish Meatballs with Egg Noodles
(This recipe serves 2 people. Because I was feeding more I multiplied the recipe by 6)

1 1/2 cups egg noodle
1 slice whole-wheat bread torn
2 tbsp skim milk
8 oz. ground turkey
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup grated onion
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp canola oil
2 tsp butter
1 tbsp flour
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/3 cup skim milk

Prepare noodles according to package directions.

Take bread and cut into small pieces

Soak bread in milk.

Combine turkey, egg, onion, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a large bowl.

Stir in soaked bread. Form mixture into 8 meatballs [obviously I made many more :0)]

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown meatballs on all sides, 5 minutes; remove meatballs and set aside.

Melt butter in the skillet and stir in flour; cook 1 minute.

Whisk in broth; reduce heat to medium.

Whisk in milk.

Mix together brown sugar and thyme.

Add sugar/thyme mixture into cream sauce.

Return meatballs to sauce; simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Serve over meatballs.


Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

(I have made this recipe several times, but I think this is the first I have shared it. The flavors in this side dish are amazing - sweet, rich, yummy)

8 cups (about 1 large head) cut into florets

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried marjoram

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Put cauliflower in baking pan.

Toss cauliflower with oil, marjoram, salt and pepper. Roast for 15 - 20 minutes. Toss with vinegar and Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven and roast until the cheese is melted and any moisture has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes more.

Salad

I take romaine hearts and slice them in about 1/2 inch slices. Pull the slices apart and mix together in a large bowl. To serve I put an assortment of dressings, croutons, bacon bits and cheese on the table for a serve yourself salad. Any salad less is stored in a Ziploc bag. I have found it lasts longer by not mixing it with other ingredients and dressing. It also means the lettuce is ready for a quick lunch salad for me without much work.

Pillsbury Bread Sticks

2 packages of Pillsbury Bread Sticks

olive oil

Parmesan cheese

Italian seasoning

I take them apart and twist each one onto the baking pan. I sprinkle them with olive oil, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Bake according to directions. They are a dressed up version -easy to do.