Black Bottom Banana Bars.

My husband generally eats bananas like they're becoming extinct. However, the last few times I've bought them, he hasn't. Perhaps my pregnancy hormones are changing his eating habits. (See picture at right, lolsies)

Anyway, I've had 5 bananas looking like the ones described in the Grinch (You're a bad banana with a greasy black peel) icky! I don't like bad bananas, or how they smell.

Today, I finally decided to get them off of the shelf and turn them into something yummy and delicious! Thanks to Food.com's (formerly recipezaar.com) recipe for Black Bottom Banana Bars for helping me to get rid of those nasty bananas!

I decided not to change or alter the recipe in anyway- other than to add chocolate chips to the top and so far so good. I just took them out of the oven and OH MAN do they ever smell delicious! I can't wait until they cool and I can eat the shit out of them. **UPDATE- I just ate a little - surprised that I stopped myself from eating the whole pan, aren't you? Bastards. Anyway they're effing scrumptious. **

Photo courtesy of Derf, from Food.com, since mine didn't turn out nearly as thick as theirs!

Here's the recipe!

1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup baking cocoa

I also topped with a hand full of chocolate chips to make it look a little prettier (ok fine, I did change the recipe just a bit, but I don't think this counts!)

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla; beat until thoroughly combined. Blend in the bananas. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide batter in half. Add cocoa to half; spread into a greased 13-in x 9-in pan. (I think this is too large a pan, mine turned out really thin) Spoon remaining batter on top and swirl with a knife. (This also didn't turn out well, it didn't look like when you swirl a brownie batter with cream cheese, etc.) Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the bars test done. Cool and enjoy!

Let me know what you think!

Easiest, Most Scrumptious Pumpkin Muffins EVAH.

I was searching for a pumpkin bread or muffin recipe the other day that had any number less than 3 eggs. Most call for 4. I had 2. Boo hoo hoo. ANYWAY, on Food.com (formerly recipezaar.com) I found one! It called for ZERO eggs! WOOT! (Believe me- when you eat these things, you'll catch my excitement!)

The original poster stated that she acquired the recipe from a Weigh Watcher's meeting. GAG! But, alas, unlike most of the other healthy (read: ICKY) muffins, these haven't caused me to become good friends with The John, aka toilet.

Without further adieu, THE EASIEST MOST SCRUMPTIOUS MUFFIN RECIPE EVAH!!!!

INGREDIENTS:

1 15 oz. can pumpkin

1 18 oz. box cake mix, suggested: yellow, white or spice

(I used Dunkin Hines Butter Recipe Golden*)

*Because I used a non spiced mix, I added the following

1 tsp cinnamon, ground

.5 tsp nutmeg, ground

.5 tsp ginger, ground

Mix all ingredients until creamy. I'd suggest using a stand mixer as your arm will become VERY tired. Divide into lined muffin cups. *** Bake as directed on the box. I got 22 muffins.

***To jazz up the place, I decided to top the muffins, pre-baking, with a Crumb Topping recipe from the same site.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 c all-purpose flour

1/3 c brown sugar, packed

2 tbsp butter or margarine, softened

1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground

In a separate bowl, mix ingredients, using fork or pastry cutter until mixture is crumbly. Top each muffin as evenly as possible.

http://www.food.com/recipe/pumpkin-muffins-12521

http://www.food.com/recipe/caramel-apple-pie-with-crunchy-crumb-topping-3577

(Sorry about the poor picture. I hate posts without pictures, but I didn't anticipate putting this on the blog.)

Strawberries 'n Cream Muffins

I signed up for the Cooking Club of America without knowing that you had to pay membership dues and all of that bullshit. Mike signed up for the Hunter's Club and didn't have to pay a dime...and they sent him a pant load of cool gear. WTF. Same thing I guess, only I get delicious recipes, kind of. Anyway- they send me a cooking magazine which, for the most part, sucks. However, in the back of the April/May 2010 issue, there is a "flashback" recipe which looked scrumptious. I just had to try it. Besides, tomorrow is Mikey's birthday...he's gotta have something good for breakfast!

Strawberry-Cream Cheese Muffins

2 c all-purpose flour

3/4 c plus 3 tbsp sugar, divided

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, chilled, cut up

1 c chopped strawberries

3/4 c plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 egg

1 (3oz) pkg. cream cheese, cut into 12 cubes

1. Heat oven to 400 F. Grease bottoms of 12 muffin cups or line with paper liners. Combine flour, 3/4 c of the sugar, baking powder and soda in a medium bowl. With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly-ish. Stir in strawberries.

2. Whisk buttermilk and egg in a small bowl until blended. Gently stir mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Divide evenly among muffin cups. Dip cream cheese pieces in 2 tbsp of the sugar; press cubes in the center of each muffin (do not cover with the batter). Sprinkle muffins with remaining 1 tbsp sugar.

3. Bake 20-25 minutes or until light brown and toothpick inserted off-center comes out clean (don't put the toothpick in the cream cheese). Cool on wire rack 10 minutes Remove from pan; serve warm or at room temp. Store in refrigerator.

Note: I made 6 large muffins. I baked at the same temp for 25-30 minutes-ish.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKEY!!!

Ooey Gooey Snack 'Cake'

Whether you make this 'cake' for breakfast, snack or dessert, it's both nutritious AND delicious!

Breakfast:

1 tbsp whole wheat flour

1 tbsp sugar or other sweetener

1 tbsp rolled oats

1 pinch baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp yogurt, low fat

2 tbsp fruit; berries, pineapple, peach, etc.

Spray a microwavable bowl with cooking spray. Place yogurt, and dry ingredients; mix well. Gently add fruit. Place uncovered, in microwave.  Cook on high for 1 minute. Serve warm. (microwave ovens do vary, please watch your item carefully. if it is not done, add a few seconds at a time)

Dessert:

1 tbsp whole wheat flour

1 tbsp sugar or other sweetener

1 tbsp rolled oats

1 pinch baking soda

.5 tsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp chocolate yogurt, low fat (I used yoplait whips)

caramel sundae topping

Spray a microwavable bowl with cooking spray. Place yogurt, and dry ingredients; mix well. Place uncovered, in microwave.  Cook on high for 1 minute. Serve warm, drizzled with caramel topping

(microwave ovens do vary, please watch your item carefully. if it is not done, add a few seconds at a time)

I did not take a picture, as it isn't much to look at. ENJOY! mmmm.

The below is estimated, based on the 'breakfast version':

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 1
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 158.8

• Total Fat: 1.1 g
• Cholesterol: 1.6 mg
• Sodium: 68.5 mg
• Total Carbs: 36.7 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3.5 g
• Protein: 3.2 g

Pumpkin Roll

From my good friend Stephanie Ryan of http://www.scryanphotography.blogspot.com/ (see my TTD photos there)
Below is her recipe in her words- verbatim.

Pumpkin Roll
What? Like those of you that know me couldn't guess this… come on now. For the others that don't know what Pumpkin Roll is- boy, have you been missing out. Imagine rolling pumpkin bread around cheesecake filling. Mouth watering yet? I thought it might. My family has been making this for generations to the point it's expected to be there on Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, my merriment of fall gift to all of you is the recipe. Planning on being a dinner guest this Thanksgiving and want to impress? Make this. They may even pull you aside and tell you it's better than Grandma's Pumpkin Pie. It's been known to happen…
Enjoy!!


What you need:
3 Lg. Eggs
¾ C Sugar
2/3 C Canned Pumpkin
1 tsp. Lemon Juice
¾ C Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
2 Tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. Ginger (optional)
½ tsp. Nutmeg (optional)

Filling:
8oz Cream Cheese
1 C Powdered Sugar
4 Tbsp. Butter
½ tsp. vanilla

1. Beat eggs and sugar until thick
2. Add in pumpkin and lemon juice.
3. Quickly add with minimal mixing the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger and nutmeg.
4. Spread batter into a 15" x 10" x 1" that has been wax papered in the bottom, then sprayed with cooking oil. YOU MUST SPRAY WITH COOKING OIL OR IT WILL DEFINITELY STICK!!
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. (cake will pull away from sides)
6. Flip the cake over a piece of waxed paper that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Don't over do it or the sugar will make the cake sticky and gooey.
7. Peel off the wax paper that was used during baking.
8. Let cool for 10 min.
9. Roll up and refrigerate in waxed paper. (Want to make a bunch for later? Freeze the rolled cake w/o filling and use it later!)
10. Mix filling.
11. Unroll cake and Spread filling evenly.
12. Re-Roll
13. Wrap and refrigerate until use.
14. Use a long string of wax dental floss to cut roll (wrap around roll as though you're tying it at the top. When you pull it will make a clean cut and not squish it like a knife.)