Honey Peanut Butter Explosion

I have no idea what to call this creation other than an ooey gooey delicious mess. I made it last week while I was suffering from a migraine and nothing was sounding appealing to eat. Melted peanut butter and honey drizzled over a banana has always been a favorite snack of mine. When I sprinkled some Apple Cinnamon Cheerios over the banana mess I fell in love. I've also tried the sauce drizzled over sliced apples, Honey Nut Cheerioes or Plain Cheerios. Every combination tastes as good as the others.

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 teaspoon lite Smart Balance butter

1 teaspoon brown sugar

3/4 cup Cheerios

1 banana, sliced

1. In a small bowl, melt together the first four ingredients in the microwave for 15 seconds. Stir and microwave for another 5-10 seconds. You want the sauce to be creamy, not bubbly/burnt.

2. Combine the Cheerios and banana in a bowl. Drizzle sauce over the top and mix with a spoon. EAT!

Sweet Lime Chicken

I came up with this recipe about three years ago when I saw something similiar in my Cooking Light magazine. I've only made it, and it was for an old friend - we ate it on top of a salad (romaine lettuce, corn, tomatoes). Even though this dish is very sweet, I think the chicken would taste good over rice, or inside of a tortilla with a little bit of lettuce and mexican cheese. I also wonder how it would taste if one added a bit of chipolte seasoning or hot sauce...

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 TBSP brown sugar

2 TBSP lime juice

2 TSP dijon mustard

1 TSP honey mustard

2 TBSP water

1 TSP cornstarch

2 1/2 TBSP butter

1 TBSP lime juice

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 TSP cajun or southwestern seasoning

1. Combine first four ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together water and cornstarch. Add slowly to saucepan. Turn heat to medium and whisk until mixture is thick.

3. Whisk in butter and lime juice. Cook for 3 minutes. Add shredded chicken and seasoning.

4. Cook for 5 minutes. Serve over rice or as the innards of a burrito.

I'd love to hear your comments if anyone decides to make this - or what kinds of variations you may have for my recipe!

HG's Overstuffed French Toast

I am literally drooling right now.... two of my favorite things: peanut butter and banana... PLUS butter, syrup, bread, cinnamon... Heavenly good-ness. Thank you Hungry Girl for this incredible tasty and healthy recipe!

I think that this picture does no justice to how tasty this recipe sounds...

I need to see some ooey gooey goodness!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
1/2 tsp. plus 1 dash cinnamon, divided
1 no-calorie sweetener packet (like Splenda), divided
1 tbsp. fat-free cream cheese, room temperature
2 tsp. reduced-fat peanut butter, room temperature
2 slices light white bread
1/2 small banana, sliced
2 tsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)
1/4 cup sugar-free pancake syrup

Directions:
Combine egg substitute, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and half of the sweetener in a bowl, and mix well. Transfer to a small plate and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, peanut butter, 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and the remaining half-packet of sweetener. Mix until smooth by stirring with the handle of a fork or spoon. (That's the easiest way to mix this!)

Gently spread cream cheese/peanut butter mixture evenly onto one slice of bread. (If needed, use your fingers to help spread.) Top with banana and a dash of cinnamon, and then finish it off with the other slice of bread. Press down lightly to seal.

Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add butter and allow to coat the bottom of the skillet. Meanwhile, evenly coat both sides of your sandwich with egg substitute mixture. Coat the sides of the sandwich as well. (You won't need to use all of the egg mixture.)

Place sandwich in the skillet and cook for 2 - 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Serve with syrup for dipping. Enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Serving Size: 1 stuffed "sandwich" with syrup (entire recipe)
Calories: 327
Fat: 8.5g
Sodium: 700mg
Carbs: 48.5g
Fiber: 7.25g
Sugars: 11g
Protein: 18g

Emeril's Gluten Free, Dairy Free Brownie

I am always looking for healthy and easy recipes to make with the little guy that I nanny M-F. Today I was on a hunt for a brownie recipe that didn't require butter or eggs ...

In walks Mr. Emeril Lagasse's Gluten Free, Dairy Free Brownie recipe to the rescue! Little T and I whipped up the ingredients in record time, topped the mix with chocolate chips, a couple of marshmallows,
chocolate sauce, and popped it into the oven. We probably made them un-gluten free and dairy free, but you can try making some of these brownies with your little one sans extra choco & mallow!

Yield: 24 brownies

Ingredients:

Vegetable spray or Smart Balance for greasing pan
1 ¼ cups applesauce
1 cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 mashed banana
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup brown rice flour
2 cups vegan chocolate chips or mixture of any vegan chips

Method:
Preheat oven to 350º F.

Grease an 8x8 pan using either vegetable spray or Smart Balance* (butter substitute)

In a large mixing bowl, combine all remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the pan comes out clean.

The marshmallows were added when there was three minutes left to cook. The choco sauce was drizzled after the brownie was served. Yummy!

Clover Cookies

from Martha Stewart

You will need a clover stencil for this recipe - which I do not have. However, if I make these I will most likely use green frosting and draw on my own clovers! Four leaf clovers or course - because they are the lucky ones =0)

Ingredients

4 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Green sanding sugar

Directions

1.Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder into a large bowl; set aside. Combine butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment; cream on high speed until fluffy. Beat in eggs.

2.Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two additions, mixing until well combined. Mix in vanilla. Divide dough in half, and cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.

3.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out 1 piece of dough on a lightly floured work surface 1/8 inch thick. With a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out 25 rounds. Working with 1 round at a time, place clover stencil on top; sprinkle surface with sanding sugar.

4.Arrange rounds on parchment- or nonstick baking mat-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes, or until ready to bake. Repeat process with remaining dough.

5.Bake, one sheet at a time, until edges just start to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Makes 50.

Orange Juice vs. Apple Juice

Orange Juice and Apple Juice are staples in my refridgerator. I drink both juices daily - morning, noon, and night. One of my favorite websites - Cooking Light - put orange juice and apple juice against one another for a battle -  check out which of my favorite juices won below:

Both of America's most popular juices are delicious, low-calorie beverages with many nutrients and no fat. But if you're choosing, go for O.J. It's known as a vitamin C powerhouse and boasts almost twice the potassium of apple juice. It also contains about a quarter of the recommended daily allowance for folic acid, which lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke. Apple juice has a healthful amount of potassium and vitamin C but lacks folic acid.

Orange Juice
(8 ounces, unfortified)
112 calories
0 grams fat
496 milligrams potassium
124 milligrams vitamin C
74 micrograms folate

Apple Juice
(8 ounces, unfortified)
117 calories
0 grams fat
295 milligrams potassium
103 milligrams vitamn C
0 micrograms folate

Here are two yummy Cooking Light recipes that include Orange or Apple juice:
Whole Wheat Orange Juice Muffins
Apple-Oatmeal Crumb Cake

Do you have a favorite juice to drink?

Carrot Cupcakes

When I saw the recipe for carrot cupcakes I envisioned a tiny little circle of carrot cake... not what Little T (my pretend son) and I just whipped up. BUT when I put a piece of one of these weird looking cupcakes into my mouth, I realized I might have found a path to heaven-ly goodness. Try them out with your kids... or the ones that you nanny (like me)... or with your husband! I bet he won't believe you that carrot cupcakes are GOOD!

Parents Magazine - November 2009 - LET THEM EAT CUPCAKES
2 cups white whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups grated carrots



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; whisk until blended. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and sugar with a wooden spoon. Add oil and orange juice, then combine with flour mixture. Fold in carrots.

2. Divide batter among prepared liners. Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely. Makes 18 cupcakes.

We didn't have enough cream cheese for frosting, so I made a simple sugar glaze:
1 box confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla
3-4 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup butter
Beaten together until creamy with an electric mixer (ours looks so runny b/c we didn't have enough confectioner's sugar either - still yummy though!)

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Buns

 I am so excited that I received my first recipe request - Cinnamon Rolls minus the yeast and soy. In comes The Polka Dot Mommy to the rescue... I was thrilled to find an easy recipe that does not include yeast or soy. This one is for you Brown Eyed Girl!

1 cup The Cravings Place All Purpose Pancake & Waffle Mix

3 Tbs. Earth Balance Soy Free Spread

1/2 cup filtered water

2 Tbs. Granulated sugar (we doubled this) Mix together with cinnamon in a bowl or empty shaker

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (we just shook it into the sugar until it looked right)

1 Tbs whole milk

1/3 cup powder sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Cut the butter into the pancake mix. Add water and mix well. At this point, I sprinkled a little more dry mix in to give it a dough consistency vs. a batter. Roll out between two sheets of natural parchment paper into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Finish like you would for the regular buns. Be sure to keep the dough on a layer of parchment, then use the parchment to help roll the dough up, this keeps it together much nicer.

So… now that you have dough-

Roll it out on a lightly floured surface (unless GF, then use parchment as described above). Spread with melted butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar combo. Roll from one end to the other into a log. Seal ends and seem. Cut into 6 – 8 equal size pieces. Place in prepared baking pan. Bake for about 20 minutes at 325 F. (Until golden brown). We made 8 packages of regular buns and one batch of GF buns. Use smaller baking pans for best results, we found out that our large (9×13) pan left the center buns not all the way cooked.

Combine milk, powder sugar and vanilla to make a glaze… whisk until smooth and glossy. Pour over the buns. Enjoy!

Mrs. Bear's Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

After browsing over atleast 15 different banana bread recipes,
I concocted my own and added chocolate chips.
This recipe makes 2 small loaves of Chocolate Chip Banana Bread that is TDF (to-die-for).

Ingredients
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2 cups bananas, mashed
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 loaf pans

Directions
Set oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Beat sugar and eggs with a whisk until light and bubbly.

Drizzle in oil. Whisk until mixed thoroughly.

Add mashed bananas and vanilla. Whisk until thick. Fold in dry ingredients and chocolate chips.

Pour the batter evenly between two greased loaf pans. Bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. (Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf to make sure it is cooked all the way through the middle before removing).

Eggless Apple Choco-Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

Little T (the boy I nanny) and I decided to bake some cookies on this Fun Friday. We didn't have any eggs so I did some research on egg-less cookies. I found this recipe on http://www.eggless.com/. We added chocolate chips and a little less raisins than the recipe called for - so I renamed it:

Eggless Apple Choco-Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

(Sorry the pic is so blurry - my iphone is being a brat)

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, canned or fresh
1 cup sifted plain/all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup seedless raisins

1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375°F

Stir the sugars into the applesauce. Sift together the flour, baking power, salt and spices. Stir in to the applesauce misture. Add the oats, choco chips, and raisins. Mix well.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 11 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Makes about 15 cookies.

NOTE: They definitley have a weird texture - probably because of the lack of butter and eggs (a.k.a. fat), but I would recommend these cookies for anyone with lactose problems - or as a healthy treat for the kiddies!

Apple Bread

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Breast Cancer Awareness Cookbook 2007

Apple Bread

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 c peeled, shredded apple (roughly one apple)

1 egg, beaten

1 c sugar

1/4 c baking oil

1. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of an 8x4x2 inch loaf pan, set aside. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of the flour mixture, set aside.

2. In another medium bowl combin egg, sugar, apple, and oil. Add apple mixture all at once to the well in the center of the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Spread into prepared pan.

3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

My husband and I were so surprised at how easy and tasty this bread is! I drizzled a little bit of caramel sauce from a packet I had leftover after bringing the boys I nanny to McDonalds. I also sampled a few pieces slathered with a thin layer of Trader Joe's Pumkin Butter or Peanut Butter. Both shmears were pretty tasty - but the bread is really the best when eaten by itself!

Ham's Peanut Butter and Jelly Bread Pudding

I was watching Ham on the Street on FLN and he made something INCREDIBLY amazing - something I need to try someday for sleepover guests (maybe my nephews?)...
PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY BREAD PUDDING
(By George Duran)

Ingredients
4 cups whole milk
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of your favorite jelly, jam, or preserves
8 cups coarsely chopped bread crust, from 1 (20-ounce) loaf white bread (or the same amount of day-old bread)
Unsalted butter, for greasing pan

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 13 by-9-inch baking pan.

Put 2 cups milk, the eggs, peanut butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt into a blender and blend until smooth, taking care that the peanut butter is thoroughly emulsified into the mixture. Pour into a large bowl, then whisk in the remaining 2 cups milk. Stir in the bread and set aside to soak for about 10 minutes. Pour this mixture into the prepared baking pan.

Place spoonfuls of your favorite jelly, jam, or preserves around the bread mixture, pushing them in a bit with your spoon. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the pudding is browned, puffed, and a little firm. Let cool. Cut into squares to serve.