Banana Oatmeal Pecan Muffins

Tonight, after dinner (homemade potato soup), I made banana oatmeal pecan muffins for the kids’ breakfast tomorrow using the two over-ripe bananas I had on my counter.  Trust me, with five kids, nothing goes to waste around here! 

Ingredients:
Topping:
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp melted butter

Batter:
2 large ripe bananas
1 large egg
1 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cups pecans
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

  Mix the ingredients for the topping and set aside.

 Mash the bananas.

 Mix the egg, flour, brown sugar, oats, pecans, and other ingredients well.  Add the bananas and stir just enough to combine.  Batter will be lumpy.  Fill the muffin cups half full.  Sprinkle the topping on and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. 

These muffins have just the right amount of texture and such a yummy taste! Perfect for a wholesome breakfast or snack even on the go!

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Five Southern Thanksgiving Favorites (Five For Friday)

I know right now you may be thinking of Halloween but I’m dreaming of Thanksgiving!  What’s not to love about this holiday, rich in history, in which we spend time with those we love the most, remember all that we have to be grateful for, and feast on the most delicious meal of the year?

I love the traditional Thanksgiving meal, complete with turkey and dressing (known outside of the South as stuffing).  There is nothing more mouthwatering than seeing a big spread on the table of all your favorite dishes. And there is nothing more comforting than Southern cooking for Thanksgiving. Hey, comfort food is what we do best!  We've been passing down and perfecting our recipes over generations. Our food is one of the many reasons we're famous for our gracious hospitality.   

Here are five great (and easy) recipes for some of the best side dishes and casseroles you can serve, with a Southern flavor.

1.  Christy Jordan’s recipe for cornbread dressing.  This is dressing, not to be confused with that stuff made by Stouffer’s or Pepperidge Farm.  What makes her version extra special is she makes it in the crockpot! 


2.  Traditional Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with roasted miniature marshmallows on top. You can make it with pralines on top if you live anywhere else but if you live in the South, it better have marshmallows.

3.  Paula Deen’s Creamy Macaroni & Cheese, another great crockpot recipe.  The secret behind this is using a can of Campbell’s condensed cheddar cheese soup.

4.  Squash Casserole.  For many years this is what I always brought on Thanksgiving.  This recipe is very similar to what I made except instead of topping with crackers, I covered it in lots of cheese like in the photo below.

5.  Old-fashioned creamed corn.  I can’t tell you how long and hard I had to look to find a good recipe for authentic creamed corn. Just so you know, whole kernel corn sitting in a cream sauce is NOT creamed corn. 



If this is all you served for Thanksgiving (with the turkey, of course), your dinner would be memorable.  But a typical Southern Thanksgiving doesn’t stop there!  First of all, there is often not just a turkey but also a ham.  We also must have giblet gravy and cranberry sauce.  And there is always, always biscuits.  There also needs to be a few more casseroles, including green bean casserole, corn casserole, and anything else we may have that can be turned into a casserole.  Then, probably some greens or butter beans and maybe some mashed potatoes.  And if that is not enough, we will probably have a seven layer salad or fruit salad or macaroni salad.  Then, there are the desserts…
But that’s another post! 

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EASY 2 Ingredient Homemade Chocolate Syrup

I discovered this one completely by accident. Have you ever been craving chocolate and realize there are virtually NO sweets in the house???  Well, that’s where I found myself last night.  All I could find was some unsweetened cocoa and some light corn syrup.  So I added a little corn syrup to a bowl and a spoonful of cocoa and stirred it together.  Why had I never thought of this before?  It was the same color and consistency of hershey’s syrup.  It tasted just like it too!  Well, that satisfied my sweet tooth.




Today, I decided to make a bigger batch to keep in the fridge.  I used a ratio of 2 parts syrup to 1 part cocoa (I used the special dark kind).  I didn’t have a lot of either left but I used 1/2 cup light corn syrup and 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa.

No cooking, no heat, just stir and enjoy! I put it in an old jar and made a label. 

It should last for a while considering you can have both ingredients on the shelf after opening without refrigeration but I will keep it in the refrigerator just to be sure.  I made my kids some chocolate milk and they loved it.  They said it was even better than the “other” stuff.

Now, keep in mind, if you are anti high fructose corn syrup, this is not for you.  This is just a cheaper, easier way.  You can use this recipe to make your own chocolate syrup without the corn syrup.  My opinion is that if you are consuming something super sweet, whether it’s granulated sugar or corn syrup, it’s still not good for you! 

This recipe is great for when you’re in a pinch or you just want to save the expense of buying chocolate syrup at the store.  Save your old syrup bottle and refill it with your own!  

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DIY 3 Ingredient Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

This is the easiest, creamiest pumpkin dessert you can make!  It has just the right seasoning and spice to bring you all of the comfort of the fall season. It’s like you’ve frozen Thanksgiving and then bring it all rushing back with every rich, decadent drop.  

All you need is a big tub of cool whip (I used the generic light version), 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free), and 1 big can of Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Mix. 

Make sure it is not just canned pumpkin.  The pumpkin pie mix has the perfect blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice already added and sweetened until it’s just right.  Mix together until smooth and a nice light orange color. Cover and freeze overnight. 

The next day you will have a big tub full of heaven! 

I luckily had an old ice cream tub that held 1 gal. & 1 pint and it filled it 3/4 full so this makes nearly a gallon!  Trust me, you’ll want to make plenty! 

  It is so smooth and creamy and easy to scoop out.  You could even add milk and top with whipped cream for a pumpkin pie milk shake!  Or put between two graham crackers for a pumpkin pie ice cream sandwich! Fill a graham cracker crust and you’ll have a nice pumpkin ice box pie.

 I’m sure you’ll find your own special way to enjoy it.

 If the fall season has you craving pumpkin, then this pumpkin pie ice cream is for you!

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Pineapple Banana Yum Yum

Before we officially say goodbye to summer, why not enjoy one last taste of how sweet it can be?  This Pineapple Banana Yum Yum  dessert will surely hit the spot!  Super easy to make and perfect for an afterschool snack!














Ingredients:
2 Boxes Vanilla Jello Instant Pudding
4 Cups Milk
4 Bananas
1 20 oz.Can Crushed Pineapple
1 10 oz. Package Miniature Marshmallows

Following the directions on the pudding box, combine both packages of pudding with 4 cups of milk.  Blend well. 


 Chop 4 bananas and toss in.  Add the entire can of crushed pineapple and stir. 

Then add the marshmallows and mix.  The marshmallows will mostly stay at the top but will mix in when served. 


Chill for at least 2 hours. 

The kids LOVE this dessert and love to help make it!  This is such a fun and easy treat! Perfect for summer or any time you want something light and refreshing with a hint of tropical flavor. 

 

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Creamy Cheesy Chicken Bake

OK, save this recipe because it will be a hit.  Trust me.  I have some super picky kids and they all love it!  It's one of their favorite meals.  

Creamy Chicken Noodle Stew in the Crock Pot

This is what we had for dinner last night and still have plenty left over.  It was easy and delicious – a good combination when it comes to cooking.  This will easily feed 6-8 people.  

Creamy Cheesecake Dip (AKA Liquid Crack) & Cheesecake Ice Cream

 I hope the title of this post doesn’t throw you.  I discovered this concoction completely by accident, trying to find something yummy for my kids to dip fruit in for a snack.  You may have had this before but it was new to me.  My kids gave it the name liquid crack.  They couldn’t get enough of it.  It is so easy, only 3 ingredients!

Creamy Cheesecake Dip

1 tub Cool Whip (frozen)

1 8oz. package cream cheese

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Mix all three together until smooth. Eat as a dip for graham crackers, cookies, fruit, etc.  Keep refrigerated.

 

Cheesecake Ice Cream

Now, to make this even better, put it in the freezer for a few hours. It becomes a rich, creamy soft serve dessert.  Heavenly!  I have made the homemade ice cream using whipping cream and sweetened condensed milk which is really good but this is even richer and creamier with the cream cheese. It is so good it should come with a warning.  Something like “Warning! Don’t eat this unless you don’t care how big your butt is going to get!”

I think this would also make a great ice box pie filling.  Just pour into a graham cracker crust.  When it is solid, top with berries.  It is very similar to the cherry cheese pie I have always made but I think I have gotten the perfect blend of ingredients for just the right balance of tartness and creaminess. 












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Take 5 Candy Hack

My absolute favorite candy is Take 5.  It is the perfect candy because it has a little bit of everything – sweet,salty, crunchy, chewy, and it has peanut butter, chocolate, and caramel!

I used to eat them on a more regular basis but over the past few months, I have tried to lead a much healthier lifestyle and only treat myself to something sweet once in a while.  It’s working too because I have lost about 30 pounds!  The other day though I allowed myself to have a special treat and I got a Take 5.  As I was eating it, it occurred to me that I could easily make it myself.  So, that’s just what I did.




Ingredients:
Mini Pretzels
Peanut Butter (crunchy would be more authentic but I used creamy)
Homemade Caramel Sauce (See, I told you that last post was going to be useful)
Chocolate Bark Candy


Directions:

Cover your workspace with wax paper and lay out mini pretzels (I used @40). 

Spread peanut butter over the pretzels. I love how they look like little hearts.

Spread heated caramel sauce over the peanut butter.  Let cool. 

Melt chocolate bark candy in microwave (carefully).

Dip pretzels in melted chocolate.  Let cool on wax paper. 

When the candy has cooled, store in an air-tight container.

A great way to gift these candies is in a recycled drink mix canister. 

I took an old drink-mix canister and removed the paper wrapper.  I lined the inside with wax paper and stacked the candy inside ( I was able to get 10 into this size canister).

Then I added a simple label with baker’s twine.  I kept the outside of the container plain but you could embellish these in so many ways. 

To give a larger amount, try using a Pringles chip canister.  Just be sure to clean the inside well and you will have to cover the outside with paper or fabric. 

I hope you’ll try my hacked Take Five candy. It would be great for the holidays. But you might want to give most of it away and get it out of your house.  Otherwise your butt might get too big to fit into that cute holiday outfit you had planned to wear! 


I'll be sharing this recipe at the following link parties.  Hope to see you there!