Healthy Banana Pudding

It's been a while, guys! Time to sweep the cobwebs off this blog with a simple dessert I just put together for Sunday dinner. It's easy to make banana pudding using low calorie ingredients, but I wanted to take it a step further. This delightful dessert is only 200 calories per serving and a whopping 6 grams of fiber!

Healthy Banana Pudding
Serves 6

1 box Fiber One sugar cookies (6 cookies)
1 package sugar free pudding mix (I used cheesecake flavor -- try vanilla, banana, white chocolate, whatever you're in the mood for!)
2 cups skim milk
2 bananas
1 cup Cool Whip lite

Prepare pudding per package directions. While pudding is setting up, break the cookies down into smaller pieces but not quite crumbs. Peel the bananas and cut into thin slices. In a 2 quart bowl or dish, layer 1/2 of the cookie crumbles, then 1/2 of the pudding, then 1/2 of the banana slices. Repeat layers and top with whipped topping. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Grandma's Book - 3 Ingredient Key Lime Pie

This is fantastic. So easy and so good. This only uses 6 ounces of limeade, so mix the other 4 with a can of water for a refreshing drink. 

KEY LIME PIE

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tub cool whip, thawed

6oz frozen limeade concentrate, thawed

1 graham cracker crust

Combine milk, whip, and limeade concentrate in a bowl. Stir. I added about 5 drops of green food coloring, this is optional. Pour into pie crust. Garnish with lime and chill until firm, 4 hours or overnight. 

Grandma's Book - Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I brought these to church this past Sunday, and my favorite thing happened: Someone took a bite, their eyes got big, and they looked around the room saying "Who made these?" with a mouth full of cookie. They flew off the plate! 

She wrote the measurements for a half recipe next to the whole recipe. I am giving you the whole one, which makes about 4 dozen.

OATMEAL COOKIES

1c softened butter

1c sugar

1c brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 1/4c flour

2c oats

12oz chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter and sugars. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Add salt, soda, powder, and flour, mix until combined. Add oats and chips, mix with a wooden spoon. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes. 

Grandma's Book - Mashed Potato Salad

This is from Allrecipes, but she took the time to print it out and put it in the book. I used leftover mashed potatoes. It's good! She always puts vinegar in her regular potato salad, but this called for pickle juice so that's what I did. 

MASHED POTATO SALAD (from Allrecipes.com)

6 Yukon Gold potatoes, cooked

3 boiled eggs, chopped

1 sweet onion, chopped

1/4 cup chopped pickles

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup pickle juice

1 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Mash potatoes with a potato masher. Stir in other ingredients and chill for a couple hours. 

Top with paprika and parsley if you wanna get fancy. :)

Grandma's Book - Blonde Brownies

Very easy and very good! Enjoy with cold milk. 

BLONDE BROWNIES

1/2 cup softened butter

1 egg

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder 

A pinch of baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate chips, or add-in of choice

Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8x8 baking pan or dish.

In a bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and egg. Stir in dry ingredients, then add vanilla and chocolate chips, stir to combine. Spread batter in prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. 

Grandma's Book - Deluxe Mac and Cheese

We had this at several family gatherings. I always wanted the recipe. :)

Now when we say a dash, we mean a dash! Too much garlic salt and you'll be swimming in sodium but just a pinch is what makes this recipe perfect. It's easy, too! 

DELUXE MAC AND CHEESE

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

1 cup sour cream

2 cups cottage cheese

1 beaten egg

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 tsp salt 

Dash of pepper and garlic salt to taste

Parmesan and cheddar for topping

Cook and drain macaroni. While pasta cooks, grease a 9x13 baking dish and preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine sour cream, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, egg, salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Add cooked macaroni and stir. Transfer to greased baking dish and top with parmesan and more cheddar as desired. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. 

Grandma's Book - Oven Swiss Steak

This is fantastic. It's a bit of work, and it's worth the effort. I suggest serving with plain mashed potatoes; the meat is very rich and flavorful! The tone of the recipe and the fact that it was typed on a typewriter means this is one of her older recipes. Those are the best kind. :)

OVEN SWISS STEAK

1 1/2 lbs. round steak, 3/4" thick

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes

1/2c chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped carrot

2T chopped onion

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Cut meat into 4 portions. Mix flour and salt. Sprinkle 1/2-1 tsp worth of flour mixture onto each, and pound into flour mixture on both sides. Reserve remaining flour mixture. Brown meat in a small amount of fat, preferably shortening but I used butter. Place browned meat into a baking dish and set aside. 

Combine remaining flour with drippings in pan. Add vegetables and Worcestershire sauce. Cook mixture until it boils, stirring constantly. Pour mixture over meat. Cover, and cook at 350 for 2 hours. Add cheese and return to oven for 5 minutes.

*I have a very hot oven, so I did 325 for 2 hours. It was very tender and developed a lovely crust on the bottom; if you want them more even, turn them halfway through cooking. 

Enjoy. 

Grandma's Book - Snickerdoodles

Another recipe marked 'good!'.

Mine are flattish because I used all butter, as I had no shortening. 

These are very cinnamony. If you want them less spicy, use 1/2 Tbsp sugar. 

Grandma's Good Snickerdoodles (from cooks.com)

DOUGH

1/2 cup each butter and shortening, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 3/4 cups flour

Cream butter, shortening, sugar, and eggs. Add cream of tartar, soda, and salt; stir to combine. Add flour and mix well. Chill 2 hours or overnight.

COATING

3 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 Tbsp cinnamon

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Roll chilled dough into balls by tablespoon, then roll dough balls in sugar mixture. 

Preheat oven to 375. Place balls on cookie sheets, 2 inches apart, and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Grandma's Book - Beer Margaritas

For decades, my grandmother has been collecting recipes and saving them in binders. Unfortunately, in her old age she can no longer get around very well, let alone cook anything. 

I see her often, and we talk about everything, including cooking and recipes. Yesterday, she told me I could take her recipe binders home and keep them.

I am honored to have this privilege. 

I have flipped through them a few times, looking for things to try. When I saw the beer margaritas recipe, I smiled. I remember her being very excited about it; I think I was 18, and at 18 I was old enough to have a drink at family gatherings. Originally from Rachael Ray, this is an easy and delicious recipe that's perfect for Cinco de Mayo, taco night, or anytime. 

 

Beer Margaritas

4 12oz bottles of Mexican beer, like Corona

8oz tequila

1 12oz can frozen limeade concentrate

Lime wedges and salt to garnish

Combine beer, tequila, and limeade in a pitcher. Stir and serve with lime and salt.

Thanks Grandma. 

Homemade Imitation Crab

I really like mock crab and lobster. Since I couldn't find a recipe to make my own online, I made my own using facts I know about the mock crab I get at the grocery store:

1. It's made of whitefish.

2. It's firm, sweet, and buttery. 

3. Mock lobster and crab are interchangeable. 

I used cod, I suppose you could use just about any mild white fish. I used a little food coloring to give it 'the look':

It's not exactly the same, but it's great for recipes like crab rangoon or lobster mac n' cheese. You could probably even mix it with some mayo and throw it on a bun for a makeshift lobster roll. 

Mock Imitation Crab

1/4 cup water

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt 

1 Tbsp melted butter

1 Tbsp vinegar

3-5 drops red food coloring

6oz whitefish

Combine water, sugar, salt, butter, vinegar, and food coloring in a small baking dish. You should have enough liquid to cover the bottom of the dish, adjust as needed. Place fish in dish and cover. Bake at 300 for 45 minutes, 60 if frozen. Do not flip at any time -- you want the pink-to-white gradient. 

Transfer the cooked fish to a plate, discard liquid and allow fish to cool. Flake it with your hands into desired pieces. 

Must Have Hot Wings

I love a nice plate of chicken wings. Everyone has their preference; some like the whole wing, some like non traditional sauces, some bake, some fry, fresh, frozen, ranch, blue cheese...

I like wing parts. I like traditional buffalo sauce and lots of it. I like my wings crispy and thoroughly cooked. I don't want to do a lot of work, and I do want a lot of flavor. This is how I do mine. 

(Note: When you cook frozen wings for this length of time, they shrink a lot, about 50%. I like to cook them for a good long time so there's no greasy/gummy surprises. The butter in the sauce more than makes up for the lost fat.) 

Start with a bag of frozen wing sections. They're about $10 at the grocery store, and a bag holds 40-50, so it's a good deal.

You'll also need:

A baking sheet

Foil

Cooking spray

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

A microwave/oven safe dish, like Pyrex

Hot pepper sauce, like Frank's Red Hot

Butter

Celery and ranch or blue cheese, if desired

Preheat the oven to 400, maybe 425. My oven runs hot, so I set to 400. 

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Arrange desired amount of wings evenly, I can easily eat a dozen by myself... ;)

Spray the wings with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bake the frozen seasoned wings for 40 minutes.

While the wings are baking, microwave equal parts hot sauce and butter until the butter is melted. For a dozen wings, 1/4 cup each is a good amount. Stir and set aside. 

Transfer cooked wings to dish of sauce, stir to coat, and pop the dish in the oven for 10 minutes. If you have the patience, flip them and cook in the sauce for another ten minutes. Serve with celery and ranch or blue cheese if you like. 

And, lots of paper towels.

We're not fancy here. :)

Donuts for Everyone!

These donuts really are for everyone. 

Everyone can make them because there are no special tools, and everyone can eat them because they're vegan! Makes 1 dozen.

2 cups flour + more for kneading

2 tsp salt

1 cup water between 90-110 degrees

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 heaping tsp yeast or 1 pkg

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Vegetable oil for frying

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

A pinch of salt

A few tablespoons water

Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Stir sugar, vanilla, and yeast into warm water, let sit until foamy. Pour yeast mixture into flour mixture, add 2 Tbsp oil, stir to combine. Turn out onto a generously floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic adding more flour as necessary. Let the dough rise in a well oiled bowl for 1 hour in a warm place. 

This is the part that may get me in trouble with the purists: I didn't use a donut cutter. I divided the dough into 12 portions and pushed each portion into a smooth ball. I then stuck my finger through the ball and formed a ring like so:

Feel free to roll the dough out and use a donut cutter, but this works too. Gently cover the rings with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour.

Fill a large iron skillet with oil so it's an inch and a half or so deep. Heat the oil to about 350. Many recipes say heat the oil to 375 or more but that will result in an overly dark donut. 

Transfer the dough rings to the oil in batches. The dough will deflate when you move it no matter how careful you are, but don't worry, it will puff back up as it fries. Fry each side until it is lightly golden brown. They will be slightly irregular especially on the bottoms.

Drain on paper towels.

Combine powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and water in a bowl big enough to dip a donut in. Stir until smooth, it should be about as thick as house paint. Coat each donut in icing while it's still warm. 

Grilled Summer Veggie Pizza

The pizza and the veggies are both prepared on the grill (or grill pan) for the ultimate summertime treat.

For the pizza dough:

1 cup flour plus more for kneading

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup water

1 tsp sugar

1 heaping tsp yeast

1 Tbsp olive oil

Toppings:

1 cup of your favorite cheese

2 cups of roughly chopped seasonal vegetables, big enough to not fall through the grates if you are using a real grill. I used zucchini, asparagus, spinach, and onion in my grill pan. 

3-4 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

Juice from 1/2 a lemon

2-3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

To make the dough, combine flour and salt in a bowl. Heat water to 90-110 degrees, stir sugar and yeast into water. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes. Add olive oil and yeast mixture to flour and salt. Stir until combined, then turn out onto a floured surface. Knead dough, adding flour as necessary, until it is smooth and elastic. Put your dough ball into a well oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 1 hour. I turn the oven on for 30 seconds then off again and let it rise in the oven. 

Place your vegetables in a ziplock bag with oil, lemon juice, and seasonings. Toss to coat. Heat up the grill and grill the vegetables; if you have some that cook faster than others, stagger your timing. Just keep an eye on them and turn as necessary. When they are cooked to desired doneness, remove from heat and set aside.

Stretch dough into a round. Place on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes, turn 1/4, then cook for 2 more minutes. Flip it over and add shredded cheese, then veggies, then Parmesan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then remove from grill and serve. 

I recommend some red pepper flakes and a little ranch or garlic butter sauce for dipping! 

Lemon Cake

This was a special request for a coworker. In search of a good lemon cake recipe, I decided to modify my favorite cake recipe, the BHG Devil's Food cake. This is what I came up with; the cake is light and springy, the frosting is flavorful without being too sweet.

Lemon Cake

2 1/2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

Zest of 1/2 a lemon

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/2 tsp lemon extract

4-5 drops yellow food coloring, optional

Whippy Lemon Frosting

1 cup shortening

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

4-5 Tbsp milk

1/4 tsp salt

Zest of 1/2 a lemon

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

4-5 drops yellow food coloring, optional

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 and grease and flour 2 round 8 or 9 inch cake pans. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, then add wet ingredients. Stir to combine, then beat with an electric mixer until smooth, 2-3 minutes. The batter will be thinner than a typical cake batter and it will taste like melted ice cream. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

For the frosting:

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and beat until thoroughly combined. You can adjust the amount of milk to make it thicker or thinner, just watch out for 2 things: Don't add the lemon juice until the milk is mixed in or it will curdle. If you use food coloring, make sure it is thoroughly and evenly blended or you will end up with streaks and speckles! 

Very Berry Summer Pancake Syrup

You bought strawberries on sale. You have blueberries left over from your Fourth of July flag cake. The blackberry, mulberry, and/or black raspberry bush in your yard is bursting with ripe fruit. At least, that's what happened to me! Celebrate a beautiful summer morning with waffles or pancakes topped with succulent summer berries. 

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup water

2 Tbsp butter

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups mixed berries

Stir ingredients together in a saucepan. Heat to boiling, then simmer uncovered for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Mash the berries with the back of a wooden spoon to break them up as they cook. Let stand for at least 10 minutes to thicken and cool; serve on waffles, pancakes, ice cream, cake, or anything you like. 

Fry Those Pickles!

Sometimes you just need fried pickles. There are many, many recipes out there. After looking through most all of them, I decided to do it my way. 

Fried Pickles for One Hungry Person With A Serious Craving

16 good sized pickle slices

1/2 cup milk

1 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Oil for frying

Heat an inch or so of oil in a sturdy pan. Put the milk in a bowl and soak the pickles in the milk. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and spices. When the oil is hot enough for frying, coat each pickle slice in flour and fry until golden brown. That took me about 7 minutes, you may have a different experience; just keep an eye on them. Drain on paper towels.

You'll probably want some dipping sauce. Plain ranch is good, cocktail sauce is fun, barbecue sauce is daring, and you can't go wrong with good old ketchup. I mixed ranch dressing with a dab of liquid smoke and a spoonful of jalapeño brine, voila, chipotle ranch! 

3 Sweet Ways to Celebrate and Share

Hello all! After an all-too-long Winter, it has already been a busy Spring. When people I love have a reason to celebrate, I love to bake up something sweet! Here are 3 easy ways to spread the love:
Special Request Chocolate Cake
This recipe for Devil's Food cake comes from my trusty Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I bring one to nearly every family holiday celebration, by request, including this past Easter. It melted in the trunk during church, but it was still good! I will never use another basic chocolate cake recipe. Top with your favorite frosting.
BHG Devil's Food Cake
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350.
In a bowl, combine dry ingredients. Stir in all wet ingredients except eggs. Beat on high for 2 minutes, add eggs, beat for 2 more minutes. Pour into 2 greased and floured 8 or 9 inch round cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

A Big Ol' Cookie
When my husband hit his halfway point in school, I wanted to do something special. I thought a cake would be a bit much for just the two of us, so I went with a big chocolate chip cookie instead. Follow the link below for the foolproof recipe I used. You can add chocolate chips, candy, nuts, anything you like. I added chopped truffles! Decorate with your favorite icing.
http://m.instructables.com/id/Turn-Your-Normal-Cookie-Recipe-into-a-Giant-Cookie/

Sugar Free Boston Cream Pie
If you are looking for a scratch recipe, this is not it! If you are looking for a diabetic-friendly cake that even the pickiest eater will devour, follow these steps:
For the cake, use Pillsbury sugar-free yellow cake mix.
For the filling, stir 1 packet of sugar-free vanilla pudding mix into 2 cups of whipping cream. Beat on medium until it gets really, really thick. Trust me. And no, this is not a low-calorie food. ;)
For the topping, melt Pillsbury sugar-free chocolate fudge frosting in the microwave until it's slightly runny. Pour over top and let it fall where it may; this creates the ganache look.
I made this for my pastor's birthday; everyone gobbled it up, even people who "don't like sugar free".

Christmas Cookies #1 - Pecan Sandies

I love Christmas cookies! These pecan sandies are so easy, you will have no stress and all smiles putting them together. Better yet, get the kids in on it! 

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Powdered sugar for decorating

Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla, flour, and pecans, stir until well combined into a stiff dough. (I used my hands for that step - easier!) Chill for half an hour. Preheat oven to 350. Divide dough into 12 portions and roll each portion into a ball, flatten slightly with your hands, and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then roll in powdered sugar or dust the tops. 

More cookies to come. Enjoy. :)

Easy AND Yummy Vegan Chili

In addition to being easy and yummy, this chili is very inexpensive to make and it's also very healthy.

1 Tbsp olive oil or canola oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1 15oz can black beans
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste, optional

Heat the oil in a pot and cook the onion until it starts to turn translucent. Add the corn and cook until heated through. Add the beans, tomatoes, cumin, oregano, and cayenne if desired. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes stirring occasionally; if it gets too thick, put a lid on. If it's not thick enough, cook it longer. Top with cheese and sour cream. (unless you're vegan. :)

The Perfect Indoor Cookout

I love my apartment! The only thing missing is a yard...or a porch...or a balcony. Basically, no outdoor space whatsoever. Not to worry! With a few handy kitchen hacks (and a gas stove), you can bring the outdoors to you!

Make a vegetable packet

Back in scouts, we would make up packets like this and throw them on the campfire. You can do the same with your gas range. For mine, I used a combination of quartered purple/white potatoes and a chopped onion. I added 1 Tbsp olive oil, then some salt, pepper, and herbs. Wrap your veggies up TIGHT using 2-3 layers of foil. You can cook this right over the stove for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through.



Grill meat in a grill pan just like you would on the grill...

For added ambiance, wear an apron and use a coozy!


























Just for fun, you can use Christmas lights as regular lights. Candles are nice too. Your cat can help with any additional prep work; they're very good at helping.

     I like to keep it seasonal and use bright colors. Of course, the important part is the taste! With a little imagination and a lot of love, you can throw a perfect outdoorsy cookout in your own kitchen.