Grilled Banana S'Mores

Just take a whole banana and slice it down the middle. I used three marshmallows per banana and a handful of dark chocolate chips. Wrap it all in foil and throw it on the grill (or in the oven) on med-high for a few minutes (lower heat can make the banana soupy but still good).

Coconut Raspberry Bars

One package of muffin mix - any kind that will jive with your jelly :)

5 Tbsp margarine or butter, softened

1/4 cup quick oats

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup jam - any kind that will go with your muffin mix

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Grease a 9 inch square pan

Combine the first four ingredients

Mix with a fork until crumbly

Set aside 1/4 cup of the mixture

Press remaining crumb mixture into pan

Spread jam on top of the crumb layer within 1/2 inch of the edge

Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the filling

Bake 25 - 28 minutes until slightly browned

 

Red Velvet Cupcakes...ish

Cupcake Ingredients
(Adapted from the American Institute for Cancer Research)

1 cup canned beets, drained (not pickled!)
1/2 cup reduced fat buttermilk, divided
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup plus 2Tbsp all purpose flour
6 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa (be sure to sift this to remove the lumps)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup canola oil, chilled
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, cold

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop paper liners in 12 muffin tins.

Place beets in the blender, add 1/4 cup buttermilk and whirl until beets are finely chopped. Add remaining buttermilk, vinegar and vanilla and whirl to puree, making sure no lumps of beet remain. Set beet mixture aside in a separate bowl.

In a small bowl, combine flour, 6 Tbsp of cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, set aside.

In the clean blender combine oil and sugar. Blend until sugar is moistened. Add cold egg and blend at high speed until mixture resembles mayo and sugar is completely dissolved (90 seconds). Add beet mixture and beat until combined. Sift dry ingredients into bowl and mix until combined. Divide batter evenly among lined muffin cups, filling them 2/3 full.

Bake cupcake for 28-30 minutes or until the tops feel springy. Cool completely before frosting with your favorite cream cheese icing!

Angel Pillows

 These are more of a dessert than a breakfast food and they are fun for the kids to make. My only caution is the baking temperature: bake them high and fast or the marshmallows will ooze everywhere and make caramel candy on your baking sheet.

You are going to need some cinnamon sugar, some melted butter, large marshmallows and a can of cresent dough. Dip the marshmallow into the butter, then the cinnamon sugar, then roll it in the dough. Seal all of the edges and place on a line baking sheet.

Bake at 400* for 6 to 8 minutes. Careful when you remove them, hot marshmallow can burn the fingers!

Eat while warm - Enjoy!

Easy Chocolate Croissants

These are totally kid friendly! 

Take a package of cresent dough and a few handfuls of dark chocolate. 

Roll 'em out, sprinkle the chocolate, roll 'em up and bake.

Enjoy!

Jacob's One Bowl Brownies

1/2 cup butter
2 oz dark chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
Spray an 8x8 pan
In a microwave safe bowl (large enough to mix all ingredients in), melt together butter and dark chocolate. Only heat for 30 seconds at a time, stir and repeat.
Allow butter mixture to cool a little bit so that your eggs don't scramble.
Whisk in sugar and cocoa powder. Then whisk in eggs, one at a time. Finally, whisk in the salt and vanilla.
Put the whisk down...use a spoon and mix in the flour but just until incorporated.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour batter into pan.
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.

We ate ours warm with chocolate gelato!

Danish Coffee Cake with Peaches

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2/3 cup greek yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 (or smaller rectangle pan).

In a bowl, mix eggs. oil, yogurt and sugar. Just a spoon...the dough will get too thick for a whisk

Add the vanilla and flour and baking powder and combine.

Press into prepared pan.

 8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 peaches, sliced

Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy.
Add vanilla and egg.
Spoon this cheese mixture into the center and spread, leaving a one inch border of just cake.
Top with slices of peaches.
Bake fr about 55 - 60 minutes. Cool in a pan.

Strawberry Bruschetta

 A very yummy dessert that is easy enough for kiddos to help make!

I used the store bought french bread dough. Bake it off using the package instructions and let it cool, but leave the oven on. Then slice the loaf into 1/2 inch slices (or thicker if you'd like) and place on a baking sheet.

Mix a cup of Chobani Vanilla Yogurt together with a sprinkle of cinnamon and 1/3 cup of brown sugar. Spoon some yogurt onto the bread slices. Heat in the oven for about 3 to 5 minutes.

Layer with sliced strawberries and a drizzle of honey (even mint leaves for garnish).

Enjoy!

Tropical Rice Cookies

Ingredients



1 1/2 cups Minute Rice, uncooked

1 pgk (14oz) flaked sweetened coconut

1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 can (8 oz) crush pineapple, well drained

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp grated lemon peel

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degree.
Prepare rice according to package directions. Cool.
Combine all ingredients, mixing well.
Drop heaping tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with non stick cooking spray.
Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, remove cookies to wire racks. Cool completely.

Yep - Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies!

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup bacon, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using an electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar.
Continue to mix on low and add eggs, vanilla, powder, soda, syrup and salt.
Continue to mix and add flour.
Fold in chocolate and bacon.
Spoon dough, about 2-3 ounces, onto baking sheets. The thinner the cookie, the less likely it will hold together so make 'em thick!
Bake for 8 minutes and add 2 minutes until edges are golden brown.

Dairy Free Banana "Ice Cream"

I needed a few bananas for the Frozen Yogurt Banana Pie but then had all of these left over :( What to do, what to do? Yep - another frozen treat! Slice up these bananas like the picture below and place the whole plate (or in a bag) into the freezer until solid.

Once they are frozen solid, pop them into the food processor (or blender) and being pulsing the processor until creamy. If you are using a blender, you may have to add a little soy milk, milk or yogurt just to get everything moving.

Ah! Creamy, frozen, banana goodness! You can fold in dark chocolate chips or nuts and top it with caramel sauce. This stuff tastes just like ice cream without the fat...awesome :)

Frozen Banana Yogurt Pie

Now that I look at the pictures, I have to say that this pie tasted a lot better than it looks! I think maybe next time I will top it with cool whip for presentations sake. The 100 degree heat must have got to me...I just needed to eat something COLD!!

Here's the recipe:

I was lazy and used a pre-made chocolate crumb crust.
3 TBSP caramel topping
1 box of instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups of low fat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup skim milk
1 1/2 cups Cool Whip (you can use reduced fat if you'd like)
2 medium bananas, chopped

Mix the pudding mix, yogurt and milk in a bowl with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Fold in the whipped topping. Stir in the bananas.

Spread the caramel evenly over the crust.

Spread the banana mixture over the crust.

Cover and freeze for at least 3 hours. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Watermelon Salad with a KICK!

I bought a giant watermelon so that the kids could have half and I could use the rest to make a new salad. The recipes that I searched mentioned that you could grill the watermelon for more flavor. I wasn't in that crazy of a mood...I was already adding cayenne pepper to a fruit. Baby steps.

I balled up half of the watermelon and added it to:

The juice of two oranges
The juice of one lemon
1 tsp of kosher salt
A pinch of cayenne pepper
8 mint leaves chopped

Chobani Cheesecake-ish Pie

Our strawberries have been growing great, but the raccoon in our backyard has gotten to them before us! Our only other fruit is from this little (hopefully to grow bigger) blueberry bush. 

The dessert for tonight is a take on the Rhubarb Custard Pie. I used the same recipe with these changes:

• Substituting 1 pint blueberries for the rhubarb.
• Eliminating the crumb topping.
• Adding the following to the original recipe - 6 oz in additional yogurt, 1 extra egg, 1 extra TBSP flour.

I used Vanilla Chobani Yogurt.

 So all in all you will use 12 ounces of Chobani yogurt, 5 TBSP of flour, 3 eggs, and 1 cup of sugar. Then add in the pint of blueberries. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then lower the oven to 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Just whisk it all together and add the blueberries.

This bakes up like a cheesecake in a pie!

Blueberry Croissant French Toast Casserole

 I wanted to make french toast but all I could dream about was bread pudding...yes, dream about! I love bread pudding with caramel sauce :) I bought some croissants and used eggs, almond milk and blueberries that I already had.

I tore up all of the croissants and placed half in a PAM sprayed casserole. The blueberries were sprinkled in, then more croissants, then more blueberries. I whisked 3 eggs together with two cups of vanilla almond milk and poured it all over the croissants. Press down hard to allow all of the ingredients to be coated/soak up the liquid.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the center is firm.

Semi Homemade: Pear Coffee Cake

I wanted to make something different for breakfast. Donuts were too sweet. Pancakes were too messy. I searched the cupboard and found a box of yellow cake mix. I found a few overripe pears in the fridge. Pear Coffee Cake it is!

Slice the pears, skin and all. I prepared the cake mix according to the directions and poured the batter into a 13 x 9 inch glass dish. Top the batter with sliced pears. Sprinkle the pears with cinnamon and brown sugar.

 Bake the cake according to the package instructions based on the pan size. Let it cool and eat it for breakfast or a dessert!