'Nana Bread (Healthy Version)

Recipe: Zonya's Health Bites

Makes 2 loaves, 12 servings each .

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2 loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.

Mix together in a large mixing bowl:
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 egg whites
2 TBSP vanilla extract

Add:
3 cups mashed bananas (about 5)
Stir into mixture. (best to use a food processor for mashing)

Add:
2 TBSP canola oil
Add to mix and stir.

Place dry ingredients in separate bowl and sift ingredients.
3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Add to wet ingredients and stir together thoroughly.

Add:
2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup ground flax seed
Stir into batter.

Evenly divide batter between the 2 pans. (loaves will not be high)
Bake 40-45 mins., or until toothpick comes out clean.

Very good! Just a little bit dry, but I didn't really level off the flour measurements or sift, so next time I will add just a little bit less flour. Will definitely make again. Mike even ate some, although I had to make one loaf without the walnuts for him.

Raspberry Jello Salad

Recipe: Simplify Supper

1 package cream cheese, 8 ounce size
1/2 pint whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1 package raspberry jello
1 package frozen raspberries
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 1/2 cups graham crackers, smashed
1/2 cup butter, melted

Start by mixing jello into 2 cups boiling water. When dissolved, remove from heat and add raspberries and lemon juice. Set aside to and let it set up while adding smashed graham crackers to melted butter, reserving a small amount of the graham crackers to use later. Press graham cracker and butter mixture into bottom of sprayed 9x13 pan. Mix cream cheese with a little bit of milk until smooth. Add powdered sugar and whipping cream and mix well. Pour half of the cream mixture on top of the graham cracker crust, then put all of the jello then the rest of the cream mixture. Top with the small amount of reserved graham cracker for garnish. Let set several hours in the fridge.

Very good! But, I'd call it more of a dessert than a salad. Raspberries are my favorite, so how could I not like it, right?

Rise & Shine Waffles

Recipe: Betty Crocker

3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup fat-free (skim) milk
1 cup yogurt
1/4 cup real maple or maple-flavored syrup
1/4 cup fat-free egg product or 2 egg whites, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons canola or soybean oil
2/3 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground flax seed or wheat germ
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon grated orange peel, if desired
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

In large bowl, mix oats, brown sugar and milk; let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix yogurt and maple syrup until well blended; refrigerate until serving time.
Stir egg product and oil into oat mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients until blended. Let stand 5 minutes longer. Meanwhile, heat waffle maker; grease with vegetable oil if necessary (or spray with cooking spray before heating).
For each waffle, pour batter onto center of hot waffle maker, spreading batter to edges. (Check manufacturer's directions for recommended amount of batter.) Close lid.
Bake 4 to 5 minutes or until steaming stops and waffle is golden brown. Carefully remove waffle. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve waffles with topping.

Very good! Couldn't even really taste the oatmeal. The yogurt syrup was really good. I used the Light & Fit vanilla yogurt.

Buttercream Frosting

Recipe: All Recipes

1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
8 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Add milk until frosting reaches desired consistency.

For Chocolate Frosting: Substitute 1/2 cup baking cocoa for 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar. For Peanut Butter Frosting: Substitute peanut butter for butter. For Lemon-or Orange-Flavored Frosting: Substitute lemon or orange juice for milk and add 1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange peel. For Almond-or Peppermint-Flavored Frosting: Substitute almond or peppermint extract for the vanilla. Liquid or paste food coloring may be added to match flavoring (green for mint, for example) or for contrast when decorating.

Very good butter cream frosting. Very rich and fluffy icing.

Oreo Cookies

My sisters spent the weekend at my house and on a whim while at Target we bought a package of oreos and put them to good use making Oreo Truffles and Oreo Cookies. We couldn't let the weekend go by without making treats.

Recipe: Picky Palate

1 stick softened butter
6 TBSP sugar
6 TBSP brown sugar
1 egg
½ tsp. vanilla
1 ¼ cup flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
8 Oreo Cookies, broken into pieces
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Cream well.

Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl and slowly add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Add oreos and chocolate chips. Stir until just combined.

Scoop (medium scoop) onto cookie sheet parchment paper. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Cookies should still be soft. Let cool on baking sheet 3 mins. before removing to cooling rack.

Tastes pretty much like chocolate chip cookies with oreo pieces, but they didn't disappoint.

Don't mind this picture. This was taken just after we'd practiced curling each others hair with my straightening iron and my sister put on a old sweatshirt to keep from getting frostbite. Apparently, not everybody gets along with our 68 degree thermostat.

Ranch Chicken Pizza

Recipe: Stephanie's Kitchen

1 roll Pillsbury Crescent Rolls or a Sheet
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
enough ranch dressing to coat the chicken to your liking
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 TBSP Italian seasoning
1 TBSP dried parsley

1. Spray a small cookie sheet with nonstick spray. Spread the dough evenly across the pan and up the sides. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes or until dough is just barely cooked through.
2. In a small bowl, mix the chicken with the ranch dressing and the garlic powder until evenly coated. Evenly distribute the chicken over the crust.
3. Sprinkle cheese over the chicken. Top with a sprinkle of Italian seasoning and dried parsley.
4. Place back in the oven for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.

Really good. Simple and lots of flavor. Not the healthiest dish by any means. I used Colby jack cheese because I had it on hand and it still turned out great.

Cream Puffs

Recipe: Unknown (A Family Favorite)

Boil: 1 cup water
1 square butter

Add: 1 cup flour. Stir

Cool slightly

Add: 4 eggs - one at a time - beating well after each egg addition.

Spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Fill with a filling of your choice. Add topping of your choice

My sister made these for me for my birthday, so I thought I would share the recipe. It reminded me of a simpler time in my life. Back when I lived at home, had no bills and my biggest decision of the day was whether to play Pac-Man or Donkey Kong.

We usually make several kinds of pudding for the filling and top them with chocolate frosting, whip cream or both. Very tasty! Try them today!

White Chocolate Butterfinger Blondies

Recipe: Picky Palate

¼ cup butter
¾ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup white chocolate chips
6 fun size butterfingers, crushed
2 eggs
2 TBSP sour cream

2 fun size butterfingers, crushed
2 TBSP sanding sugar

Preheat over to 350. Melt butter. Stir in ¾ cup white chocolate chips until melted and smooth. In a large bowl, add sugar, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, ½ cup white chips and butterfingers. In a small bowl whisk eggs and sour cream. Pour into dry ingredients. Add the melted chips mixture too. Mix until just combined.

Pour into an 8 X 8” dish lined with foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 mins, or toothpick test. Remove from oven. Mix the 2 crushed butterfingers and sanding sugar together and sprinkle over top of blondies. Finish baking for another 15 mins. Cool completely. Makes: 9

Really good, really rich, really fattening! I didn't have sanding sugar, so I just sprinkled the butterfingers on top.