Marilyn's Banana Bread

Specialty of Emily's mom Marilyn:

1 C sugar
1 beaten egg
1/2 C melted butter
2 C flour

3-4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 Tbsp buttermilk (I just used milk)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix & bake in greased & lightly floured pan at 350* for 45-60 minutes.

(I used 3 smaller pans and it needs to bake for the same amount of time. I just checked by poking a tooth pick in the middle!)

Beefy Bean Casserole

1 lb. ground beef, cooked & drained
4-6 potatoes sliced
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 can cut green beans, not drained
1 can cream soup--chicken or mushroom
1/2 can water (from soup can)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper to taste

Put ground beef in bottom of crock pot. Next, add sliced potatoes, onions, & green beans. In a separate bowl, mix together cream soup, 1/2 can water, & Worcestershire sauce & pour on top. Cover & cook on low approx 6 hours or until potatoes are tender. Either serve as is or stir & then serve. I prefer to stir it first to have the "gravy effect" on everything.

Food Tip--keep it fresh

In my house, the celery, onions, & garlic cloves seem to "go bad" before I have a chance to use them. To solve this problem but still have these fresh items on hand, here is what I do. For the onions & celery, wash & chop, fold in tinfoil, and store in a plastic freezer bag in the freezer, labeled. For the garlic, just pull each clove from the bulb & store in a freezer bag in the freezer. When ready to use, onions & celery can just be poured right into soups, casseroles, etc. The garlic can be either thawed out or warmed for about 10-15 second in the microwave to easily remove the skin, then minced into the meal.

Tuna on the Bayou

I took a big risk & tried this out while we had company over for dinner. It was a huge hit!! This meal is very affordable with the tuna as the main meat.

1/3 C chopped celery
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 14.5 oz can tomatoes, pureed
2 6 oz cans of tuna, drained (could also be good with canned chicken)
8 oz cheese sauce (I used the one that comes in the large can for nachos, etc. Velveeta or other sauce would probably work as well.)
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
Cajun seasoning (to taste--a must!!)
Rice

In large sauce pan, cook celery & onion in olive oil until tender.
Stir in tomatoes, tuna, cheese sauce, & Italian seasoning.
Mix well & heat through, stirring occasionally.
Add your favorite Cajun seasoning to taste.
Serve over rice.

Caulironi

This recipe is the easy version of a similar one we sometimes make. Great for sneaking veggies into your family’s dinner ;) We aren’t big fans of cauliflower, but love it in this recipe. It also has only half the recommended amount of butter…much healthier!!

2 boxes macaroni & cheese
1/2 cube butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup cooked & pureed cauliflower

Cook macaroni as directed on box. Drain. Only add half the recommended amount of butter…usually 1/2 cup. Stir until butter is melted. Stir in milk & cauliflower puree. Serve.

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1 lb chicken, cooked & diced or shredded
28 oz enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso mild)
8 oz sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg corn tortillas (you will have extras)
2 cups cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, combine enchilada sauce, sour cream, & cream of chicken soup. Mix together well.
Pour just enough of this mixture into the bottom of the crock pot to coat it.
Tear corn tortillas into approx. 2" pieces as you go.
Layer tortillas, chicken, sauce mixture, & cheese, ending with cheese as your top layer.
Cook on low for approximately 3-5 hours. Do not stir while cooking, but keep an eye on the cheese to avoid burning.


*Also great topped with optional sour cream, green chilies, olives, or any of your other favorite toppings.

Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. lime juice
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. seasoning salt -or to taste (My personal favorite is Red Robin seasoning. My husband likes garlic salt).

Drain juice from beans into a separate bowl & reserve.
Put all ingredients into blender.
Put 1/4 cup reserved juice into blender (add more if needed).
Puree.

Enjoy with tortilla chips, pita chips, fruit, veggies, etc. This is a wonderful, healthy snack. Best when chilled before serving.

New England Clam Chowder

1 cup diced celery
2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup diced white onion
diced carrots (optional)
1 pint half & half
1 Qt. milk
3/4 cup flour
4 6-1/2 oz cans minced clams
1 1/2 tsp salt
dash pepper
3/4 cup butter

Put celery, potatoes, onions, & carrots in a large pot.
Drain juice from clams into pot & add just enough water to cover veggies.
Simmer on med heat with lid until tender.

In a separate medium pot, melt butter, add flour & blend. Cook for a minute or 2. (Sometimes I add less butter. If doing this, add just enough flour to thicken with the butter.)

Add half & half & milk to medium pot. Stir until thick. Add this mixture to the large pot of veggies & juice. Stir together.

Sweet & Sassy Trail Mix

My sister Ashley, made this AWESOME trail mix. Very yummy and healthy!

3 popped bags of microwave Kettle corn
1 C. of Yogo bites
1 C. of craisins
2 C. cinnamon almonds (see recipe on this blog)
Mix together

Cinnamon Almonds

(This recipe is my sister Ashley's)

Heat oven at 350*
Bake a single layer of raw almonds on a cookie sheet for 15 Min's.
Put the almonds in a bowl and spray them with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray.
In a separate bowl mix 2 tsp. cinnamon, and 6 pkts. of Splenda.
Sprinkle mixture over the almonds, stir, and repeat until almonds are coated.

Emperor's Chicken

1 Lb boneless, skinless chicken
1/2 tsp vegetable or canola oil
1/2 C soy sauce
2 Tbls brown sugar
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground ginger

Place chicken in crock pot. In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients together. Pour over chicken. Cook on low approximately 5-6 hours or until cooked through. Serve over rice.

Creamy Sausage Rotini

1 lb ground sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
2/3 C white cooking wine (The Alcohol DOES cook out)
1 can diced tomatoes
1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 Tbls dried parsley flakes
Rotini noodles
Parmesan cheese-optional

Brown sausage & onion in large pan until sausage is thoroughly cooked. Drain.
Add 2/3 cup white cooking wine & 3 cloves minced garlic. Stir.
Boil until most of the liquid is gone.
Add 1 can tomatoes (we prefer to puree ours in the blender first). Stir.
Add 1-1/2 cups whipping cream. Cook over med-low heat until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally.
Stir in 2 Tbls. dried parsley flakes.
Serve over or mix with rotini noodles (our kids like the veggie rotini since it's colorful).
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top if desired.