My husband likes walnuts in banana bread, but I don't like walnuts in
mine. Therefore, I often end up making two large loaves or one that is
not going to please both of us. Making a pan of mini loaves is the
perfect solution!
After I have mixed the batter, I add walnuts to half of the batter. Therefore, I can make 4 mini loaves of banana bread with walnuts and 4 without walnuts.
I can also share the mini loaves with friends and family. These would make lovely gifts of homemade food during the holidays. For our friends who have differing ingredients preferences like us, I could send several loaves.
A variety of bread mini loaves will certainly make the food at family gatherings more appealing. By labeling the mini loaves, everyone will know exactly what they are getting. No more surprise walnuts in my piece of banana bread!
1 Cup Mashed Banana (usually 2 or 3 very ripe bananas)
1/3 Cup Chopped Nuts, if desired
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar together with a mixer
Then, add eggs, baking mix, & mashed bananas. Mix until well
blended
Stir in walnuts - If you are dividing the number of loaves that have
walnuts, divide batter into two mixing bowls and stir walnuts into only one
Pour into the prepared pan
Bake mini loaves for 30 minutes - Check if done by sticking a toothpick in
the center of a mini loaves. If the toothpick comes out clean, the
bread is done
Let cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan
Let the mini loaves cool completely before you wrap them in foil or plastic wrap.
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This black magic chocolate cake is made with black coffee and buttermilk
(the magic part) which makes it a rich, delicious cake. It is my son's
favorite cake, therefore I make it for his birthday every
year.
If you love chocolate, this is definitely the cake for you! The
combination of real cocoa, buttermilk and coffee make it a chocolate lovers
dream cake.
For the last few years, I have frosted it with
Barbara's chocolate icing recipe
which is better than the icing recipe I previously used. Serve it with
chocolate ice cream, if you dare, and you have a triple chocolate
masterpiece.
My Mixing Note
I set my mixing bowl in my sink to keep ingredients from blowing or splattering when mixing. It is so much easier to simply rinse the sink when I am finished mixing batter than it is to clean the counters, walls and floor.
I also pre-measure ingredients before I start. That way, I know I haven't forgotten any of the ingredients should I get interrupted.
Grease & flour two 9" round cake pans or one 9"x13" pan
In large bowl, combine/whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. (Set mixing bowl in the sink to keep the flour/cocoa from blowing everywhere)
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil & vanilla
Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Batter will be very thin
Pour into prepared pans
Bake at for 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean
Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and completely cool
Frost as desired
See the Items I Use For Pre-measuring in the Following Reviews:
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Thanksgiving is also a time for a great feast with your family, and friends. Thanksgiving dates as far back as 1621, and became a National Holiday in 1863. Today, we will review some typical Thanksgiving menus. Everyone has their traditions and favorites.
Typical Thanksgiving Menu:
Turkey
Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce
Sweet potatoes
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans
Pumpkin Pie
This was our table last year, with all of our Thanksgiving favorites. The homemade cranberry sauce is one of my favorites.
Our daughter makes the best homemade cranberry sauce, get this delicious cranberry sauce recipe here. This cranberry sauce is much better than the cans I remember growing up.
Everybody knows I love to cook, but when it comes to the Thanksgiving turkey it's all Fran. I do get to check the internal temperature and carve the turkey. Fran insists on buying a fresh turkey every year.
Oh, there is one other thing I get to do, inject melted butter into the turkey breast. This really helps keep it juicy.
After all of that delicious food, you must save room for dessert. There is always a traditional pumpkin pie on our table. Last year these pies were crafted by our granddaughters and grandson.
The Thanksgiving food is wonderful, but for me, it's all about having our family together in one place. That is a blessing in itself and what makes me so thankful.
Take some time to click the link below for many wonderful Thanksgiving ideas from the ReviewThis Contributors. You will find Thanksgiving history, inspiration, main dishes, side dishes, and desserts to help plan your Thanksgiving Holiday.
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Imagine, "Pies That Magically Bake Their Own Crust". The Betty Crocker Bisquick Impossibly Easy Pies cookbook has been a very welcomed addition to my kitchen. With just several ingredients, Bisquick, an egg, and milk I have been able to make savory and sweet pies and have over 130 pages of recipes to try.
As someone who isn't incredibly talented in the kitchen but likes good food, I have tried baking pies in the past. (Sams recipe?). Combining my lack of experience with my lack of time and energy, I am always looking for hardy - but extremely easy - meal ideas. These Impossibly Easy Pies hit the mark perfectly. I can whip one together very quickly after work, pop it into the oven, and dinner is ready by the time I walk the dogs and feed the chickens.
My favorite so far is the chicken pot pie.
Stir together these ingredients and place in a pie plate:
2 cups of chunks of cooked chicken (I used canned chicken)
1 cup of frozen peas and carrots (I used a frozen vegetable mix that also included green beans)
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped onion
Stir together the Bisquick, egg, and milk. Pour this mixture over the vegetable mixture. Bake.
The final product is a hot, filling, delicious, comfort food. In my household, as a single person, I am left with extra portions to use for my lunches at work.
I have begun to use a can of cream of chicken soup, the frozen vegetables, and the cooked chicken chunks routinely. Making a creamier version of the meal.
I did find that my cookbook recommends one part Bisquick to two parts milk. This makes a thin crust that forms more evenly over the top of the dish. The recipes on the internet reverse that to two parts Bisquick and one part milk. I prefer that amount as it makes more of a thick biscuit or dumpling topping (as seen in the my photo).
This week I am going to make a beef pot pie - with a can of vegetable beef soup, frozen vegetables, and grilled chunks of steak.
Additional Tips:
I found my copy of Betty Crocker Bisquick Impossibly Easy Pies cookbook at a store called Ollies for only $3.99. If thrifting is your thing, have a look at the discount stores.
Similar recipes can be found on the internet. I usually refrain from the expense of the cookbook purchase by using the internet. However, in this case, having the book with all of the different menus in one place is easy and inspiring. In this case, having the printed version is helpful to consider the varieties of pies that could be made.
The cookbook has a contents section that lists the pies into chapter based on the ingredients. Such as Beef, Chicken and Turkey, Ham/Sausage/Bacon, Fish and Seafood, Meatless, Fruity, and Sweet-Tooth Temptations. They also list some of the pies into these helpful categories:
All-American Supper
Summer Dinner on the Deck
Mexi-Meal
Sunday Brunch
Kids' Choice
Thanksgiving
Special Occasion Dinner
Appetizer Party
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We recently celebrated my father's birthday. When I was going through
my recipes, trying to select a cake to bake for him, I remembered his love of
pineapple. I decided to return to an old favorite and made a homemade
pineapple upside down cake.
For this birthday celebration cake, I made a vanilla cake batter from
scratch with pineapple juice instead of milk/buttermilk.
I used a 10" Cast Iron Skillet, which I
cleaned
before I started. I didn't want the taste of bacon grease or other
residue transferring to my cake.
As always, I also pre-measured each ingredient before I started. It
is amazing how much salt and sugar look alike when sitting on top of
flour. Or how much baking soda can look like baking powder once you
start mixing ingredients together.
Here is my recipe and the directions to make my pineapple upside down cake
exactly as you see it in the photo.
By the way, the cake was such a hit with the entire family, I will be
making it again very soon.
• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, soften to
room temperature
• ¾ Cup of Sugar
• 2 Egg Whites (large eggs)
• ⅓ Cup of Sour Cream
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 Tablespoons Milk (room
temperature)
• ¼ - ½ cup Pineapple Juice (juice the pineapple slices were canned in - save any
remaining pineapple juice)
Instructions
1. In a bowl, combine dry ingredients: cake flour, baking soda, baking
powder and salt. Set aside
2. In a separate bowl, beat the butter with a mixer on high until
creamy. Slowly add the sugar, beating on high until creamy
again. Beat in egg whites. Then, beat in sour cream and
vanilla extract.
3. Pour the dry ingredients (bowl 1) into the wet ingredients (bowl 2)
and blend together on low speed. Continue using the mixer on low
and slowly add the pineapple juice and milk. Mix on low until well
blended.
Ingredients - Top of Cake
• Canned Pineapple Slices - 7 slices (2 - 8oz cans) for 10" cast iron
skillet
• Maraschino Cherries - I use 19 cherries
• 1½ Sticks (12 Tablespoons) of Butter
• Brown Sugar
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. (Convection Oven 325°F)
2. Mix the Cake Batter (recipe above)
3. Melt 1½ Sticks (12 Tablespoons) Butter in the Skillet in the
Oven
4. Generously Sprinkle Melted Butter with Brown Sugar
5. Place Drained Pineapple Slices on the Top of Brown Sugar
6. Add Maraschino Cherries in the center of each Pineapple Slice and
between the slices (if desired)
7. Carefully Pour the Cake Batter into the Skillet on Top of the
Pineapple & Cherries
8. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes (toothpick to center will come out clean
when done)
9. Cool for 15 minutes, then turn out cake unto a large
plate
I did take the remaining pineapple juice and spooned it onto the bottom
and the top of the cake for a little extra pineapple taste. It was
delicious!
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These extra-crispy chicken tenders are so crispy on the outside and so tender and juicy on the inside. These are the perfect lunch, dinner or snack your family will love. What a great after-school snack for the kids.
With the busy schedules of everybody in the family, we have at least one meal together every week. A couple of weeks ago Fran made these delicious chicken tenders for dinner along with a salad. Everybody loved these chicken tenders, they were gone in no time at all.
These are so easy to make in the oven, deep fryer, or in your air fryer. We used our air fryer, it's the healthier choice, and it's much faster. We used our Ninja Foodi Grill which is a combination grill and air fryer.
Extra Crispy Chicken Tenders - Ingredients
1 or 2 pounds of chicken strips
1 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs or 1 package extra crispy Shake N Bake
2 eggs beaten
Salt and Pepper to taste
Barbeque sauce or Ranch dressing for dipping
Beat the two eggs in a shallow bowl. Dip each chicken tender in the egg and then, coat the tenders with the bread crumbs.
For the air fryer, spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Set the temperature to 400 degrees. Place the chicken tenders in the air fry basket at least 2 inches apart. If you overcrowd the basket, they won't be crispy. Cook the chicken tenders for 5 to 6 minutes per side until they are golden brown.
For the oven, Place the coated chicken tenders on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil. The tin foil will make it easy to clean up. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
Make sure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches at least 165 degrees. I use my Thermo-Pro TP-18 instant-read thermometer. It's a good idea to have an instant-read thermometer handy for all of your cooking needs.
Another thing that makes these so easy is that, you can buy the chicken tenders packaged and ready to cook at your local grocery store.
These chicken tenders are the perfect weeknight meal for the whole family. We enjoyed every single one of them.
By the way, the photo could have been better but everyone was sitting around the table waiting for me to take the picture.
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I posted a photo of these quick & easy Cheddar Corn Dog Muffins on social
media recently and many people commented asking me for the recipe. So, by
popular demand, I'm sharing and reviewing my quick and easy recipe for these mouthwatering,
keto-friendly, low carb Cheddar Corn Dog Muffins.
My husband loved these so much he couldn't wait for me to make them again!
I wanted a quick and easy recipe for weeknights, so I used Good Dee's Corn
Free Bread Mix, which is excellent and has clean, wholesome, healthy
ingredients.
However, you could easily make this recipe with your favorite low carb or
conventional cornbread or corn muffin recipe instead of the prepared Good
Dee's Corn Free Bread Mix, if you prefer. You can also substitute another
favorite shredded cheese for the cheddar. See Recipe Variations, below, for
more information and variations.
Enjoy!
Recommended Tools and Equipment
I like to use reusable silicone baking cups AKA muffin tin liners
lightly sprayed with avocado or olive oil for these cheddar corn dog muffins.
Baked goods are released from these cups very easily, and they help keep leftover muffins or cupcakes fresher during storage. These silicone liners are also very easy to clean,
especially if you spray them lightly with oil before adding the batter.
The silicone liners I use for this recipe (I have two types) are the GIR: Get It Right Premium Silicone Cupcake Liners Reusable Non-stick Baking
Cups, which have a slightly larger capacity than my heavy-duty standard silicone
baking cups and also have helpful tabs for lifting muffins or cupcakes in or
out of the pan without accidentally touching or marring the tops. The set I
have is in the Strawberry Swirl colorway (shades of red, pink, and pale gray),
but they also come in a pretty Frosty Mint colorway (shades of dark and pale
blue and green).
The handy tabs on the large GIR silicone baking cups make it easy to lift the filled liners in and out of the muffin pan.
I prefer to use these silicone baking cups as liners in a nonstick muffin pan, which helps distribute the heat evenly and helps keep the muffins shaped
nicely, while the nonstick pan finish helps prevent any stray bits of batter
or cheese from sticking. Chicago Metallic is an excellent brand; I have a
couple of specialty (jumbo and mini) muffin pans from them and they're great.
Since my standard nonstick cupcake pans are getting a bit long in the tooth,
when it's time to replace them I'll be buying the
Chicago Metallic Commercial II Non-Stick 12-Cup Muffin Pan.
I use a three-tablespoon scoop to measure out the batter, using one
rounded scoop of batter for each muffin cup. I have a set of Norpro stainless
steel measuring scoops that I love and use all the time, and the 50MM (3 Tablespoons) Norpro Stainless Steel Scoop
is perfect for this recipe.
I use Good Dee's Corn Free Bread Mix along with eggs, butter, apple
cider vinegar, cornbread flavoring, cheddar cheese, hot dogs, and
avocado oil spray in this recipe, but you can also substitute other ingredients (see Recipe Variations).
Preheat oven to 325 F. Lightly grease 12 silicone muffin cup liners and
place in a muffin tin.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, vinegar, and
cornbread flavoring or sweet corn extract. Stir in the Good Dee’s Corn
Free Bread Mix until well combined.
Reserve 4 Tablespoons (1/2 cup) of the grated cheese and mix the remaining
cheese into the batter.
Divide the batter evenly among the greased muffin tin liners.
Slice each hot dog into four sections. Place one section on end in the
center of each batter-filled muffin cup, then sprinkle each muffin with 1
teaspoon of the reserved shredded cheddar cheese.
Bake until lightly golden, approximately 18 minutes. Do not overbake or
the muffins will be dry.
Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove the silicone
muffin cup liners and serve, with or without optional dipping sauce.
Optional dipping sauce:
Mix the sugar-free ketchup (Primal Kitchen), sugar-free raspberry jam
(ChocZero) and Dijon mustard. Serve 1.25 teaspoons of dipping sauce with
each cheddar corn dog muffin.
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: one Cheddar Corn Dog Muffin (without optional dipping sauce)
Calories: 189
Fat: 16.3 g
Sat. Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 70.3 mg
Total Carbs: 6.3 g
Net Carbs: 1.3 g
Fiber: 5 g
Sugars: 0 g
Added Sugars: 0 g
Sugar Alcohols: 0 g
Protein: 8.6 g
Recipe Variations
If you want some hot dog in every bite, consider dicing the hot dogs and
mixing them into the batter instead of inserting 1/4 hot dog into the
center of each muffin.
If you're not a fan of cheddar, consider substituting another cheese such
as shredded Swiss, provolone, or gouda.
If you want to make this low carb cheddar corn dog muffins recipe entirely
from scratch instead of using a mix, try the
Keto Corn Dog Bites recipe from All Day I Dream About Food but mix in the shredded cheddar before scooping the batter and add the
shredded cheese topping before baking.
Alternatively, you could substitute a conventional corn muffin mix or
recipe for the corn dog batter if you aren't watching your carbs.
Cheddar corn dog muffins, fresh from the oven!
Quick, Easy & Delicious Cheddar Corn Dog Muffins — Low Carb
Recipe by Margaret Schindel
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These oven-baked zucchini sticks are a great way to use the abundance of your zucchini crop. They make a perfect appetizer for any meal, or just have them as a snack.
These zucchini sticks or fries are so crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Bobby and his girlfriend Abby made dinner the other night. They made these delicious zucchini sticks as an appetizer.
If you don't have a garden, just pick up a couple of medium-sized zucchini at the grocery store or your local farmers market. With a few more ingredients that most of us already have in the pantry, you'll be on your way to making this easy and tasty appetizer.
First, peel and cut the zucchini in half. Then, slice them like french fries, about 3 to 4 inches long. This part was my job, Bobby and Abby did the rest.
They set up a dredging station with flour, a beaten egg, and seasoned bread crumbs. First, the flour, then dip them into the egg, and then the bread crumbs.
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Earlier I reviewed the family owned
Hen House Supermarkets
located in the Kansas City area. They are part of the Balls Food Stores
begun one hundred years ago (1923) by Sidney & Mollie Ball. These
markets have been family owned all this time, first by Sidney &
Mollie, then by their son, and now by their grandson.
Reading the story of Mollie Ball, I discovered that she was no doubt a
pioneer in the field of take-home “Grab n' Go” meals.
When World War II began, many mothers and wives began working in defense
plants and found it difficult to find time to make dinner for their
families. Mollie said
“no problem, we'll make take-home dinners for you.” Her take-home
meatloaf, in particular, became famous throughout the
neighborhood.
Today it is easy to find 'ready-made' or frozen meals at the supermarkets,
ready to cook for a quick dinner. Not so in the 1940s, but Mollie made it
happen. She was a true pioneer when it came to 'take-home' meals. Mollie
Ball was known for her generosity and for caring about the larger
community.
Her original recipe for Mollie's Meat Loaf is shared below with permission
from the
Ball Food Stores.
Mix together the bread crumbs, flour, salt, pepper, onion, paprika,
mustard and sage. Work this into the meat.
Add beaten egg to the milk and knead into the meat mixture
gradually.
Mold into a loaf and place strips of bacon over top.
Cook at 375 degrees F for 2 hours
Makes 8 servings.
Summary
The Hen House and other Balls Food Stores in Kansas City are well-known
for their locally-sourced fruits, vegetables, bakery items and meats. Their
website also has a selection of recipes for your cooking and eating
pleasure.
*Mollie Ball's Meatloaf Recipe Review is written by Wednesday Elf
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