Banana Cake

I always buy lots of bananas with such great intentions of making smoothies, putting them in cereal, eating them as a snack.  But it seems my family has other go-to snacks, which always leaves us with extra, browning, bananas.

Problem?  I think not, since finding this delicious cake recipe from Butter Yum.  In fact, I now find my self buying an extra banana or two in the "hopes" that if we don't eat them all I will have to make "something" with them. We can't let them go to waste...ok twist my arm I will make this amazing banana cake!  Anyone else like me...thinking you've "tricked" yourself into having to bake or eat something yummy?  Oh, the games we play :)

Anyways, I found this recipe and had to try it since I LOVE banana cake.  One of my favorite bakery's, Icing on the Cake, makes an amazing banana cake, that they are known for, and I figured if I can make a banana cake at home that even resembles the one from the bakery...I am going to be a happy girl!  Did it work?  Well, let's just say, if you could see me you could see how big my smile is!  This banana cake is delicious and I definitely recommend trying this out with your "left over" bananas!

I have made this cake twice now.  The first time I followed the recipe exactly (I always do that the first time I make a recipe, so I know what it is supposed to taste like) then after that I make tweaks depending on what sounds good to me.  The second time I made this I used low fat milk in the vanilla buttercream frosting instead of the heavy whipping cream in the instructions (trying to shave a few calories).  Obviously the whipping cream was better, but if you use a lower fat milk do not use as much as the directions say, otherwise it will be too runny.  Just add a little at a time until you get the consistency you are looking for.  Next time I am going to try to use a whole wheat flour and other tweaks to see if I can make a "healthy" cake.  If it is good...I'll be sure to let you know.

Enjoy and when you make it...eat a piece for me :)

Instructions:

Cake:
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
2 Tbs butter, softened
2 mashed, super ripe, bananas (about 3/4 cup)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Frosting:
2 Tbs butter, softened
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste, if you have it)
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar


For the cake:
Preheat oven to 350.   Cream sugar, sour cream, egg, and butter together (can be easily mixed by hand).  Add in the bananas and vanilla until incorporated. Add in the dry ingredients and mix well.  Pour into a greased 8x8 glass pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  (I love moist cakes, so I get it out on the early side).  Then cool completely before frosting, so the frosting doesn't soak into the cake.

For the frosting:
While cake is setting cream butter, cream, vanilla and slowly add the powdered sugar until smooth. Then spread on cooled cake.

Note:
bake at 375 if you have a metal pan
recipe doubles well to fit a 9x13 pan

Eat and enjoy! Pin It Now!

S'mores Bars

I love summer and all the things that go with it!

We got invited to a beach bonfire, invite reading "bring your own meat and a dish to share"...

Naturally, my mind went straight to dessert and I thought of this bar that I found on pinterest (which, by the way, is now my FAVORITE way to get recipes.  It has introduced me to so many awesome food blogs, which is what sparked my inspiration for this blog :)  So thank you pinterest)!  ok, tangent over!

...Smore's Bars with Nutella!  Enough said! You had me at Nutella!

 I found the recipe at a fun food blog I enjoy called Sugar Crafter.  Now, to be honest I am not usually a big smore's fan.  Don't get me wrong... I like the occasional s'more at a campfire or bonfire but more for tradition sake.  I think it's the marshmallow, I am not a huge fan, so needless to say it is not a dessert I ever crave or really get excited for....until NOW!

I made these bars the night before the bonfire and actually had the discipline to wait until the late morning to taste them (more so, because instructions read wait until cooled rather than my actual will power).  Oh, but when I did taste them... (my mouth is watering just remembering).  The graham cracker cookie was SO soft and chewy, the perfect sandwich. And the Nutella, chocolate chips, and marshmallow were the perfect addition.

I had them cut and ready to go when I got a text that the bonfire was cancelled.

CANCELLED! Oh, NO! HELP!


Now I have tasted these delicious cookies, there is no longer any event these cookies HAVE to make an appearance at, and my all my strength was used up waiting from the night before until then to try them.  What is a girl to do?


Luckily, I remembered my neighbor was home so, literally, I placed them on a plate and dropped them off as fast as I could.  Phew! Disaster adverted, and my neighbors were super stoked that I surprised them with such a yummy treat.  Of course, I saved a reasonable amount for us, but the key there is, reasonable! I didn't eat the whole dish...YAY! On step closer to my goal of eating "one bite of anything".

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

Directions:

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup Nutella or more :)
• 7 ounces marshmallow creme
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a 8x8 baking pan with foil and spray the foil.  Leave enough foil coming out over the sides so you can lift it easily when it is done baking.

Cream together the butter and sugar.  Then add the egg and vanilla. Once creamed add in the dry ingredients and mix the batter until it is combined.

Press 1/2 of the cookie mixture into the bottom of the foiled pan.  (I sometimes wet my fingers or spatula with water when pressing down dough to avoid the batter pulling up). 

Smooth marshmallow creme over the pressed cookie batter. (If you are like me and don't love marshmallow you can use a little less than the jar and it would be even more amazing!)

Then spread the Nutella over the marshmallow creme and sprinkle the Nutella with chocolate chips.

With the remaining cookie dough place dough in  small pieces over the chocolate.  You want to place it in pieces so that the marshmallow and chocolate can ooze through the cracks when it bakes.

Bake for 30 minutes (or a little less, if you like your cookie super soft and chewy)  or until it' golden brown.

Once it has cooled completely remove it from the pan and cut into bars and serve or eat  and enjoy! :)

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Not your ordinary Chocolate Chip Cookies

You always remember your first loves....

I met this cookie when I was a sophomore in high school and it was love at first taste!  It was a Friday night and I was at my friend Emily's house.  We were having fun hanging out when we smelled something wonderful coming from the kitchen.  We looked at each other and ran to her kitchen to see what her mom was baking.  We walked into a kitchen covered (I am not exaggerating...this recipe makes a ton) of the most delicious chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted.

There is something slightly different about this cookie, perhaps the extra vanilla or the amount it is whipped to give it an amazing texture.  The texture is my favorite of any cookie, note to reader...I LOVE soft and chewy cookies almost even par-baked, however if that is not the type of cookie you like...just bake longer!  :)

To this day this is the ONLY chocolate chip recipe I use.  I have the recipe memorized so I can make if from any kitchen anywhere.

As I mentioned before this recipe make a ton so I usually cut the recipe in half (I included it below for your ease).  Even cutting the recipe in half it is equivalent to a "regular" batch of cookies.

Every once in a while I spice up the recipe a bit.  See the end of the post for other variations. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

Chocolate Cookies
1 lb butter (4 cubes)- softened
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 Tbs vanilla
3 eggs
6 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
4 cups chocolate chips

For your ease...

Chocolate Cookie Recipe-Halved
2 cubes butter- softened
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs vanilla
1 1/2 eggs
3 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips

• Cream butter, sugars, vanilla, and eggs.  Beat on medium speed for 4 min.  It will be more of a whipped consistency.
• Add in flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix well.
• Stir in chocolate chips
• Bake a 350 for 8-10 minutes (for a small cookie scoop)

Variations:
My families favorite- add one bag peanut butter chips to the halved recipe
My dad's concoction- add 3/4 white chocolate chips and                    
                                  3/4 cups raisons to the halved recipe
Create your own- and please share if I "need" to try it Pin It Now!

Family Favorite Guacamole

I know what you are thinking..."Guacamole, how hard can that be" and well you are right, but what you don't know is I am what you could call a guacamole connoisseur, should such a thing exist.

If I were only offered one snack for the rest of my life it would be chips and guac, which makes it the perfect first post for me.

This guacamole actually converted my hubby and his best friend who used to hate anything with avocado to avocado lovers.

Okay...okay....I think you get the point....I like the stuff!

My mom used to make this when we were in high school.   Since then it has become a staple at for me and my family and is requested by friends when we get together.

It is simple enough, so give it a try, and make it when you are hungry because you wont want to stop eating this stuff.   Enjoy!

My boys could hardly wait 'til I finished taking the picture

Guacamole

5 ripe avocados

2 roma tomatoes

1/4 of a diced red onion

garlic salt

salt

pepper

cilantro

• smash avocados and red onions.  When almost smashed add the tomatoes
• add garlic salt and a little salt and pepper to taste 
• add in chopped cilantro

tips:
-you will use mostly garlic salt to flavor the guac and go slow "you can
always add salt in but you can't take it out" -many famous cooks

-taste the guac with the chips you will be serving the guac with.  Some 
chips are more or less salty which will effect how much garlic salt and salt you need to use.

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