simple Analogy

Best Banana Bread Evah!

Warning:  Could be hazardous to your diet!

When a friend brings banana bread to Bible study and everyone immediately asks for the recipe, you know it's gotta be good. Banana bread recipes are a dime a dozen, but this one stands out in the crowd.

Banana Bread Recipe

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Mix the following ingredients in a LARGE bowl:

1 1/3 c vegetable oil

1 c sour cream

4 eggs

6 bananas, VERY overripe

3 cups sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp salt

Mix ingredients with hand mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Then add:

4 c flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

Turn on mixer briefly to incorporate flour.  Do not over mix.  Divide batter into greased and floured loaf pans, filling only 2/3 of the way full.  Sprinkle batter with raw sugar, which will form a sugar crust while baking.

Bake for 40 minutes (gift sized loaf) to 60 minutes (large loaf - although mine took about 1 hr 15 minutes) until wooden pick comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool in pan 15 minutes before turning out onto cooling racks.

Yields 2-3 large loaves or 4-6 gift loaves.

Moist and sticky on the inside thanks to the sour cream.

Crunchy on the outside thanks to the raw sugar sprinkle! Be prepared to be addicted!

Quick Meal Monday: Shrimp Boil

We wanted to do our own crawfish boil a few weeks ago, but after reading all that has to be done just to get those little guys ready to throw in the cauldron we opted for a shrimp boil instead.  Ours was quite a bit more involved, but for the criteria of a quick meal, this shrimp boil recipe does just fine.  Most of the time on this one is boiling time.  There's not a lot of prep work or hands on cooking time involved!

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Part of the fun of a shrimp boil is the way you eat it.  Traditionally you spread newspaper on the table and after the water has been drained dump the contents smack dab onto the table.  No plates, no forks.  Just hands and lots of napkins.

Now, I don't think of my boys as food snobs.  But when they heard they'd be eating off newsprint, they were repulsed.  "Why can't we just use plates and stuff like normal?"  they asked. 

"Because this is the way you DO a shrimp boil!"

They were not convinced, and by the looks on their faces were planning to mutiny.  Their luck must have been running high that day.  It so happened that we didn't have any newspaper around, so we covered the table with freezer paper instead.  They were much happier with that, and it gave an extra layer of protection for the table.  Win-win!

This shrimp boil is an experience no family should miss out on and qualifies for a FUN quick meal for Monday.

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I've had a lot of fun digging up recipes for us to try during this little series.  It's gotten me through three months of very busy Mondays, and I hope it's given you some good dinner ideas to pull out in time of need.  We may visit this series again in the future, but until then you can find all our Quick Meal Monday recipes right here in their own new category (also in the sidebar categories). 

Mochaccino Cupcakes

Lots of school going on this week, but I wanted to pop in to say hi and share some dessert with you...

I made mochaccino cupcakes for my offering for the dessert auction on Sunday.  They were yummy, but the frosting was a little too sweet for my taste.  Maybe next time I'll try a whipped coffee frosting.

What about the PB cups that I was planning on making?  Noah made them, and Landon made our favorite brownies.

Have a great weekend, and we'll see you back here to finish up our Quick Meal Monday series.  At least for a while...

Quick Meal Monday: Pizza (Two Options)

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Pizza Option No. 1 - Grilled Pita Pizza

Forget messing with the dough!  Use a pita for the crust.  For an even quicker sauce, use your favorite jarred spaghetti sauce.  Add your favorite toppings, and dinner's ready in no time.

 

Pizza Option No. 2 - There's always Double Dave's!

Monday through Thursday large one topping pizzas are only $5 each if you order carry out before 6PM.  No coupon necessary!  Our family of four with two teenage boys eats for $10!  That's what I call a deal!  Just make sure to ask them if they are still offering this deal BEFORE you order.

Quick Meal Monday: Fish Tacos With Baja Sauce

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My husband loves fish tacos.  Me... not so much.  I just don't enjoy the flavor of fish, but I must admit that when he brings home blackedned redfish tacos with baja sauce from The Fish Place it looks delicious.  The baja sauce is what makes the taco.

I experimented around with it and came up with an almost exact version of their sauce...

Baja Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 c mayo (NOT Miracle Whip)

1/2 c sour cream

1 small can of chipotle chilis in adobo

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp milk

Put whole can of chipotle chili in adobo into a food processor/blender and puree.  In a small bowl, add mayo, sour cream, 2 Tbsp of chili puree, apple cider, and milk.  Mix well.

We compromise on this meal.  I grill fish for he and the boys and grill a chicken breast to use on my tacos.  Add all the trimmings (including cheese!) and use baja sauce instead of sour cream.

Reeses VS. Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

My weekend was filled with more than just Reese's peanut butter cups.  Since I was to bring dessert for our family Easter dinner, I thought it would be a good time to try my hand at some homemade cups.  Katy said that I'd either love her or hate her for this recipe.  Verdict?  LOVE!

A short list of ingredients + easy and quick to whip up + phenominal texture + yummy taste = a winner in my book!  I tasted the peanut butter mixture as I was making these and knew immediately they would be something I would make again and again.  In fact I'll probably make a batch for the upcoming dessert auction at church!

Let's compare them with Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs shall we...

 

Reese's   Vs.   Homemade

Chocolate:

Reese's are made with milk chocolate.

These are made using your favorite chocolate.  My personal favorite is semisweet.  It definitely made for a richer flavor.

Peanut Butter Filling:

Reese's filling is pretty creamy.

The filling for these has a secret ingredient which gives it a little more of a crunchy texture.  My dad is big into secret ingredients, so I had him taste just the peanut butter filling to see if he could guess what it was... and he did.  Graham cracker crumbs.  Can't fool him!  P.S. He usually guesses his Christmas presents too.

Another thing that I like about the homemade cups was that I can adjust the amount of the peanut butter filling to my personal taste.  As you can tell from the picture, I lean toward the heavy filling side.

Could I choose one over the other?  Not really, they are that different.  If I'm in the creamy, lighter mood I'll go for the Reese's.  Something gourmet, richer, and more textured - the homemade version.

Here's to peanut butter and chocolate!                

Quick Meal Monday: Vermicelli With Fresh Herbs and a Gluten Free Alternative

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So here's another quick pasta recipe for you - vegetarian this time:  Vermicelli with Fresh Herbs.  This one is a perfect spring/summer meal.  Fresh herbs.  Fresh tomatoes (homegrown even better, but I can't seem to gather the courage).  Delicate pine nuts.  It's light, but filling.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and pair it with some garlic bread.  Yum!

Gluten free alternative:  Use spaghetti squash instead of pasta!

This meal is on Noah's top ten list, and it doesn't even have any meat.  That should tell you something!

Quick Meal Monday: Black Bean Barley Burritos

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Sometimes the quickest meal to make is a crock pot meal.  While it does have to cook several hours, and takes some planning ahead of time, those cooking hours can be spent doing all the things I do on Mondays:  teaching, laundry, email, grocery shopping, couponing.

I love this little recipe!  I originally found it in Cooking Light's Superfast Suppers.  That version had a few less ingredients, but still tasted good.  When I came across this one, which has a few more spices added, I was all for it!  Plus the fact that dumping guacamole and sour cream on top of it, put it over the top!  I love anything avocado!

How does it stack up with the men?  The like like it!  Even though it has no meat, the barley makes it very filling.  Are you like me and don't normally buy barley?  It can be tricky to find.  After wandering up and down the grain aisle for eons (after all - it IS a grain), I finally asked where to find it.  At HEB:  soup aisle, top shelf - but even the lady I asked had to ask a manager.  

Quick Meal Monday: Tex Mex Cheeseburgers

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Burgers are a great quick meal, and this one has a lot going for it!  A little chipotle in adobo mixed in with the meat gives a bit of smokey spice.  Bacon (yes please!), cilantro, queso, jalapeno...

To make it a little faster to make, go with a jar of queso instead of making your own.  Don't have time to chop onions, tomato, and cilantro?  Use prepared salsa instead.  We can make this work for a quick meal for Monday!

Add a link to one of your favorite quick meals in the comments!

Quick Meal Monday: Oven Roasted Chicken Wings

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Mighty tasty!!!  Serve these up with a salad or your favorite side and you not only have a yummy meal but also a mighty inexpensive one.  My whole family can eat dinner for $12, and I've got two teenage boys and a hungry husband.

Share your favorite quick meal by leaving a link in the comments!