Banana chocolate chip muffins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffin tins with liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Mix dry ingredients:
1 1/2 C flour
1/3 C sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda

Mix wet ingredients:
1/2 Cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 C sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 ripe banana, peeled and cut up
1/2 C semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix dry and wet ingredients together and spoon in 12 muffin tins almost to the top. Bake 20 minutes or until it comes clean with a toothpick.

Jen Babe's Granola

2 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup butter
3 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup dried cranberries (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oats then cook and stir until starting to brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and spread out on a cookie sheet to cool.
Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat. Stir in the honey, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and brown sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Return the oats to the pan. Cook and stir for another 5 minutes or so. Pour out onto the cookie sheet cook in the oven at 350 for 5-7 minutes.
Once cool, transfer to an airtight container and stir in the almonds and dried cranberries. Any additional nuts and fruit can be stirred in at this time also.

This recipe was inspired by Mitt Romney.

Mom's Granola

A healthy start to the day!

6 C old fashioned oats
1 C wheat germ
1 C sunflower seed, raw
1 C nuts (I like almonds)
1/2 C sesame seeds
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C oil

Mix all together and microwave until toasty, or you can put it in the oven at 350 until brown (5-10 minutes). Let it cool. Store in an airtight container.

Serve w/ milk.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs

Mix the dry ingredients, add buttermilk. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Add two egg yolks to the batter. Blend the batter, add the milk (add more or less to adjust the consistency to your preference.) Whip the egg whites and fold them in the batter (to make them fluffy). Cook the pancakes on a greased pan as there is no oil in the batter. Makes about 12 pancakes.

*I like to grind my own wheat so it is fresh, & healthy! My kids love these, and they are filling! We even do them for dinner sometimes.

Recipe from Merrill H.

Banana Oatmeal Waffles (with Praline Sauce)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup regular oats, uncooked
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (or 1 1/2 cups milk and 1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 medium bananas, chopped

Mix all ingredients except bananas until smooth. Add bananas and mix to blend. This may be done in a food processor, pulsing to chop bananas. Bake in preheated waffle iron until golden.
Makes 12 waffles. Makes good pancakes too.Originally from Southern Living, August 1994
I make without the sauce and my kids LOVE them!

Can serve with Praline Sauce.
Praline Sauce
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup waterdash of salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Serve over waffles, pancakes or ice cream. Will keep up to 2 weeks.

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

1 ½ cups skim milk
1 ½ cups water
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
1 cup canned pumpkin
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup raisins

Combine the milk, water, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the oatmeal; return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium; cook, stirring frequently for 1 to 2 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat; immediately stir in the pumpkin and brown sugar and mix well. Let stand until the oatmeal reaches desired consistency, about 3 to 5 minutes. Fold in the raisins. Serve with additional cinnamon, if desired.

Nutrition per serving: Calories 230, Fat 2.1g, Carbohydrates 48g, Protein 7g, Cholesterol 1mg, Dietary fiber 3g, Sodium 40mg

Notes: I adapt this recipe for a single bowl of microwaveable oatmeal by following the directions for preparing the oatmeal using half skim milk and half water and adding the pumpkin pie spice. When I take the oatmeal out of the microwave I add 1 to 2 Tbls. of pumpkin and the brown sugar and raisins to taste.

Pull Apart Bread

24 frozen Rhodes rolls
sprinkle cinnamon
1 3oz. package non-instant butterscotch pudding mix
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cube butter, melted
(1/2 c. nuts - optional)

Grease Teflon Bundt pan. Place frozen rolls in bottom of pan. Sprinkle cinnamon to taste (and nuts if desired). Pour dry pudding over the rolls. Mix brown sugar and butter together and add to rolls. Let rise 9-10 hours (overnight). Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes, then invert on plate.

* This is a favorite of ours! They are very easy to throw together, it just takes planning (since they rise overnight = fun for breakfast). I don't add nuts.

Blueberry smoothie

1 c. frozen blueberries

1/2 c. nonfat plain yogurt

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. water

1-2 Tb. honey

1/4 c. frozen orange Juice from concentrate

ice

Mix in the blender until smooth.  Add ice to desired thickness.

Mango smoothie

1 c. frozen mango chunks

3/4 c. nonfat plain yogurt

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 c. frozen orange juice from concentrate

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. water

1-2 Tb. honey

ice

Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Add ice according to desired thickness.

Crepes

3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

1 Tb melted butter

1 tsp vanilla (if used for a dessert)

 

Heat crepe pan.  Mix dry ingredients and then add liquid ingredients.  Add about 1/8-1/4 cup of batter and tilt pan to make it spread.  Flip and cook other side.  Roll up and add fruit, powdered sugar and syrup.

Mom's pancake or waffle mix

1 cup milk

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 Tb vegetable oil (pancakes only)

4 Tb vegetable oil (waffles only)

2 Tb sugar

1 1/2-2 cups whole wheat or white flour

Mix all ingredients and use it for pancakes or waffles.  

Fruit Cup Crunchie

1 cup quick-cooking (not instant) rolled oats
1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons good honey
8 to 10 strawberries, small-diced
1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 pineapple,
small-diced 2 cups plain yogurt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Toss the oats, coconut, almonds, oil, and honey together in a large bowl until they are completely combined. Pour onto a sheet pan and bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring once.
Combine the strawberries, blueberries, and pineapple in a bowl. In 4 ice cream sundae glasses, layer first the fruit, then the yogurt, and the cooled granola alternately until you fill the glasses. Serve with a long spoon.

Oven Baked Dutch Apple Pancakes

2 cans apple pie filling
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, warm the apple pie filling, butter, cinnamon. In a bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Add the milk, flour, sour cream, lemon zest, and salt. Beat just until batter is smooth. Pour over the hot apple mixture in the skillet, and immediately put the pan in the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pancake is puffed up and golden brown. Using a small, fine sieve, lightly dust the top of the pancake with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm.