Olivia's Favorite Banana Nut Bread

1) Cream together:
3/4 C butter (1.5 sticks)
1 C sugar

2) Add yolks (ONLY) from:
3 eggs, separated (reserve the whites)

3) Mix in:
5 large bananas, mashed

4) Combine:
1/2 C milk
1/2 C sour cream

5) Combine:
3 C flour (We use all whole wheat but only if freshly ground.)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

6) Add flour mixture to milk mixture alternately with the banana mixture.

7) Stir in 3/4 C chopped nuts (opt.), if desired.

8) Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into batter.

9) Divide between 2 large or 3 small loaf pans.

10) Bake at 300 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

11) Cool on rack.

NOTE: We sometimes add chocolate chips and/or bake into muffins (which takes less baking time).

Also, I don't see very much difference between whipping the egg whites and adding separately versus adding the eggs all at once, so I don't do that anymore. I just beat the eggs and add all together at once.

Glen Eyrie Dressing (French/Catalina)

1/2 C. oil (I use olive oil.)
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 C. catsup
1/4 C. vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar.)

Mix together.  Keep in refrigerator.  Makes about 1 C. of dressing.

(We combine this dressing 50-50 with Ranch for taco salad!)

-from Susan Deaton via Sarah Nehring and the Navigators at the Glen Eyrie Retreat Center

Leigh Ellen's Spicy Asian Noodle Salad (Vegan)

This is a modification of my friend Leigh Ellen's original recipe. We make this a lot! 

(All measurements are loose and approximate. Modify to taste.)

Dressing:

3–4 T (or more) creamy natural peanut butter
2 large lemons or limes (juiced—grated zest optional)
2–3 T agave nectar
1/3 C. tamari sauce or liquid coconut aminos
1/4 C. balsamic vinegar (I've used both white and regular)

1/4 C. rice vinegar
1-2 tsp. Sriracha hot sauce

1 T sesame oil (I omit this)

Salad:

1 pound spaghetti, broken half and cooked al dente (I use Trader Joe's quinoa brown rice spaghetti)
1/2 each red, orange, yellow, and green bell pepper (cored, seeded, and julienned)
3 C mung bean sprouts
1 bunch cilantro
2-3 scallions, finely chopped
I also add julienned snow peas, carrots, celery, edamame, bok choy, asparagus, zucchini, etc... 

1 T sesame oil (I omit this)

3/4 C roasted salted peanuts or cashews, for garnish at time of serving

1) Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl.  Refrigerate.

2) Break pasta in half or in thirds, especially if you're using a gluten-free pasta. It will help prevent its clumping together as it cooks. Add noodles to a large pot of rapidly boiling water and cook until al dente. Rinse briefly in cold water and drain well. Transfer into a large bowl.

3) As the noodles cook, julienne all the veggies into thin strips (like finger length and really skinny).

4) Heat a large saute pan or wok over high heat. Add all the veggies except bean sprouts and snow peas. Flash sauté very briefly, just to take the hard "rawness" away. (Add a tablespoon or so of water if it starts to stick too badly.)

5) Add the slightly cooked veggies, bean sprouts, snow peas, nuts, cilantro, and sliced scallions to the pasta. Combine the pasta salad with the dressing and toss thoroughly.

6) Garnish with peanuts and serve immediately.

Colbert's Banana Cookies (Breakfast Bites)

This recipe was originally called "Colbert's Cookies" (from Dr. Don Colbert), and his original recipe appears at the bottom of this post.

I have modified it, however, and we now call them Breakfast Bites.  If you get the idea of a "cookie" out of your head--and think more like a "homemade soft granola bar"--they're really yummy. We like the delicate, not-too-sweet flavor, and they're easy to eat on-the-go for breakfast.

This recipe is very forgiving, and I slightly modify quantities all the time. Basic idea:

3 mashed, ripe bananas (they need to be brown and spotted for the sweetness)
1/3 C. applesauce (can omit)
2 C. oats
1/4 C. almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
good bit of real maple syrup, to sweeten and add moisture (especially if omitting applesauce)
any kind of additions (nuts, dried fruit, coconut,chocolate chips etc.)

(Obviously, they're no longer dairy-free if you use regular milk and no longer sugar-free if you add chocolate chips or coconut!)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original post for Colbert's Cookies

When you have a sweet tooth and want to stay on track, here's a nice treat. Sugar is NOT an added ingredient.


3 mashed bananas (ripe)
1/3 cup apple sauce
2 cups oats
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup raisins, golden raisins, or Craisins (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. 

(From Dr. Don Colbert)

This picture is from his original post.

Cultured Vegetables

Evie was looking for this link to make some homemade cultured veggies (think sauerkraut or kimchi), and she came here looking for it.  So here it is, for future reference.  Those not interested in culturing their own veggies can just move along...

Evie's Pecan Pie (without corn syrup!)

This version of the traditional Christmas pecan pie is so much better than the sicky-sweet, artificial taste imparted by the ones made with corn syrup. Yum!

Ingredients:
unbaked 9-in (NOT deep dish) pie shell from your favorite recipe

1 C dark brown sugar
1/4 C white sugar
1/2 C butter, melted
2 eggs
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp milk
1tsp vanilla
1 C+ hand-broken pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy, then stir in melted butter.

Stir in sugars and flour; mix well.

Add the milk, vanilla, and nuts.

Pour into the unbaked 9-in (NOT deep-dish) pie shell.  (You can double the filling and make this is a deep-dish pie plate if you like.)

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30-40 minutes or until done.  Partway through, you will need to cover the crust--and maybe the whole pie--with aluminum foil or an aluminum pie crust cover, to prevent over-browning. 

NOTE: This year for Easter (2015) Evie used this same recipe to make a peanut pie. It's delicioys that way, too. Just be sure to chop the peanuts, or it's a little too big-chunk nutty!

And don't forget it's NOT a deep-dish recipe. Double the filling if you want to maje a deep-dish pie. 

Rum Cake from Scratch

Rum Cake from Scratch
Adapted by Always Order Dessert to be completely homemade from a recipe found on Food.com 

Ingredients

for the cake: 
1/2 cups walnuts, crushed
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
3 tablespoons + 1/2 cup grapeseed or canola oil, separated
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup DIY vanilla instant pudding mix
(click for my easy homemade pudding mix recipe!; you can also use packaged pudding mix)
3/4 cup whole milk
4 large eggs
3/4 cup dark rum (recommended: Tortuga Rum)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

for the rum syrup:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 cup dark rum

Special Equipment: One 10-15 cup Bundt pan

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour bundt pan, and drop crushed walnuts into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

In the base of a mixer, cream the 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and the 1/2 cup butter. Add the 3 tablespoons oil, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and kosher salt combining until evenly distributed. (Mixture will look like fine crumbs.) Mix in the pudding mix.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, rum, vanilla extract, and remaining vegetable oil. Add to the dry mixture and mix well until combined. The batter will be smooth, thin, and pour easily.

Pour into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the cake comes up clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack. Let cool for 20 to 30 minutes.

While the cake cools, prepare the rum syrup: In a large saucepan with high sides, combine the butter, water, granulated sugar, and salt. Cook over medium heat until the butter completely melts and the sugar dissolves. Let reduce slightly, keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t boil over. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum (it will bubble).

Wash and dry the bundt pan, then place over the cool cake and invert the cake back into the pan. Pour the hot rum syrup all over the cake and let soak for 8 hours (overnight). In morning, invert the cake back onto a serving platter. Keeps covered for 1 week at room temperature.

Martha's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Martha Matzke's chocolate chip cookie recipe, which she insists really is "the best"--but which must be cooked on a stoneware baking pan (think Pampered Chef) to qualify!

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
3 1/2 cup flour
12 ounces chocolate chips
1 cup pecans

Directions:

1. In large mixing bowl, cream together sugars and oil.  Beat in one egg at a time.  Blend in vanilla.

2. Add dry ingredients in order listed, mixing after each.  Dough will be sticky.

3.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer for ease of handling.  Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheet.

4. Bake 8-10 minutes on middle rack in oven preheated to 350 degrees.  Let stand for two minutes; remove to wire
racks to cool completely.

Notes:
(1) For best results, bake cookies on a pizza stone.  You may have to increase the baking time to about 11 minutes, but do not overbake, as they will continue to harden after removing from oven.
(2) For uniform appearance, you may roll dough gently into a ball rather than dropping
by tablespoons.
(3) Bake only one sheet at a time.

Crock Pot Spaghetti

1 pound ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage
1-2 onions, finely chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper (green, yellow, or orange), chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
45-oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained (save juice for soups)
24-oz can tomato sauce
2 bay leaves
1-2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Crumble and brown ground beef and sausage together with onion and garlic.
2. Drain excess fat.
3. Place meat mixture into Crock Pot with remaining ingredients.
4. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.
5. Serve over spaghetti noodles, cooked al dente.

Healthful Peanut Butter Fudge

 Peanut Butter Freezer Fudge

1 cup natural peanut butter
4 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons maple syrup
4 ounces quality dark chocolate (I used Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips.)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt


Cream peanut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, and salt together in a bowl.

Pour mixture into a foil-lined 8×8 baking dish.

Top with chocolate chips or chopped chocolate and freeze for at least two hours.

Remove from freezer and remove fudge from foil.

Cut into one-inch squares and and store in an airtight freezer bag. Makes 20 servings.

Recipe adapted from Food Babe.