pioneer woman's banana bread

image via the pioneer woman

this week i had a bunch of borderline-soft bananas. my 8 month old will eat them this way, but i prefer mine almost green, the smell of a very ripe banana kind of gets to me. gag. but i didn't want them to go to waste so i googled and found the pioneer women's recipe, and surprisingly she feels the same way about bananas. 

so when she endorsed this recipe i thought i'd give it a try. we liked it! moist with a mild banana flavor, and i love that it's baked in a bundt pan and makes a nice size cake. enjoy 1/2, freeze 1/2... here's her recipe:

ingredients

• 2 sticks butter
• 1-1/2 cup + 2 TBLS sugar
• 3 whole eggs
• 1-1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 4 cups + 2 TBLS flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1-1/2 cup sour cream

preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bundt pan. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time, beating for a few seconds after each addition. Add mashed bananas and beat. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

Add dry ingredients and sour cream alternately to the mixing bowl. Beat well until all combined. Pour into bundt pan and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Invert on a cooling rack and allow cake to cool slightly before slicing and serving with softened butter.

 

*i added a big splash of vanilla, 3/4 cup walnuts and 1 cup chocolate chips, because that's all i had... might have enjoyed even more chocolate chips.  i baked at 350 for 55mins.

tacos tacos

of every shape & kind... who doesn't love a good taco?

we recently enjoyed some unusual varieties at a neighborhood spot called good to go tacos (previously at the green spot, and soon to be featured on the food network)... i think mine had Israeli pearl couscous, spinach & a nice mushroom cream, while td went with an egg scramble/chorizo/honey combo... i think it was called the hangover or the honeybear... they all have cute names. anyway, good to go offers all kinds of organic & healthy ingredients, plus funky varieties like the chicken & waffle hotlanta taco. here's yelp info: http://m.yelp.com/biz/good-2-go-taco-dallas

so that got us thinking, we like tacos. let's make our own tacos. pictured below is a spicy chicken, black beans & feta taco made with fridge odds & ends... *not nearly as creative as good to go's, but a new spin on leftovers. and a good start... that's the beauty of a taco, endless potential :)

kalimotxo

td concocted our new favorite cocktail after hearing the spaniards serve something similar, wine + cola with plenty of ice.  sounds... interesting?  terrible?  it's actually awesome and it's called kalimotxo.  also called rioja libre or cuba libre de pobre, poor man's cuba libre :)  one version calls for a splash of blackberry liquor.  *a great way to use up a so-so bottle of wine!  

salad suppers

what's your go-to meal?  i think for us it's salad.

no matter the season, no matter the toddler meltdown, i can usually manage to throw a bunch of stuff in a bowl and toss it together with a simple vinaigrette. typically a squeezed lemon + good healthy drizzle of olive oil and s&p is standard, sometimes i toss in grated parm, chives, a little garlic, what have you, vigorously whisk to emulsify the dressing, then grab a big stainless steal bowl and layer greens, veggies {chopped fresh or steamed/sauteed & left over from the night before} toasted nuts, seeds, canned beans, quinoa, orzo, berries, crumbled cheeses, deli meats, even chopped pickles, *whatever i can find* and tada, dinner :) 

we've hardly met a combo we don't like.  plus it's a colorful way to get lots of variety in our diet and even emory (22 months) says yummy!  how good is arugula by the way.  growing some now and love the peppery kick. so thankful my family loves salads.

french bistro

sometimes i just need puff pastry in my tummy.  it's flaky buttery goodness calls out to me from our freezer.  plus, it makes the most insane 'frenchy sandwich' with on-hand ingredients {fun for lunch, to take as an appetizer, or as an easy dinner during the week} in just 25 mins, if you've let it defrost in the fridge ahead of time, of course.  eat it piping hot or even at room temp like many a french bistro might serve.  we do it with sauteed broccoli & fresh fruit.  i might be kidding myself that broccoli cancels out puff pastry. 

here's ina's famous recipe, which we've enjoyed lots of different ways including the above pictured version with cheddar jack, roasted turkey, spicy mustard & green onion from our garden.  a simple egg wash and grated parmesean + garlic salt on top, cut some slits in the top to let it vent while baking, and into the oven at 450 for 25 mins.... uh-mazing.

tasty toms

we love tomatoes in  our house. all year round. then again we tend to enjoy really anything with a twinge of acid {lemony vinaigrettes, citrus marinades, quick fresh salsas etc}, and you can't beat tomatoes for a pop of cheery color & flavor.

i dress them with a simple vinaigrette of lemon & olive oil or a dollop of dijon mustard, red wine vin + olive oil, salt & pepper and toss with feta and fresh herbs {basil, chives, parsley, thyme, whatever} as an easy everyday side.  tasty toms. yum.

*and don't forget, these little cancer-fighting powerhouses pack a punch of lycopene and other antioxident nutrients benefiting cardiovascular, bone & joint and overall health... read more about their benefits here.

snapshots

my sous chefs

life with 2 under 2 has been an adventure :) we still cook all the time & love hanging out in our kitchen, which has become an extension of the nursery with a playhut, em's toddler table for crafts & tea parties, grey's bouncy chair and french doors to the great outdoors...  emory is forever pulling out bowls, silverware, muffin tins for pretend baking... we just don't get around to posting food pics lately.  

so, in an effort to not lose track of this blog all together (since i tend to update this blog if i have any free time), i'm going to begin posting quick unedited iphone pics {maybe i'll add a fun instagram filter} to help me remember recipes, good ones & ones-in-need-of-tweaking. this is really more for me than anyone who might stumble upon merrymousse, but that's ok... as always, if you do happen to stop by, you're welcome to leave a comment or share your recipe tips, i'd love it :)  

*more to come... the little ones are waking up... pancakes & one-eyed sailors on this rainy saturday morning!  happy eating to you & yours!

Tangy Tater Salad

If you're looking for a new twist on an old favorite, try this: Sunny Anderson's Tangy Tater Salad.  Delicious!  The bacon, jalapenos and splashy white wine vinegar make it sweet & sour, and you'll never miss the mayo.  Hope you enjoy!

*A little something extra: based on reviews I read, I also opted for a little less sugar.  I don't think we missed it. i also used an extra slice or 2 of bacon and fresh chives as extra garnish goodness.

Crock Pot Oldie: Salsa Chicken

I really need to crack out the crock pot more often - millions of moms can't be wrong, right? 

This morning I looked at our plans for a busy day and thought ugh, what to make for dinner... I pulled out 4 frozen chicken breasts and thawed them (mostly) while adding a giant red onion, about 10 cloves of garlic (thanks to my large Costco bag), 2 cans of black beans and ~32 oz salsa (also thanks to our standard 66oz Costco salsa jar... Troy loves that stuff) into our crock pot and the house already smells amazing.

Dozens of online recipes for salsa chicken recommend corn, but we happen to be out, and/or taco seasoning, but then again, lots of reviews swear by just chicken & salsa.  So, here's to hoping it really is yummy.  We'll let ya know in 8-10 hours :)

Here's a pic so far, about 5 mins into cooking the recommended 8-10 hours on low:

INGREDIENTS / PREPARATION:

*Google for yourself and pick which recipe suits your on-hand ingredients.

. . . We'll check back with the finished result tonight . . .

*and here it is*

 

I shredded the chicken about 30 mins before serving and slid it back into the salsa sauce  to soak up the juices - it shredded beautifully, soooo tender.  I also happened to add a can of stewed tomatoes, for funsies.

I'd say try serving this with sliced avocado, jack cheese, sour cream, tortillas, in a taco shell or over brown rice.  We enjoyed ours over a bowl of healthy & nutty quinoa.  The leftovers could be a great base for chicken tortilla soup.  What a way to spread out 4 chicken breasts, too... this made tons of food.

My verdict?  I thought this was very easy, affordable and one less thing to think about at 6pm when emory needs to eat/get a bath, etc.  I will be breaking out the crock pot again soon :)

Flaming Cupcakes

Aren't these little flame-filled strawberry chocolate cupcakes to die for?  I love the drama!  My friend Katie sent me this recipe link and at first I thought, how perfect for Emory's first birthday ~ so festive!  but then I thought hmm, fire & booze, maybe Em's a little young for that... tempting though... I heart sprinklebakes.com.

PW's Blackberry Cobbler

I just love the Pioneer Woman, don't you?  I found this "Betsy's Cobbler" recipe in her first cookbook and then googled it now to add here, and wow - what lovely pictures she took!  Check out her recipe and step by step directions here. 

*Doesn't her cobbler look de-licious?  You can ignore my pics or use them as validation that if you try this, yours will turn out amazing, too - just 5 ingredients, so simple... yum.  And of course you could do this with blueberries, peaches, raspberries, whatever your heart desires.

up close & personal

Directions straight from the PW's website:

Ingredients

• 1 stick Butter
• 1-¼ cup Sugar
• 1 cup Self-Rising Flour
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 cups Blackberries (frozen Or Fresh)

Preparation Instructions

Melt butter in a microwavable dish. Pour 1 cup of sugar and flour into a mixing bowl, whisking in milk. Mix well. Then, pour in melted butter and whisk it all well together. Butter a baking dish.  Now rinse and pat dry the blackberries. Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle blackberries over the top of the batter; distributing evenly. Sprinkle ¼ cup sugar over the top.  Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until golden and bubbly. If you desire, sprinkle an additional teaspoon of sugar over the cobbler 10 minutes before it’s done.

*And check out this link if you're like me and you don't keep self-rising flour in your pantry.  You can turn your All Purpose into self-rising super easily!

Let's make this again, because it was really yummy the first time...
here we are round 2 with more blackberries... pre-oven:

 and warm & delicious post-oven:

BBC&A Salad with Caramelized Onions & Grilled Chicken

Bacon, Blue Cheese & Apple Spinach Salad

Mmm, a simple salad to put together and who doesn't love the combo of blue cheese, apple, caramelized onions & bacon.  You could change up the ingredients based on what you have on hand.  I'm sure some toasted pecans or avocado would have been lovely.  Here's what I used:

Ingredients:

• 4 cups fresh spinach
• 1 apple, cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 slices bacon
• 2 grilled chicken breasts cut into chunks
• 3T red wine vinegar
• olive oil
• salt & pepper
• *optional, toasted pecans, avocado chunks :)

Preparation:

In a mixing bowl, pile fresh spinach, apple chunks, blue cheese crumbles and chunks of grilled rosemary chicken.  (Prepare the chicken however you like.  I used: balsamic, extra virgin olive oil, garlic salt, kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, dash of red pepper flakes, 2T dried rosemary for my chicken marinade), here's another possibility.)  Season salad with fresh black pepper and kosher salt.  Set aside. 

Cut 3 strips of bacon into 1/2" pieces.  In a skillet, cook the bacon rendering the fat, over medium to medium high heat.  Remove the cooked bacon and set aside on a paper towel.  Saute thinly sliced red onion in the bacon goodness.  Add 3T red wine vinegar and fresh cracked black pepper, creating a nice vinaigrette, and voila :) drizzle over your salad and enjoy!  The warm vin wilts the spinach in a nice kind of way, don't forget to top with your bacon crumbles.

Carrot Cake Cakeballs

Every time I make these, I get compliments.  

(Did I just type that, so cake-ballsy of me.)  But it's true.  And I can say that because I did not come up with the original cakeball, I merely imitated it and made it a cherished member of my family.

The carrot cake cuties pictured above are just a holiday version of these.  Sub in carrot cake mix and dip in white chocolate.  A piece of cake.  ball.   (te-hee)

*Thanks Bakerella for posting the original!

Confetti Carrots with Fresh Dill

How cute are these carrots from our garden :)

and here they are all glossied up with butter & fresh dill!

Blah, winter.  Even in Dallas it gets pretty ridiculously cold (we just had a week of the teens).  All my cute veggies froze, EXCEPT these rock star carrots.  So I probably should have let them live and carry on their stellar genes, but instead I picked them and we ate them.  And they were delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 bundle of fresh carrots
• splash of chicken stock
• a couple of pats of butter
• a handful of fresh dill
• kosher salt & pepper

Preparation:

Rinse and peel the carrots.  If they're baby carrots, you don't have to peel too much, as they should be nice and tender.  Trim back the greens (which I've heard you can eat fresh, chopped up just like parsley atop a nice salad).  Saute with a splash of chicken stock and a couple of pats of butter until fork tender (a couple of mins).  Wilt in fresh dill, season with kosher salt & pepper and enjoy.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Now that I sit down and look at this picture, I'm not sure it looks all that appetizing, but these were actually pretty tasty!  We stuff chicken breasts with all kinds of things pretty often though, so this post is more about an easy idea than the exact recipe.  Since this was a while ago, I'm ad-libbing it here anyway :)

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup feta
• 1/4 sun dried tomatoes
• olive oil, salt & pepper
• optional, Italian bread crumbs 
• optional, bacon :)

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 375.  Chop spinach and sun dried tomatoes and combine with feta in a bowl.  Butterfly chicken breasts, being careful not to cut all the way through.  (If you do, no biggie, it will still taste good.) Spoon spinach/tomato/feta mixture into the chicken pockets.  *Optional, wrap the chicken breasts in bacon.  Drizzle olive oil and rub all over chicken.  Season well with salt & pepper.  *Optional, sprinkle Italian bread crumbs atop for some fun crunch.  Place in a baking dish and cover.  Cook for ~45 mins or until the chicken is completely cooked through.

Try stuffing with roasted red peppers, olives, sauteed onion, garlic, ham, swiss, apples, more bacon... the options are endless.