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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Best Ever Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

I've been looking for this for a long time so without further adieu' --TA DA!!!

Best Ever Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe 

1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed, ripe
2 teaspoons lemon juice 
3 cups flour 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
3/4 cup butter, softened 
2 1/8 cups sugar 
3 large eggs 
2 teaspoons vanilla 
1 1/2 cups buttermilk or sour milk

Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened 
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 
1 teaspoon vanilla 
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar 
Garnish w/chopped pecans or walnuts 

Preheat oven to 275°. 
Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan. or two 9"rounds

In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside. 
In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. 
In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy. 
Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla. 
Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. 
Stir in banana mixture. 
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 
Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist. 

For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. 
Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. 
Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth. 

Spread on the cooled cake. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired. 

BBQ Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

If you've never been to Paradise Bakery then I suggest you go. Not only do they have the best cookies but their food is wonderful this is my cheap*er* imitation of their salad. I become quite attached! This salad ranks right up there on my top ten favorite salad lists with the Nuts about Berries salad at Zupa's (Which should be another post some other day --I just need to figure out their maple dressing.) HA what do you expect I like to make lists*! I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do!

BBQ Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

Thinly sliced Green Leaf Lettuce
1 Cup frozen corn (canned works too"we" just don't like it)
1 Can rinsed black beans
3-4 Roma tomatoes, diced
3 cooked grilled chicken breast
1/2 Cup favorite BBQ Sauce
2/3 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 Cup prepared ranch dressing
1 bunch fresh chopped cilantro leaves

Place lettuce on plate or in salad bowl . Layer with corn, black beans and tomatoes. Dice cooked chicken breast and mix with BBQ sauce. Add over salad and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.
Place ranch dressing and cilantro leaves into blender, combine well. Drizzle over salad and serve. this can be served on individual plates or or as a big group salad.

* NOTE: I like to double the dressing and keep some around for other salads later.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

My Favorite Broccoli

This is so easy healthy and tasty that I bet you'll love it!

Broiled Broccoli
1-2 heads of broccoli washed and cut into small pieces
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Lemon
Salt and pepper

Spread the prepared broccoli onto a cookie sheet in a single layer.
Drizzle with the EVOO and lemon juice sparingly. Season with salt and pepper. Toss and redistribute the broccoli in a single layer on the pan. Turn your oven onto broil and place the broccoli in the oven on the top rack for 5 minutes. Stir the broccoli around a bit. Repeat the five min under the broiler 2 more times until the broccoli is tender crisp - stirring it around between each five min broiler session. Enjoy! I could seriously eat this like popcorn!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Turtle Cheesecake

Turtle Cheesecake
Crust:
1 1/2 Cups Oreo cookie crumbs
1/4 Cup melted butter
Mix together and press into a 9" spring form pan and put into freezer.
Filling:
24 oz. softened cream cheese
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1/4 cup crushed pineapple. Drain then squeeze out remaining juice.

Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together until smooth, add eggs one at a time, mixing in each one before adding the next. Beat at medium speed for 5 min then add pineapple and mix well.Pour into the crust and sprinkle top with chocolate chips and pecans, about 2/3 cups of each. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 50 minutes until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool to room temperature then refrigerate for several hours. Leave it in the pan until ready to serve. Makes about 12 moderate sized servings.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Easy Slow Cooker Chili

Easy Slow Cooker Chili

1 pound ground beef
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 green pepper, chopped
5 cans beans any combo of the following (Pinto, Great Northern, Kidney, Black)
1 very large can tomatoes, whole, peeled
1 packet of taco seasoning
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, saute the ground beef onions and Peppers about 10 minutes, until browned. Pour tomatoes into slow cooker and use a potato masher to mash them a little, just to break them up a bit. Transfer meat mixture to slow cooker. Add the beans and tomatoes to the slow cooker. Add seasonings. Cook on high setting for about 4 hours. Give it all a little stir and serve-- Yum! Yum!