Baked Zucchini Sticks

These will definitely be back on the menu. Serve them with Sweet Onion Dip. Recipe from King Arthur Flour.

3 medium-size zucchini, about 9″ to 10″ long
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
scant 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Pizza Seasoning or mixed Italian herbs
2 large eggs

Cut each zucchini into 3″ sticks about the diameter of your finger. Cutting each zuke into 9 sticks lengthwise, then cutting into 3″ lengths, works well. Place the zucchini sticks in a colander over a bowl, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of salt. Let them drain for 1 hour or longer.

Rinse them thoroughly; you want to get rid of any excess salt. Then pat them dry.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and seasoning in a bowl. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Dip each zucchini stick in the egg and then roll it in the crumbs. Place on baking sheet.

Bake the sticks for about 12 minutes, until they’re starting to brown. Remove from the oven, and turn them over; you may actually need to do this one by one, or you may be able to turn several at a time using a spatula. Bake for an additional 12 to 16 minutes or so, until golden brown and crisp.

Quinoa Bake

 I found this recipe on Pinterest. I made it for the first time in New Zealand and had a hard time finding canned chilies. So the one can that I could find were hot! So if you don't like spicy foods watch the chilies and chili powder.

1 cup quinoa, uncooked

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup onion, diced (about 1 medium)

1//2 green pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup zucchini, cubed (about 2 small)

1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 4 ounce can diced green chiles

1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup frozen corn

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 lime, juiced

Salt

2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

 

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse throughly with cool water for at least two minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the quinoa and cook, stirring, for about one minute. The quinoa should begin to dry out and pop a bit. Add the chicken stock. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and zucchini and cook 3 more minutes.

 

Fluff the quinoa with a fork and place it in a large bowl. Add onion mixture, beans, green chiles, tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano, chili powder, lime juice, and salt to taste. Mix thoroughly and transfer to prepared baking dish. Bake 30 minutes, top with cheese, and bake 10 minutes more or until melted and just beginning to brown.

Thin Buns

I have loved the thin buns ever since they came out.  When you use them with a hamburger you can actually taste the good stuff between the bun.  I found a recipe for these on Pinterest from Food that I had to try.  Mine are not as pretty but they taste good and they are only 114 calories per bun.  A muffin top pan is supposed to work wonderfully for these, something new to add to my wish list.

1 1/3 cups warm water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon yeast
1 eggs
2 teaspoons canola oil
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oat fiber
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
1 teaspoon salt

In a bowl sprinkle the sugar over the warm water, then do the same with the yeast. Add the egg and oil and combine. In a separate container, use a fork or a whisk to stir together the flour, oat fiber, wheat gluten, and salt. Add 1/2 of this mixture to the wet ingredients and blend. This is the sponge.
Let rise 30 - 45 minutes.

Add rest of flour mixture and knead for about 5 minutes. I use my stand mixer with the dough attachment. This dough will be sticky.

Spray 3 cookie sheets or muffin top pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Divide dough into 16 equal portions. This is a wet dough so instead of adding any additional flour, weigh the dough on a food scale and divide it by 16. Then weigh out each portion and place on cookie sheet. Don't worry about how it looks now.

Take a 4" biscuit cutter and place it over one of the dough portions. If you wet the inside of the cutter as well as your fingers you can spread the dough into a perfect circle by using your fingers to flatten it to the inside edge of the biscuit cutter. (These will be very thin but they will rise). Remove the cutter, re-wet the inside and use it to do the same thing to the remaining 15 buns.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let the buns rise for 30 minutes. After this time you can choose to "dock" the buns.  This means poking small holes into the dough.  A fork works well.  Docking prevents air bubbles from forming, keeping them nice and thin.  Let them rest another 10 to 15 minutes.  Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Don't overbake. Cool the buns and then cut them in half for sandwich buns.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

I never have those little packets of seasoning in the house when I need them.  I found this recipe on Whole New Mom and we tried it last night when we had taco salad.  Steve asked about the seasoning on the turkey burger and said that he really liked it, so it is a keeper.

2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp cumin
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Mix well. Store in a tightly closed container.

Use approximately 2 tablespoons per 1 pound ground meat.  Adjust per your taste buds.  I did not add water but you can if you want it a little saucy.

Crustless Zucchini Pie

I keep reading about people that say they wake up in the morning with a load of zucchini on their porch.  That has never happened to me but my two zucchini plants keep me hopping.  I keep trying to find new recipes and here is the latest. I found this recipe on Skinnytaste and Gentry and I both liked it.  Steve ate it but he wasn't a huge fan.  He isn't a fan of quiche either, go figure.  The few changes I made were green onions for shallots, no chives and regular whole wheat flour.  1/6th of pie is 125 calories if fat free milk is used, I had 2% in the house so the calories increased to 129 for 1/6 of pie.

10 oz shredded zucchini, all liquid squeezed out
1/2 cup green onions, chopped - click on link for green onion tip
1/2 cup part skim mozzarella
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp olive oil
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper to taste
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly spray a pie dish with cooking spray. Combine zucchini, onions, and mozzarella cheese in a bowl.
 
Mix flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients, except Parmesan cheese, to the bowl and blend well. Combine with zucchini mixture and pour it into the pie dish.
 
Top with Parmesan cheese and bake 30-35 minutes or until knife comes out clean from the center. Let it stand at least 5 minutes before serving.

Peach-Nectarine Fruit Roll-Ups

Steve just bought me a dehydrator and I have been drying all different kinds of fruit but when I looked at the peaches and nectarines on the counter they were too ripe.  I have wanted to try fruit leather and this was the perfect opportunity.  I did a Google search and came up this recipe from Blissfully Content.  It worked out perfect.  I have apricots in the fridge that may end up as roll-ups as well.

About 3 pounds nectarines and peaches {combined}. You can use ANY combination of fruits.
1 TBS lemon juice
1/4 cup honey {this really gives it a great texture and flavor}

Wash your peaches and nectarines really well. Cut into quarters, pit, and put into a pot on low. Use a potato masher to cook down. Add lemon juice and honey.

When fruit is heated through and it looks fairly mashed, put into a blender. Blend until smooth.

I have non-stick sheets for my dehydrator and I was able to spread one cup of puree per tray.  I tried to leave the edges a little thicker, about 1/4 inch, and the inside, about 1/8 inch.  Smooth out as evenly as possible with a spoon

Dry at 135 degrees until leathery and pliable...about 4-7 hours. Make sure there are no sticky spots in the center. 

While fruit leather is still warm, cut and roll in parchment paper.  I used scissors to cut even pieces. Store in glass jars.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

When you read the ingredients in this recipe that my friend pinned on Pinterest you are going to wonder, "What is Cheryl thinking?", but these are awesome.  Steve loves them as well!  Steve says they taste just like my peanut butter bars.  The recipe made 12 cookie dough balls and 151 calories a piece.  I can only eat one because they are so filling.  After baking I placed them in the freezer and nuke them for 30 seconds to have a nice warm healthier treat.

1 can garbanzo (chickpeas) well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they're combined. Put in the chocolate chips and stir it if you can, or pulse it once or twice. The mixture will be very thick and sticky. With wet hands, form into 1 1/2" balls. Place onto a Silpat or a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. They don't do much rising. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Notes: I used chunky peanut butter because that is what I had open in the house.  I am sure that smooth would work as well.  I don't own a food processor so I had to mash the beans with a fork and maybe the chunks of peanuts hide the chunks of beans that didn't get completely smooth.  I can't tell you because you CAN NOT taste the beans.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

I am not a lover of ranch dressing but I don't mind using it as a dip for vegetables.  I know that I am in the minority but that doesn't mean that I won't try and search out something tasty for the rest of the family.  I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest (what a surprise, right?).  The calories in a whole batch is roughly 255 calories depending on the brand of yogurt and type of milk used.  When you add the milk you may think that the dressing is a little runny but after it has chilled for an hour it thickens right up.

1 cup Greek yogurt
1 Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Packet (NOT DIP!)
1/2 cup milk

Whisk together and chill for one hour.

Great Harvest Dakota Bread

I love bread!  One thing I learned from the HCG diet is that I don't like empty calories.  I used to pop a donut in my mouth and it was so tasty but now I have noticed I enjoy the taste but I don't feel like I have eaten anything so I want another to help satisfy my hunger.  I need that full feeling to help stop the eating and I found Great Harvest's Dakota Bread to help do the trick.  It is a little pricey so I decided to try and duplicate the recipe to help save a few bucks.  I did a search on Pinterest and here is the recipe that I found to which I have made a few small alterations.

Update: You can change up the bread by adding 3/4 cup of Oat Fiber and reduce the whole wheat flour to 2 1/4 cups.  It reduces the calories and ups the fiber but you will notice that the bread doesn't raise as high with the oat fiber.

1 1/4 cups warm water, 120 - 130 degrees
1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats (not instant)
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 teaspoons rapid or instant yeast

Add-ins
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons flaxseed
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Mix add-ins together in a bowl and reserve one tablespoon for top of loaf.  Place add-ins, flour, oats, vital wheat gluten and yeast in mixing bowl.  In a measuring cup stir together water, honey, butter and salt.  Pour into mixing bowl and mix until you have a soft ball of dough.  Place in a greased bowl and cover with cloth.  Let rise until double, about 45 - 60 minutes.
Punch down dough and form into a loaf.  Place in a greased loaf pan and allow the dough to rise about 30 minutes.  Sprinkle topping over the loaf pressing seeds lightly into the dough.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake 30 - 40 minutes or until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.  Cool at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Kitchen Sink Frittata

I have made these frittatas a couple times now and Beau and I love them! I am not a big egg person so I put tons of stuff in them so they're not "eggy." They're perfect when you have a veggie tray that you need to use before it goes bad :)

In this specific frittata this is what I used:

Frozen Hashbrowns

Precooked Turkey Sausage

Cooked Quinoa

Zucchini

Yellow Squash

Tomato

Red Onion

Red Pepper

Celery

Eggs/Egg Whites

Cheese

- Heat oven to 375 degrees.

- In a frying pan, spray with pam. Heat hashbrowns and sausage. Evenly spread across the bottom of the pan. Add quinoa and veggies. You don't stir so evenly sprinkle each item on top.

- Pour eggs on top. I used 5 eggs and some carton egg whites so all the ingredients are in the egg mixture. I used a spatula and poked all around so the egg would get down to the bottom.

- Top with cheese.

(this is what it looks like when it's ready to go in the oven)

- Bake for 15-20 minutes. Until all eggs are cooked. You can check with a toothpick.

It is good to eat with ketchup, hot sauce and salsa.

No Sugar Oat Drops

This recipe is inspired by Blueberry Girl that I found on Pinterest.  NO sugar, butter, eggs or anything that can be considered unhealthy, can these even taste good?  They do!  I was able to make 15 cookies out of this recipe and each cookie is 136 calories

2 1/2 cups regular rolled oats
2 tablespoons flax seed - run these through your blender
1/4 cup of almond meal - just run whole almonds through your blender
1/2 cup mixed nuts, finely chopped - I used almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 cup dried fruit - I used craisins

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375C. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, flax seeds, almond meal and nuts. Stir in allspice and cinnamon. Add dried fruit and stir until evenly mixed.


In another bowl, combine canola oil, mashed banana and vanilla extract. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until well combined.

Take a large cookie cutter and press spoonfuls of the batter into it. Remove cookie cutter. Bake for about 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Lasagna Soup

Bobby’s Lighter Tastes Like Lasagna Soup

404 less calories
28 g less fat

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces broken whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 4 noodles)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
8 Whole-wheat breadsticks or grissini (optional)

Instructions:
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick saucepot or Dutch oven. Add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is crumbled and browned, 8 – 10 minutes.

Add the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 20 minutes. Add the noodles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly and the noodles are tender, 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in mozzarella, basil, and the Parmesan. Serve with the breadsticks, if using. (whole-wheat lasagna noodles take a little longer to cook.)

Nutritional Information:
Per Serving (1 cup) 225 Cal (27% from Fat, 42% from Protein, 31% from Carb); 23 g Protein; 7 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 17 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; 4 g Sugar; 108 mg Calcium; 3 mg Iron; 826 mg Sodium; 53 mg Cholesterol

Original Recipe by Paula Deen: Tastes Like Lasagna Soup
Take It Lighter recipe courtesy of Bobby and Jamie Deen, and the Paula Deen Test Kitchen

Servings: 8 cups
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy

Cowboy Caviar

This is Tami's recipe. Any other veggies (olives, celery, etc.) that your family might like can be added.

1 cup whole corn, drained - frozen or canned
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 2 green onions, chopped
bell pepper, chopped
red onion, chopped
tomatoes, chopped
garlic
cumin
pepper
cilantro, chopped (optional)
Kraft Zesty Italian salad dressing
fresh lime

Combine all ingredients, adding according to your family's taste, except the dressing. Add juice of lime and dressing to taste. Best served after ingredients have mingled for a couple hours. Serve cold with chips.

Whole Wheat Waffles

I used applesauce (70 calories) instead of oil (960 calories) and that is a 890 calorie per recipe of savings.  I made Belguim waffles and this recipe made 9 squares so this recipe is roughly 132calories per square as compared to 231.

1 3/4 cup wheat flour
1 tablespoon flaxseed, ground
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup applesauce or oil
2 eggs

Mix all dry ingredients together.  Mix all wet ingredients together and stir into dry ingredients.  The batter will be slightly lumpy.  Pour into a preheated, lightly greased waffle iron and bake for approximately 5 minutes.

Chocolate Decadence

From Cooking Light  This is their description of the recipe - Antioxidant-rich chocolate makes three appearances here―as cocoa powder, unsweetened chocolate, and semisweet morsels. If you don't have ramekins, use muffin pans. The best part about this dessert: utter indulgence for a perfectly reasonable 315 calories. (Before we lightened it, this recipe contained 546.) 

The recipe says to invert the dessert and there was no way it was coming out so we ate them out of the ramekins sprinkled with powdered sugar.  The comments around the dinner table were that it tasted great but would also be good with nuts and/or vanilla ice cream.

Cooking spray
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg white
8 teaspoons semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°.  Lightly coat 4 (2-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray, and sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon sugar into each of the ramekins, shaking and turning to coat.  Set prepared ramekins aside.

Combine 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, milk, and cocoa in a small saucepan, stirring well with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 30 seconds or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; add the butter and 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate.  Stir until the chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.  Cool chocolate mixture 10 minutes.

Add flour, vanilla, salt, and egg white to chocolate mixture, stirring with a whisk just until blended.  Spoon 2 tablespoons chocolate mixture into each prepared ramekin, and top each with 2 teaspoons chocolate chips.  Divide the remaining chocolate mixture evenly among ramekins, spreading to cover the chocolate chips.  Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until barely set.  Cool for 10 minutes.  Invert onto dessert plates.  Serve warm.

Chicken Parmesan with Spaghetti

Adapted from Eat Better America.  I placed the chicken in a ziploc bag with the milk and egg and allowed it to soak while we were at church.  I also prepared the breading in another ziploc bag so that when we got home it would be easy to assemble.  I found that the cereal was hard to crush so I put it into my Magic Bullet and it was done in no time.

1/2 cup Fiber One® original bran cereal
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 egg white
2 teaspoons fat-free milk
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch-thick strips
6 oz uncooked whole grain spaghetti
2 cups favorite pasta sauce
Chopped fresh parsley, if desired

Heat oven to 400°F. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray. Place cereal in resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag and finely crush with rolling pin or meat mallet (or finely crush in food processor).

In shallow bowl, mix cereal, cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic salt. In another shallow bowl, mix egg white and milk until blended. Dip chicken pieces in egg white mixture, then coat well with cereal mixture; place in pan.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until crisp and chicken is no longer pink in center.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti as directed on package; drain. In 2-quart saucepan, heat pasta sauce over medium heat until hot.

Place drained spaghetti on serving platter; top with pasta sauce and chicken. Sprinkle with parsley.

Granola Bars

After much testing I think that we finally have a "Granola Bar". Adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted from King Arthur Flour. Makes about 30 servings, 228 calories per serving.

3 1/3 cups oats
1/3 cup demerara cane sugar
2/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup oats, processed till finely ground in a food processor or blender)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup flaxseed, ground
1/2 cup craisins
3 cups almonds, chopped*
2/3 cup almond butter
2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an cookie sheet with parchment paper, allowing it to go up the opposing sides. Lightly grease the parchment paper and the exposed pan, or coat with a non-stick spray.

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter or almond butter and water. Toss the wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Spread in the prepared pan, pressing them in firmly to ensure they are molded to the shape of the pan. (A piece of plastic wrap can help with this, as you press down on the back of it.)

If you want more control over portion size take a cookie cutter and scoop 1/3 cup of the granola into it. Press down the mixture until it is packed, remove the cookie cutter and repeat.

Bake the bars for 20 to 25 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges — don’t be afraid to get a little color on the tops too. Cool the bars in their pan completely on a cooling rack.

Once cool, a serrated knife (or bench knife) to cut the bars into squares. To store, wrap the bars individually in plastic or stack them in an airtight container. In humid weather, it’s best to store bars in the refrigerator. They also freeze well.

*Suggestions: Dried cranberries, apricots, pecans, sunflower seeds, coconut, walnuts, sesame seeds, pepitas, dried pples or even chocolate chips. My mix: 1/2 cup wheat germ, 1 cup dried cherries, 1 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup pecans and 1/2 cup dried unsweetened coconut flakes.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Everything is an experiment around our house any more. A little over a month ago I had bananas in my house for company and they didn't get finished off. Steve and I were still on our diet and bananas were not on the list of approved foods to eat at that time so I put the bananas in the freeze. I just left them as they were, brown, and put them in the freezer. Today I pulled them out and made banana bread, it worked out really well. Below you will see a banana bread recipe that I have modified to be a little healthier, I substituted applesauce for shortening and milk, used whole wheat flour and used brown sugar for half of the sugar called for in the recipe. I really enjoyed it but you can definitely tell that it is made with whole wheat flour.

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

4 eggs

2 cups mashed bananas

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

1 tablespoon flax seed (optional)

In mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; set aside.

In mixer bowl cream sugar and applesauce. Add eggs, one at a time beating until smooth. Add flour mixture and mashed bananas alternately to creamed mixture, beating until smooth after each addition. Gently fold in the chopped nuts and flax seed.

Turn batter into 2 lightly greased loaf pans. Bake in 350 degree oven for 60 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool thoroughly on wire rack.

This recipe also makes 5 small loaf pans. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.

End of Summer Harvest Soup

I found this recipe on A Year of Slow Cooking and on $5 dinners. I loved it because almost everything came out of my garden. I made a couple of changes and it turned out really good and the best part was that when I got home from working all day, it was the first day of the month, I didn't have to think about "What's for dinner?" it was done. Next time I make this I will add more squash and maybe some carrots.

4 cups chicken broth (vegetable stock is fine!)

1 cup water

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 zucchini, washed well and sliced in 1/4-inch rounds

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (I had red and yellow)

2 cups green beans

Handful of fresh basil and parsley from the garden

1/3 cup dry Great Northern beans - Cannellini beans were recommended but Albertsons didn't have them

1/2 cup pasta (to add 20 minutes before serving)

salt and pepper to taste

garnish with Parmesan and Romano cheeses - didn't use this but might next time

Wash squashes well and slice in rounds. Place into slow cooker with diced onion, green beans and tomato wedges. Rinse your beans in hot water, and add to cooker. Add broth, herbs, and water. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until beans have reached desired tenderness. 20 minutes before serving stir in raw pasta. Serve with grated Parmesan and Romano cheese.

Crockpot Granola

I found this recipe on A Year of Slow Cooking and wanted to give it a try. I knew that I would be home most of the morning but had to run an errand and thought I would only be a few minutes but that turned into 45 minutes so when I got home my granola was a little more done in some places than in others but it tastes so yummy! I am attempting another batch today and changing the recipe up just a little to work for me and that is the recipe that I have put below.

5 cups oats

1/2 cup steel cut oats - I put this in just because they were in the house, can be omitted

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 T flax seeds

1 1/2 cups almonds - I didn't cut them up because we like to eat them just the way they are

1 cup Craisins - it was what I have in the house but you could use any dried fruit

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut - I put this in for Steve but he better not get used to it, can be omitted

Put all the dry ingredients into your crockpot. You'll need at least a 4 quart crockpot (I own two crockpots and I used the smaller one last time and it was hard for me really stir it and so I am using the bigger one today and it works a lot better).

Melt the butter in the microwave, add the honey and applesauce. Pour over dry ingredients and toss well.

Cover but vent with a chopstick or wooden spoon, this is so that the moisture escapes and the granola dries out. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, stirring every so often until a golden brown. If you can smell the granola cooking, go stir or it will burn if you don't keep an eye on it.

Dump out on some parchment paper and let cool. Eat with milk like cereal, warmed with milk like oatmeal, or as is. Seal well in an air-tight container or in a Ziploc. Granola freezes well.

In my search to learn more about homemade granola I ran across an article in the USA Weekend that listed other ingredients that could be add to the basic granola recipe.

1. Classic Granola Extra Ingredients: 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, 1/3 cup sweetened flake coconut, 1/3 cup dark or golden raisins Flavoring: 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon You can replace the 1/4 cup of honey with 2 Tbs. each of maple syrup and molasses.

2. Crunchy Granola Extra Ingredients: 1/4 cup slivered almonds, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 2 Tbs. sesame seeds, 6 Tbs. currants Flavoring: none

3. Granola with Tropical Flavoring Add the coconut along with the cashews and banana chips. Extra Ingredients: 1/4 cup chopped roasted unsalted cashews, 1/4 cup chopped banana chips, 1/4 cup sweetened flake coconut, 1/4 cup chopped dried pineapple Flavoring: 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

4. Granola with Cherries and Almonds Extra Ingredients: 1/3 cup sliced almonds, 1/3 cup sweetened flake coconut, 1/3 cup dried cherries Flavoring: 3/4 tsp. almond extract

5. Trail Mix Granola Extra Ingredients: 1/4 cup chopped roasted unsalted peanuts, 1/4 cup sweetened flake coconut, 1/4 cup dark or golden raisins, 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips* Flavoring: none *Stir chips into the granola only after it has completely cooled.

6. Orange-Berry Granola with Pecans Extra Ingredients: 1/2 cup chopped pecans,1/4 cup dried cranberries, 1/4 cup dried blueberries Flavoring: 1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest

7. Pear Granola with Hazelnuts and Vanilla Extra Ingredients: 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts, 1/4 cup chopped dried cherries, 1/4 cup chopped dried pears Flavoring: 1 tsp. vanilla extract

8. Orange-Flavored Granola with Pistachios, Mangos and Dates Extra Ingredients: 1/2 cup chopped roasted pistachios, 1/4 cup chopped dates, 1/4 cup chopped dried mangos Flavoring: 1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest and 1/4 tsp. allspice