Maple Pecan Banana Cake

I have a treat for you! This cake is awesome and only takes a few minutes to whip up! It's super easy and delicious!!!  I took the cake to work today and all my co-workers loved it!

I love maple syrup and don't find many recipes in it. The sweet part of this recipe is all maple syrup! We start off with mashed bananas and mix it up with some eggs, maple syrup, and margarine. Add the dry ingredients. Top the cake off with pecans and maple syrup. Bake and enjoy!

I hope you love this cake as much as I did!  Enjoy!

Look at those beautiful pecans!!!

Cake:

-3 bananas mashed up

-1/4 cup of softened margarine (very soft but not melted)

-1/2 cup of maple syrup

-2 eggs

-2 cups of all purpose flour

-1 teaspoon of baking soda

-1/4 teaspoon of salt

Topping:

-¼ cup of flour

-½ cup of maple syrup

-1 cup of pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8x8 or 9x9 pan with non-stick spray.
2. Mix up the mashed bananas, margarine and maple syrup.
3. Add the eggs.
4. Fold in the flour, salt and baking soda.
5. Once mixed, place into the pan.
6. Now, mix up the topping. Whisk together the syrup and flour. Fold in the pecans.
7. Drop spoonfuls on the top of the cake. You want to evenly cover the cake with the pecan mixture.
8. Sprinkle some salt over the pecans. You do not want much but it certainly makes a difference.

9. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. The cake is done when a knife entered comes out clean  Enjoy!

Spicy Chicken Fried Rice

Are you obsessed with Chinese food?  I am!  I think we have it at least twice a month.  It's my absolute favorite take out.  But, it's super greasy and fried and so good for the taste buds but bad for the waistline.

I came up with my own version.  This has a lot of flavor and is much healthier for you. I love spicy food so this version is a little spicy.  Feel free to adjust.  

Now, there seems to be a lot of soy sauce in the recipe but this helps add so much flavor!  You can use low sodium soy sauce.  I also use sriracha (hot chili sauce) in the recipe.  Have you ever had sriracha?  It is amazing!

Hope you love this version as much as we do.  We seriously have it twice a month!

2 large chicken breasts

½ cup soy sauce (divided)

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

4 tablespoons sriracha (divided)

1 cloves of garlic minced or 1 teaspoon of jarred garlic

1 cup of uncooked rice

1 small onion chopped

2 eggs

4 tablespoons of oil (divided)

2 cups of frozen Asian style veggies

Instructions:

1. Mix together 1/4 cup soy sauce, ground pepper, 2 tablespoons of Sriracha, and garlic together.
2. Chop up the chicken breasts and place into the marinade. Marinate the chicken while you cook the rice.
3. Over a saucepan over low heat, cook the rice. Once rice is done, continue making the dish.
4. In a large deep dish frying pan over medium heat, pour in 1 tablespoon of oil.
5. Saute the chicken.  Once fully cooked, place to the side.
6. Pour in another tablespoon of oil. (Use the same pan)  Saute the onion for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is softened.
7. Scramble the egg in the same pan with the onion.  As you are cooking the eggs, break them up into very small pieces.
8. Once cooked, add the frozen veggies. Saute until warm.
9. Now, add the chicken and rice. Pour in the other ¼ cup of soy sauce, additional tablespoon of oil and additional 2 tablespoons of siracha.
10. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy! :)

Peanut Butter Balls

Happy Valentine's Day!!! I LOVE this holiday! 4 years ago, my husband proposed to me, so this day is extra special to me! :)

I have some easy candy for you today. Whether you are pro or against Valentine's Day, one thing is for certain—it's a great excuse to eat chocolate all day. Haha! These peanut butter balls take no time at all, and they are really yummy! This recipe doesn't make a ton, so it's great for Valentine's Day!

Peanut Butter Balls

Makes Approximately 10 balls

Ingredients For the Candy:

-1/2 cup of peanut butter (I used crunchy but smooth would work as well)

-1/4 cup of corn syrup (I used dark corn syrup but light would work as well too)

Ingredients for the Coating:

-1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate

-2 tablespoons of oil

Instructions:

1.) Mix the peanut butter and corn syrup together. Place in the fridge for an hour or so.

2.) Melt the chocolate and oil together. I used a microwave but double boiler would work as well. If you use the microwave, melt the chocolate in 15 second intervals. Take out and stir. Place back into the microwave. Once there are only a few bits of chocolate left, continue stirring until completely melted.

3.) Roll the peanut butter mixture into balls—about the size of a walnut.

4.) Dip into the chocolate.  If they are not smooth due to the peanuts, that is okay.  :)

5.) Place on a piece of waxed paper to harden. Refrigerate until ready to eat!

Enjoy! :)

THE MESS

  

Do you have a restaurant or cafe or diner that will always have a soft part in your heart?  Is there a place that you always go to, no matter what?

I crave variety, so my list is almost non-existent .  The great exception to this, is this cafe in Ocean City. My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Ocean City, MD. There's a cafe right by our hotel called “Satellite Cafe”. We ate breakfast there every day of our trip. When we came back to Ocean City to celebrate our 2^nd wedding anniversary, Satellite Cafe was on our agenda every day.

One of our favorite meals there is something called “The Mess”. The version at the cafe has hash brown potatoes, an egg or two, or then sausage gravy.  Bread is served on the side for extra dipping. Their version is perfect, and this one is pretty darn close.

Now, this meal isn't even remotely healthy. And, you shouldn't have it every day. But,there's over a foot of snow outside so I have a snow day.   Why not indulge?

It starts off with baking some delicious tater tots. Then, you cook some sausage and make a white gravy. Make an egg or two any way you like. Then, top everything off with the gravy. This is delicious and amazing. Perfect for a snow day!

The Mess

Serves 2

Step 1: Bake some tater tots.

Ingredients:

-Non stick spray

-1 cup of tater tots

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
3. Bake for 10 minutes.
4. Flip. Bake for another 5-10 minutes.
5. Keep Warm

Step 2: Cook the sausage

Cook a ½ lb of sausage over medium heat. I prefer regular sausage. After you cook it, drain on a paper towel. Leave the remaining grease in the same pan.

Step 3: Make the sausage gravy.

Ingredients:

-1/2 lb of cooked sausage

-1 tablespoon of butter (if needed)

-2 tablespoons of flour

-1 ½ cups of whole milk

-1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

-dash of salt

1. Warm the milk over low heat in a small saucepan.
2. Using the same the same pan as sausage gravy (do not drain the remaining grease), heat the pan and make a roux. You need at least 2 tablespoons of grease. If there isn't enough sausage grease, add some butter.
3. Once heated, sprinkle the flour. Mix.
4. Cook for a minute.
5. Slowly add in the milk.
6. Heat until thicken-5-10 minutes.
7. Add the pepper and dash of salt.
8. Add the cooked sausage. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
9. Keep the gravy warm over low heat.

Step 4: The Eggs

Cook an egg or two (depending on your appetite.) I made 2 fried eggs for my hubby, and 1 scrambled egg for me.

Step 5: Assemble The Greatness

Place the tater tots on the bottom. Place the egg on top. Top with the gravy. 

Pour some coffee and enjoy your morning.

Valentine's Day Cupcakes

 

Happy Valentine's Day!  (I know it's early.  It's okay! :))   I LOVE Valentine's Day!!! The colors, the flowers, the chocolate, the romance—I love it all! And what's even better, is that my husband proposed to me on Valentine's Day, so every year, he and I reminisce about that special day.

Since Valentine's Day is coming up, I wanted to celebrate with a cupcake. This cupcake has some of my favorite flavors. It starts off with a lovely red velvet cupcake. Then, I fill it with a marshmallaw raspberry filling. It gets topped off with a lovely light red frosting. This cupcake screams Valentine's Day which I absolutely adore!

Let's get started.

It all starts off with a lovely red velvet cupcake.

Step 1: Bake Red Velvet Cupcakes (I used a mix)

Now, comes the lovely filling.

Step 2: Make the filling

Ingredients:

¼ cup raspberry jam

1 teaspoon of warm water

¾ cup Marshmallow Fluff

Instructions:

Step 1: Whisk the jam with the water to remove any clumps.

Step 2: Carefully, fold the marshmallow fluff with the jam. If the fluff is too stiff, just warm in a microwave for a few seconds.

Step 3: Once well mixed, place into a pipping bag.

Step 3: Cut a hole in each cupcake.

Step 4: Fill each cupcake with the filling.

 

Step 5: Make the frosting

Valentine's Day Frosting

1 stick of butter

4 oz. cream cheese

2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream

3-4 cups powdered sugar

Step 1: Whip the butter for several minutes. The butter should be light and airy.

Step 2: Add the cream cheese and whip for a couple more minutes.

Step 3: Add the vanilla extract and whip for another min.

Step 4: Start adding the powdered sugar—one cup at a time. Keep adding the powdered sugar and whip until you get the consistency that you want. Add the cream if the frosting gets too stiff.

Step 5: Carefully add the red food coloring. Whip until you get the right color. I wanted red, so my frosting took several drops.

Step 6: Frost each cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles if desired.

Step 7: Eat and enjoy!

*Cooks Note: The filling and frosting is enough to fill and frost 12 cupcakes.*

Mexican Casserole

Did you love casseroles? I'll admit that I am pretty late to the casserole party. My Dad hates casseroles, so I didn't grow up eating them. My husband loves casseroles, so I've spent the last three years trying to find good recipes. My biggest complaint with casseroles is that they normally require some condensed soup which has so much fat and calories. (I like to save my calories for dessert. Haha)

Anywho, this is a casserole that I came up with. It's pretty healthy, and you can sub out many of the ingredients—ie. low sodium taco seasoning, make it vegetarian, etc.

I hope you enjoy this dish. We have it at least twice a month. :)

Ingredients:

3 cups of cooked rice

2 large chicken breasts (cooked and diced/shredded)

1 Packet of taco seasoning

1 can of black beans—drained and rinsed

1 can of corn-drained

1 jar of salsa (15.5 oz)

8oz. of shredded Mexican Cheese or Pepperjack Cheese 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 baking dish.
2. Mix all the ingredients together except cheese.
3. Mix in half the cheese.
4. Place into greased 13 x 9 pan. Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.
5. Bake until warm—about 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream or salsa if desired.

Enjoy! :)

Pizza Dip

Happy Superbowl Sunday, Folks!!!!

I love the Superbowl.  It's such a great excuse to eat lots of food and hang out with friends. Who are you rooting for?  Personally, I want the Broncos to win since I'm a fan of Peyton Manning.

Today's recipe is one of my favorites.  When I first went on Pinterest, I found Pizza Dips everywhere and have tried quite a few.  Everyone has their own version, and this is certainly mine.  It combines some of my absolute favorite flavors!  Hope you like it!



Pizza Dip Recipe

Ingredients:

4oz softened cream cheese

½ cup sour cream

½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1 tablespoon of Pesto Sauce (optional)

Dash of salt and pepper

½ cup Parmesan cheese

¼-1/3 cup of tomato sauce

6-8 oz of mozzarella cheese

Pizza Toppings

Pie Pan

Instructions:

1.)    Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.  You can always use a microwave as well to heat up the dip so if you are, do not preheat the oven.

2.)    Mix the first 6 ingredients together.

3.)    Evenly spread into a pie pan.

4.)    Top with pizza sauce.   Since I don't want to mix cream cheese mixture with the sauce, I put small spoonsfuls of the sauce and then, using a knife, I carefully smooth the top.

5.)    Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and any pizza toppings.

6.)    Place into an oven for 350 degrees for  10-15 minutes.  If using a microwave, place and heat for 5-10 minutes depending on the strength of your microwave.  The dip should be hot and bubbly.

Serve with bread.

Enjoy!  

Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Cheesecake Filling and Topped with Chocolate Frosting

Ever have a craving for something? I was craving chocolate cheesecake all week. By the time Friday came along, the cheesecake idea evolved to a cupcake. I LOVE gourmet cupcakes. You can fill them with anything and call it awesome. This is what this cupcake is—pure awesomeness. 

When I create a gourmet cupcake, I crave balance. The last thing you want is to see your friends only take 1 bite out of your food because it is too much or too rich. 

I took a chocolate cupcake and filled it with chocolate nutella cheesecake filling. I topped it with a very light chocolate frosting. It sounds like a lot, but the dessert is quite balanced. And by the way, please forgive the piping skills. I will improve my decorating skills in time!  Haha :)

Instructions:

Step 1:

Mix up the chocolate nutella cheesecake filling.

Chocolate Nutella Cheesecake Filling

-4 oz cream cheese softened

-1/4 cup nutella

-½ teaspoon vanilla extract

-3 oz sweetened condensed milk (¼ container of sweetened condensed milk)

-2 tablespoons of cocoa

1.) Mix cream cheese and nutella until smooth.

2.)Add the rest of the ingredients.

3.)Blend until smooth.

4.)Place back into the fridge for another hour or so.

Step 2:

Bake a chocolate cupcake.  I used a cake mix and followed the instructions.
Let the cupcakes cool.

Step 3:
Make Chocolate Nutella Frosting

Chocolate Nutella Frosting

-1 stick of softened butter

-1/3 cup Nutella

-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-2-3 tablespoons half& half or heavy cream

-3-4 cups of confectionary sugar

1. Whip the butter for several minutes. It should be very light and almost white in color.
2. Add the nutella and whip for a minute.
3. Add the vanilla and half & half.
4. Start adding the confectionery sugar one cup at a time. Add until you get the consistency that you want.

Step 4: Assemble the cupcakes

1. Cut a hole in each cupcake. Scoop some of the filling out.
   
   
   
   
2. Fill to the top with the cheesecake filling.
   
   
   
   
3. Using a piping bag, frost each cupcake.
4. Decorate with sprinkles.

Enjoy!