Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Last night was a night I tried to use up a BIG zucchini I had making a savory treat and then something sweet.  First up was tasty little zucchini tots.  Next for something sweet, chocolate chip zucchini bread.  And as my husband told later that evening when he finally tried a piece. "It's awesome".

Recipe:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

3 large eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups of sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini

1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line loaf pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.  In a large bowl sift together all the dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl mix together, egg, sugar, oil and vanilla until combine.  Mix in the dry ingredients.  Then fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips.  Divide batter into two loaf pans.  Bake in center oven for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Allow to cool for about 15 minutes in pans then transfer to cooling rack. Slice and enjoy!

*Batter can easily be halved to make just one loaf. Or batter can be used in a muffin pan, cooking time will be slightly shortly in the muffin pan so keep an eye on them.

Zucchini Tots

Just another way to use all the wonderful zucchini from the season.  With just a few simple ingredients this is a delicious way to use up zucchini.  Both my husband and my toddler gobbled them up!

Recipe:

1 cup grated zucchini
1 egg
1/4 onion diced
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 grated cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (or a little extra!)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Squeeze all liquid out of zucchini in a clean towel. (*a step I forgot they just came out a little soft)  Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  Spray a mini muffin pan and place mixture into pan.  Bake 15-18 minutes will start to get golden on top.  Use a butter knife to loosen the tots and remove. Serve warm!

Toddler Bites

So now that my son is eating real food, and I post on facebook often about what he is eating friends and coworkers keep asking me to share recipes and what I am feeding him. One even pushing for me to add it to the blog. I admit my blog has fallen by the wayside as I adjusted to motherhood. It most certainly has been a year of change. My little peanut is fast aproaching the year mark, and within that time we have bought a house, moved in, my husband began a new career, and I returned to work! Phew I'm exhausted just thinking about it all! And now myhusband is working an evening shift as a nurse and not home most nights for dinner I am home alone to take care of our little one after a full day of teaching for me. So needless to say you can bet there have been night's Leo has eaten a better dinner then I have. I do will my best effort to start posting some meal ideas and things I have come to fee our little guy. But for now I will give a general outline of what his day looks likes.

5:30-6:30am- Wakes, dresses little play time
Bottle (formula) about 6oz

6:45am- We are out the door to the sitter

7:15- Drop at Sitter- Weekends home playing with Mommy

8:30-9:00- Breakfast and 6 oz bottle- breakfast might be: oatmeal, whole wheat pancake with fruit, whole wheat waffle, scrambled egg, Veggielite Carrot muffin

Nap- usually about an hour to an hour and half

12:00- 1:00 Lunch and 6 oz bottle- usually leftovers from night before. I try to include protein, fruit/vegetable, and starch when possible. Today he had a bit of meatloaf, chunks of cooked sweet potato, and a mix of cooked carrots & zuchini. I also sent a sugar free applesauce which he ate part of with breakfast and part with lunch or as a snack.

Later in afternoon about 20-30 minute nap- or naps in car ride home from sitter

3:00- 6oz bottle

3:30- Pick up from sitter

4:30-5:30- playtime with Mommy!

5:45-6:30- Dinner- today was about 4-5 spinach and cheese tortellini with tomato sauce, steamed squash and some blueberries.

6:30-7:30 Bedtime - Bottle 6oz- bath (usually every other night) read books

8:00pm- most nights he is asleep by this time and Mommy collapses....

** this is a general schedule we are not hard pressed to the times some days it can vary by a half hour the times of feedings but usually fairly close to this. Again with the bottles he drinks on average 6 oz each time 5 times a day, but sometimes that first bottle he does not want and sometimes the evening bottle he wasnts more. We have reached a point that if you are eating something and he sees you, then you better have something for him too! Could be just a couple of cheerios.

Proscuitto White Pizza

One of our favorite things to make in our house has to be PIZZA! I think we make it at least once a week.  It's delicious, it's easy. it's quick, and easy to alter to what you have on hand.  What could be better?  This week we went with a white pizza since my parents who were staying with us for Thanksgiving left two huge containers of ricotta cheese in our fridge.  The other toppings were leftovers from an anitpasti tray served for the holiday, so some smoked mozzerella and proscuitto found there way onto our pizza. 

1 pizza dough- either store bought or bought from a pizzeria
about 1/2 cup of riccotta cheese
smoked mozzerella sliced- we used little less then half a ball of fresh
proscuitto- we used about 3-4 slices torn
little garlic- powder or minced whatever  you have on hand.

First heat oven to preheat to 500 degrees.  Place pizza stone in oven to heat. Stretch out your dough and place on a pizza peal.  Top with Ricotta, then smoked mozzerella, garlic, and proscuitto.  Move to heated stone in oven and cook. About 10 minutes or until desired crispness of dough.  Pull out and allow to cool a few minutes. Enjoy!

Italian Wedding Soup

Always during the winter I have memories of cold days being warmed by my Dad making a big pot of Italian Wedding soup.  We always look forward to enjoying this soup at a holiday or on a winter afternoon. Perfectly served with some crusty bread and a sprinkle of parmsean cheese on top.  This past Thanksgiving I think I finally got it right.  And received my Dad and family's seal of approval. This is a simple soup packed with tiny pasta, bite sized meatballs, chicken, and vegetables.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, cooked and meat shredded
bite sized meatballs (recipe below)
1 head of escarole
2-3 carrots diced
2 stalks of celery finely diced
1 onion finely chopped
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
2 teaspoons of onion powder
3 chicken broth
approx. 1/2-3/4 cup of acini de pepe pasta (I can only find it by Ronzoni) or other tiny pearled pasta

Bite sized meatballs:
1/2-3/4 lb of chopmeat or meatball mix
1 egg
1/2 breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of parsely
1 teaspoon of parmsean cheese
splash of milk (just enough to moisten)

Mix all meatball ingredients together in a medium sized bowl and roll into bite sized meatballs.  Small enough to fit on spoon.  Put to the side.

In a large pot heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Over medium heat cook onion, carrot and celery till tender.  Add in the garlic and onion powder and salt and pepper.  Stir, cook about 1-2 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a boil.  Drop in the meatballs.  When the meatballs are cooked add in the chicken and the escarole.  Allow to simmer.  I like to cook the pasta seperately then add just before serving. But you can cook it in the same pot, just have some extra broth on hand if too much is absorbed by the pasta.  Allow all to simmer a few minutes.  Serve with grated cheese and crusty bread!

Pregnancy Bed Rest

Again no new recipes or items to post as I have now been on bed rest for about a month now due to pregnancy complication.  My husband has encouraged me to update the blog but with what, all I do is lay around all day.  There are definitely no new recipes being tested.  Just a lot of take out and leftovers.  I am hoping by the summer to be back up and feeling good.  In the meantime I have organized my pins on Pinterest and have lots of new ideas!

Pregnancy Causing Lack of Motivation to Cook

Hello all.  I have to just comment on the lack of action lately on this blog.  This mainly due to the fact that I am expecting my first child.  I have made it through the first trimester.  A little morning sickness that struck mainly in the evening kept me from tackling anything new in the kitchen.  Between exhaustion, slight nausea, and the lack of desire to eat left me less then motivated to cook.  Now into my second trimester luckily the nausea has left.  However some tummy issues and doctor telling me to stay off my feet and take it easy has left me yet again unmotivated to try anything new for dinner after working all day.  My husband is wonderful and has taken on helping with the cooking and doing dishes.  Again though leaving us to plan easy, simple meals for dinner.  I am finding I still don't want anything heavy for dinner.  I find my digestion system prefers if I kind of eat a bunch of small meals all day or graze.

So if anyone has suggestions for quick simple meals please do share them.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

On a crisp fall evening a nice bowl of soup always hits the spot.  This soup has a little spice to it also to really warm you up.   My husband has been asking for this soup recently since I hadn't made it in awhile and he loves it.  I had come across the recipe originally in a USA magazine in the Sunday paper and then misplaced the recipe. We tried a different one, but we like this one so much better. And I think it is a simple soup that is quick to pull together.

Recipe:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 chicken breast, split
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 yellow onion diced
3 garlic gloves minced
2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobe sauce seeded and minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
2 quarts chicken broth
1 cup frozen corn kernals
tortilla chips
avocado (to top)
lime wedges
shredded cheese, cheddar or mexican blend

In a bowl combine chicken with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and chili powder.  In a dutch oven or heavy bottom pot heat 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Brown chicken on each side about 4 minutes on each side.  Remove from pot allow to cool and shred.  Add onion to pot and cook about 3-4 minutes until golden and soft.  Add garlic and chipotle peppers, cook another 1 minute until fragrant.   Add tomatoes and beans to the pot.  Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer 5 minutes.  Add corn and shredded chicken to soup.  Allow to simmer another 10-15 minutes. 
To serve place tortilla chips in bottom of bowl, ladle soup on top.  Serve topped with avocado slices, shredded cheese and lime wedges.

Chicken Burger with Parsnip "Fries"

In my ever quest to use leaner meats in my cooking I atempted my first chicken burger.  Yes the chicken is a better option then beef, however I'm not saying this is the perfect healthy burger as it has nice bits of bacon throughout!  The use of shredded apple and honey keep the burger moist a little sweet.  We found that a little honey mustard on this burger with some spinach worked very well.  To give the affect of french fries with all that fat we made parnsip fries.  These were seasoned and tossed with a little olive oil and roasted in the oven.  All around a very flavorful meal.

Burger:

1 lb ground chicken

1 stalk of celery finely chopped

1 tablespoon of poultry seasoning

1 apple shredded (medium sized, I used mactintosh but granny smith would work well)

2 tablespoons honey

salt and pepper to taste

4 strips of cooked bacon crumbled

Toasted buns

Optional Toppings:

dijon or honey mustard

spinach

cheddar cheese

In a medium bowl combine seasoning, celery, apple, bacon, honey.  Add in chicken and mis to just combined, don't over mix.  Form into four patties.  Cook on grill or griddle, about 4-5 minutes each side.  Place on bun and add optional toppings.

* Since this recipe makes four patties I did freeze two cooked patties between parchment paper for another night.

Keep scrolling for Parnsip Fries recipe

Parsnip Fries:
2-3 parsnips peeled and sliced into sticks
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dried thyme crushed (or Rosemary)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place parnsips on a foil lined baking sheet.  Toss to olive oil and all seasonings.  Bake 10 minutes then turn parsnips over. Bake another 10 minutes.  Should be golden brown and fork tender.

Roasted Crusted Winter Squash

Yummy Winter Squash

This is the time of year for lots of squash.  It's is in abundance in the markets.  I was recently given a winter squash from relatives.  I stared at it for a few days not sure what I wanted to do with it.  I came up with this easy side to serve along with some fish.  And since I am always trying to eat more vegetables we also had broccoli with this meal.  Winter squash can also be used roasted simply and tossed with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.  This would also work well mashed with a little maple syrup as this squash had a little sweetness to it.  So I am slowly learning what to make with all those different squash I see in the produce section right now.

Recipe:

1 winter squash, peeled and seeded

1 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the squash into 1 inch wedges.  Spray one side with cooking spray or brush with olive oil.  Mix rest of ingredients together.  Dip squash into mixture, sprayed side into mixture.  Place on a baking sheet.   Bake about 20 minutes or until fork tender.  

I like to cover my baking sheets with foil for easy clean up!

2 Unique Uses for Hot Dog Buns

I think most people find themselves with the dilemma of having leftover hot dog buns.  It's one of life's great mysteries why the amount of hot dogs in a package do not match the number of buns in a package.  So lately instead of letting the buns become a science experiment in my bread drawer I have been trying to use them in other ways besides just holding my hot dog.  So far this is what I have some up with, please if you have more ideas share them!

1. Surpising the hot dog buns make wonderful french toast.  They soak up the butter that they are cooked in and are light.  Simple make a mixture of egg, little bit of milk, spinkle or two of cinnamin and a splash of vanilla.  Dip the buns in the mixture and cook them on a buttered griddle.  To make a complete meal you may leave the buns connected when cooking and place a sausage link or bacon inside to make a breakfast sandwich.
2. Recently I made a pot of soup and was looking for some bread to dunk in my bowl.  Again staring at me from the counter were some leftover hot dog buns.  I decided to turn them into crispy flavorful croutons to place in my bowl.  I cut up the buns into chunks and tossed them in a bowl with italian seasoing, garlic powder, onion powder, and olive oil.  Lay them flat in one layer on a baking sheet  and toast in a 375 oven until golden brown. 

Southwestern Spaghetti Squash

 

This was a delicious meatless meal.  It is easy to make.  Takes a little time to roast the spaghetti squash but easy.  I admit my husband said in his mind when smelling it and looking at it he expected there to be some meat inside, so it took a few bites to get his head wrapped around what he was eating. 

 

Recipe:

 

1 spaghetti squash

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup corn kernels

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

2 garlic cloves minced

1/2 onion diced

1 cup shredded cheese

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon of oregano

avocado slices and salsa to serve (optional but recommended)

 

heat oven to 375 degrees.  Split squash in half and place face side up on a baking sheet.  Roast for 50-55 minutes.  Allow to cool enough to handle and using a fork shred the squash into "noodles"

 

In a large skillet heat olive oil.  Add the onion, peppers, garlic.  Saute 3-4 minutes.  Add cumin, chili, powder, and oregano. Cook another minute.  Add the black beans and corn cook through. 2-3 minutes.  Add spaghetti squash to mixture and stir to combine.  Place mixture into shells of the squash top with cheese and place under the broiler until cheese is melted.  Top with avocado slices and your favorite salsa and enjoy. 

Leftover Roasted Chicken

This past Sunday my husband and I enjoyed a delicious roast chicken.  However we are only two people with a 7lb chicken! So needless to say over the next few days we saw that chicken used in a few other ways.  I think leftover roast chicken or a rotisserie chicken is one of the easiest things to use.  Below are three ways we used the chicken.

A delicious chicken salad sandwich: chicken, mashed avocado, little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Topped with spinach, tomato and a slice of cheddar cheese.

BBQ Chicken Taco:  Mix some leftover chicken with your favorite BBQ sauce and warm in microwave.  Warm tortilla in a pan. Add some cheese, avocado slices, and fresh cilantro.



Open Face Chicken Sandwich:  In a pan heat gravy and chicken together.  Meanwhile toast some bread topping with little olive oil and garlic powder.  Place chicken and gravy on top of toast.

Roast Chicken with Vegetables

Ahhh nothing more satisfying then the smell of a chicken roasting in the oven on a cool Autumn day.  A recent trip to a fall festival meant that we came home with a bountiful of apples and vegetables.  A sale on whole chickens at the grocery also spurred this meal on! And this chicken will feed us for a couple of days, as it is just my husband and I.  I think one of my favorite vegetables roasted has to be carrots.  I love this meal also for the fact that onions on the bottom of the pan give everything a hint of the sweetness that comes from onions caramelizing.  This was the first time I roasted radishes and we enjoyed them greatly.  Some potatoes round the group being roasted.  

With a chicken like this I look forward to using leftovers for different sandwiches for lunch in the up coming days.  But I think tomorrow night will be some open faced chicken and gravy sandwiches!

Recipe:

5-7 lb chicken

1/2 lemon

3-4 garlic cloves

olive oil

1 tablespoon of herbs de provence

salt and pepper

Vegetables:

1 onion cut in wedges

5-6 red potatoes quartered

4-5 radishes halved

3-4 carrots cut into chunks

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon herb de provence

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Remove giblets, rinse chicken inside and out.  Dry with paper towels.  Season inside of chicken with salt and pepper.  Place garlic cloves and lemon inside chicken.  Season outside of chicken with herbs de provence and salt and pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil and massage oil and herbs into chicken.  

On a ridged baking sheet place onion on bottom.  In a bowl mix remaining vegetables with herbs and olive oil.  Place chicken on top of onions with breast side up.  Arrange vegetables around the chicken.  Place in oven.  Cook 1/2-2 hours depending on size of chicken.  Cook until meat thermometer measures 165 degrees.  If chicken starts to brown too much tent with foil.  Allow chicken to rest about 15 minutes before slicing.  

Tasted great served with pan gravy or pan juices.  Get all that yummy flavor from the chicken and the vegetables.

Couscous with Corn and Zucchini

This recipe was created as I was cooking dinner one evening.  Looking to use some zucchini and an ear of corn I had on hand this side dish was made.  It was the perfect dish to accompany some baked chicken.  Even better is the ease and quickness of this dish.  We also enjoyed the leftovers as a quick lunch the next day.  

Recipe:

1 cup of couscous

1 1/4 chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

1 zucchini cup into bite size pieces

2 ears of corn, kernels removed

1/3 cup of tomato sauce

1 teaspoon of herbs de provence

1 tablespoon of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

grated parmesan cheese to top

In a medium pot bring broth and couscous to boil.  Simmer covered until most of liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile in a medium pan heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add the zucchini and corn kernels.  Cook until zucchini is soft. Season with herb de provence.  Add the tomato sauce and cook 3-4 minutes.  Add cooked couscous to pan and cook another minute mixing with vegetable mixture.  Serve with a little grated parmesan cheese on top.

Pumpkin Crumb Cake

 

Fall is here, you can tell by all the pumpkin offereings in the stores. From pumpkin munchkins at Dunkin Donuts to all the pumpkin lattes in the coffee places.  It is something I am always eager for the arrival of and sad to see it leave.  Seems like pumpkins are everywhere this season.  I will have to get out to do some pumpkin picking next weekend.  I love to carve a nice jack-o-lantern and roast the seeds.  For today however I am using canned pumpkin puree to make a very moist pumpkin crumb cake.  I will be honest the taste of pumpkin is not strong in this cake, but the pumpkin helps to keep this cake moist.  It does have walnuts in the cake but that is optional and if there are any nut allergies simply leave them out.

 

Recipe:   (taken from Entenmann's Big Book of Baking)

 

Cake Batter1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup canned pureed pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Topping2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons rolled oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter

 

2-3 tablespoons of Confectioner's sugar sifted for  dusting on top

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease cake pan 13x9.

To make the topping, combine 2/3 cup oats, flour, sugar, and cinnamon in processor. Add butter and cut in until crumbly. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons oats. Set to one side.

Sift the flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in the sugar and 1 egg at a time. Add the pumpkin and vanilla extract to the wet batter mix. Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the batter. Slowly add the milk and stir in the walnuts (optional). Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread with the topping.  Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool.

 

 

 

Creamy Tortellini with Asparagus

 

This is a quick easy creamy pasta dish that can be served as a side or a full meal.  This is also a nice change up from regular marina sauce.  We ate this along with some stuffed flank steak, so definitely a treat night for as we don't always eat red meat or a creamy alfredo sauce.  I had a bunch of asparagus on hand so used that along with the pasta, but peas or any other vegetable would work well. 

 

Recipe:

 

1lb. of tortellini pasta

1 bunch of asparagus trimmed and cut into pieces

1 cup of milk

1 shallot thinly sliced

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

 

Bring pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta.  In a medium sauce pan heat olive oil.  Saute shallot and asparagus for 2-3 minutes until golden and soft.  Stir in flour.  Whisk in milk slowly and bring to boil.  Add cooked pasta, cheese, and salt and pepper.  Serve.

 

 

 

 

Stuffed Flank Steak

Lately we do not eat a lot of red meat.  However a few times a month we just have to have some.  This week I went with some flank steak.  I saw an interesting recipe online, sadly I did not have all the ingredients.  So I was forced to improvise with what I had in the fridge.  This delicious steak is stuffed with salami, provolone, spinach, and red peppers. All the favors worked beautifully together.  It paired well with a side of creamy tortellini pasta with asparagus.

Recipe:

2 lb flank steak, pounded little thin

2 roasted red peppers ( I had some in a jar)

5 slices of genoa salami , enough to cover meat in one layer ( or prosciutto)

4 slices of provolone, enough to cover meat in one layer

1 1/2 cup of fresh baby spinach 

Lay steak flat, layer salami, cheese, peppers, and spinach on top.  Roll steak and secure with cooking twine. ( or if like me and don't have any on hand some toothpicks). In a skillet with little olive oil cook 3-4 minutes on each side.  Place in a roasting pan and in a oven at 375 cook for 20 minutes.  Test with meat thermometer to make sure meat is 155-160. 

"Octoberfest" Turkey Burger

On eof the best things about fall is the change of menu.  Bringing in apples, pumpkin, and more comfort foods.  Beign that today is October 1st it seems like a good time to also think about octoberfest. This is a delicious perfect burger for October.  I discovered this in EveryDay with Rachel Ray it was the burger of the month.   It sounded interesting and I happened to have some ground turkey on hand.  So why not give it a try. I think the flavors worked well together and it will stay moist. The added bacon drippings help a lot.  And it pairs very well with a pale ale or your favorite lager.  Serve it at your  Octoberfest party.  My husband must have liked it as he rated it blog-worthy!

Recipe: (from EveryDay with Rachel Ray October 2013)

 

1 tbsp. olive oil

8 slices bacon, finely chopped

1/2 cupped onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp superfine sugar or 1 tbsp light agave nectar
2 tbsp cidar vinegar
1 1/2-2 lbs ground turkey
salt and pepper
1/4 cup fresh finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 slices mustard seed- flavored Beemster (gouda) OR smoked Gouda
4 rolls split toasted (I used a brioche, but a pretzel roll would be awesome)
spicy brown mustard
sauerkraut, warmed
bread and butter pickles

In a large skillet, heat the oil.  crisp the bacon bits, 2-3 minutes, keep stirring. Add in the onion and garlic.  Cook, stirring 2-3 minutes.  Add the sugar and vinegar, stir.  Remove from heat and cool.

In a large bowl, season the turkey with and pepper.  Add the parsley, Worcestershire and the cooked bacon mixture and drippings.  Stir to combine, then form 4 patties.  Heat skillet over medium-high.  Add burger and cook, 4-5 minutes on each side, flipping only once. Place cheese on top and melt.  Slather bun with mustard, top with saurkraut and pickles.  Enjoy. 

Mini Banana Nut Muffins

I like making mini muffins since they allow for portion control.  Sometime a big muffins is just too much, and what are you going to do start to eat it and get partway through and stop!  No, you must finish it.  Mini muffins allow for a smaller portion and most of the time just enough of a good thing.  These are like banana bread with yummy crumb topping.  With these, yes the base is good, but the crumb topping is a must.  Enjoy!

Recipe:

1 c flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 over ripe mashed bananas

1/2 c sugar

1 egg

3 Tbsp butter, melted

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• TOPPING
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp butter
• GREASE OR LINE MINI MUFFIN TIN WITH BAKN PAPER CUPS.
• IN A LARGE BOWL MIX FLOUR, BAKN POWDER, BAKN SODA, N SALT. IN ANOTHER BOWL MIX MASHD BANANAS, VANILLA EXTRACT, MELTD BUTTER, BEATN EGG N SUGAR. STIR BANANA MIXTURE INTO FLOUR MIXTURE JUST UNTIL MOISTENED.
• WITH A SMALL SPOON FILL PAPER CUP LINERS WITH BATTER...LEAVN A LITTLE BIT OF ROOM FOR CRUMB TOPPN. PREHEAT OVEN TO 375.
• IN A SMALL BOWL MIX BROWN SUGAR, FLOUR, CINNAMON. CUT BUTTER INTO THIS MIXTURE...I USED MY FINGERS N ROLLD IT INTO MIXTURE. TOP EACH MUFFIN W/CRUMB TOPPING. 
• BAKE FOR 10-12 MIN

 **I did find that these froze well.  As there is just my husband and I most baking recipes just make too much to keep around the house.  So I try to freeze items to use later.