Month: January 2018

The King’s Supreme Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Published by

This recipe could not be easier. I took an already great recipe I found on the web and tweaked it to my liking while considering what I had on hand in my kitchen, Peanut Butter Banana Bread it is! I am playfully calling it the King’s (as in Elvis) because from what I understand he loved the combo… bananas and peanut butter, yum! I must say this bread is delicious, it is deliciously decadent , but not too sweet and I mean that in a good way. The peanuts and peanut butter give it a great depth of flavor. Had to give you an inside look, plus… I had to have a test 😉 slice. Oh so good. Ingredients 3 very ripe bananas 1/3 cup melted butter 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1 beaten egg 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanut 1/4 cup peanut butter pinch of salt Process Preheat oven to 350 Butter a glass loaf pan In a mixing bowl mash the bananas …

Grandma Jean’s Milk Gravy

Published by

Want a yummy and comforting food treat for breakfast? Try my mother in laws Milk Gravy the next time you are craving biscuits and gravy. It is so delicious! I never knew milk gravy existed during my pre-mom-in-law days long ago. Boy, was I missing out on a whole lot of yummy goodness Nothing wrong with a food treat, cheat meal, right? All in moderation, that’s key. Here’s just about all you need, but don’t forget the pepper. Start your roux (roux = a fancy culinary term for your thickening agent here) Cook your bacon and set aside the fat (drippings). I made 6 thick cut slices and it rendered about 1/2 cup fat. After adding in the milk bring the mixture to a soft boil All thickened up I made it easy on myself, store bought definitely works. I used the same cookie sheet that I cooked the bacon on (after the bacon fat is drained off) to cook the biscuits. This gives the biscuits a slight and oh so nice bacon flavor. Top …

Broccoli Casserole

Published by

I came across a similar recipe on facebook. After doing some recipe research I came up with my own version. This comes together quickly. Pop it in the oven and you’ll be free to tend to the rest of your meal prepping. Ingredients 4 cups fresh chopped broccoli 1 can cream of chicken soup 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1 egg, beaten 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper 1/4 cup monterey jack cheese, grated 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated 1/4 cup crushed croutons, I used a mixed type with both dark pumpernickel and light croutons. I crushed them myself. First I placed a few handfuls of croutons in a plastic ziplock bag, then I used the back of a stainless steal measuring cup to crush them. (primitive yes, but it worked) Process Preheat oven to 375 Combine the broccoli, cream of chicken soup, mayo, egg, salt and pepper. Mix well. Place mixture into a small casserole dish, I used an 8 x 4 dish Top with the grated cheese Next, sprinkle the top with the bread crumbs …

Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

Published by

Here’s the finished dish. I served it over spaghetti noodles, you could use any type of pasta here, regular or whole wheat of course. This really has a special depth of flavor, it is so very good. I think I will add this to my list of dishes, good enough to entertain with! Chop your onion small y’all :), just to be sure you end up with completely softened cooked onions in your finished dish. 4-6 cloves of garlic is perfect, I left them whole you can certainly chop them if you prefer. Fresh is best in my book, but dried herbs work just fine. I’m lucky in that in my neck of the woods (So. Cal.) rosemary bushes grow like crazy. Here is the mix ready to cook… After searching the web for an authentic chicken cacciatore recipe I opted to follow Ms. DeLaurentiis lead for the most part, except, my version is made in the crockpot. I adlibbed on a few things. I also took a few ideas from Saveur, one of my …

Tamales 101

Published by

Well it’s that time of year, I woke up early this morning to get my batch of goodness done. Tamales at Christmastime are a tradition in my family. I can remember my paternal grandmother making them with my mom every Christmas season when I was just a girl. My mom continued the tradition… now all 7 of my siblings try to carry on this holiday family tradition. In years past I’ve turned my tamales making into an event of sorts, inviting my daughters, cousins and grandkids to join the fun. I planned Christmas crafts for the littles and breakfast time treats for all. I would certainly recommend doing this if you have the time. It makes for great family time. Today I have been lucky enough to have my mother in law’s influence in the tamale-making department and that’s a very good thing! I believe hers are thee best. Her masa (the outer shell of the tamale) is always spot on. The thickness of her finished tamales is always just right too. This year I …

Crockpot Shredded Carnitas 

Published by

I had about 4 pounds of pork to use up so carnitas it is. Making them in the crockpot is way easy. Gathering my ingredients Beggining to sear the pork Into the crockpot it goes All done Let the shredding begin Ingredients 2 tablespoons canola 4 pounds seared pork (I used boneless sirloin here) half an onion, sliced I jalapeño, halved 2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp crushed oregano 1/4 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp pepper 1 cup orange juice Process… 1. In a crockpot place the onions, seared pork (see note below), and seasonings. 2. Pour the orange in. 3. Cook on high covered  in crockpot for 6 hours. 4. Shred when cool. I like to to add some of the cooking juice back in. 5. At the point you can separate the pork into meal portions and freeze. (to sear the pork heat a pan to high with 2 tablespoons oil (canola is best), place the pork in the pan and brown the meat on both sides. …