Almond Joy Banana Bread

Almond Joy is my absolute favorite candy bar.  I love the coconut and almond combination!  In fact, I love it so much that I had a mocha last week with coconut and almond flavor.  Yum.  When I saw this recipe for Almond Joy Banana Bread, I knew I had to try it.

And try it, I did!  Like, I ate over half the loaf by myself.  And then I forced myself to give the rest of it away so I wouldn't feel so guilty.  The texture of this bread is unique.  The crunchiness of the almonds and coconut contrasts nicely with the soft chocolate chips.  There is no doubt that I would make this again...as long as I have someone to share it with.

Almond Joy Banana Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

3 mashed ripe bananas

1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt (I used low-fat Greek yogurt.)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

1.  Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

2.  In a separate bowl, cream together the sugar and butter.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after adding each one.  Add bananas, yogurt, and vanilla.  Beat until blended.

3.  Add flour mixture.  Beat on low until combined.

4.  Stir in chocolate chips, coconut and almonds.

5.  Pour batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool completely.

Source:  The Little Yellow Kitchen

Stove-Top Perfection

Have I told you how much I LOVE macaroni and cheese?  Ever since I can remember, it has been my favorite food.  It was my favorite food even way back when all my mom made for us kids was macaroni and cheese from the blue box (you know what I'm talking about!).  I have since branched out and started making homemade macaroni and cheese, and I have found some to-die-for recipes.  This here is one of them.

Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

12 ounces dried pasta

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup shallot, minced

8 ounces gouda, shredded

2 ounces grated Parmesan

1/4 cup milk

4 ounces low-fat Greek yogurt

3 Tablespoons butter, softened

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.

2.  Return pasta to the pot.  Add the garlic, shallot, and cheeses.  Stir to combine.

3.  Stir in the milk, Greek yogurt, and butter.  Continue to stir until cheese is completely melted.  If necessary, add some pasta water.  Season with salt and pepper.

Source:  Annie's Eats

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Are you sick of regular ol' mashed potatoes?  No?  Me either...

But if you ever want to mix things up a bit, give these White and Sweet Mashed Potatoes a try!  They are delicious and sweet...and a little unusual.  I wasn't sure exactly what to expect when I made them, but I ended up really enjoying them.  I liked that they were seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg because it smelled amazing.  If you're planning on ham for Easter, these would be a great side dish!

White and Sweet Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pound russet potatoes (about 4), peeled and cubed

1-1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4), peeled and cubed

1 cup milk, warmed

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

1.  Place potatoes in a large pan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender.  Drain potatoes.

2.  Return potatoes to pan.  While mashing the potatoes, add the milk, butter, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Only add enough milk until you reach the desired consistency.

Source:  Taste of Home

Olive Oil and Herb Biscuits

The week before Christmas, I made some biscuits using a popular, boxed biscuit mix.  I was super disappointed in them.  They were not very yummy.  I was worried because I had been planning to make these homemade olive oil and herb biscuits for my family for Christmas dinner.  Would they be any better than the boxed mix?  Oh, they were!  They were fluffy and fragrant, and they were the perfect accompaniment to our ham and mashed sweet potatoes.

Olive Oil and Herb Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup olive oil

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.  In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir in rosemary.  Add the milk and olive oil.  Mix just until combined.

3.  Drop rounds of dough on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Source:  Handle the Heat

Festive Pumpkin Dip

I'm back!  I apologize for my serious lack of posts last month.  December is a crazy time of preparing for the holidays and celebrating the holidays and all.  I had so much going on, and so much on my mind, that I had little time or energy to dedicate to blogging.  

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite recipes from the holiday season.  It was introduced to me by my good friend Danielle.  She made it for a party and brought me the recipe because she knew I would want to blog about it.  She was SO right!  I ended up making it for two family gatherings over the holidays, and it got rave reviews.

It's a pumpkin dip, and you all know how much I adore pumpkin.  Me and pumpkin...we're tight.  Amazingly, though, nobody knows there is pumpkin in this dip unless you tell them.  It tastes like a taco dip, and it is oh so yummy!

Festive Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients: 

12 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

2 Tablespoons taco seasoning

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/3 cup dried beef (I used beef jerky and chopped it up in a mini food processor.)

1/3 cup chopped green pepper

1/3 cup chopped red pepper

1 can sliced ripe olives (I also chopped these up in the mini food processor.)

Italian bread, crackers, pretzels, or veggies

Directions:

1.  Beat cream cheese using an electric mixer until smooth.  Add pumpkin and beat until combined.  Add taco seasoning and garlic powder and beat until mixture is smooth.

2.  Stir in remaining ingredients.

3.  Chill before serving.

Source:  Danielle