Chocolate Chip Banana Bread!

This is so ridiculously delicious. I had to share.

The INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

3/4 Tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp. Salt

4 or 5 Ripe Bananas

1/4 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt

2 Large Eggs

6 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled

1 1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 Tbsp. Cinnamon

Chocolate Chips (as desired)

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The METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

2. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9" x 5" x 3" loaf pan generously with butter.

3. Whisk first four ingredients [FLOUR, SUGAR, BAKING SODA, and SALT] together in a large bowl. Set aside.

4. In another bowl, mash together the BANANAS, YOGURT, EGGS, BUTTER, CINNAMON, and VANILLA.

5. By hand (I found that using two forks worked best), blend the banana mixture with the flour mixture until all ingredients appear saturated. DON'T OVER MIX. Chunky is good.

6. Lastly, fold in CHOCOLATE CHIPS as desired. I used quite a bit... maybe a little over 1 Cup? As well as sprinkled some around the edges of the top with a little CINNAMON.

7. Bake at 350 F for 50 - 60 minutes.

Slice and ENJOY!

Healthy Homemade Potato Chips

This was my first time making Potato Chips in my own oven and they came out beautifully! These chips are baked, not fried and absolutely delish! READ: The preparation for this recipe is extremely important if you want your chips to come out crispy and chip-like, so make sure to follow each step!

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Let me tell you a little something I learned about potatoes... a little secret to getting that crisp-ay-ness. You SOAK THEM IN H2O. Here's why: potatoes are filled with starch that hinders moisture from escaping, leaving lots of water within a potato. It's tough to make something crispy when it's filled with water. So, by soaking the potatoes, some of the starches are released into the water which leaves with potatoes that are soft on the inside and nice and crispy on the outside. Do this method every time you make french fries or chips!

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The INGREDIENTS

2 Large Baking Potatoes

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Garlic Powder

The DIRECTIONS:

1. Wash your POTATOES well and set on cutting board.

2. Slice thinly with sharp knife. Try to keep your slices as consistent as possible. The cooking time will vary with thickness.

3. Throw slices into a large bowl. Fill with water to the rim, covering all POTATOES.

Soak 1 - 2 hours. Change the water halfway through.

4. Drain POTATOES and set the slices individually onto paper towels.

5. Cover POTATO slices with more paper towels and pat dry.

^ Repeat this method several times until POTATOES are completely dry.

6. Drizzle with very little OLIVE OIL, GARLIC POWDER, SALT, and PEPPER.

7. Bake 20 - 30 minutes, or until crisp. Flip chips over halfway through baking time.

Voila!

how to: Make POP Tarts

This project has been a long time coming for me. I have loved Pop Tarts since I was a little kid (I mean, who hasn't?) so I was extra excited when I learned I could make them from scratch in my own kitchen. They are surprisingly easy to make too!

Let me show you.

Now, if you want to do this right then you are going to have to make this dough from scratch as well. Don't worry - it is very, very SIMPLE! I will guide you through it, girl. 

SUPPLIES:

Baking Pan

Wax or Parchment Paper 

Hand Mixer

Mixing Bowls

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INGREDIENTS for the DOUGH

(recipe makes 12 servings)

2 Cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1/4 lb. (1/2 cup) Unsalted Butter

1/4 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt

3 Tbsp. Cold Milk

2 Tbsp. Sugar

1/2 Tsp. Salt

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DIRECTIONS for the DOUGH:

1. In a mixer, combine FLOUR, SUGAR, and SALT.

2. Slowly mix in the GREEK YOGURT and MILK.

3. Beat in BUTTER until thick.

4. Now, use your hands to knead the dough into a ball. Toss into a ziplock bag and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

Voila!

Now for the fillings...

You can get as creative or classic as you like with the flavors. That's the beauty of making them yourself:) I chose to start with a variety of three. 

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BROWN SUGAR CINNAMON

3 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

1 Tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 Tsp. Cream Cheese

STRAWBERRIES N' CREAM

3 Tbsp. Fresh Mashed Strawberries

1 Tsp. Brown Sugar

1 Tsp. Cream Cheese

&

CHOCOLATE CHIP MOCHA

1 Tbsp. Mini Choc Chips

1 Tsp. Ground Coffee Beans

1 Tsp. Brown Sugar

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DIRECTIONS for the POP TARTS

1. Mix up all your fillings in their separate bowls and set aside. 

2. Preheat your oven to 350 F. 

3. While the oven heats up, bring back out the prepared dough and separate it into 24 equal sized balls. 

This recipe will be enough to make 12 - 2"x 2" POP Tarts.

4. Flatten out each dough ball into a 2" x 2" square and place 6 of the squares on the wax paper covered baking pan. 

5. Pour your desired fillings atop of each square, leaving a boarder around the edges. 

6. Cover each piece with another dough square, pinching the sides all the way around to close the Pop Tart. 

7. Use a fork around the edges of each Pop Tart. No real reason, it just looks better and more Pop-Tarty.

8. Bake at 350 F for 13-18 minutes. 

NOM.

Color-Pop Cake!

CAKE! CAKE! CAKE! you love it. And wouldn't you agree that the more fun a cake looks, the more fun it is to eat? My thoughts exactly. So when I was making a birthday cake for a friend of mine last week, I got a little inspired to make my funfetti just a liiiiittle more fun by adding in some pops of color. Here is how I did it...

The INGREDIENTS

1 box of White Cake Mix (I used Betty Crocker - Funfetti)

3-4 Different Food Colorings (I used Betty Crocker - Neon Food Coloring)

Vegetable Oil + Water (amount will depend on cake mix, follow directions on the box)

3 Eggs

1 12oz. tub of Frosting 

White Chocolate Chips (optional)

The SUPPLIES

Two 8" or 9" Round Cake Pans

Electric Mixer

Cupcake/Muffin Baking Tin

Mixing Bowls (for various colored batter)

Paper Baking Cups

The DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Mix cake batter according to box instructions and set aside in a bowl. 

3. Grab your mixing bowls, and measure out the amount of batter that you want to be colored. I chose 3 colors: Pink, Purple & Green for the "mini-cakes".

(1 MINI CAKE = 1/4 CUP BATTER)

4. Once you have measured out your batter, you can color each bit to your liking!

Original

Purple

Pink

Green

5. Carefully measure 1/4 cup of individually colored batter into Baking Cups inside of the Muffin Tin (just like making cupcakes with less batter than usual). Be careful not to over-pour. Size matters.

6. Bake the mini-cakes for approximately 15 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. Take them out of their paper baking cups and place 3-4 in each Round Cake Pan, like so:

I dropped a handful of White Chocolate Chips in one half of the cake for some added flavor and texture. I also placed another handful between the two cakes after I frosted it.

7. Bake your cakes according to box instructions. Most 9" cakes should bake in 24-29 minutes.

8. Remove from oven, cool completely, frost, and serve.

Voila!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

That's right, from scratch! I know it's always easy enough to just pick up a dip from your local grocery store when you need to bring something to a party or if you just feel like indulging. Next time though, try out this simple DIY recipe that is both mouth-watering and will impress your friends.

First, gather your INGREDIENTS:
8 oz. Reduced Fat Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup Reduced Fat Mayo
1/4 cup Reduced Fat Sour Cream
3/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
3/4 cup Mozzarella, shredded
1 can Artichoke Hearts, drained
1 pkg. Frozen Spinach, drained and squeezed
4 Garlic Cloves, chopped
3 tbsp. Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
Salt & Pepper (to taste)

NOW LEMME BREAK IT DOWN FOR YA...

1. Thaw the Frozen Spinach in the microwave (3-4 minutes), then drain. Squeeze extra liquid out with your (clean) hands and throw it in a bowl. Set aside.

2. Combine softened Cream Cheese and Mayo in a large bowl.

3. Throw in the Parmesan

The Mozzarella

 The Garlic

& the Red Pepper

4. Add your Salt & Pepper

5. Go back to your spinach & use a paper towel to soak up any extra liquids. The less, the better. No one likes a runny dip. Break it up and add it to your mixture.

6. Chop your artichokes as finely as you like, and them to your mixture. This defines the final texture of the dip.

7. Finish it up by adding the Sour Cream. Mix it up!

8. Bake uncovered in an Oven-Safe Dish for 25 minutes or until lightly brown and bubbly around the edges. 

Voila!

Beer Battered Blackened Corn

OH YES, it really is as good as it looks. Last night while my boyfriend was attempting some oven-baked fried chicken (which ended up being delicious) I decided to give this little recipe a try. Inspired by Allrecipes's Mexican Blackened Corn Recipe, I added my own little flave and this is what I came up with...

FIRST, the ingredients:

4 Ears Sweet Corn, kernels cut (or 2 cups whole kernel corn)

1/2 Large White Onion, chopped

2-3 Cloves Garlic, chopped

1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin

1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt

1/4 Cup Beer

NEXT, the instructions:

1. Place the kernels of corn into a large skillet over HIGH heat.

2. Sprinkle the CUMIN, SEA SALT, and CAYENNE PEPPER over the corn.

3. Sizzle. Sizzle. Use a spatula to turn the kernels as they cook.

4. After a few minutes, stir in the chopped ONION and GARLIC.

5. Keep stirring every few minutes, until the corn begins to stick to the pan. Once this happens, pour the BEER into the pan to help unstick the corn. (I used PBR)

6. Cook until corn is dark with black spots, about 20 minutes.

It should look like this once it's done:

7. Remove from heat, and enjoy!