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.