Banana nut muffins

3 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1-1/4 cups)
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

In a large bowl, combine the bananas and butter;

stir in the sugar, egg and vanilla extract.In a small

bowl, combine the baking soda, salt and flour.

Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture; blend well.

Fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees.

for 18 to 22 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 12 muffins or 24 mini muffins.

(Printable Recipe)

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Ingredients
½ stick Butter
1 Tablespoon (additional) Butter
¾ cups Sugar
1 Egg
½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 cups All-purpose Flour
2-¼ teaspoons Baking Powder
½ teaspoons Salt
¾ cups Milk
2 cups Fresh Blueberries

TOPPING:
¾ stick Butter
½ cups Sugar
½ teaspoons Cinnamon
½ cups Flour
¼ teaspoons Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream 1/2 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter with cinnamon and
sugar. Add egg and mix until combined. Add vanilla and mix.
Then add flour, baking powder, and salt to the mix.
Add flour mixture and milk alternately until totally incorporated.
Do not over beat. Stir in blueberries. Grease a 9 x 13 inch
baking pan. Pour in batter.
In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients and
cut together using two knives or a pastry cutter.
Sprinkle over the top of the cake. Bake cake for 40 to 45 minutes,
or until golden brown.

(Printable Recipe)
Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

Simple Rotisserie chicken recipes

Here are some simple Rotisserie Chicken recipes I found from
24/7 Moms. I just love 24/7 moms site they have some great
tips and ideas. Go check them out!

1. Chicken Wraps - Shred the chicken onto tortillas, add hoisin sauce and coleslaw, then roll it up for a simple yummy meal

2. Chicken Pizza - Create a pizza using refrigerated pizza dough, salad dressing for the sauce and rotisserie chicken, pizza cheese mixture. Add additional toppings of your choosing. Bake 425 for 20-25 minutes.

3. BBQ Chicken Sandwich - Shred chicken, add desired amount of BBQ sauce. Place in slow cooker on warm. Serve on hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls.

4. Chicken Tacos- Shred chicken place in frying pan with taco seasoning ( follow package instructions). Use as meat filler for your tacos. Serve corn and /or flour tortillas with shredded lettuce, grated cheese, diced tomatoes, and other things your family enjoys in their tacos.

5. Chicken Pot pie - Shred chicken combine with condensed cream of chicken soup and frozen mixed veggies. Pour into a prepared 10" pie shell, cover with a 2nd pie crust and bake at 365 degree's for 45 minutes.

6. Chicken pasta salad - Make rotinni pasta and cool; toss shredded rotisserie chicken with pasta, and salad dressing. Add in toasted almonds or walnuts, diced celery , apples or other veggies..

7. Chicken and Cheese quesadilla- Shred chicken place in frying pan with taco seasoning ( follow package instructions). Place a flour tortilla in an empty frying pan then scoop on the chicken mixture along with shredded cheese place a 2nd flour tortilla on top and heat over medium heat flipping from time to time until cheese is melted and tortilla shell is a little crispy.

8. Chicken Hobo Pack - Use one sheet of aluminum foil for each serving ( person) about 12"x 8". In the center place bite-sized red-potato chunks, shredded chicken, and veggies ( onions, zucchini, carrots, peppers etc) Top with three tablespoons BBQ sauce, then close the hobo packets by sealing sides and tops together, folding to close tightly. Place packets over medium heat on a grill and cook until potatoes are cooked.

Mambo Chicken with Mango Salsa

Recipe from my friend Laurel

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T freshly grated ginger
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C lime juice

Rinse chicken. Pat dry with paper towel. In baking baking

dish combine remaining ingredients. Add chicken, turning

to mix. Cover with foil and marinate for 2-4 hrs. in fridge.

Combine ingredients for salsa (below) in a bowl and reserve.

Preheat oven to 375. Transfer covered baking dish to oven

and bake for appx. 20 min. or til chicken is cooked thoroughly.

You could also grill you chicken which I did.

To serve, spoon a generous serving of salsa on top of chicken.

Mango Salsa:

2 mango's, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4" cubes
3 T lime juice
1-2 jalapeno chilies, seeds and membranes removed, minced
3 green onions, finely sliced
2/3 C lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, stems discarded, coarsely chopped.

Cowboy Caviar

1 can black beans, drained
3 large tomatoes, chopped
3 large avocados, chopped
2 Tbs chopped green onions
1 package dry Italian dressing
2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 Tbs water

In a large bowl mix corn, peas, tomatoes, avocados and

onions. In another bowl mix the dry Italian dressing,

olive oil, vinegar and water. Pour the dressing over the

vegetable mixture and toss until evenly coated.

Serve with tortilla chips.

(Printable Recipe)
Recipe from Little Birdie Secrets

Cookie Marshmallow S’mores

Here is a fun and yummy summer activity.

Click here to find out how to make

these yummy cookie marshmallow S'mores.

Picture from Snack Picks

Balsamic Chicken with Tomato and Mozzarella Topping

Recipe from Favorite Family Recipes

Grilled Balsamic Chicken:
1 pkg Good Seasons Italian dressing
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
Marinate for at least an hour then grill over medium heat.

Tomato and Mozzarella Topping:
6 large tomatoes, diced
8 sticks of mozzerella string cheese, cut into rounds
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Mix together and marinade for at least an hour before serving.

Serve hot chicken over a bed of arugula then top with

chilled tomato and mozzarella mix.

(Printable Recipe)

Apricot fruit leather

My in laws have a couple of apricot trees in their yard.

While visiting them we helped picked apricots

and I learned how to make apricot leather.

Apricot Leather is basically a large fruit roll up.

1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups pitted and diced fresh apricots
1/2 cup white sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees or the lowest setting you have.
Cut the apricots in half and take out the pits.
Combine lemon juice, apricots and sugar in blender. Blend
until mixture smoothed. Cover a cookie sheet with a
layer of plastic wrap (helpful tip is to tape the sides).
Pour the pureed fruit onto the plastic and spread evenly
to within 1 inch of the edge. Bake for 4 to 6 hours in
the preheated oven, until the puree has dried and is no
longer sticky. Once dry, you can cut it into strips
and wrap in wax paper. Store in an airtight container.

Easy Mandarin Orange Salad

You need...
- your favorite salad greens (I use a spinach & spring mix mix.)
- a can of mandarin oranges (You could use less, but why? They're so yummy!)
- candied almonds (heat a skillet...add slivered "raw" almonds + a bit of sugar & stir until toasted...it only takes a minute or two...cool on wax paper or foil)

You can also add...
- chopped green onion (I usually leave them out.)

Toss toss toss. The orange juice is the dressing, which is what I love most about it. Dressings are always too gloppy, too thick or too tart for me. The orange juice is a perfect dressing.

Recipe and photos from my friend, Natalie, at 100 Percent Cottam

Recipes for the Grill

Easy Grilled S'mores from Reynolds

4 sheets (8x12-inches each) Reynolds Wrap

Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
4 graham crackers, broken into halves
2 milk chocolate candy bars, divided in half crosswise
4 large marshmallows

Preheat grill to medium

For each S′more, top one graham cracker square with one

candy bar half, one marshmallow and another graham

cracker square. Repeat with remaining graham crackers,

candy and marshmallows.
Center one S′more on each sheet of Reynolds

Wrap Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil.
Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to

seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside.

Repeat to make four packets.
Grill 4 to 5 minutes in covered grill

Banana Boats from Taste of Home

Click here to get recipe

4th of July Centerpieces

Make these super cute and easy centerpieces

for your 4th of July table.

For this centerpiece visit Makes and Takes for

the instructions.

I love this centerpiece. Just add any red,

white and blue candy to a dish and top with red

licorice for fireworks. Now you have a cute

centerpiece you can eat. Idea from

Crafts and Deals

Red, White, and Blue Strawberries

Check out these super cute strawberries
from Rachel Ray.
Dip strawberries into melted white
chocolate and roll in blue-colored sugar.

Smores on a stick

I got this cute idea from Whimsical Creations

My boys had a blast making these.

Ingredients:
large marshmallows
melting chocolate
graham crackers
sprinkles
lollipop sticks

Crush graham crackers and add sprinkles.
Put a lollipop stick in each marshmallow.
Melt chocolate and dip marshmallow in
the chocolate and roll in graham crackers.
Place on a cookie sheet and put in the fridge
for the chocolate to set up.

Pretzel Sparklers

Make this cute treat for the 4th of July

Idea and picture from Martha Stewart

Zesty Penne

3 cups penne pasta, uncooked,
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 each green and red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile,
cook sausage in a large skillet on medium heat for
about 8 min. or until done. Add bell
peppers; cook and stir until crisp-tender. Stir in
spaghetti sauce. Cook until heated through. Add
cream cheese and cook until melted, stirring frequently.
Drain pasta. Add to sausage mixture. Mix together
and top with Parmesan cheese.

(Printable Recipe)