Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

So so so yummy!!! :D

yummy Sweet Pork

This is one of my favorite recipes! We don't have a Bajio's, Cafe Rio, or Costa Vida nearby so with this recipe we can make our own- feeds quite a bit, you spend about the same for a whole lot more food!

Sweet Pork

5-6 lb. pork roast

20 oz. Dr. Pepper

1 C brown sugar

3/4 C white sugar

1 clove (or 1 tsp) garlic, minced

7 oz. can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

place roast in crock pot; cover about 1/2 way with water. add brown/ white sugar, spices, garlic. Dump can of adobo chilies into separate bowl; add some dr. pepper to wash off the sauce. Discard the chilies (trust me: I didn't listen the first time, just dumped them in, and it was too spicy to eat!), add the sauce mixture and the rest of the Dr. Pepper. I mix it in a little bit. Cook on high for 6 hrs or so (original directions say 12 hrs, if you have the time- the longer you cook it, the more flavorful it is).

Tomatillo Dressing

1 pkg ranch dressing mix

3 tomatillos, rough chopped

1 c mayo

1 c buttermilk

1 c cilantro, rough chopped

3 cloves minced garlic (I usually omit)

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp green tabasco (for a little spice)

lime juice (abt 2-3 tsp)

Blend in blender until smooth. Refrigerate in an airtight container.

Pico de Gallo

3 diced tomatoes (or 1 can of MILD Ro-Tel tomatoes)

1/2 sweet onion, minced (or pre-chopped onions)

1 section green pepper, minced (I usually don't)

3-4 cloves garlic, minced (same here)

1/3- 1/2 c vinegar or lemon juice (whatever looks good)

salt/ pepper (whatever looks good)

mix really well; refrigerate.

this is pretty versatile- we usually make burritos out of it with rice and beans; you can also do salads, enchiladas, whatever strikes your fancy. Feeds around 10.

Creamy Delicious Mashed Potatoes

This is a pregnancy craving! So, of course I think it is delicious! However, Freddy and Justin loved them too, so I am sure that you will also! 
It is hard to say how many this will serve since the size of the potatoes determines the quantity. Probably 3-5 people

8 Red Potatoes
1/4 -1/2 cup milk
1/2 package of cream cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
pepper and salt to taste


First you boil 8 red potatoes until they are soft, this took about an hour on my stove.
Once they are soft (you should be able to push a fork into them all the way.)
Mash them up with a fork and add all the seasonings, milk, and cream cheese.
If you want the potatoes creamier use a blender to mix everything up. Otherwise just use a fork and you will have some yummy potato chunks mixed in!

New York Cheesecake

I really shouldn't share this cuz it was so good!!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cup cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
3 1/4 packages (8 oz. packages) cream cheese, softened
1 can 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; press evenly on bottom of 9 inch pie pan.

2. In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk, beating until smooth.

3. Add vanilla and eggs, mix well. Pour into prepared pie pan.

4. Bake for 1 hour, turn off oven but leave cheesecake in oven with door propped slightly open for an additonal hour.

5. Refrigerate at least 6 hours until firm.

Valentine's Day

Anyone trying good recipes for V day? Let's see some posts! :)

Alfredo Sauce

1/2 cup cream cheese
1 cup milk 0-2 %
3 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper (more or less, to taste)
3 tbsp. dry parsley or 1/2 cup fresh

The best way to make this consistent is to use a blender. Put cream cheese, milk, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper in blender. Blend until there are no clumps, pour into saucepan on medium heat, cook for about 10 minutes. While cooking add parsley (if fresh chop finely) and save some for garnish. Serve over noodles

This serves 3 or 4 people. It's a very smooth sauce meaning it didn't thicken up, but it was SO SO YUMMY!! Loren and I LOVED it! We served it over homemade noodles and it didn't even need meat, tho you can add chicken or shrimp and it would still be delicious! Plus did I mention that it's WAY easy?! :)

Basic Pizza Dough

This is for Allison :)

3/4 cup warm water (105-115°F)
4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 to 2 1/4 cups bread flour

Heat water in microwave until temperature reaches 105-115°F. (If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast). Sprinkle the yeast onto the surface of the water and stir in until dissolved. Add sugar and stir in a teaspoon of flour; set aside for 5 minutes. The mixture should begin to bubble. If the mixture doesn't bubble, either the yeast is too old or the temperature of the water was too hot and you should start over again with fresh yeast or cooler water.

After the yeast begins to bubble, add it to the remaining ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer (or other large bowl). Knead on low speed for 15 minutes or turn out onto a clean work surface which has been dusted lightly with flour and knead for the same amount of time.

The dough should feel slightly sticky when you are done kneading, but it shouldn't cling to your hands. If it does, knead in a few dustings of flour. If the dough doesn't feel slightly sticky, there's not enough moisture; knead in a few drops of water.

Tip: To hydrate the dough just a little, soak a paper towel with water and wrap it lightly over the dough ball and leave it to rest for 5 minutes, then knead the extra moisture into the dough.

When the dough is smooth and elastic it is ready to begin the rising phase.

Place a few drops of olive oil at the bottom of a large heavy bowl. Place the rounded dough ball in the bowl and turn to coat the mass lightly with oil; this prevents the dough from forming a crust which would keep it from rising fully. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean, damp cotton towel and place in a warm place, free from draft. (Inside an oven, on top of a refrigerator or hot water heater are good spots if they are draft-free).

Allow the dough to rise, undisturbed until it has nearly doubled in bulk. This can take 60-90 minutes, depending on the yeast and room temperature.

At this point, the dough may be punched down (deflated - the air bubbles pressed out) and stretched to form a pizza crust and used immediately (or it may be sealed tightly in freezer bags and frozen for later use; defrost in microwave for 5-7 minutes or allow to sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours before using).

When ready to bake, set the baking rack in the oven to the lower or lower-middle rack and set the oven temperature to 475 or 500°F. Allow oven to preheat for at least 20 minutes.

While the oven preheats, stretch (don't roll) the dough out to a 14 inch diameter circle (or much wider if you prefer even thinner pizza crusts). The dough may be pressed out on a work surface and transferred to an ungreased pan (sprinkle a little cornmeal or semolina flour into the pan to prevent sticking, or spray lightly with olive oil spray). Another method is to press the dough directly into the pan. Or if you're feeling adventurous, stretch the dough out by holding it over the backs of two upheld hands, turning and allowing the dough's weight and gravity to stretch it out (they use a variation of this method in pizza shops to make the famous "hand stretched" dough). Top with preferred toppings.

You may also add a little bit of Italian Seasoning to the dough before you knead.