Loaded French Toast

I happened upon this recipe today while looking on allrecipes.com so I decided to try it! The recipe I found was for Peanut Butter Banana French Toast. So I started making because I love peanut butter! Ben is getting pretty sick of it because I put it in everything! We also got some raspberries from Grandma and Grandpa Jex, (mom picked them!) and Ben said he wanted that instead of peanut butter and bananas. So I was trying to think what I could use to keep the French Toast together and looked through the fridge and found cream cheese! It was perfect! So I substituted the bananas and peanut butter for raspberries and cream cheese and it was divine! I was also thinking you could use other berries or fruit or even just jam! So we renamed the French toast with a more fitting name because not only is it loaded with yummy goodness, it is probably loaded with calories! (Ben pointed this out to me, but believe me it is worth it.)

Ingredients:

1 egg 1 dash vanilla extract 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

2 slices bread 1 small banana, sliced 2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1.	In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg and vanilla together.
2.	Spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter on top of each slice of bread. Place the banana slices on top of one of the slices of bread. Place the other slice of bread on top of the first, to make a peanut butter and banana sandwich.
3.	In a skillet or frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Dip the sandwich into the egg mixture and place in the heated skillet. Cook until brown on both sides. Serve hot.

I also didn't have any maple syrup, but I did have some of Mom's plum syrup and that was really tasty on the raspberry french toast. Also a week ago I made cinnamon syrup for waffles and we put that on the peanut butter banana french toast. Even just some powdered sugar on these babies is enough! Enjoy!

Zucchini Patties

I saw this recipe on allrecipes.com and was so excited to try it. I love zucchini. These were so yummy, and I ate waaaaay too many of them for dinner tonight. This would be a great recipe for those of you whose gardens are producing an abundance of zucchini. I had to buy mine at the store.

Zucchini Patties

2 c. grated zucchini

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. flour (or dry bread crumbs)

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper to taste

garlic powder to taste

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

marinara sauce (for serving)

In a medium bowl, combine the zucchini, eggs, onion, flour, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper, and garlic. Stir well enough to distribute ingredients evenly.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drop zucchini mixture into the skillet by heaping tablespoonfuls, and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden.

I read a few of the reviews on allrecipes.com and followed a couple of recommendations. I added a little bit of garlic powder and replaced about half of the flour with Italian-seasoned bread crumbs. I also lightly coated the outside of each pattie with bread crumbs to give them some crunch. I served with marinara sauce on the side.

Banana Nut Bread

I make banana bread quite often, but I never seem to use the same recipe more than once. I just haven't found one that I really love. Until now! My friend Angie brought me a loaf of this banana bread a few weeks ago and it was wonderful. Really simple but really good. I asked her for the recipe. Here it is.

Grandma's Banana Nut Bread

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter

2 eggs

1/2 c. sour milk (add 2 Tbs. of vinegar to enough milk to make 1/2 cup)

3 mashed bananas

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/4 c. flour

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Beat sugar and butter together. Add eggs and milk. Stir in mashed bananas. In a separate bowl, mix baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour together. Add to banana mixture and stir just until combined. Stir in nuts. Pour into greased loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (I made four mini loaves out of this recipe, so it would make two regular loaves, I think. I cooked the mini loaves for around 35 minutes.)

Chocolate Caramel Bars

I got this recipe from the Taste of Home Cookbook and everyone loves it. How can anything go wrong with chocolate and caramel.

1 C. flour
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. butter
2 C. coarsely chopped pecans
1 C. flaked coconut
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. vanilla
20 vanilla caramels
2 tbs. milk
1 C. chocolate chips

Crust:
Stir together flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender. Press into a greased 9X13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle pecans and coconut over hot crust.

Filling:
Combine sweetened condensed milk and vanilla; pour over pecans and coconut. Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in saucepan, mix caramels and milk. Cook and stir over med. heat just till melted (I use the microwave). Drizzle over the top and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Cool and cut. Yum!

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

I found this recipe in the "Worldwide Ward Cookbook" , it is really simple and makes really soft, moist cookies, so I thought I would share!

2 1/4 C Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 C butter, softened
1/4 C sugar
3/4 C packed brown sugar
1 pkg. (4-serving) instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
12 oz. chocolate chips

Mix flour and baking soda; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, pudding mix, and vanilla; beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Makes 3 dozen.

Frozen Grasshopper Squares

I made this the other day when everyone came to down to Logan to go to Willow Park, it is so easy and so yummy. I just put more oreo on the top instead of grating chocolate and that made it a little cheaper!

28 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, divided

1 container (1-1/2 qt.) mint-chocolate chip ice cream, softened

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

1 square BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, grated

LINE 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Crush 20 cookies; sprinkle crumbs onto bottom of prepared pan.

SPREAD ice cream evenly over crumbs in pan; top with COOL WHIP and grated chocolate.

FREEZE 3 hours. Remove from freezer 15 min. before serving. Let stand at room temperature to soften slightly. Lift dessert from pan with foil handles; cut into 16 squares. Cut remaining cookies in half; place 1 on each square.

Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits

I have been craving these biscuits for about a month now, and tonight I gave into the crazy-pregnant-woman hormones and made them. Don't pay any attention to how much butter is in the recipe. They're worth making. (Recipe from Ina Garten's Back to Basics.)



Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits

All-purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (omit if you are using salted butter)
12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 c. cold buttermilk, shaken
1 cold extra-large egg
1 c. grated extra-sharp Cheddar
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbs. water or milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place 2 cups flour, the baking powder and salt (if using) in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas.

Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small glass measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, quickly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. In a small bowl, mix the Cheddar with a small handful of flour and, with the mixer still on low, add the cheese to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.

Dump out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly about six times. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 5x10 inches. With a sharp, floured knife cut the dough into desired sizes. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with the egg wash, sprinkle lightly with sea salt (I used kosher salt), and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm. (Try not to eat them all in one sitting. I like to use the leftover biscuits the next morning for egg breakfast sandwiches.)

A note on the salt: I made these using salted butter and included the salt the first time I made the recipe. Way, way too salty. Be sure to leave the salt out unless you are using unsalted butter.