Mini Banana Blueberry Bread

1 egg
1/4 c. oil
3/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/4 c. milk
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 c. SR flour
1/2 c. chopped pecans, optional
1 c. fresh blueberries + 2 T. flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini loaf pans. Whisk egg. Add sugar, oil, vanilla, & milk. Stir. Stir in bananas. Stir in flour. Add nuts, if desired. Coat blueberries with 2 T. flour. (This will keep berries from sinking to the bottom and "bleeding" in the bread.) Gently stir the blueberries in the mixture. Fill loaf pans 1/2-3/4 full. Bake 35-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool. Makes 6 mini loaves.

The picture is taken of the bottom of the mini loaf, since you can't see the blueberries from the top.

Crockpot Baked Potatoes

4-6 medium baking potatoes
2 T. olive oil
Aluminum foil
sour cream, optional
shredded cheese, optional
green onion, optional
butter or margarine, optional
bacon pieces, optional
salt & pepper to taste, optional

Wash potatoes. Prick with fork. Rub each potato with oil. Wrap individually in foil. Place in bottom of crockpot. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8, until fork tender. Remove from crockpot when done. Remove foil. Cut long slice in potatoes, pushing ends up to open potato. Add desired toppings. (I cooked 4 large potatoes on low for 6 hours)

I like to serve my tender crockpot beef tips over the potatoes and serve with a salad for a complete meal.

Peanut Butter With Dark Chocolate Chips Brownies

1 box brownie mix
1 c. melted peanut butter
1 c. mini Reese's peanut butter cups, or chopped peanut butter cups
1/2 c. dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make brownies as directed on box. Pour into sprayed 9x9 square pan. Spread batter evenly in pan. Melt the peanut butter in a microwave for 30 seconds. Pour on top of brownie batter. Sprinkle peanut butter sups and chocolate chips evenly over peanut butter. Bake for 25-30 minutes until no longer wiggly in the middle. Cool. Cut into shapes if desired.

Red Velvet Hazelnut Brownies

1 box red velvet cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1 c. nutella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix with eggs and oil. Pour in a greased 9x9 square pan. Spread evenly. Using a large spoon, dollop the nutella into 3 strips across the cake batter. Drag a knife up and down across the lines of nutella. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until no longer wiggly in the middle. Cool. Cut into shapes if desired (and enjoy the scraps!)

The "Way to Make His Heart Pound" Cake

1 yellow cake mix
4 eggs
3/4 c. water
6 oz. chocolate chips
1 large instant chocolate pudding mix (dry)
3/4 c. oil
8 oz. sour cream
2 cans cherry pie filling
redi whip
mini chocolate chips
Heart shaped pan

Combine all ingredients except redi whip, pie filling, and mini chips. Pour into sprayed heart shaped pan. *The cake pan will be very full. Bake at 350 degrees for 70 minutes, until cake is firm in the middle. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes. Invert pan onto plate. Cool completely. Slice cake in half horizontally, creating 2 heart shaped cakes. Remove top layer of cake with a wide spatula and place/flip onto a piece of wax or parchment paper. Spread one can of pie filling on top of bottom layer of cake. Top with second layer of cake. Pipe redi whip around outside edges of cake (looks like lace) and spread 2nd can of pie filling in middle of the top cake. Garnish redi whip with mini chocolate chips. Keep cake refrigerated. Yummy!

*(If you don't want it as full, bake some of the batter in a separate pan or  prepare to remove the extra from the baked cake. I just filled the pan, and as it cooled, it fell some. You could also make the extra baked cake into cake balls)

The 1st picture is of the sliced baked cakes. 2nd picture is with cherry pie filling on bottom layer. 3rd picture is with the top layer added back on top of pie filling. 4th picture is a side view of the cake with the pie filling seen from the side. 5th picture is the completed cake with mini chocolate chips added.

Blueberry Croissant Bake

1 tube crescent rolls
3/4-1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/4 c. milk
powdered sugar
redi-whip

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs, and while beating, slowly add incorporate the milk. Set aside. Separate dough, roll into crescent shape, curving as directed on package. Place rolls in sprayed 9x9 pan. Pour blueberries over top of rolls. Pour cream cheese mixture over top of blueberries. Bake for 35 minutes or until rolls have become golden brown. Top with powdered sugar and whipped cream if desired. Enjoy!

1st picture is after baking, just out of oven.

2nd picture is ready to be served (with powdered sugar, no whipped cream)

No Fat Cornbread

1/2 c. SR flour
1/2 c. cornmeal
1 egg, beaten
1 c. skim milk

Combine all ingredients together and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes in either cast iron skillet or sprayed pan or pyrex. If using a pyrex dish or metal pan you may need to increase your oven temp by 25 degrees to achieve the same effect. (or be prepared to cook longer at 400 degrees).

I love cornbread with baked apples! My grandmother used to make it for me all the time, except she fried her apples. (and she used a cast iron skillet)

Lasagna Cups

2 T. oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 lb lean ground chuck, cooked, drained, and rinsed
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 small zucchini, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz. can tomato paste
8 oz. can tomato sauce (+ 1/2 can water to rinse out can)
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (I used Del Monte with basil and oregano), undrained
Italian seasoning,  to taste
1 bay leaf
1 t. sugar
salt & pepper to taste
Cheese Filling:
10 oz. tub of Philadelphia cream cheese (Italian& Herb flavor if you can find it)
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 lb. shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
1/3 c. ricotta cheese
1/2 t. pepper

21 cooked lasagna noodles, cooked less than 2 minutes directed on pkg., drained, separated, and placed on a sprayed cookie sheet until ready to assemble.

Heat oil over medium heat and saute onions, pepper, garlic & zucchini, until tender. Stir in ground meat and tomato paste. Stir in remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes. Sauce will be thick. Stir all ingredients together for cheese filling, excluding half the mozzarella cheese. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 12 jumbo muffin tins. Place one lasagna noodle, in the shape of a circle, inside the tins. (Pasta will overlap some. Spoon 1/2 T. of sauce into bottom of cup. Cut 9 lasagna noodles into quarters (squares or circles) and press on top of  the sauce. Top with a generous portion of sauce, and then a generous portion of cheese filling. Repeat layers. Be sure to press out any air bubbles. Top lasagna cups with 3rd piece of lasagna noodle, add sauce, and remaining mozzarella. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve hot. Makes 12 individual servings.

Brownie Marshmallow Swirl

1 family size brownie mix
2/3 c. oil
1/4 c. water
2 eggs
7 oz. jar marshmallow creme
1/3 c. chocolate fudge frosting

Heat oven to 350. Prepare brownie mix as directed on package using oil, water, and eggs. Pour in 9x13 sprayed pan for the amount of time listed on box. Cool. Spread marshmallow creme over brownies. Microwave frosting in bowl on high for 15 seconds. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over marshmallow creme. Swirl with tip of  knife. Chill 15 minutes until set. Cut into bars. YUM!

Crockpot Beef Tips and Gravy

1 1/2-2 lbs beef tips
1 1/2 T. lemon pepper seasoning , optional
1 envelope onion soup mix*
1 can cream of mushroom soup
14.5 oz can beef broth
2 T. butter
3 T. flour, I use Wondra flour because it blends better
sliced mushrooms, optional, (I use 8 oz. can, drained)

Line crockpot. Combine soup mix, soup, and broth. Sprinkle seasoning on beef tips, if using. Add meat to crockpot, and add soup mixture. Stir to coat. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hrs. Melt butter, add flour, and stir to combine. Remove 2 c. of broth from crockpot and add to pan. Stir until thickened. Add back to crockpot and stir well. Add sliced mushrooms, if using. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles if desired.*I have also used beefy onion soup mix. This recipe can be doubled.

I like serving these tender tips over crockpot baked potatoes : ) Yum!

Hot Water Cornbread

2/3 c. cornmeal
1/3 c. SR  flour
1/3 c. buttermilk (or make your own by adding vinegar to milk)
1 large egg
3 T. oil

Combine first 4 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mixture will be very moist but not soupy. Heat oil in skillet. Drop batter by spoonfuls into oil. Cook until brown on one side, then flip them over to brown on the other side. Place on paper towels and blot excess oil. These are awesome with ham and bean soup!

Florida Orange Cake

1 yellow cake mix
1 c. orange juice
3 eggs
1/3 c. water
1/3 c. oil
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 T. orange marmalade
3 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 dish/pan. Combine cake mix, orange juice, water, oil, and eggs. Beat on low for 30 seconds and for 2 minutes on medium. Pour into pan. Bake 30-35 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting toothpick in the middle of the cake. Cool to warm temperature. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add marmalade and powdered sugar. Beat well. Spread over cooled cake and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Crockpot Creamy Ranch Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Dutch potatoes, cut in half, optional*
2 c. baby carrots
23 oz. cream of chicken or mushroom soup, (I prefer mushroom because the chicken is too salty for us)
1 oz. pkg dry ranch dressing mix
1/2 c. milk

Line crockpot. Place potatoes and carrots in the bottom. Lay chicken breasts on top. Combine soup, dressing mix, and milk.Pour over chicken. Cover. Cook on low 6 hours or until done.

*you could leave the potatoes out and just serve the chicken over mashed potatoes or rice.