Blueberry Banana Bread

Last week I found this delicious recipe over at the No Sugar Sweet Life. It was so good that it just wouldn't be right to not share! Kelly has a lot of other great recipes and living healthy tips on her blog so be sure to go and check it out.

Greek Yogurt Blueberry Banana Bread

1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
3 Tbsp Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt(optional)
1/2 cup Brown Sugar(or 1/4 cup agave nectar)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
3 Lg ripe Bananas
2 eggs
6oz Chobani Vanilla Greek Yogurt ( or blueberry)
1 cup Blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl,  mash bananas with a fork until they are gooey and liquid-like. Add eggs, vanilla and brown sugar mixing thoroughly. Add greek yogurt. Whisk until everything is well combined and there are no lumps. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. Fold in the blueberries. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and distribute evenly. Bake for one hour, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let the bread cool for at least ten minutes before slicing.

Enjoy! :)

Tuna on Toast

1 hard boiled egg - chopped
pickle - chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp mustard
ground black pepper to taste
1/4 tsp dried dill
1/2 cup carrot - I put in the food processor
1 can (12oz) tuna(in water), drained & flaked.
sharp cheddar shredded

In a bowl stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, dill and pepper. After it is mixed well add the carrot and tuna. Refrigerate for at least an hour and then mix in the egg and pickle. Serve on toast with a small amount of shredded sharp cheddar. So Good!!! 

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

12-16 jumbo pasta shells
water for boiling pasta
4oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese + 1/4 cup for topping
3 tablespoons prepared pesto (homemade or store bought)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to tasteIn a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Cook pasta shells only until al dente. The pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. Drain the pasta shells and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the 1/4 cup of cheese for the topping. Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a baking dish.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over filled shells. 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts.


YumYum! I really liked these but for our taste next time I won't put as much pesto as it calls for. I knew not to but did it anyways. I always lower the amount of seasonings when I cook because of my picky eaters. 

Yummy In My Tummy

Cheddar & Cracker Chicken

16 butter crackers, crushed (Ritz -about 3/4 cup)
6oz sharp cheddar, grated (I didn't use quite this much)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1-2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced (I leave them out)
salt and pepper
4 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Heat oven to 350'.

In a bowl, combine the crackers, cheese, garlic, scallions and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.
Pound the chicken to about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thickness with a meat mallet. I just buy the thin sliced chicken. Dip the pounded chicken in the butter, then in the cracker mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle any remaining cracker mixture on the chicken and drizzle with any remaining butter. Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 20-25 minutes.

Oreo Brownies

Oh my goodness! I made brownies this afternoon, but not just regular brownies - I topped them with crushed oreos before I put them in the oven....Oh Yeah Baby! However, I do not recommend making them if you are home alone (I think I gained 10lbs in the last hour!). I just crushed up about 4 or 5 oreos and sprinkled them on. Try to leave some chunky pieces though. Yummy!!!

Bacon Cheeseburger Chicken

A.K.A.  A Heart-attack! :)

I mentioned this recipe a while back but never posted it. I got it from the awesome
kevinandamanda.com. I've had several people tell me that the combination of ingredients didn't look like they would mix well.....boy were they wrong. This is so delicious. I've made it several times now and will continue making it. Try it out and give your taste buds a real treat. I also recommend stopping by kevinandamanda.com to see the yummy pictures she posted and get step by step instructions.

Bacon Cheeseburger Chicken
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, split
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 lb bacon (or bacon bits) --trust me...MAKE YOUR OWN!!!

Preheat oven to 350'. If you make your own bacon bits then leave a couple of tbsps of bacon grease in your large skillet and on medium-high heat add your chicken breasts. Saute 4 to 5 minutes each side, until lightly browned. If you didn't make your own bacon bits (shame on you) then heat up the oil and butter over medium-high heat and then saute your chicken. Place browned chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover with teriyaki sauce and then put the ranch dressing on top of that. Sprinkle with cheese and top with bacon bits. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

I hope you think it is as fabulous as my family did. Enjoy!

Chicken Pasta

Here is another delicious recipe that people have been asking me to share. I got this one from Amanda at Our Oklahoma Nest. Check out her page for pictures and the full recipe. I have picky eaters so I left out the parts for the mushrooms and artichokes.

Chicken Pasta
whole wheat penne
chicken breasts
butter
herb and garlic marinade
sour cream
shredded parmesan
salt & pepper
garlic

1. Cook the pasta according to package.
2. Add the marinade to a large skillet, add chicken and turn to medium heat. Add salt and pepper and garlic to taste. Cook until chicken is done. Set aside.
3. When pasta is finished add butter, sour cream, and parmesan to taste. Mix with pasta until melted.
4. Top the pasta with sliced up chicken and top with extra parmesan.

So Gooooood! I served mine with garlic bread sticks and salad. I thought my kitchen had been turned into an Olive Garden. The picky husband LOOOOOOOOOOVED it too! That is always a plus!!

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

I've had several friends ask me for this recipe lately so I'm going to post it on here for you all. I got this recipe off of The Pioneer Woman, I love her! If you haven't checked out her blog yet {have you been hiding under a rock??} then you should take a look. She has a cooking show that will be premiering on Saturday on the Food Network Show. I'm super excited to watch it.
Here is the basic recipe but you really should head HERE to see Ree's post on it. She has great pictures that shows you exactly how to do everything and she is really funny! Enjoy.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake
1 1/4lb ground chuck
1 can(15oz) tomato sauce
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
8 oz egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cup small curd cottage cheese
1 cup grated sharp cheddar

Preheat the oven to 350'. Brown ground chuck in Lg skillet. Drain fat, then add the tomato sauce, 1/2 tsp salt and plenty of pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients. Cook egg noodles as pkg instructs. Drain and set aside. In med. bowl combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of ground pepper. Add to noodles and stir. To assemble, add the noodles to baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheese. Repeat with noodles, meat then final layer of cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve with crusty french bread.

(I mix the bottom layer of ingredients together and then layer from there.)