Blueberry Banana Bread

I've been happily having bursts of energy lately, so yesterday afternoon, in between sewing mittens up, and re-arranging my daughters' bedroom, I decided to make some Blueberry Banana Bread.
This is very moist and heavy.

Preheat Oven 350 C Grease & lightly flour loaf pan.
Combine together;

•  1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 4 tbsp milk 
• 1/2 tsp vanilla 
• 2 large mashed bananas
• 1/2-3/4 cup blueberries

In a separate bowl combine;

• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Add dry ingredients to the wet, and combine together.
Pour into prepared loaf pan
Bake for 1 hour, and cool

(I always grab an extra bag, the plastic ones,  near the bakery in stores, when I'm there), to use for wrapping baked goods like this.

Rotini(Organic) Pasta Salad

The last couple of days I have had such a craving for a cold pasta salad potatoe/macaroni, anything.
This morning, I decided to get at it and make something to cure my craving.
I went to get the potatoes first, but I had only enough for mashed potatoes with my chicken supper tonight. Then I went for the macaroni, and was out of that! But I did find some Organic Rotini pasta. I had picked it up by accident, and there is no way my kids would eat organic pasta. But with my craving so intense, I thought it would have to do. (I have to admit I have never eaten Organic pasta before)

This recipe is very simple, I just gathered up whatever ingredients I had in the fridge, and threw it together.

2 cups of rotini pasta, boiled
3/4 cups mayonaise
1/2 cups sour cream
1 tbsp of ranchers choice dressing
1/4 cup peas
1 stalk celery
2 stalks green onion
1/4 of a green pepper
1 shredded carrot

Chill & serve.

Sweet Iced Tea

Even though I love my coffee, I do like a change now and then.
I have tried tons of times, different ways to make iced tea, but with horrible results.
I found it bitter, time consuming with the boiling of water , and a waste to perfectly good tea bags and sugar!
This simple recipe though, I have seem to have done it!
I't's very simple, which I love. No boiling water.

All you need is a 2 litre pitcher, ice, water, sugar and tea bags of course.

Ingredients

• 2 litre pitcher
• 8 tea bags
• tray of ice cubes
• 1 cup of sugar (or to preference)
• cold water

Throw in a tray of ice in a pitcher, pour in a cup of sugar, more or less depending on how sweet you like your tea, (I used just over a cup of sugar). Throw in about 8 tea bags, then fill the pitcher up with cold water. Stir, and put in the fridge for 1/2 to an hour, (depending on how strong/weak you like your tea.) Once the tea is strong enough for your liking, take out the tea bags (don't squeeze, your tea will be strong enough).

Banana Bread Recipe

I've used this Banana Bread recipe for years.
(I added a few cut up strawberries, and some chocolate chips to mine, so good)

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas
2/3 c white sugar
1/4 lb butter
1 egg
1 2/3 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder

Combine sugar, butter, and egg. Then add 2 ripe mashed bananas to mixture.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, soda, & baking powder.
Add dry mixture to the wet, and stir together.

Put mix in a loaf pan (greased)
Bake 350 C- 1 hour

The best Blackberry Muffins ever

Years ago,(over 10) when my kids were younger, I used to bake a lot. Always using the same recipes given to me by my mother.
Over time, the baking slowed down, and some recipes were lost.
Lately I have renewed my love for baking, and as well, have more bravery, with trying new recipes I find.
The other day I did a search for Blackberry Muffins. (store had a sale and I bought lots).
I found a recipe.
Great recipe!
My 9 yr old, even likes them, and she is not a huge fan of blackberries.
I am going to make them again this weekend, and use blueberries instead of blackberries.


Blackberry Muffins Recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon milk
1 cup sugar
8 Tbsp warm melted butter (1 stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups (about 5-6 oz) of fresh blackberries, cut in half , (you can use frozen blackberries if fresh are not available, defrost and drain them first.)

Method

1 Position rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a standard 12 muffin pan or line with paper muffin cups. (Actually, with the berries you'll have more batter than just for 12 muffins. This batch made 18 muffins.)

2 Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.

3 In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, milk, sugar, butter and vanilla.

4 Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix together with a few light strokes, just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Add the berries. (If you are using frozen berries, defrost them first, then drain the excess liquid, then coat them lightly in flour.) Do not overmix! Overmixing will cause the muffins to be dense, not fluffy. The batter should not be smooth.

5 Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of 1 or 2 of the muffins comes out clean, 17-20 minutes (or longer). Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes before removing from the pan. If not serving hot, let cool on a rack.

Serve as soon as possible, preferably within a few hours of baking.
recipe source:  SimplyRecipes.

My Iced Coffee, quick and easy...

 Great way to start your day on a hot summer day, instead of hot coffee.
Ingredients:

• 8 teaspoons instant coffee granules
• 8 teaspoons sugar, (or enough to your own liking)
• 8 cups boiled, cooled water
• 1 cup of milk, (or enough to your own liking)

Directions:

1. Add instant coffee, sugar, and milk, to the cooled, boiled water. (I use a jug with a airtight lid).
2. Place lid and shake until mixed and foamy.
3. Place in freezer, and take it out and shake it, every hour or so, until it is cold, and icy. 

Pour into glass with ice cubes if you like. I like to add some vanilla coffee mate to mine.
For a bit of a change, you can fill a glass half-way with cold milk, then fill with coffee mixture.

Warning; this is addictive. Don't do what I did, and go nuts, you'll regret it at the end of the day when you can't sleep. lol.