Oatmeal Banana Apple Muffins

If you haven't noticed, I've been on a muffin kick lately. They are so yummy to me that I can't resist a good recipe. Even though I don't like banana's I put so little in the muffin that the taste isn't prominent. It doesn't scream banana. Of course you probably could make it scream banana if you wanted. How would I know how you wanted to torture your muffins?

I didn't take any pictures of how I made these because I am babysitting a friends son who is only a few weeks older than my youngest so I didn't have a lot of time to stop and snap pictures. I'm not sure what it is about cooking but the kids were playing so well alone and the moment I started getting things out they came rushing to the kitchen wanting to help. I had six little hands helping me on this one. They were excited to get involved and I was impressed by the little boy and his love to stir. I could tell his mom and grandma cooked a lot with him.

They were really good, healthy cupcakes and I had three little mouths who would back me up on that.

Oatmeal Banana Apple Muffins
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup oatmeal
1 cup white or wheat flour (I opted for wheat)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix the dry ingredients together.

2 eggs
4 tablespoons oil
6 tablespoons sugar (I used honey)

In another bowl mix together eggs, oil, and sugar.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients together and fold in
2/3 cup milk

When the flour is almost incorporated mix in
1 cup mashed bananas (I just used one banana)
1 cup applesauce

Fold together until fruit is incorporated.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until muffins are golden brown on top.

St. Patrick's Day Crafts

So, I had very little St. Patrick's Day decorations. I decided I needed to change this. My mom gave me some cute glass jars for Christmas and I decided to pimp them out a little bit for the holidays.

On a side note, I got the candy at Christmas or rather after Christmas when it was on sale. I bought the red and green kind and then just separated them, red for Valentines day and green for St. Patty's day. That made my day.

Here's how I made them. I used my 2 inch hole punch for the circles and then distressed them with some brown ink. 

For the shamrocks I used my hole punch and then cut the circle into four different sections.

Fold each section in half and then cut a heart out of the section.

 There's a third of your shamrock, make two more and you have your shamrock.

Now you need the stem. I free handed my own and then just cut it out. I had no idea how else to do it.

So here are my three all together. Each step shown.

 Once you have all three shamrocks done take a, well I'm not sure what their names are, fan?

Put some glue on the middle of the fan. How do you make a fan you ask?
Well cut out a strip of paper, I used a 12x12 and cut a strip 3 1/2 inches. Once I had my strip I folded the fan. I think I do mine wrong right here but I can't figure out the right way. Once I have my folds I fold the fan in half. Glue the two fold's together. I really should have taken pictures, much easier just to show you.

 Put on your circle.

Take a hole punch and punch two holes for the ribbon.

Put the ribbon through.

Then glue the ribbon together and there you have it. You're own cheap, easy St. Patty's day decoration.

Here's one more decoration I did. I found a shamrock online printed it out and then traced the shamrock shape onto some green paper, cut that shamrock out and glued it to green paper. Used my brown ink to distress the edges. I have some picture frames that normally holds pictures of my family but they've been replaced for the season. They'll come out I'm thinking sometime this summer.

Hope these help you make add some cheap leprechaun cheer to your holiday's.

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Dark Chocolate Chunk Muffins

These looked so fantastic when I saw them on pinterest. I thought it would be a change up for my husband in the mornings. Typically I make muffins, freeze a few in a bag and when he doesn't have time for his shake I pull a bag out and toss it in his lunch bag. He's usually late so something fast and easy is a must in our house.

This is an interesting recipe because of a few things, it doesn't use flour and you put everything in a food processor. Different. Start with some oats.

Add some unsweetened cocoa.

Then some vanilla

Some unsweetened applesauce. This is my homemade variety, yummy.

 Here it is again because you can't have enough pictures of homemade applesauce.

 Some plain yogurt.

I used honey as a sweetener. It's all I really have in terms of healthy sweeteners.

Some vinegar because I couldn't find my cream of tartar and I wasn't going to search through the ridiculously cluttered spice shelf.

 Some hot water.

The eggs were supposed to come earlier but I forgot them. Thankfully I remembered. If you can't tell I already blended the ingredients before saying "I forgot the eggs!" and then my daughter wanted to know what was wrong.

Just throw the chocolate chips in with the batter in the food processor because who needs to make another dish dirty? Especially when you wash yours by hand.

Here they are all cooked. I know they looked burned. I added peanut chips and white chocolate chips to the top.

Up close and personal. On a side note, I didn't care for that movie. I know they look burned but I couldn't get them to be done in the middle.

The batter was really thin, I think I'll cut down on the water.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup oats
3 eggs
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 1/2 Tablespoon vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup hot water (I cut down the amount of water than what I used in mine, you're welcome to add   more if you need to.)
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup chocolate chips (you can use white or peanut butter ones as well)

Makes around 24.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend everything except the chocolate chips in a blender or food processor until oats are ground and the mixture is smooth. Put half of the chocolate chips in with the batter. Fill greased muffin tin 3/4 full of batter. Bake for eight minutes and add chocolate chips to the top of the muffin. Bake for another 8-10 minutes or until muffins are done. Check with a toothpick, when it comes out clean they're done.

Neapolitan Cupcakes

My sister came home for a week while her husband was on a business trip and we decided to get a little creative in the kitchen. Our kids both have a birthday coming up and we found the perfect birthday cake to have for them. It calls for ganache on the top.

She had worked with ganache before but I had never done anything with it so I needed some practice. We whipped some up for the middle of our cupcake and added some vanilla frosting to the top.

Ingredients:
Cake:
Strawberry cake mix
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all ingredients and mix with beaters. Pour cupcakes 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Ganache:
8 oz chopped chocolate
1 cup heavy cream

Heat cream on stove until barely boils. Pour over chopped chocolate until chocolate is dissolved. If ganache isn't thick enough you can add more chocolate.

Frosting:
1/2 cup crisco
3-4 cups powder sugar
1 tablespoon clear vanilla
6 tablespoons milk

Mix all ingredients together. You'll know it's ready when the frosting easily sticks to your finger.


Once cupcakes are cool cut out the middle and add the ganache. You can either place the top back on the cupcake or leave the top off. Frost cupcakes.

Coconut Macaroons

 

My mom loves coconut macaroons and so do I. Sometimes when we'd go shopping she'd get me and her a treat, I'm the youngest so I was the one who went grocery shopping with her the longest. I had to endure long guilt trips if I tried to tell her I didn't want to go. Sometimes it's just easier to give in. 

Recently, one afternoon I had the sweet tooth hit. I needed something to sooth it. I didn't really want something unhealthy so I opted for some of these. Reminiscing the long grocery shopping trips.

So I started off with, of course, coconut. Guess I don't cook with coconut enough because my girls asked me what it was. I promptly gave them a little bowl and had them eat it raw. They liked it!

 Next a little whole wheat flour.

 A little milk. I loved that there were bubbles that didn't pop.

Some honey. The original recipe called for Agave but I only had honey, we have a honey store a mile away where the honey is fresh and wonderful. We stay stocked up on honey. The girls love to go to the store, they buzz all day after we go. I like supporting a local company and I like having fresh honey.

Some coconut extract which I think the cookies needed more of.

Mix it all up.

 I was a little worried when it got to this point, didn't look like it was going to turn into cookies.

No worries, just put it in the microwave for a few minutes and it thickens.

Once their thick put them on a greased cookie sheet and bake. You're welcome to top them with chocolate or not. I liked the little extra sweetness.

Ingredients:
1 cup coconut
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 cup plus 2T milk
4 Tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

Preheat oven to 360 degrees.

Combine all ingredients. Microwave 3-5 minutes or until firm.

Once dough is firm put on greased cookie sheet and bake for 14-16 minutes.

Sugar Coma Brownies

 

My husband named these brownies from the fact that these brownies are packed with sugar. They were very yummy though.

First start off with Oreo's on the bottom or like I did, the knock off brand.

Here's where you get to make a choice, use either a box brownie mix or go all out and make your own. I used a box, I was lazy.

Once you pour the brownies over the Oreo's bake it.

Two to five minutes before the brownies are done pull them out and put marshmallow's on top. I suggest using mini marshmallow's but if all you have are the big ones like I did those will work too. Once the marshmallow's are puffy and just a little brown on top pull the brownies out and spread them.

Make up some chocolate frosting and pour it over the marshmallow's.

Ingredients:
23-24 Oreo's 
Brownie Mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup mini marshmallow's or large marshmallow's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray the bottom of the pan and cover with Oreo's.

Prepare brownie batter and pour over Oreo's.

When brownies have 2-5 minutes left put the marshmallow's on top to cover the brownies. When the marshmallow's are a little brown on top take the brownies out of the oven and spread the marshmallow's.

Frosting:

1/4 cup margarine softened
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons cocoa
2-3 cups of powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients until smooth.  Add more powdered sugar or milk until you reach desired consistency and spread (or drizzle) on top of bars.

Then eat as many as you can just make sure you're next to the couch so you can collapse in a safe location for your sugar coma.