Crispy Cinnamon Streusel Banana Nut Cream Cheese Bread

Long Name...Amazing Bread! Thee ULTIMATE yummy of banana nut recipes! Try is for yourself!

Yields 2 loaves

Ingredients

Bread:
3/4 cup butter, softened & unsalted
1 (8 ounce) package fat free cream cheese

2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Streusel:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
1Preheat oven to 350º.
2 Beat butter and cream cheese together until creamy.
3Add sugar, beat until light and fluffy.
4Add eggs, beat until blended.
5Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, & salt to butter mixture, beating until just blended.
6Stir in bananas, walnuts, and vanilla.
7Spoon batter into 2 greased loafpans.
8Streusel: Stir together 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon.
9Sprinkle mixture evenly over batter in pans.
10Bake for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
11Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes.
12Remove from pans and cool 30 more minutes before slicing.
Enjoy!

Paws Down!!....

These are the yummiest dogs treats! You see, I feed my dog cookies as a reward for taking her medicines...we find her favorite ones at Petco, and unfortunately most the time they are sold out. They are the favorite, I guess, of all the dogs in the Tri-Cities. So, I started Googling the cookie...Carob Chip Dog Cookies...found a recipe and tried it out on all 7 of the family dogs...and they are a HIT!! I had all of them under my feet as I was trying to cook them....lots of drooling going on as I let each dog sample a few! If you have a dog, try this recipe out. I try to keep my dog on a healthy diet and not let her have the bad things...this recipe is pretty good...

Chocolate Carob Chip Dog Cookies

What you need:
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 cup of carob chips (chopped)
1 cup of peanut butter, can be smooth or chunky
1 cup of milk, can be low fat
2 eggs
1/4 cup of honey

What you do:
1. Combine the flour and baking powder in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl combine the peanut butter, milk, eggs, and honey. Mix well until combined.
Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix with a hand beater. (I had to add more flour to make a cookie dough consistency)After the ingredients are mixed add the carob chips, just until combined.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Using teaspoons or if you have large puppies : ), a tablespoon, drop the cookies on to an ungreased cookie sheet. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes. When they are done remove from the cookie sheet, after standing about 1 minute, and place on a cookie rack to completely cool.
Stand back and watch those four-legged fur friends drool!!

Stir & Drop Cookies

Delicious hint of lemon is these cookies. Also, adding some frosting would be excellent.

2 eggs

2/3 cup oil

2 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp grated lemon rind or lemon flavor

3/4 c sugar

2 cups sifted flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Beat eggs with fork until well blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, and lemon. Blend in sugar until mixture thickens. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and stir into oil mixture. Drop by teaspoon on ungreased baking sheet. Flatten with greased glass dipped in sugar. Bake @ 400* for 8-10 minutes.

Bread Pudding

This recipe is so yummy. I had some left over cinnamon raisin bread and decided to try this out. I, of course, use Splenda where possible and cut back on half the sugar. Try it out, and alter it how ever...there is not right way to what you want to add/delete! It's yummy warmed up later with vanilla ice cream, as well!!

INGREDIENTS:
6 slices day-old bread
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Break bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle melted butter or margarine over bread. If desired, sprinkle with raisins.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

PREP TIME: 30 Min
COOK TIME : 45 Min
READY IN : 1 Hr 15 Min
Original recipe yield 1 - 8 inch square pan

Servings: 12

Grandma's Beef Lasagna

2 lbs. ground beef
1 lb. ground turkey
1 med or large onion (chopped)
1 shallot (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Combine the above ingredients in a large sauce pan. Brown meet until no longer pink. Drain fat/grease.

(1)25.5 oz jar Marinara sauce
(1) 15 oz can tomato sauce
(2) 15 oz can diced tomatoes (Italian or fire roasted preferably)
1/4 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp dried basil
1/4 cup Splenda
2 tsp salt

Add above ingredients to meat. Let simmer for 10 minutes.

(1) 24 oz fat-free cottage cheese
(1) 15 oz fat-free ricotta cheese
2 Tbsp parsley
1 Tbsp salt**
1 lb. mozzarella cheese ( grated or get a block and grate yourself) (Save 1/2 for topping)
1 cup Parmesan cheese

In a bowl, combine the above ingredients, set aside.
**Use less salt if desired

(1) 1 lb. (pkg) whole wheat lasagna noodles

Boil water with a little bit of Olive Oil and place noodles in water. Boil for 10 minutes then pick up with tongs (carefully without breaking) and put in cold water. (When bringing out of cold water, slide fingers down sides to get off excess water on noodle).

Use a 9x12 pan or roasting pan. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Layer in order : lasagna noodles, meat sauce mixture, cheese mixture. Repeat these layers until all is gone. (Save 2 cups of meat sauce mixture for the very top and then sprinkle mozzarella cheese).

Bake at 350* for 45 minutes.
(It just needs to heat through and melt all cheeses). It might be a little runny, but it will set up, no need to wait for that...it's good to eat right out of the oven! =)

I have altered this recipe a bit to make it a little more convenient and healthy friendly...still tastes like Grandma Tippett's though!! Thanks Grandma! =)

Easter

Awesome Graphics and Myspace Layouts at pYzam.com

Eggless Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup baking cocoa, divided
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups cold brewed coffee
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon shortening

DIRECTIONS:
Coat a 10-in. fluted tube pan with cooking spray and dust with 1 tablespoon cocoa; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and remaining cocoa. In another bowl, combine the coffee, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. In a microwave or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cake.
Yield: 14 servings.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS
One serving equals:
295 Calories8 g Fat2 g Saturated Fat1 mg Cholesterol355 mg Sodium55 g Carbohydrate2 g Fiber4 g Protein