Sugar, Spice & Everything "Nice"

Don't you love it when you can make something with ingredients you already have in your kitchen? It's wonderful.  We buy banana's on a weekly basis, and I think I do it so I can let them get ripe and bake with them rather than eat them individually. I make a mean banana bread (click  here  for the recipe) but I decided to switch it up a bit and try something new and I'm glad I did! Let's get our ingredients list going... Blondie Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted 1 cup dark brown sugar 1/4t salt 1 large egg 2t vanilla 2t cinnamon 1 cup flour 1 medium-large ripe banana Frosting Ingredients: 1/4 cup butter 6T dark brown sugar 2T milk dash of salt 1t vanilla 1 cup powdered sugar Stir it up, baby! Preheat oven to 350. Line 8x8 baking pan with foil (make sure to let some hang off the sides so you can pull the blondies out easily when they'er done) and spray with cooking spray.  Start with the Blondie Ingredients...

Who doesn't like a 5-ingredient dinner/snack? Granted, there could be a little more prep time depending on what you have laying around but for a mom that's always on the go with Baseball Practice and who knows what else...this is perfect. I cooked my Quinoa in my rice cooker, it was super easy to just dump it in there and walk away. If you don't have a rice cooker, just follow the instructions on the back of the bag. You can find Quinoa in the rice section of the grocery store usually, if not there check by the Organics. Side note : Whether I cook my Quinoa in a pot or in my rice cooker, I always cook it in Chicken Broth, adds more flavor! You'll notice the difference between water and Chicken Broth, I promise! If you have some cooked chicken already, perfect. If not, I usually get a rotisserie chicken and just shred it. Luckily, Matthew's mom has been buying me whole chickens and cooking them in the crockpot for me (because she's awesome) and then sending...

Talk about a 3 year hiatus...whew. Well I figured I would make an attempt to get back into the swing of things (my baseball reference for the night!) and post a little something for you all to check out. Unfortunately, this is something I made earlier this week and did not snag a picture, but lets be honest, Meatloaf is hard to make look "picture perfect" but I will try to update this recipe with a picture next time I make it. *UPDATE: Picture is now attached. Enjoy! I debated whether or not I wanted to share this recipe with everyone because it's just THAT good, but I thought what the heck, everyone's taste buds should truly experience this. First I'm going to start off with I am NOT a ground beef lover at all. I try to avoid it as much as possible. But Matthew enjoys it, so alas, there I was in the kitchen the first time I made this recipe, grossed out and didn't know how I was going to get through this ordeal but it turned out pretty damn tasty. And...

I was craving a cookie but didn't want an old fashion chocolate chip, or something over powering with sweetness. I had all of these ingredients just sitting in my pantry waiting for me to use to make something quick & delicious.  I would say they're healthy for you since i used dried cranberries...but i feel like that would be pushing it :-P Ingredients: -3/4 cup softened butter -3/4 cup brown sugar -1/2 cup white sugar -1 egg -2t vanilla -1 3/4 cup flour -1/4t salt -1/2t baking soda -1 cup dried cranberries -1 cup white chocolate chips Lets get this party started: Preheat oven to 350 Blend butter, sugars, egg & vanilla until smooth.  Stir in flour, salt & baking soda (it gets pretty stiff). Add white chocolate chips & cranberries. (at this point i just hand stirred everything in instead of having the dough get stuck to the whisks on the electric mixer). Drop by rounded teaspoons on baking sheet, space them about...

Bringing rice krispies to a whole other level! I LOVE rice krispies, love, love, love them! For my birthday last year, i got a 1 pound rice krispie & i ate it...all. It was delicious. These fruity pebbles added into the mix just make everything better. Just make sure that when you're making these, you have a big enough pan to mix everything in. Ingredients: -8 Cups Rice Krispies -4 Cups Fruity Pebbles -1/2 Cup Butter (1 full stick) -2 (10.5 oz) Bags of Mini Marshmallows -1/2 Bag of White Chocolate Chips Directions: Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray In a large sauce pan, melt the butter. Once butter is melted, add both bags of mini's to the mix. Stir until melted & remove from heat.  Pour your krispies, fruity pebbles & white chocolate chips into your marshmallow mix & stir to combine evenly. (Keep in mind, your white chocolate chips are going to melt mostly since the butter/marshmallow mix is still warm). Press into your 9x13in ...

I'm on a banana kick right now, maybe it's because they're the easiest & most delicious ingredients to bake with, but i always have some in my fridge to bake something with throughout the week or use on the weekend.  Since i've been making nothing but bread lately, i decided to make muffins. They're easier to make on the go & this recipe is quick, quick, quick! Plus, if you are a regular baker like i am, all the ingredients you need, you'll already have.  Ingredients: - 1 1/2 Cup Flour -1t Baking Powder -1t Baking Soda -1/2t Salt -3 Large Bananas -3/4 Cup Sugar -1 Egg -1/3 Cup Butter, melted Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Put paper liners in a 12 cup muffin pan.  Combine bananas, sugar, egg & melted butter. Fold in flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Mix until smooth. Spoon into muffin pans.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, until tops are nice & golden brown. *I made one batch regular, & one batch with...

Lately i'm all about super quick dinners for the week. After a long day of work, no one really wants to slave in kitchen for another hour making a delicious meal.  But i still am not a fan of quick dinners with absolutely no flavor - this dinner is so quick, filling & delicious.  Ingredients: -1 (15oz) Can Black Beans, rinsed & drained -1 Cup Corn -1/3 Cup Salsa (i used Guacamole Salsa, but you can use whatever flavor you'd like) -2t Taco Seasoning -1/4 Cup Cilantro or Green Onion (optional) -1 Cup Shredded Cheese (your choice, i used Colby Jack) -Tortillas (i used Spinach, but again, your choice) Directions: -In a medium bowl, mix together beans, corn, salsa, taco seasoning & cilantro. -Preheat a large skillet over medium-low heat, sprayed with cooking spray.  -Place one tortilla in the skillet & scoop 1/2 Cup of the filling onto the tortilla in the pan. Sprinkle 1/4 Cup cheese over the bean mixture & place the second ...