Bananas are a staple around our household, so there are always bananas at varying stages of ripeness in the fruit bowl, which means we eat banana bread frequently.  I usually stick to my favorite recipe, but I was looking through some Bon Appetit recipes that I had saved, and came across this new one.   We all loved it, especially the sugary/cinnamon top. Ingredients:1 1/2 cups all purpose flour1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided1 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2-3 medium)2 large eggs1/2 cup vegetable oil1/4 cup honey1/4 cup water2 1/2 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar Preheat oven to 350.  Butter and flour…

Have you ever passed by the whole chickens in the meat section of the grocery store wondering how on earth people actually cook them?  And why would people buy an uncooked chicken when you can just walk a few more yards around to the deli section and buy a rotisserie chicken?   I used to, but now I cook a chicken several times a month.  They are juicier than the rotisserie chickens from the deli, they have more meat on them, and it’s fun to be able to say that you did it! Here’s how to cook a roast chicken at home. First, take the chicken out of the package.…

One way to be healthy on a budget is to eat beans and legumes.  Usually a one pound bag costs somewhere around a dollar, maybe even less.  I’d always wanted to try cooking with lentils, so we’ve done it a few times recently, and they’re quite tasty!  What is a lentil, you might ask?  It comes from this plant: Source Where can you buy lentils?  I got mine at the grocery store, in the aisle with Mexican food (not sure why they were here).  They usually are with the other dried beans, or you can buy them in bulk at natural food stores. Lentils are not really beans, but are…

Yesterday the girls and I went strawberry picking.  Here are a few pictures from our day together: Bountiful Strawberry Bushes Strawberry Picker Yummy Berries I love strawberries and making strawberry jam has become a spring tradition in our household.  You see, Bradley has given me a few requirements, if you will, in our marriage (some I may mention at a later time), and one of them was that I must learn how to make jam; nothing store bought would cut it for him.  I willingly obliged, and my mother-in-law (who I might add is an outstanding cook!) taught me how to make jam that first spring we were married. Don’t let the thought…

We had a great Easter weekend with my sister Sherri and her husband.  The girls loved spending time with their aunt and uncle, and Bradley enjoyed some help with his never-ending projects.  I was grateful to have family here and enjoyed every minute of it!  Here’s two pictures of the girls in their dresses, as promised. Dying eggs has been a tradition in our family since I can remember, and I’m glad we have incorporated it into our family because my girls loved it!  If you’re like me, though, you probably have something similar to this in your fridge now: Egg Salad is a great way to use up those…

My family loves chicken pot pie.  In fact, when I tell Isabella that’s what we’re having for dinner, she starts giggling out of excitement.  One of the things that I appreciate about it, is that it’s a one dish meal, which means less dishes to clean after dinner! Ingredients:6 Tablespoons butter6 Tablespoons flour2 cups chicken broth1 cup milk1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper2 cups shredded, or cubed, cooked chicken3/4 cup frozen peas12 baby carrots3 small potatoes1 9-inch pie dough, unbaked Make chicken broth (or use a canned version, but I really think it’s better to just make your own.  It’s less expensive this way, and you can make exactly…

You might be saying to yourself, “Potatoes on pizza??”  Well, hang with me for a few minutes, because this pizza is good.  Really good.  I must admit it came about because my husband accidentally took my car keys with him to work yesterday, so I was stuck at home.  Being stuck at home all day = making something up for dinner because we’re just about out of groceries.  I looked around in the pantry and fridge and decided I would try a new kind of pizza.  We love homemade pizza, and I usually stick with our favorites, BBQ chicken and cheeseburger, but this one I made yesterday is my new…

These candies are the perfect mix of salty and sweet, and they can be adapted to any holiday or special event, simply by using various seasonal M&M’s (or if you want, just pull out the colors you want to use).  They don’t take long to make and I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t enjoy them.  Just make sure you have room in your freezer for your baking sheet, and you’re good to go! Ingredients:Snap pretzels (the rectangular ones with grid lines) M&M’s (I used the spring mix for these) Wilton vanilla candy melts Directions:  1. Preheat your oven to 250 2. Place pretzels on cooking sheet. 3. Top pretzels…