Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Caramel Banana Upside Down Bread

caramel banana upside down bread cake recipe
 


Ingredients
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into several pieces
  • About 2 bananas, sliced in ¼ inch rounds
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
  • 1½ cup whole wheat flour
  • ¾ cup white granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup mashed overripe bananas
  • 2 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil or oil of choice
  • ⅓ cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • For the Caramel Glaze:
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9X5 inch loaf pan.
  2. Spread the brown sugar on the bottom of the loaf pan. If using nuts, sprinkle them evenly over the sugar. Dot with the butter. Put it in the oven for about 8 minutes. Stir the mixture until dissolved and spread evenly on the bottom of the pan. Place a single layer of the banana slices on top of the sugar mixture along the entire bottom of the pan.
  3. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add all the remaining wet ingredients and beat just until combined. Do not over-beat.
  4. Pour the batter over the sliced bananas in the pan.
  5. In an oven preheated to 325 degrees F, bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean but moist.
  6. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting it on a cake platter.
  7. To prepare the Caramel Glaze, place the butter, brown sugar and heavy cream in a small saucepan (you can also microwave the ingredients for a minute). Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let it sit for a minute. Pour the glaze evenly over the cake (on the upside down side with the bananas on top).http://www.daringgourmet.com/

Bloom where you are planted

bloom where you are planted

Zucchini Lasagna




Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1/8 • Old Points: 8 pts • Points+: 9 pts
Calories: 345 • Fat: 17 g • Carbs: 16 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 36 g • Sugar: 8 g
Sodium: 801 (without salt) 

Ingredients:  
  • 1 lb 93% lean beef
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
  • 3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/8" thick
  • 15 oz part-skim ricotta
  • 16 oz part-skin mozzarella cheese, shredded (Sargento)
  • 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 1 large egg

Directions:

    In a medium sauce pan, brown meat and season with salt. When cooked drain in colander to remove any fat. Add olive oil to the pan and saute garlic and onions about 2 minutes. Return the meat to the pan, add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Simmeron low for at least 30-40minutes, covered. Do not add extra water, the sauce should be thick.



    Meanwhile, slice zucchini into 1/8" thick slices, add lightly salt and set aside or 10 minutes. Zucchini has a lot of water when cooked, salting it takes out a lot of moisture. After 10 minutes, blot excess moisture with a paper towel.

    On a gas grill or grill pan, grill zucchini on each side, until cooked, about 1-2 minutes per side. Place on paper towels to soak any excess moisture.

    Preheat oven to 350°.

    In a medium bowl mix ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and egg. Stir well. 


    In a 9x12 casserole spread some sauce on the bottom and layer the zucchini to cover. Then place some of the ricotta cheese mixture, then top with the mozzarella cheese and repeat the process until all your ingredients are used up. Top with sauce and mozzarella and cover with foil.


    Bake 45 minutes covered at 375°, then uncovered 15 minutes. Let stand about 5 - 10 minutes before serving.
    http://www.skinnytaste.com/

    Grain-Free Sweet Potato Brownies

     brownies8
    Ingredients 
    1 1/2 cup of naked mashed sweet potatoes
    1 cup of Cashew Butter – or any nut butter of your choosing
    3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
    1 Egg
    1/4 cup of Maple Syrup
    1 teaspoon of vanilla
    2 teaspoons of cinnamon
    1 teaspoon of baking soda
    Instructions:   Beforehand- Poke 3-4 Sweet Potatoes with a fork and bake them in the oven for 1 hour.  ( this can be done the day before and stored in the fridge) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl.  Adding the egg last. Line an 8 by 8 pan with parchment paper Once all the ingredients have been mixed, pour batter into the baking dish Bake for 25 minutes. 
    http://makethebestofeverything.com/

    Crosstitch Crafts







    http://fleur55555.gallery.ru/

    Monday, May 18, 2015

    Close some doors....

    The Ugly Truth About Olive Oil

    Olive oil has been around for thousands of years, in fact, olives are one of the oldest known foods. While there is a lot of information on the subject, it is no doubt that the oil extracted from olives is an extremely healthy oil. In fact it is safe to say that it is one of the healthiest oils that is available to us today. With its array of benefits including: anti-inflammatory properties, cardiovascular, digestive health, bone health, eyesight, anti cancer and many more benefits, olive oil truly is an incredible super food!
    Most people are aware of the amazing benefits that olive oil provides, but the majority of people are not aware of the adverse properties that the olive oil contains when it is heated. When heated, even at extremely low temperatures all the amazing enzymes and health benefits that the oil contains are destroyed, and in turn the oil itself transforms into a trans fat. This is of the worst types of fats to consume including animal fats. Man made trans fats can increase your ‘bad’ cholesterol and decrease your ‘good’ cholesterol.
    Even heating olive oil at a very low temperature causes this oil to transform into this unhealthy, rancid state. Olive oil is better left alone, the way it is, at room temperature. Olive oil is excellent for making salad dressings, using as a dip for bread, and you can even drizzle it over your favorite cooked dishes for that divine, distinctive flavor.
    When purchasing olive oil from the store there are a few important things to look out for. There is a lot of demand for this oil, and unfortunately the supply does not meet this demand. Many of the oils that are sold in the store as pure olive oil are actually mixed with other oils to expand the amount of actual olive oil that is used. There are standards that are used for pure olive oil. The IOCC International Olive Oil Council labels the oil which contains the true standards for the popular ‘Extra Virgin Olive Oil,’ and ‘Virgin Olive Oil.’ If you do not see the IOCC label, it may not be what it claims to be. Another thing to look out for is making sure that the oil is ‘Cold Pressed.’ This means that the olives are not heated while the oil is being extracted, that is very important. If the oil is heated at all, it completely defeats the purpose of even using this oil.
    Now, you may be wondering now ‘What the heck am I supposed to cook with?’ Well there is an excellent substitute for olive oil… Coconut oil! Coconut oil is a natural, also extremely healthy type of oil, that can be heated to much higher temperatures without losing all of its essential nutrients and turning into a trans fat. There is a bit of a stigma around coconut oil because it is in fact a saturated fat, but it is a healthy saturated fat. (Breast milk is actually 50% saturated fat and it is regarded as the healthiest thing to ingest.) Coconut oil can assist in: weight loss, high blood pressure, heart disease, bone health, digestion, diabetes, cancer and many other ailments. It also contains lauric acid, which has antifungal and antibacterial properties.
    Coconut oil is solid at its natural state, so when cooking with it, you just scoop it out, and add it to your pan or pot or whatever, it will melt pretty quickly. When storing, you should keep it in a cool dark place, but NOT in the refrigerator. If it is kept in a warm area it will liquefy.
    A great thing about coconut oil is that there are a few different varieties. You can buy it specifically for cooking and this type has virtually no taste or smell, so no, all your food won’t have a tropical twist to it! I enjoy using the tasteless type for cooking, and I like to use the extra virgin raw type that has a mild coconutty flavor. I use this kind to just eat straight, or spread on toast. It is delicious! One thing to make sure of is that you are buying raw, organic 100% coconut oil. Read the labels.
    Not only is this oil great to ingest, but also it can be used topically for a number of different things. It is a great to rub on dry hands, chapped lips, and it can be melted and applied to your hair as well!
    Here’s to health and happy cooking!
    UPDATE:
    Due to its chemical structure and a large amount of unsaturated fats, cooking makes extra-virgin olive oil very susceptible to oxidative damage. However, during this interview I learned that extra-virgin olive oil has a significant draw-back even when used cold – it’s still extremely perishable!
    As it turns out, extra-virgin olive oil contains chlorophyll that accelerates decomposition and makes the oil go rancid rather quickly.
    In fact, Dr. Moerck actually prefers using almost tasteless, semi-refined olive oil rather than extra-virgin olive oil for this reason.
    http://www.fhfn.org/



    THE SERENITY PRAYER

    GOD GRANT ME THE SERENITY
    TO ACCEPT THE THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE;
    COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN;
    AND WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.

    LIVING ONE DAY AT A TIME;
    ENJOYING ONE MOMENT AT A TIME;
    ACCEPTING HARDSHIPS AS THE PATHWAY TO PEACE;
    TAKING, AS HE DID, THIS SINFUL WORLD
    AS IT IS, NOT AS I WOULD HAVE IT;
    TRUSTING THAT HE WILL MAKE ALL THINGS RIGHT
    IF I SURRENDER TO HIS WILL;
    THAT I MAY BE REASONABLY HAPPY IN THIS LIFE
    AND SUPREMELY HAPPY WITH HIM
    FOREVER IN THE NEXT.
    AMEN.

    --REINHOLD NIEBUHR