Apple Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 bananas, mashed
1 small apple, grated
1 pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
***Topping:***
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven 350 degree. Grease and flour loaf pan.

2. Blend shortening, eggs, sugars and fruit together. Mix salt, baking powder, baking soda and flour together; add to fruit mixture.

3. For Topping: Combine brown sugar, nuts, butter and cinnamon together in saucepan. Cook until sugar dissolves.

4. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and spread on top of bread and return to oven for 10-15 minutes longer.

5. Remove from oven and enjoy!

Fresh Green Beans

Fresh green beans are a wonderful addition to a meal. They are much crisper than canned green beans and you can add a variety of flavors. The following recipe is the way I typically make my green beans.

1lb fresh green beans

3 slices bacon - diced

1 small onion - diced

salt

pepper

1. Snap ends off of green beans and discard. Snap into smaller bites it you would like. Rinse green beans.

2. In a medium size sauce pan brown bacon and onions over medium heat.

3. Add green beans and toss to coat all green beans with bacon, onions and bacon grease.

4. Add enough water to cover green beans, reduce heat to low-medium and cover.

5. Cook until desired texture is achieved. We like ours fairly crispy and usually cook for about 15 minutes.

6. Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!!

Cinnamon Apple Muffins with Crumble Topping

We went and picked apples last weekend. Now we have what seems like a million apples in the house (not that it's a bad thing) and we have had to think of new things to try with apples. Jason decided he would like some muffins, so here is the recipe that we made today and they are yummy,

Muffin Mix

1 1/2 cups flour (all-purpose or whole wheat)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmag

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup apple sauce

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 apple - peeled, cored and diced

Filling

1/4 cup softened butter

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Topping

1/3 cup flour

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup cubbed butter

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line 12 muffin cups with muffin cup paper or grease.

2. Mix together flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmag. Mix in egg, milk, applesauce, and vegetable oil. Fold in apples.

3. Fill muffin cups 1/2 to 3/4 full of mixture.

4. Mix together all ingredients for the filling. Should be similar to a brown sugar butter consistency. Drop 1/2 tablespoon of filling onto the muffins.

5. Prepare the topping - mix together flour, white sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add in cubed butter, mix until you have a crumble texture that can be sprinkled onto the muffins.

6. Sprinkle topping onto muffins.

7. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8. Cool on a cooling rack or serve warm.

Sweet Potato Fries

A sweet alternative to regular fries.

2 sweet potatoes

oil

salt or sugar

1. Cut sweet potatoes into desired shape and size of fries - remember to keep them a similar size so they cut in the same amount of time.

2. Place sweet potatoes in a sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cook for about 10 minutes or until tender.

3. Drain completely.

4. Heat oil in sauce pan or fryer to 375 degrees. Add sweet potatoes and fry for about 4 minutes or until desired crispiness is achieved.

5. Sprinkle with salt or sugar. Enjoy!

Deviled Eggs

Eggs

1 tablespoon Miracle Whip

1 tablespoon Mustard

1/2 tablespoon Butter

2 Sweet Pickles - Diced

Salt

Pepper

1. Boil eggs covered in water for 1o minutes.

2. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

3. Run cold water over the eggs to cool enough to remove the shells.

4. Carefully remove the shells from the eggs. Cut eggs in half and remove yolk - place in separate mixing bowl.

5. Add Miracle Whip, Mustard, Butter, Pickles, salt and pepper to the egg yolks and mix until completely combines.

6. Using a piping bag, ziplock bag or spoons fill the empty egg yolks with the mixture.

7. Sprinkle with Paprika if desired.

Easy "Homemade" Cookies

This is a super simple way to make homemade cookies in a zillion different varieties!

1 box of cake mix (any flavor)

2 eggs

1/2 cup of oil

1/2 tablespoon of vanilla

Any flavor add ins you would like (chocolate chips, oatmeal, raisins, etc)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.

2. Mix eggs, oil and vanilla together in mixing bowl. Add cake mix. Mix until completely combines with no lumps.

3. Add any flavor add ins that you would like.

4. Place tablespoon size cookies approximately 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet.

5. Bake 10-12 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

7. ENJOY

*I made Chocolate Caramel Chip Cookies with Yellow Cake mix and Oatmeal Raisin Cinnamon Chip Cookies with White Cake mix*

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan

4 chicken breasts

1/2 cup of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup of flour

1/4 grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 large eggs

4 slices of Provel Cheese

3 cups Pasta Sauce

Spaghetti

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place a piece of chicken between 2 pieces of wax paper. Using a meat pounder or rolling pin or bat or something heavy, flatten chicken to approximately 1/2 inch thick.

3. In a flat container (big enough for the piece of chicken to fit in) mix flour, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. In another bowl beat eggs.

4. In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Add butter and melt.

5. Dip chicken in egg wash and then bread crumb mixture. Place in skillet.

6. Cook until brown on one side and flip (about 4-5 minutes). Flip and cook other side.

7. While chicken is cooking, prepare desired pasta according to box instructions and heat pasta sauce.

8. Once chicken is browned on both sides remove from pan (I place mine of a paper towel to soak up the excess oil).

9. Mix pasta and pasta sauce, saving a 1 cup of sauce for the chicken, in an oven safe bowl or pan. Place chicken on top of pasta, cover with remaining 1 cup of sauce. Top with Provel cheese.

10. Place in oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until cheese is browned.

11. Serve and enjoy!