Pumpkin Bundt Cake

One Sunday morning, I got up early (shocking, I know with a young baby..) and decided that I wanted to bake (which is just really not all that unusual).  We had a can of pumpkin, so I searched for a recipe that I could use it in and came across this bundt cake recipe.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake
from Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• Confectioners' sugar

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine sugar and oil
• until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each
• addition. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and
• cloves; add to egg mixture alternately with pumpkin, beating well
• after each addition.
• Transfer to a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake 60-65 minutes or
• until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool 10
• minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Remove pan and cool
• completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 12-16 servings.

*I used my mini bundt pan to make small cakes rather than large ones.

*I also mixed together an icing using milk and powdered sugar to cover them with  

when they were still warm.

*Using the small clear cups, I was able to divide them to pass out separately.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

I was looking for inspiration for something different to take to a shower and ended up deciding to combine brownies and chocolate chip cookies.  Everyone likes both, right?  I cheated however and did not make these homemade, but can imagine that they would be even better had I been able to.

I used 2 boxes of brownie mix and a store bought tube of chocolate chip cookies.

I mixed both brownie mixes and filled an 11x13 pan. 
I then pressed circles out of the cookie dough and placed it on top.

I followed the brownie box directions for temperature and cooked them for a loooong time.   Since they were so thick, it took a while to make sure that the middles were done.   I'd say it was at least an hour.

They were good like they were, but I also thought about using the cookie dough between the two layers of brownie. 

**Total Carbohydrates...LOTS

Salted Pretzel Caramel Brownies

I like to cook, but I LOVE to bake.  Sounds about right for a diabetic to have a sweet tooth, right? : ) Specifically, I love to bake anything that involves chocolate. 
I came across this recipe on Pinterest (of course) and love the way they turned out.

Salted Pretzel Caramel Brownies
from Recipe Sweet
*I don't have any pictures as these were quickly devoured, but the original blog post from Recipe Sweet has step by step pictures if you are a visual learner : )

Ingredients

1 box Betty Crocker fudge brownies (for a 9×13 pan)

2 eggs

1/4 cup water

2/3 cup vegetable oil

3 cups pretzels (I used the stick kind, but can see where the loopy ones may lay flatter)

1 jar caramel sauce

coarse sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, or grease with cooking spray.
2. Prepare brownie batter according to package instructions.
3. Pour about 1/3 of the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan. Spread until the bottom of the pan is evenly coated. Then add two even layers of pretzels, covering the entire surface. Carefully spoon the remaining brownie batter on top to cover the pretzels.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the brownies comes out clean. Remove and set on a cooling rack to cool.
5. Spoon the caramel sauce onto the top of the brownies in an even layer. (If it is too thick, spoon the sauce into a small bowl first and microwave for 30 seconds to thin.) Sprinkle the caramel with a few pinches of sea salt.
6. Serve warm, or let cool to room temperature then serve. (I kept them in the freezer when not serving as the caramel sauce never really seemed to completely set unless frozen). 

Banana Pudding

Last week we had some family and friends over for dinner on Friday prior to the Baby Showers on Saturday and Sunday.  For dessert, I wanted to make something a little different and came across a banana pudding recipe on Pinterest. 

Banana Pudding
from Cooking with Carrie

Ingredients (For our group, I ended tripling it, which was way too much..so we've had to eat from it all week..)1 box of vanilla wafers
4 to 5 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (3.9 ounce) box instant french vanilla pudding
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 ounce) tub of whipped topping

Directions
1. First, don’t forget to set out your ingredients, especially the cream cheese, as it needs to be softened and the whipped topping if it needs to thaw.
2. In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using an electric mixer.
3. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk.
4. With the same electric mixer, blend together until smooth.
5. Add the pudding to the cream cheese mixture and stir until combined.
6.  Peel and slice the bananas and set aside.

7. You can use a large bowl, 9x13 pan, or small bowls for the banana pudding. I used plastic cups and then layered the remainder in a bigger container. Start with a layer of vanilla wafers, then the pudding mixture, then bananas.  Then more of the pudding mixture, vanilla wafers and a layer of whipped cream.  Continue with the pudding and bananas and pudding and wafers until you reach the top!

S'mores Bites

No picture again, but I got this idea from this pin on pinterest.  I mean, who doesn't love s'mores: graham cracker - good, marshmallow -good, chocolate - good.  Everybody wins.


Smores Bites 
from Melissadionne

Ingredients:
6 graham cracker sheets (or as many as you wish)
6 large marshmallows (enough to fit your crackers)
12 Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped 

Directions:
1. Break graham cracker sheets in half.
2. Using clean scissors cut each marshmallow into 2 halves.
3. Heat oven to Low Broil.
4. Align graham crackers in the center of a cookie sheet about 1/2″ apart from each other.
5. Top each graham cracker with a marshmallow with the cut/sticky side down.
6. Place marshmallow topped graham crackers under broiler (turn oven light on if you have one) DON’T WALK AWAY, watch them closely as they will toast quickly, allow to toast until golden rotating pan with oven mitt as needed.
7. Once golden immediately remove from oven, place 1 Kiss in the center of each toasted marshmallow and gently press down.  For best results serve warm, just like a real S’more.
8. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Choclate "Cupcakes"

Typically you probably think of cupcakes as having icing and these do not, but do not discount them yet..they're good and easy to make, so everybody wins!

Pumpkin Chocolate Cupcakes
from Nomadic Nom Nom

Ingredients

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 15oz can of pumpkin pure
6 oz mini chocolate chips

Directions
1. Mix together the three ingredients (cake mix, pumpkin and chocolate chips..reserving some of the mini chocolate chips for the top of the cupcakes).
2. Bake at 350 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

The cupcakes are a little denser than a typical cupcake, but oh so good! : )

Easy Cobbler

I love it when sweets taste good and aren't too bad for you either.  On top of all of that, this recipe was super quick.

Easy Berry Cobbler
from Living a Changed Life

Ingredients
1 box cake mix (I just used yellow cake)
1 can sprite zero
1 bag frozen mixed berries

Directions
1. Cover the bottom of a 9x11 cake pan with the berries.

2.  Pour the cake mix on top making sure that it is evenly spread out.

3.  Pour Sprite slowly over the mixture (do not mix in though..or it will mess with the crust).

4. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees

and serve with ice cream..possibly low fat? Or forget it go for Bluebell homemade vanilla because it it amazing...

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
Single Ingredient Ice Cream
from Use Real Butter
*Recipe observations 1. Cutting up the banana before freezing is such a good idea. I'll always throw almost bad bananas into the freezer to use for smoothies and peeling them makes me feel like my hand is going to fall off. I will cut them and place them baggies first from now on 2. I could have eaten just the bananas mush by itself. SO good!

Ingredients
4 bananas, just slightly overripe (brown spots good, completely black not so good)
2 tbsps creamy peanut butter (optional – thus 2 ingredient ice cream)
2 tsps cocoa powder (Dutch process), (optional – thus 2 or 3 ingredient ice cream depending on peanut butter)
Directions
1. Peel the bananas and slice them up into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick disks. Place the banana slices in the freezer for about an hour or until they are frozen solid. Do not freeze the whole banana, it will be much harder to blend.
2.Put the frozen slices in a food processor and pulse. First they will start to resemble gravel, but keep going. The bananas will soon turn into a frozen mush – at this point, start scraping the sides down (you will do this a lot). The bananas will begin to blend into a creamy texture.
3.When the bananas look like whipped ice cream, add in the peanut butter and cocoa. Mix until well blended. (You could really mix in anything that you wanted to.)
Straight out of the food processor, the ice cream is like soft serve. You can also freeze it for a firmer texture. I find it’s pretty hard when I scoop it immediately after removing it from the freezer. Just give it a minute or two to soften up. Makes a pint.

Energy Bites

 These are a great, quick snack!

No-Bake Energy Bites
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/3 cup honey
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy! Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

*If you use the cookie scooper to make these, they are 9-10g carbohydrates each.

Thin Mints

I love Thin Mints. I teach in an elementary school which means that I get asked to buy a lot of Girl Scout cookies. Do I mind this? Most def. not! I always buy an obscene amount of thin mints and they always mysteriously seem to disappear. Well since we are out of girl scout cookie season, I decided to try The Little Kitchen That Could's Thin Mint recipe.
(This is not a recipe the can be made quickly in one afternoon. There is a lot of freezing/cooling that has to occur between steps).

Thin Mints
From the Little Kitchen that Could
Ingredients
for the cookies:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup milk (any kind)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
for the coating:
12 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
parchment paper
Step by Step
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. With mixer on low speed, add the milk and the extracts. The mixture will resemble curdled milk. Slowly add the flour mixture until well incorporated and fluffy.

Shape dough into two long logs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter (4 cm). Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours, until very firm.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Using a sharp knife, slice dough into round no more than 1/4 inch thick. Slice carefully so they are as close to the same thickness as possible. You will have some very soft and others very hard if they differ too much in thickness. Make sure they are no more than 1/4 inch thick or they won't be crispy. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cookies can be very close together because they will not spread much at all.

Bake for 13 minutes (see recipe notes); until the edges of the cookie are firm. Allow cookies to cool completely. In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter. Microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Remove and stir; continue microwaving in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth.

Dip each cookie in melted chocolate and rotate to cover whole cookie. Using a fork, scrape off extra chocolate so there is a thin coating. Place cookies on parchment paper or wax paper to allow to cool and set; at least 45 minutes. Reheat chocolate as necessary to keep is smooth and easy to dip into.

*I keep these cookies frozen until ready to serve. They do not taste exactly like Thin Mints, but do have the yummy chocolate/minty combo.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Taking a cue from the Little Kitchen That Could, I made ice cream cookies sandwiches to help fight this extreme heat. (As a disclaimer: Do not make if 1. you are staying home all day 2. you are the main person in your house that eats sweets or 3. you have no self control....I might have eaten a lot of these...)


I started off by making my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 large eggs
* 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
* 1 cup chopped nuts (I usually leave these out)
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 375° F (Our oven cooks hotter so we do 350)
COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

After the cookies completely cooled, I took out a gallon of our favorite Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla. It cannot be beat! Yumm! I let it get really soft and then scooped a small amount into the middle of one cookie and placed another cookie of the same size on top. The sandwiches were placed in the freezer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper to freeze. Once they were sufficiently frozen, I put the cookies in a ziploc baggie and refroze.

PS: Houston friends..come eat the ice cream sandwiches or my weight and blood sugar will suffer....they're really good! : )

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

A few weeks ago, our pastor was talking about looking forward to going home to fresh baked chocolate chip, walnut, banana bread. Well of course this stuck in my head. We had the inevitable 2 bananas that were past their prime so I originally thought that peanut butter, chocolate chip banana bread sounded good (LOVE LOVE LOVE Peanut butter!), but then I decided that I wanted my husband to actually eat some of the bread, so I found a chocolate chip, banana bread recipe instead (we didn't have any walnuts).

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
from Rachel Ray
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 bananas, mashed (1 cup mashed banana)
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F .

2. Grease and flour a 8 1/2-inch x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan (or use baking spray, such as Baker's Joy brand).

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix in the oil, bananas and eggs. Stir in the chocolate chips (do not overmix!) and pour into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 70-80 minutes. Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely, right side up.

Red White and Blueberry Cupcakes

I completely forgot to post this yesterday! Hope everyone had a great 4th! We did yard work, went to a pool party and then a fish fry! What a great day, but unfortunately no pictures (I know, I'm losing my touch!)

Happy 4th of July! So thankful for the freedoms that we were given by others who gave their lives! So thankful also for getting to spend a good long weekend with my handsome husband!
Here's a little patriotic dessert for today! : )

Red White and Blueberry Cupcakes (aka Lemon-Blueberry Cupcakes)
from Betty Crocker

*Recipe note: The icing listed did NOT work for me. It was very runny. I think that the butter was the problem. When I typically make icing, it is a mixture of powdered sugar, milk and about a teaspoon of vanilla. Sometimes I will add cream cheese. Next time that I make these, I will stick to what I'm used to. The cupcakes are not necessarily aesthetically pleasing, but at least they taste good!

Cupcake Ingredients

1

box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® lemon cake mix

1 1/2

cups fresh blueberries

3/4

cup water

1/3

cup vegetable oil

1

tablespoon grated lemon peel

2

eggs

1

package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened

Frosting Ingredients

2 1/2

cups powdered sugar

3/4

cup unsalted butter, softened

1

teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/2

teaspoon kosher (coarse) salt

1 1/4

teaspoons vanilla

1

tablespoon milk

1

cup fresh blueberries

Lemon peel, if desired

Fresh mint leaves, if desired

1. Heat oven to 375°F for shiny metal pans (or 350°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
2. In small bowl, gently toss 2 tablespoons of the dry cake mix with 1 1/2 cups blueberries to coat; set aside.
3. In large bowl, beat remaining cake mix, water, oil, lemon peel, eggs and cream cheese with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Fold blueberry mixture into batter. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
4. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until tops are light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
5. In medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, butter, 1 teaspoon lemon peel, the salt, vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk on high speed about 4 minutes or until smooth and well blended, adding more milk by teaspoonfuls if needed. Frost cupcakes with frosting. Garnish with 1 cup blueberries the lemon peel and mint leaves. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Skillet Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie

I will willing gain weight to eat this.....chocolate chip cookies and ice cream = amazing!

Skillet Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie
from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (about 9 ounces) mixed milk- and semisweet-chocolate chips
• 2 pints vanilla ice cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; mix until they are fully incorporated. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined.
   Stir in chocolate chips.

2. Transfer dough to a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, and press to flatten, covering bottom of pan. Bake until edges are brown and top is golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Don't overbake; it will continue to cook a few minutes out of the oven. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into 8 wedges. Serve warm; top each wedge with a scoop of ice cream. (Whenever you serve the "leftover" pieces, be sure to heat them up as well. This dessert is best served warm.)
   

Granola Bars...another attempt (And Granola)

I am having trouble finding the perfect granola bar recipe. Since my favorite granola recipe is from Alton Brown, I figured that his granola bar recipe would be worth trying and I really liked it.
(I added dark chocolate chips to mine which made it seem more desserty. I will probably leave them out next time as I'm looking for more of a sweet snack from my granola bars.)

Granola Bars
from Alton Brown

Ingredients

• 8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, approximately 2 cups
• 1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, approximately 1/2 cup
• 3 ounces sliced almonds, approximately 1 cup
• 1 1/2 ounces wheat germ, approximately 1/2 cup
• 6 ounces honey, approximately 1/2 cup
• 1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup packed
• 1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries

Directions

Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

And for those who have asked lately, here is my favorite granola recipe. It is also from Alton Brown. I make it and eat off of it for 2 or 3 weeks then make more when I run out...always have it on hand : )

Granola
Adapted from Alton Brown (Food Network)
Ingredients
* 3 cups rolled oats
* 1 cup slivered almonds
* 1 cup cashews
* ½ cup sunflower kernals
* 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
* 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup dried cranberries
Directions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, and brown sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.
Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add cranberries and mix until evenly distributed.

Blueberry Ice Cream Pie

I love sweets, which I know is super ironic b/c I am diabetic, but I do have an insulin pump, so its all good. While reading Better Homes and Gardens (oh yes I am an adult..), I came across this recipe for Blueberry Ice Cream Pie. Summer seemed like the perfect time to make this dessert! I will warn you that this pie does take quite a bit of time. It is a lot of steps that have to be completed at separate times to allow each piece to cool or freeze. Its definitely worth it though! Enjoy!

Blueberry Ice Cream Pie
from BHG


Ingredients

• Almond-Brown Sugar Crust
• 1-1/2 cups slivered almonds
• 2 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• Blueberry Sauce
• 3 cups blueberries, rinsed, well drained, and carefully picked over for damaged berries
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• A few gratings of nutmeg (about 1/8 tsp.)
• 1 Tbsp. water
• Assemble and Serve
• 1 qt. homemade or purchased vanilla ice cream (You have to use Bluebell homemade vanilla. There is nothing like it!)
• 3/4 cup of the Blueberry Sauce, chilled
• 1/2 cup crème fraiche or sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed, picked over, and well dried on paper towel-lined baking sheets
• Remaining Blueberry Sauce, heated

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In bowl of food processor fitted with a steel blade combine almonds, brown sugar, and salt. Pulse until coarsely ground. Transfer to bowl and stir in melted butter. Turn into 9-inch pie plate. With fingers press onto bottom and sides to form a firm, even layer.

2. Bake 8 to 12 minutes until lightly golden. "Don't overbrown or the crust will have an overpowering flavor," Scott says. Allow to completely cool on a rack. Transfer to freezer until ready to use (may be made up to a week in advance and frozen, tightly wrapped).

3. In large, wide, nonreactive skillet combine blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, and salt, stirring well with a spoon to distribute the sugar and cornstarch. Add zest, lemon juice, water, and a few gratings of fresh nutmeg; stir again to blend.

4. Cook and stir over medium heat until blueberries begin to pop, give off juice, and come to a full simmer. Simmer, stirring gently for 1 additional minute until sauce is lightly thickened and cornstarch is well cooked.

5. Set aside to cool; refrigerate sauce until completely chilled before proceeding. "Otherwise you'll wind up with a blueberry milk shake," Scott says.

6. Transfer ice cream to a mixing bowl and let stand in the refrigerator 30 minutes or until just softened.

7. Spoon half into prepared crust. Spread in even layer and top with the chilled blueberry sauce. Spoon on remaining ice cream and spread to edges.

8. Cover surface of ice cream with plastic wrap and freeze at least 8 hours or overnight until firmly set.

9. To serve: In chilled mixing bowl, whisk crème fra¿¿che, heavy cream, and sugar until just thickened to spreading consistency. Do not overbeat. "It is very easy to go from smooth to grainy," Scott says. Spread cream mixture over pie; top with blueberries. Serve with heated sauce on the side. Makes 10 servings.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread
Ingredients
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup butter
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Easy Key Lime Pie

 This recipe is a quick go to dessert at our house.

Easy Key Lime Pie
Ingredients:
5 egg yolks, beaten
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed
milk
1/2 cup key lime juice
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Combine the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and lime juice. Mix well. Pour into unbaked graham cracker shell.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool. Top with whipped topping and garnish with lime slices if desired.

Baked Donuts

Baked DonutsFrom Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook

Ingredients
2 packages active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
1-1/2 cups warm milk
1/3 cup shortening
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmet
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
4-1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup butter, melted
Glaze
½ cup butter
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
5 tsp water
2 tsp vanilla
Directions
*In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the milk and shortening; stir for 1 minute. Add the sugar, eggs, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and 2 cups flour; beat on low speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (do no knead). Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
*Punch dough down. Turn onto a floured surface; roll out to ½ in. thickness. Cut with a 2-3/4 in. doughnut cutter; place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Brush with butter. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
*Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, for glaze, melt butter in a saucepan. Add the confectioners’ sugar, water and vanilla; cover over low heat until smooth (do not boil). Keep warm. Dip warm doughnuts, one at a time, into glaze and turn to coat. Drain on a wire rack. Serve immediately.

Marathon Cookies

Marathon Cookies

Now don't let the ingredients deter you from making these. We made these on Saturday to eat after the half marathon. They're supposed to put some of the foods back in your body that you lose while running 13+ miles.
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/marathon-cookies-recipe.html