(FOUR) Flourless Banana Pancakes

I've been seeing these Flourless Banana Pancake posts on Facebook the last few days and decided to try to make them! The posts say to use 2 eggs and 1 banana, but commenters were using a 1 to 1 ratio instead. They also mentioned to keep the heat low and make them small.

I am NOT a great pancake maker, so lets keep that in mind, shall we? I also don't have any non-stick cookware, which probably would have helped!

I started by mashing 1 banana with 2 eggs, but the mixture was very thin, so I added another banana. The consistency was closer to pancake batter, so I decided to give it a try. I melted a pat of butter and started by pouring 2 small pancakes into the pan. They started to stick, so I tried to loosen them and I'm not sure what exactly happened.

Attempt One

Best Pancake

So... then I tried again. Added a little butter, and burnt them. Burnt burnt them! I have no picture to show of those, but I kept trying and got a couple good ones.

Honestly for me, it was a lot of work. The flavor was really good, but I'm not the kind of person who's going to spend 45 minutes making breakfast every morning. I was pretty much done trying to perfect the pancakes, but I had half the batter I started with. I didn't want to waste it, so I started thinking about another way to use it. Sometimes when I'm in a time crunch I make myself an omelet in the microwave, so I decided to give the remaining batter a zap in the microwave until it was set. In my small microwave it was 90 seconds. It looks kinda creepy, but it was really good and more importantly EASY. After I topped it with the small pieces from attempt number one it even looked edible!

Let me know what you think if you try making these and be on the lookout for more posts!

(THREE) A Sweet and A Savory Cream Cheese Dip

Cream Cheese. Many of us lay it on thick with our bagels, but today we're using it in easy dip recipes. You can often find Cream Cheese on sale, so take advantage of the discount and pick up a couple bricks. I usually have 2-3 bricks on hand and never pay full price!

 

Pretzel Dip
 

One of my favorite snacks is pretzels, so it's only natural that I'd have access to an awesome recipe to go along with them! My Aunt Teri's Pretzel Dip is great with pretzels, but also works well with potato chips and corn chips. Make sure you use ruffle/wavy chips, because plain potato chips don't hold up well with the thick texture of this dip. I've also used this as a vegi dip with cucumber, bell peppers, and carrots.

 

2 8oz Bricks of Cream Cheese
4 tbsp Finely Diced Onion
2 cubes Beef Bouillon
1/4 c- 3/8 c Water

 

Softened Cream Cheese and Onions

Let Cream Cheese soften and microwave 2 Beef Bouillon cubes in 1/4 c water and stir until dissolved. Set aside and cool to room temperature. Finely dice the Onion and place softened Cream Cheese in a mixing bowl. Add Onion; Use about 2 tbsp per Brick, but go by taste since the strength of onions can vary so much. Then add cooled Beef Bouillon mixture. If you need more water to incorporate everything together, add a little to the mixture; Don't use over 3/8 c total liquid. I use a spatula to mix, but you can also use a hand mixer. Don't worry if the dip looks thin at this point because next you're going to let it set up in the fridge. Feel free to place in serving dish before its journey there.

Ingredients Mixed Together; Not Set

 

There's a variation to this dip I've done recently by replacing 1 Brick of Cream Cheese with 1 8oz container Sour Cream; Everything else stays the same. Making the variation gives you a softer, almost whipped texture. This one works better with vegetables and thinner chips.


 

Dip with Wavy Potato Chips and Pretzels

 

Don't have a chip and dip platter? Use a small ramekin or glass bowl in the middle of your favorite platter!

 

 

 

 

Apple Dip

 

This Cream Cheese dip is great with most fruit. I've used it with Apples, Grapes, Strawberries, and Pineapple. I know this recipe came from my Mom's side of the family, but am not quite sure who to credit with this one! I use 1/2 c- 2/3 c Light/Dark Brown Sugar, but I enjoy desserts less sweet than most. Adding more sugar will no change anything else in this recipe.

 

2 8oz Bricks Cream Cheese

1/2 c- 1 c Light/Dark Brown Sugar

2 tsps. Pure Vanilla Extract

 

Let Cream Cheese soften. Place Cream Cheese, Sugar, and Vanilla together in mixing bowl. Use either a spatula or hand mixer to bring ingredients together.

The next time I make this Apple Dip I will update this post with some pictures!

 

 I hope you enjoy these recipes. Let me know what you think!

 

(TWO) Habanero Lime Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

Last night we had Habanero Lime Crockpot Chicken Fajitas. It was the first time I made this meal, and they were awesome! A little kick, so my husband liked them, but not too crazy to scare me away!

Habanero Lime Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

 

1.5 Lbs Habanero Lime Chicken Breasts

8 oz Package Baby Bellas

2 Large Bell Peppers Any Color

14 oz Can of Tomatoes

1 Medium Onion

1 Packet Fajita/Taco Seasoning

 

I will use Habanero Lime Marinade from lifesambrosia.com (Follow steps 1-4) in the future. I had Habanero Lime Chicken Breasts in the freezer from my local grocery store, Festival, so that is what I used. Because they were in my crisper and pantry, I used 2 Green Bell Peppers, 1/2 of a 28 oz can Whole Peeled Tomatoes, and a Packet of Taco Seasoning.

 I used a damp paper towel to clean the Baby Bellas, took the stems off (tough texture) and sliced. When prepping Bell Peppers try cutting around the seeds and placenta (Yes! That is truly what the white part is called!) instead of cutting off the top and removing. (There's a picture of what's left over)


Bell Pepper Seeds and Placenta

Then slice them in long strips. Slice the onion and open the can of tomatoes. If you're using whole tomatoes crush them with your hand. Cut the chicken into strips and place in the bottom of your slow cooker.  Next put in the mushroom, pepper, and onions.


Chicken, Mushrooms, and Peppers
 

Chicken, Mushrooms, Peppers,
Tomatoes, and Taco Seasoning

 I forgot the onions, so my layers look different... There's nothing wrong with almost perfect! Pour in the tomatoes with their juice, sprinkle on the taco seasoning, and stir with the tomatoes.

Cook the fajitas on Low for 6-7 hours. I cooked mine for 6 in a large crockpot and they turned out great! Make sure the chicken is cooked thoroughly by testing a larger piece. I shredded the chicken with two forks because I think it goes further that way, but you could leave it in strips if you'd like!

After Shredding the Chicken

Is your mouth watering?!

 I used flour tortillas and topped the fajitas with lettuce, sour cream, shredded cheese, and a little raw onion. I use about 2 tablespoons of the fajita mixture in each tortilla, so this recipe yields 13-15 fajitas for my family.

 

Enjoy!

(ONE) All About

Here's a little background, so we can get on the same page...(Pun intended). I LOVE saving money, getting a good deal, and enjoy couponing, but leave the extreme for others. I like DIY projects, but always seem to procrastinate and complete... hmm 1 out of 6?! I'm a new Stay at Home Mom to an energetic and loving son, Anderson; My hunky and hilarious husband, OP and I have been married for 5 years; I have a background in retail and finance; And I am honest, sometimes painfully so.



Sam and Op

Here's some info about my family's relationship with food. My son has had mostly organic food since he was born because I believe preservatives and chemicals in conventional food can lead to illness. I will never look down on anyone doing differently for their children and am open to exchanging ideas on the subject. My husband and I are on a seesaw. Money is always an excuse I use as to why we're not ingesting an organic diet, but the truth is we don't try enough. I'm going to be honest here, I LOVE preservative laden snacks and sweets. Don't get me wrong there are many options for organic treats, but they are pricey and it's difficult to get a great deal on them with coupons! If you're skipping the chips, cookies, and candy bars it isn't out of the realm of possibility to eat mostly organic. At the moment we are eating healthy meals, but mostly using non-organic ingredients.