Categories
Recipes

Applesauce Banana Bread

Applesauce is often used as a substitute for fats or sweeteners, as well as an additive for moisture. Using it in this recipe gives this banana bread a sweet moistness without making taste like apples.

Applesauce Banana Bread

Applesauce Banana Bread
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Applesauce Banana Bread

A great snack or part of a weekend brunch.
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 ripe bananas
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1/2 cup of applesauce
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups of bread flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan.
  • Into a large bowl, slice the bananas. Use an electric mixer to mash.
  • Add the sugar and blend. Let mixture stand for 15 minutes.
  • Add applesauce and eggs. Mix well.
  • Blend in the remaining ingredients.
  • Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and let stand again for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Applesauce to the Rescue

A great way to reduce the fat and processed sugar in a recipe is to use applesauce instead. That’s what was done in this recipe. Here are some pointers for doing so in other recipes:

  • In cake, muffin, and quick bread recipes that call for oil or melted butter, you can use applesauce instead. It does not work well if the recipe calls for softened butter.
  • Applesauce does not work well as a substitution in cookies because it can cause them to get mushy or lose their shape.
  • Substitute using a 1-to-1 ratio. For example, in a recipe that called for 1/2 cup melted butter, you would use 1/2 cup applesauce instead.
  • It is best to use unsweetened or homemade applesauce in these substitutions, especially if you are trying to reduce processed sugar!

You need not substitute 100% off of the fat. You can go 50/50 or some other ratio. Experiment to find out which ratio gives you the best results for your recipe.

Homemade Applesauce for Baking

It is easy to make homemade applesauce for use in other recipes! Simply wash, core, and quarter 2 pounds of apples and follow these simple instructions:

  1. Place the apples in a large pot and fill it with water to about an inch deeper than the apples.
  2. Boil until the apples are soft.
  3. With a bit of the cooking water, put them through a blender or food processor.

If you use naturally sweet apples, you can reduce the sugar in the recipe that you use this apple sauce in.

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Additions to Make this Uniquely Your Own

This recipe is pretty plain. What to spice it up? Here are some ideas for making this banana bread uniquely your own.

  • Add chocolate, caramel or butterscotch chips
  • Add chopped pecans, walnuts, peanuts, or almonds
  • Swirl your favorite jelly, jam or preserves into the batter after pouring it into the pan
  • Add shredded coconut
  • Substitute crushed pineapple for the applesauce
  • Add in some chopped strawberries
  • Mix in some cinnamon or cardomom
  • Add in peanutbutter
  • Mix and match the above sujestions
Categories
Recipes

Easy Banana Bundt Cake

Want a quick, easy and deliciously moist Banana Bundt Cake? This recipe should fit the bill. The preparation time is less than 30 minutes and you can be doing other things while it bakes to perfection.

Easy Banana Bundt Cake

Ingredients for Easy Banana Bundt Cake

  • 1 box banana bread mix
  • 1 4-serving box of instant banana pudding mix
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup banana flavored yogurt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions for Easy Banana Bundt Cake

  1. Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease and lightly dust the Bundt pan with flour.
  3. In a large bowl, combine ingredients in the following order: bread mix, pudding mix, eggs, yogurt, oil, water, and vanilla.
  4. Using an electric mixer, beat ingredients together for two minutes at medium speed.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  6. Bake in preheated oven for 70 minutes or until it springs back after being touched lightly in the center.

This cake tastes great served warm, especially will a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!

Carma's Cookery Creative Cooking Tips

  • If you can’t find banana yogurt, you can substitute plain yogurt or sour cream. But so you don’t lose the banana flavor boost from the banana yogurt, substitute banana flavoring for the vanilla extract.
  • For a sweeter, more dessert-like cake, substitute banana cake mix for the banana bread mix.
  • If you want to make this even more banana-y, you can add one mashed ripe banana. However, you’ll need to bake it a little longer due to the increased moisture.

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[one_third] Bonkers for Bundt Cakes [/one_third]
[two_third_last]

Looking for a few more Bundt cake recipes to try?

If you don’t have a lot of time, but want a tasty Bundt cake, Bonkers for Bundt Cakes May just be the cookbook for you.

Filled with “made from cake mix” recipes, as well as a couple of from-scratch recipes, this simple cookbook is sure to please. Learn more and grab your copy at:

CarmasCookery.com/bundtcakes

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Categories
Healthy Living

Killer Healthy Dessert Ideas

Chocolate Pie healthy desser?
Source

Let’s face it – everyone has a sweet tooth. And, everyone wants to satisfy their sweet tooth because it feels so good! The problem that most people face is that they have a conscience, and that conscience makes them feel guilt when they indulge.

Are you one of these people? If you are, the thought of eating desserts will make your mouth water, yet will also give you a bad feeling inside. After all, you can’t eat whatever you want without dealing with the consequences. Thankfully, though, you can eat more desserts without harming your conscience or your body. The trick is to make healthy options that taste just as good. And, luckily, there are a few tips below that might come in handy. Go on, treat yourself!

Healthy Dessert Option #1: Chocolate Pie


Chocolate pie? Healthy? You might think I’ve gone off my rocker with this one, but don’t judge a book by its cover. For one thing, chocolate isn’t always bad. In fact, it can be a nutritious source of energy that the body uses to function properly. If you don’t believe that, just ask the sports stars that eat a bar of it every morning before they go to work. As long as the cocoa content is over 70%, it won’t do any harm. What’s even better is that you can swap the usual ingredients for this pie for healthy alternatives. Do you need milk? Try low-fat or soy milk instead because you can’t taste the difference once it goes into the blender. What about oil? Coconut or granola oil is fine, as is extra virgin. (See my recipe here.)

healthy dessert option 2 - Banana and Peanut Butter Ice Cream
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Healthy Dessert Option #2: Banana & Peanut Butter Ice Cream


Usually, ice cream is full of dairy and additives which make it unsuitable if you’re watching your weight. This healthy option is anything but traditional, though. Again, it doesn’t use rich and fatty dairy products that are bad for the body. Instead, it uses low-fat or even fat-free alternatives. Then, there are bananas. In general, bananas are pretty healthy anyway, so there is no need to worry about an additional calorie count. If you’re looking to get uber-healthy, you can swap ripe ones for banana chips. Plus, the chips have a crunch which adds an extra element to the dish. Finally, put the mixture in the freezer to firm. As far as ingredients go, there is nothing to this dish, but it’s incredibly tasty. (Try my easy recipe here!)

Healthy Dessert Option #3: Rice Pudding


As the name suggests, this is a pudding that incorporates rice. Because the rice soaks up the ingredients, the result is a creamy masterpiece that no one will be able to resist. To make it healthy, all you have to do is substitute normal white rice for brown rice. The brown option is much healthier because it still has the bran and the germ, whereas as the white version doesn’t. What about the dairy products? Yep, you guessed it – go for almond milk! To make it extra delicious, don’t forget to add vanilla extract, cinnamon, and a small cup of sugar (or Splenda). All of these are tasty, but they hardly add to the calorie content. When you have all of the ingredients at hand, put them into a saucepan and simmer for thirty minutes. After half an hour, it’s ready to serve. Magnifico!

fruits of the forest
Public Domain image via Pexels.com

Healthy Dessert Option #4: Fruits of the Forest and Yogurt


As a general rule, food is pretty healthy if it grows from the ground. Okay, so almost every food group on the planet needs cultivating. But, if it isn’t in its natural form, there are bound to be additives and unhealthy elements. Fruits of the forest don’t have any nasty surprises because what you see is what you get. (Although some fruits are better for you if they are organic.) All it includes is a blend of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and any other berry you choose! Sprinkle them with a pinch of sugar (or Splenda or Equal or Stevia) and a small spoonful of honey, and you’ve got one healthy and delicious dish. If sugar and honey aren’t your things, use low-fat yogurt instead. Yogurts come in a variety of flavors, so there is no need for blandness. A tip: try the caramel flavor because it goes perfectly with the fruit.

healthy dessert option - pumpkin pie
By Patricia (Brownies for Dinner) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Healthy Dessert Option #5: Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is an American dessert that hasn’t caught fire anywhere else in the world. But, it should because it can be very healthy. A pumpkin is a fruit that is ridiculously good for you because it comes from the squash family. In simple terms, it’s almost a superfood like spinach or white fish. Plus, the main pumpkin pie recipes all use evaporated milk which is light and low in fat. The crust can undo all of your good work, but oats, coconut, flour, and water will come to your aid.

It might not be Halloween, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get in the mood!

[divider]

[one_third] Healthy Eating Worksheet [/one_third]
[two_third_last]

Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.

Download Now [/two_third_last]

Categories
Ingredient Spotlight Well Stocked Pantry

Ingredient Spotlight: Bananas

Ah, the banana … good for you? bad for you? You’ll hear facts on either side of that coin, but the bottom line is that if you keep your portions controlled (a small banana, no longer than five inches, is about right), bananas are a superfood.

Ingredient Spotlight: Bananas

Bananas are perhaps best known for packing potassium, but they’re also good sources of arthritis-fighting vitamin B6, folate, and vitamin C. They are also loaded with zinc, iron, and calcium. They’re easy for your body to digest, and since they’re a great source of soluble fiber, they are an important player in your weight loss efforts, because you feel full after eating one without consuming a large number of calories.

And ladies listen up: Bananas are good for menstrual difficulties, especially for athletes because they can quickly replace what your body loses during your cycle or when you’re exercising frequently. And, if you suffer from diarrhea during your monthly cycle, they are the ideal treatment when eaten in conjunction with apples, rice, and dry toast – more commonly known as the BRAT treatment.

If you suffer from chocolate cravings, eating a banana dipped in melted chocolate can ease that craving while preventing you from over-indulging. If you have a sweet tooth, frozen bananas make a great alternative to a lot of other sugary treats. If you’re trying to cut carbs, bananas can be a good alternative, too.

For active people, bananas are a better option than most sports drinks because they have nutrients and a healthier blend of natural sugars.

I love putting them in my smoothies because they not only sweeten the drink but add bulk so I feel more full. They also taste great sliced and served over your morning cereal or granola. And one of my favorite lunch treats is a banana, peanut butter, and honey sandwich.

Check out the new banana recipe for Banana Coffee Cake I added in honor of this yummy, healthy, yellow fruit.

Categories
Special Occasions

Celebrate food in August

ice cream sandwich
© Daudzegier via FreeImages.com
Looking for a theme for your next party this month? Why not incorporate a monthly food observance? In August we are celebrating celery, fennel, cactus, kiwis, mushrooms, peaches, onions, oranges and papayas. It is also Family Meals Month, National Brownies at Brunch Month, National Panini Month and National Sandwich Month.

If your party takes place the second week of August, you can celebrate National Apple Week . Or, if you’re looking for a field trip idea, why not take a trip to your local Farmer’s Market to celebrate National Farmers Market Week, August 2-8, 2015?

Some of my favorite foods get a send up during this month. Here are just a select few:

  • National Ice Cream Sandwich Day – August 2
  • National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day – August 4
  • National Frozen Custard Day – August 8
  • National Rice Pudding Day – August 9
  • National S’mores Day – August 10
  • National Filet Mignon Day – August 13
  • National Vanilla Custard Day – August 17
  • Potato Day – August 19
  • National Pecan Torte Day – August 21
  • National Waffle Day – August 24
  • National Banana Split Day – August 25
  • Banana Lover’s Day – August 27
  • National Toasted Marshmallow Day – August 30

Every month has its food-focused “holidays” and these observance can help you make your parties fun. So grab you Ice Cream Sandwich today and enjoy!

Categories
Well Stocked Pantry

Bananas

bananas
BHJoco via MorgueFile.com
I love bananas. In fact, I’m thinking of doing a cookbook dedicated just to them — kind of like Bonkers for Bundt Cakes, only for bananas. Their subtle flavor makes them quite versatile: you can serve them plain, sliced on buttered toast, in custard , in sandwiches — you name it. Here are some interesting facts about the humble banana:

  • The first banana arrived in Britain in 1633.
  • Despite its odd shape, the banana is actually a berry.
  • It is the fruit of giant herb related to both ginger and tumeric and came originally from the Malaysian Peninsula.
  • Banana trees grow to about 10 meters in height and have huge leaves which wind around to form a sort of trunk. Each year individual plants produce a large flower spike in a gorgeous deep cerise colour which eventually becomes the bunch of bananas.
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