Saturday, April 20, 2013

Snacks....



The kids should be making sidewalk chalk masterpieces...  

I should be planting veggies 
and annuals in the yard...  

Instead, we are inside, contemplating lighting the fireplace 
on April twentieth, People!  

Kate and her play date are content to build forts, 
play Barbies and conduct Nerf warfare with Jack...  

T$ is not home 
and I am frustrated with cabin fever...  

What do I do when I am not happy?  

I cook...  

Jack has a buddy spending the night tonight 
and I need to assemble a cache of snacks for the boys...  

Instead of opening bags of chips and cookies, 
I decided to spend the afternoon whipping up 
a few Pinterest inspired home made snacks, 
such as Banana Bread and this cracker concoction...  

The banana bread was a recipe I found in a recent Bon Appetit issue 
about some  woman on a quest 
for the best banana bread in Hawaii...  

I want that assignment...  

Anyway, I made the banana bread 
and it is damn good...
  

Next were the crackers,thanks to Sweet Teeth, made with humble, 
Midwestern type of ingredients 
like ranch dressing mix, saltine crackers, 
canola oil and red pepper flakes...  

Easy peasy and rather tasty....  

Now all I need to do is toss out some cookies, 
maybe Coke floats 
 and the boys will be happy...  

As for Kate, she gets a little spa night from Mom...  

As for me, I am just hoping warm weather 
is on the horizon so I can get outside 
to enjoy spring!



Crack-tastic Crackers

1 – 1 1/4 cup canola oil (you decide how much you want to use)
1 packet Ranch dressing mix
2-3 Tbs. red pepper flakes (I used close to 3…a little warm)
4 sleeves of Saltine crackers (give or take…however many you can fit in your mixing bowl)
1) Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl for a good long while (5-10 minutes), to really get the crackers coated. Eat a few if you want.
2) Lay them out on a cookie sheet and drizzle the yummy, ranchy, peppery oil that’s in the bottom of the bowl, over the top of the crackers.  Bake at 250 degrees for 15-20 minutes, stirring them around about halfway through.
3) Let them cool and store in a big ol’ baggie. Or a few little baggies.  My husband has his bag ready to take to work.



Julia's Best Banana Bread

This simple, moist banana bread can also be baked in three small (5 3/4x3 1/4-inch) loaf pans, which is how you'll find them at Julia's stand; cooking time will be 40-50 minutes. For the deepest flavor, use ripe bananas with lots of freckles.

 
8 servings
March 2013
Julia's Best Banana Bread

Ingredients

  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray
  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large)
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil

Preparation

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk eggs, sugar, bananas, and oil in a large bowl until smooth. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and stir just until combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top.
  • Bake until a tester inserted into the center of bread comes out clean, 60-70 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let bread cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around inside of pan to release the bread. Turn out onto rack and let cool completely. DO AHEAD: Banana bread can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

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