Rustic Banana Upside Down Cake

I made this cake a while ago. And I promised to blog it then forgot! It is so tasty, perfect to use up overly ripe bananas... And it is not too sweet, so it is perfect for a breakfast or brunch get together. My cousin Kelly made a gorgeous, non-rustic version & that's where the idea came from.

<3 Lishie

Rustic Banana Upside Down Cake

• 4-5 ripe bananas, sliced
• 1 & 1/2 light brown sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 TBsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 2 TBsp (I use canola) oil

Preheat oven to 350.

In a prepped, floured & greased cake pan, place the banana slices all along the bottom in one layer.  Sprinkle the brown sugar all over the banana slices. Set pan aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients. Pour into the pan, over the banana brown sugar layer. 

Bake 40-50 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow pan to cool then carefully, placing the serving plate on the top opening of the pan, flip the cake out so the banana slices are on top. Serve & enjoy.

One Ingredient Banana "Ice Cream"

So who is on Pinterest? :::Raising Hand!!!::: (FOLLOW ME: Lishie) I try to only pin ideas I will use & this was one of those things I had seen in passing from the blog Come Together Kids. I had 5 overly ripe bananas- this heat is terrible on the produce!- & my pre-schooler loves bananas. So, I thought, this is the time to try "banana ice cream". I made it a different way because I just didn't consult the blog post... Anywhichway this is done should have the same results but I wonder if mine would have been more yellow if I'd done it Laura's way?! 

Gabriel was not keen on the texture but he really doesn't like ice cream so I think that has more to do with it... I ended up using the "ice cream" as the base of a smoothie, together with pear juice, vanilla yogurt & strawberries. You may want to try this though if you have a banana AND ice cream loving child it would be a win-win since it is so healthy.

<3 Lishie

One Ingredient Banana "Ice Cream"

• 3-5 Ripe to Overripe Bananas

Blend the the bananas until they are completely smooth. Place in a freezer safe, airtight container. Freeze & serve.

Banana Cookie Bars

Ohhh yum. Need something other than banana bread or muffins to use up overripe bananas? Well, I did too! Look no further... Try these Banana Cookie Bars. And if you are not allergic to coconut (like I am), add that on top too because I think it would be a perfect addition!


This may make me sound like a bad mom but my tot loves bananas so much he eats two a day lately. So in order to make sure we have enough, we buy two bunches. With this heat, the bananas ripen quickly so this ooey-gooey reipe is what I came up with this week to utilize those yummy, over-ripened fruit.


<3 Lishie


Banana Cookie Bars

• 1 c graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 c butter, softened
• 3/4 c confectioner sugar
• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 c dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep/grease a 9×9" brownie pan.

In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, cocoa powder, & salt; Set aside. In another bowl, mix the butter & confectioner sugar until creamy. Add the crumb mixture slowly whisking or beating until combined. Press mixture into prepped baking pan.

In a medium bowl, mix together condensed milk & bananas until incorporated. Pour this mixture over the graham cracker crust. Sprinkle  the chips & walnuts over the top.

Bake for abut 30-40 minutes. Allow to cool completely,about 10-15 minutes. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving... Makes 16 nice-sized bars. 

Banana Crumb Muffins

We had a few overripe bananas & it gave me a wonderful excuse to bake up something yummy. I had spied these delicious muffins & had them bookmarked in my head to bake. Oh.my.goodness. DeLish indeed!

<3 Lishie

Banana Crumb Muffins
from Baby Loving Mama

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups or line with muffin papers.

 
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt in large bowl.

 
In separate bowl beat or whisk together bananas, sugar, egg & melted butter.

Stir banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Do not over stir! (The is the key to great muffins is to not over mix!)
 

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

 
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour & cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter with a fork until mixture is coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over muffins.

 
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

"Hurricane" Honey~Banana Bread

I've lived through too many tropical storms & hurricanes growing up in Florida. I don't enjoy them, in the least bit. Nature truly terrifies me, because its so unpredictable. We have our hurricane stash of good, canned foods, baby needs, boxed milk & water. I am pretty sure the electricity will go out too so along with the flashlights & candles one more preparation we did not do was go overboard on perishables. We have enough fresh milk, fruit & veg for a couple of days. And I am trying to use up our eggs, etc.  So with what we have, I made this bread. 


I actually just threw it together with no recipe. I've been baking for so long I did not even think about it... started with the overly ripe bananas & went from there. The only thing I knew after I started was that I wanted honey in there because I'd recently read someone's blog & saw that as a banana bread ingredient & thought ohhhhhhhh. I can't remember who's blog though because If I had, I would have made her exact recipe.


But I think this is the best banana bread I have ever made. And it is quick & easy, hopefully "Irene" will be too! Off to sculpt with Play-Doh or have a hall Bowling match with my tot. Stay safe everyone!


"Hurricane" Honey~Banana Bread

• 1 cup AP Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 3 large RIPE Bananas
• 1 stick of Butter (softened completely)
• 2 Eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup Honey
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 3/4 Walnuts, chopped
• 1 TBSp Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degees & prep/grease a Bread pan.

Mix the flour, baking soda & salt in a small bowl, set aside. In a large bowl, mash together the bananas with a fork or potato masher. Add the butter & mix. Add the dark brown sugar & honey, then mix until combined. Add the eggs (pre-whisked together) & the vanilla & mix everything well. Fold in the flour mixture well, then the walnuts. Pour into prepared bread pan. Sprinkle the granulated sugar on top.


Bake on 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean/dry.
<3 Lishie

Hey you... Muffin Top!

No I am not saying your tummy is sticking out & over your jeans... That would be the pot calling the kettle... I really mean "Muffin tops", Banana-Walnut to be precise. Now nearly every one I know who eats muffins prefers the yummy, crunchy top best. Right? Yeah- me too! So going back into my cupboard full of different shapes, sizes, etc. of baking tins & pans, I pulled out my Muffin Top Pan! Yes, one actually exists & I got it as soon as it came out in stores. You may want to order one because it's so inexpensive & when you see this easy & yummy recipe... you'll want to make it!

This makes 8 large muffin tops or 10 thinner ones, so you, like me, will have to re-use the muffin top baking tin or just buy 2! LOL How I treat this recipe is very much like the way I make pancake batter. It is so simple.

Banana Walnut Muffin Tops

• 1 & 3/4 c AP Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 3 medium (or 2 large) RIPE Bananas 
• 3/4 c light Brown Sugar, firmly packed
• 1/3 c Canola Oil
• 2 large Eggs, @room temperature
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 2/3 c Walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray cooking spray or oil & flour the muffin top baking tin.


In a large bowl, Mix together flour, Baking powder & soda, & salt. Make a "well" in the middle & set aside. In another bowl, fork mash the banana then combine it with the brown sugar, oil, eggs & vanilla. Pour the wet banana mixture into the "well" in the flour mixture & fold all ingredients in (you should have lumps from the banana. Add the walnuts & fold them in. Drop the batter into the baking tin evenly.


Cook for 13-15 minutes... the muffin tops should be browned on the edges & a toothpick inserted should come out clean.

The pan- shallow holes

*Lishie tip- If you use the pan a second time, quickly wipe it & then apply cooking "spray" before adding the batter & baking again.

Mini Banana Bread Loaves

Mmmmm smell the fresh-baked goodness?

My sweet friend Rose has been supplying me with Dale & Thomas White & Milk Chocolate Pretzels (they are utterly delicious, yum).She is so nice, I wanted to bake her something as a thank you. Asked her favorite, she replied, "Banana Bread!"

I like to change things up when I bake the same or similar items frequently so I have a HUGE assortment of baking pans in different shapes, sizes, etc. I love my kitchen ware- all of it- so much. Well, I decided to make mini loaves of Banana Bread for my friend.

I used the same recipe as here, reducing the baking time to 30 minutes. Hope Rose enjoys them!

Smoothie Time!

Well, just when isn't it smoothie time?! I love smoothies for Gabriel, my toddler, as much as I love them myself. They are great snacks & very filling! Plus they are super healthy with fresh fruit & ingredients. And did I mention oh so versatile?!? You can use any combination of fruit (but keep in mind that a banana as a "base" provides for a good, smooth texture). You can also use any kind of milk- from skim to whole, almond, or soy or even frozen yogurt or ice cream! (YUM)... And get creative with fresh herbs, etc... And to change the texture or make it colder, slushier, just add ice!

If you have a picky tot, make a healthy smoothie &, in a pinch, sub. as a meal. If you pack it with fruit & calcium, your little one is set to go!

This was Gabriel's "choice" this morning:

Banana & Pear Smoothie
1 banana, sliced
1 pear, peeled & sliced
3/4 cup plain (or vanilla) yogurt
1 cup milk (I use whole, organic)
1/4 tsp Vanilla extract (omit if using vanilla yogurt)

Place all of the ingredients in the blender & puree until smooth.

Mama's choice*:
Banana-Ginger Smoothie

1 banana, sliced

3/4 cup plain (or vanilla) yogurt

1/4 tsp Vanilla extract (omit if using vanilla yogurt)

1 TBSp Honey

1 tsp freshly grated Ginger

Place all of the ingredients in the blender & puree until smooth. 

Enjoy!

*Lishie Tip: The banana/ginger combo is a natural antacid & digestion helper.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips (Quick Bread)

So tonight was pizza takeaway night but the hubby actually requested banana bread WITH chocolate chips. I was going to make banana yogurt cake but since I've been baking for everyone else, I said yes to the quick bread :)

One of my first cookbooks was Better Homes & Gardens (America's #1 Cookbook since 1930) So I made their recipe for Banana Bread. For the oil OR butter choice, I used 1/4 cup of canola oil & swapped the quarter cup of nuts for 1/4 cup chocolate chips instead. (& you can see from my pictures, I opted out of the Streusel-Nut Topping.) With my Pyrex Loaf Dish (8.5x3.5), it took 55 minutes.

My hubby was watching as I mixed & prepped everything. He exclaimed, "Wow, a lot of work goes into that!" Yes, baking from scratch is a bit intensive but I so enjoy it & he benefits from the end product!

A nice, yummy Friday night treat that my toddler will also love:

Kiddie snacks time!

So my baby boy Gabriel is notorious for turning his nose up at all things "kid normal" food-wise ;) meaning no chicken nuggets, fries, pretzels, chips, cookies/cakes, etc., etc. so I even have to look for veggie & fruit snacks to make for him. Here are some great ones, that perhaps ALL children will love. Adapted from two different Sesame Street Books, "Silly Snacks" & "Yummy Cookies" .

Banana Cookies for Gabriel (pictured)
1 cup + 2 TBsp a-p flour (wheat flour would work just fine!)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter 
2 ripe, mashed bananas
1/4 cup apple cider
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


Sift together (over medium bowl) flour, baking soda & salt. Beat the butter until creamy & add bananas, beat until mixed smoothly together. Add cider, egg, & vanilla until mixed in. Slowly add the flour mixture & blend together.


Drop dough 2" apart (I use a melon baller) onto cookie sheet (I use parchment paper.) Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes or until "set".  Remove from heat & cool on a cookie rack. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

These are sooo good, they taste like banana bread in a cookie! The consistency is more like a bread than a cookie too. It just has that cookie shape that kids love! The hubby & I kept snatching these. YUM.

Tickle Stix
1 lb. watermelon
6 oz plain or vanilla yogurt
2 tsp honey
zest & juice of 1 lime or lemon


Cut the watermelon into "fries" (sticks). Mix the yogurt, honey & citrus for a dip.


Eggplant "fries"
1 egg
1 TBSp water
1 small eggplant
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs- Note: you can use any type here... wheat, panko, white... add your own Italian spices or herbs de Provence, etc. 
Olive Oil cooking spray
Marinara sauce (for dipping, optional ;) )


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Mix egg & water in a shallow dish/bowl. Place seasoned bread crumbs in another shallow dish/bowl. Use your judgment with the eggplant on peeling or not, depending on the type/season/toughness/preference, etc. Cut the raw eggplant into "fry" stix. Dip the eggplant stix in the egg mix then in the bread crumb mix completely. Lay out on the foil on the baking sheet with room in between. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until eggplant is tender & lightly browned. Serve with marinara.


Broccoli Trees in Haystax
1 small broccoli crown- break into little florets
2 TBSp water
1 cup a-p flour (wheat may be ok, haven't tried it)
1 cup whole grain cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup low-fat milk (I use whatever we have & if for Gabriel, whole milk)
2 eggs (@ room temperature)
1/4 cup butter (@ room temperature)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line muffin tins with baking cups (12 cups). Steam the broccoli until crisp & tender. (I use my steamer but can do it in the microwave.) Mix together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder & salt in a large bowl. In another (medium-sized) bowl, stir together the milk, eggs & (room temperature) butter. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just moistened. Spoon 1 TBSp of the batter into each muffin tin (I use my melon baller). Nestle a floret of broccoli into the middle of batter in the tin, then top each with another tablespoon (at least) of batter until each tin is 3/4 full. Bake 15 minutes @ 400 degrees or until a toothpick, inserted into one of the "haystax" comes out clean. Cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.