Banana Nut Muffins

This is a great recipe for banana nut muffins that is super quick and easy because it uses biscuit mix. What a great way to use up those over-ripe bananas!

Ingredients (makes 18 muffins)
3/4 c. sugar 2 1/3 c. biscuit mix
1/3 c. vegt. oil 1 1/2 c. mashed banana's (about 3)
3 large eggs 1/2 c. chopped walnuts (can I just say that I LOVE chopping
1/2 tsp. vanilla walnuts with my pc food chopper?!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 18 muffin cups.
2. Combine sugar and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer set at med. speed until well blended.
3. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add biscuit mix and bananas. and mix well. Stir in walnuts.
4. Fill the prepared muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of muffins comes out clean, about 17 minutes.

Perfect with a warm cup of coffee...ENJOY!

Friday night...pizza night!

Many Friday nights growing up, we enjoyed pizza for dinner...and remember TGIF? I have great memories of times spent with my family. I think that tonight's dinner might just become a tradition for us. My friend Beth shared a great recipe for pizza crust made in the bread maker. It was so easy and so delicious! Hannah had lots of fun helping me put the pizza together...and just couldn't keep her little fingers out of the cheese and sauce...so cute!

the dough

sauce and cheese

pepperoni and one very excited little girl

ready for the oven

Here's the recipe:

7 oz water on bottom

2T olive oil

2.5 cups flour

3/4 tsp. salt mix these ingredients together before putting into machine

2 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. yeast

Let it run through the dough cycle on a bread machine.

Grease a 9x13 pan, push dough into the pan-may need a bit of extra flour so hands don't stick to dough.

OR

roll out into a circle and put on a pizza stone (I can't help but to mention that pampered chef stoneware is 20% off this month!).

Bake pizza at 425 degrees after cheese/toppings are in place for about 15 minutes (round) or about 20 minutes for 9x13

As you can see this is a very frugal recipe and super easy too. Seth said that it was best pizza he'd had in a long time!

Touchdown Taco Dip

I made this pampered chef dip for our small group on Sunday and could have ate all of it myself! Thought I would share with any of you who are planning treats for your super bowl parties. I will for sure be making this again for our teens on Superbowl Sunday!

Touchdown Taco Dip

1 can refried beans

2-oz cheddar cheese (1/2 cup)
1 pkg. cream cheese softened

1 medium tomato, seeded
1 cup sour cream

1 /4 cup green onions, with tops
2 Tbs. taco seasoning mix

2 Tbs. fresh cilantro or parsley
2 garlic cloves

1 /2 cup pitted ripe olives

Tortilla Chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Spread refried beans over bottom of Deep Dish Baker using Classic Scraper. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning. Finely chop garlic using Utility Knife; add to Batter Bowl and mix well.

Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over beans. Grate cheese over top using Deluxe Cheese Grater. Bake 15-18 minutes or until hot.

To prepare toppings, slice olives using Egg Slicer Plus. Dice tomato and thinly slice onions using Utility Knife. Thinly slice cilantro using Pizza Cutter. Sprinkle olives, tomato, onions and cilantro over dip. Garnish with additional sour cream if desired. Serve with tortilla chips.

Marshmellow Treat Ornaments

I tried this new pc recipe for my Christmas open house a few weeks ago. These ornament cookies turned out so cute. You have to work kinda fast to get the twizzlers into the rice crispies before the harden...but if you can work fast they turn out cute. Go here for the original recipe :)

mine didn't turn out anything like the picture on the recipe...but still pretty cute and my hubby loved them!

Things I Love Thursday: Cinnamon Plus Spice Blend

I love spices...and probably my favorite spice of them all is cinnamon! I love pampered chefs cinnamon plus spice blend! I put it in my coffee grounds every morning for a great cinnamon taste in my coffee. I also use it any time a recipe calls for cinnamon. Makes for some delicious fall desserts!

For more Things I Love Thursday (and a giveaway) visit the Diaper Diaries.

Fall recipe cook-off!

I love being a pampered chef consultant! There are so many things I love about it! Here are just a few:

• I love showing people how to make a delicious meal in under 30 minutes for less that $2 a serving.
• I love encouraging families to get around the dinner table together!
• I love getting a night out once and a while...just me, meeting other people.
• and I will admit...I do love the extra money too. This summer we used it for things like our zoo membership and buying all the flowers for our yard.

How about you? Could you use a little extra spending money? Or how about a night out away from the kids once an a while? I would love to talk with you about how you can start your own pampered chef business!

Another great thing about selling pampered chef is the networking with other consultants. Our wonderful director Maureen hosts get togethers at her house every month. We have a great time getting together to share ideas, encourage one another, and best of all sample new recipes. We just recently had a fall recipe cook-off. Each one of us brought one of the new fall recipes to share. I actually took these pictures early in the evening...there were a lot more recipes that came in later. We had a very fun and delicious time! :)

This south of the border meatloaf that you can make in the microwave was just one of the delicious recipes that we tried. If you would like for me to come show you and your friends how to make this or another "comfort food" recipe...I would love to hear from you!

Things I Love Thursday- My grill basket

I love cooking on the grill in the summer! Actually, I should rephrase that,
I love when my wonderful husband cooks on the grill in the summer. I always get everything ready for him, and he willingly cooks it up. I was so excited to get a grill basket, and let me tell you, there is nothing like fresh grilled veggies! Even Hannah eats them right up! Cut up your favorite vegetables, toss them with some olive oil, basil, italian seasoning, or whatever you like and grill them up...so delish (and healthy too)! :) For more Things I love Thursday head over to the Diaper Diaries.

Favorite Summer Recipes

My friend Teri shared this recipe with me last summer. It's healthy, delicous, and inexpensive to make...hope that you enjoy it too!

Summer Bowtie Pasta & Chicken

2 boneless chicken breasts

bowtie pasta (approx. 1/2 a box)

1 head of broccoli

1 pkg. good seasoning "garlic & herb" dressing mix, prepare as directed on the package

ground red pepper & parmesan cheese to taste

Prepare dressing according to package. Cut chicken into small pieces- cook in skillet with a little of the dressing until no longer pink. Sprinkle with red pepper to you liking. Meanwhile, cook bowtie pasta as usual. Cut broccoli into small pices. Add broccoli to bowtie pasta water during last few minutes of boiling (just to barely cook the broccoli; don't overcook). Drain broccoli & pasta. Add to skillet. Add the rest of the dressing & heat. Sprinkle with parmesan and enjoy.

I had too many favorite summer recipes to choose from...so I thought I would also share a favorite drink and dessert...and of course they are both pampered chef recipes. For yummy summer drink go here, and for a delcious summer desser that is perfect of the Fourth of July go here. I try to keep new recipes posted for the season on my website, check it out :).

For more summer recipes head on over to We are that Family.