Monkey Bars with Browned Butter Icing

A couple of weeks ago, I came across a recipe using aged bananas. I always have ripening bananas and am tired of making banana bread, so I thought, this recipe sounds pretty good, lets give it a shot. And to my coworkers approval, they turned out incredible.

Monkey Bars with Browned Butter Icing
Ingredients
For the bars:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 & 3/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (3-4 bananas)
3/4 cups chopped pecans, toasted
For the icing:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk*
1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions
To make the bars:
Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 10"x 15" sheet pan and dust with flour.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Mix in sour cream and bananas.
Gradually add flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Stir in pecans.
Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
Bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Place pan on wire rack to cool slightly while you prepare the icing.
To make the icing:
Place butter in a medium saucepan. Melt butter over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter foams and brown specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan.
Remove from heat. Add about 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and about 1 tablespoon of milk. Stir into butter. Add remaining sugar and milk in 2-3 more portions, working quickly to mix well.
Quickly spread icing evenly over warm bars. Allow bars and icing to cool before cutting into bars.
Notes
*The amount of milk you'll need may vary. Use as much as you need to make the icing spreadable. It shouldn't be as thick as frosting, but thicker than a glaze.

Trader Joe's

How can you say you don't like Trader Joe's? I love the place, but don't shop there near as much as I would like to! Mainly I shop there to get ideas for dinner or a special menu. It's difficult, because if you really like one of their items, you can't just run in anywhere and pick it up, or when they have an incredible seasonal item, that you crave off season! Ugh.

Anyhow, today was one of those days I needed inspiration for dinner. I knew what my main course was going to be (potato crusted cod), but no idea on the sides. When I went in I perused the store looking for ideas ....a different kind of fish...... maybe nuts for crusting the cod..... oh! Harvest Blend Couscous .....do they have harissa spice ......yummy BRUSSELS SPROUTS!!.... oh wait shredded Brussels sprouts-same price an size as non shredded (score) .....mmmm Fresh English peas ......oh look, haricot verts (tiny French green beans) ......and Pita Chips for Craigy, his favorite! Next thing I know I have a $30 bag of snacks/veggies and side dishes or the rest if the week!

Maybe this is why I don't shop there more......

Wine trip catering

Wine trip catering

Some of you know, and some may not, my partner and I are starting a business that melds his love and work with mine. The new business is a Wine Tasting Group that travels to several local wine countries. Craig selects the wineries, and my catering company supplies the lunches. We've been doing this informally for about 6-7 years and decided to make it a business.

Recently we traveled to Walla Walla Washington to taste (and purchase) some fabulous wines. This year I decided to do "themed" lunches. Day one was Asian inspired. Day two was California/Italian inspired, and Day three was French/Greek inspired.

I featured glimpses of each day’s meals on my Facebook page as a preview of what was to come. There was such a huge response to each of these pictures; I decided to share a few of the recipes for the salads.

 

 

Day one was a

Asian Bow Tie Salad

Chicken (is optional-I left out)
3-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (optional)
1 bottle kikkomans teriyaki marinade and sauce
16oz bow tie pasta
10 ounce fresh spinach
6 oz dried cranberry
3 11 oz cans mandarin oranges, drained
16 oz water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 bunch green onion, chopped
1/4 cup sesame seeds
6 oz honey roasted peanuts

Dressing
1 cup oil
2/3 cup teriyaki sauce
6T sugar
Salt & pepper
2/3 white vinegar

Blend dressing and cook pasta al dente.  Allowed cooled pasta to rest in dressing for 2 hours before adding other ingredients.

Marinate chicken in teriyaki sauce over night.  BBQ chicken until done.  Cut into bite size pieces, cool. Toss all ingredients, serve immediately.

Day two was a
Caprese Style Salad

Sorry this is sideways, I couldn't get it to flip!

12 oz perllini size fresh mozzarella (if you can't find this size, use chiligene or whole size, just cut them down to a cherry tomato size)
12-16oz small cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber peeled, seeded and diced
8-10 leaves Basil, chopped
1-2 oz balsamic vinegar
1-2 oz olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Drain the mozzarella and coat with spices and olive oil. Add vinegar and allow to marinate for an hour or so.
Add tomato cucumber and basil, serve immediately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day three was a

Greek Pasta Salad

16 oz orzo, cooked al dente, drained and cooled.
1 cucumber peeled, seeded and diced
12-16oz small cherry tomatoes, halved
8 oz pitted kalamata olives , sliced
8 oz feta
2 tablespoons fresh or dried oregano

Mix together all ingredients and toss with Dressing, below.

Greek dressing.

2 fresh garlic cloves, minced then crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (Grey poupon)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (not bottled)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon basil leaves (optional)
1/4 teaspoon oregano leaves (optional)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and shake well to mix.
For a creamier dressing, add all ingredients except oil to a blender. Pulse several times to mix ingredients. With blender running on high, slowly pour oil into blender until mixture is creamy. Refrigerate.

Tried and true......

I get asked often, "why don't you post more"? Well, folks, here's the truth, I make dinner every night. Of those meals I make, 4-5 of them are new recipes, 2 are salads and I allow Craig to choose a great dinner he enjoys. So you think, wow he should be posting 4-5 recipes a week? Fact of the matter is I take pictures of everything I make, during the recipe an after its finished. But the sad part is, most of those recipes are duds. For some reason or another they just don't work out. Example tonight we had feta stuffed chicken breasts with Greek potatoes. I was really looking forward to this dinner and a great post. When we sat down and took our first bites, and were both like "eewe". So that's that. I'm constantly working on posts, and life seems like all research for my blog, everything can't be perfect.

I'll keep testing recipes, but rest assured that the recipes I make and post are tried and true. And they will be meals (or treats) that you will enjoy!!

Weekend Biscuit Casserole

The last couple of weeks have been exciting around our home.  Last week my Sister and her family were visiting during the kid’s spring break.  We were fortunate enough to have very nice weather (for Seattle!).  Being a tourist in your own city is quite a fun thing, when you have nothing pressing. 



Pike Place Market,

Pike Place Market,

The Seattle Waterfront,

The Seattle Waterfront,

The Great Wheel,

Leavenworth,

 

 

Snoqualmie Falls,

 

Chateau St. Michelle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and a quick stop at Chateau St. Michelle for a little wine tasking, all in 3 days! 

 

It was a quick trip, but it’s always great spending time with family! 

Each morning I had planned something great for breakfast.  First day, I made these Weekend Biscuit Egg Casserole, and I must say, I was impressed.  (So much so that when my cousin called asking if her family could come up and stay while they toured colleges with their son during his spring break, I decided to make them again.) The second morning I made Black Friday BreakfastSandwiches. 

Black Friday Biscuits

 

Both dishes were AMAZING, but since I’ve posted the Black Friday Sandwiches before, I decided to post this one.

 

Weekend Biscuit Egg Casserole

Ingredients

1 can of buttermilk biscuits (8 count)
1 pound of Turkey breakfast sausage roll (browned, drained, and cooled)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
7 eggs, beaten
¾ cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 °F. Crumble and cook sausage in s skillet over medium heat until browned. Drain.

Pull each biscuit in half, then line bottom of greased 8 x 8 inch baking dish with 4 of the biscuits, firmly pressing the edges of the dough to seal.

Sprinkle with ½ sausage and ½ cheese.

Repeat with the last 4 biscuits, ½ sausage and ½ cheese.

 

Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until blended; pour over sausage and cheese.

 

Bake 30 minutes or until set (A knife should come out clean when inserted in the center). Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into squares; serve warm.  Makes 9 biscuits, The pictures show a doubled recipe.

 

 

Footnote, Next time I will try making them in muffin tins, and maybe add onion and green peppers….

Enjoy!

 

Other Pictures that I didn't include in the above post:

Seattle Gum Wall

Beecher's Cheese

Peacocks at Chateau St. Michelle



My Family in Leavenworth