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Best Banana Bread Recipe

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Best Banana Bread Recipe

One of my favorite foods to make is banana bread. It’s ideal year-round, there are many variations and you can typically freeze it to enjoy later.

I’ve tried many recipes for banana bread over the years, and have posted several here, but I think I’ve finally found the best one ever. It has butter and sour cream, and a lot of bananas, so it’s moist and flavorful. It’s actually my own adaptation of a recipe from the book Cook This, Not That.

This recipe is for one loaf of banana bread so you’ll only need one standard loaf pan. However, if you have more than one pan you could double the recipe and freeze one loaf for later!

If you want a healthier version, just replace some of the flour with whole wheat flour. I usually substitute 1/2 cup of the flour with whole wheat flour, and add a little extra sour cream to keep the batter moist.

And for something different, you can stir in any of these before pouring the batter into the pan:

  • 1 cup of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1/4 cup of shredded coconut
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, OR
  • 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter.

Scroll to the bottom for a printable version.

Best Banana Bread Recipe

What you’ll need:

[Read more…]

4 Healthy Halloween Treats That Don’t Have Any Tricks

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Halloween may seem a long way away, but fear not: it’ll be here before you know it. That means that it’s never too early to start brainstorming ideas for decor, costumes, and best of all, yummy treats for your annual Halloween party! But it’s also important to keep health in mind and come to a balance. Luckily, we’ve compiled a few simple and tasty treats you can create this season that will keep the family happy without causing the unneeded sugar rush. Here are just a few creative Halloween treats that don’t have any tricks!

Chocolate-Dipped Banana Ghosts

Bananas are a favorite for picky eaters of all ages, and they’re incredibly versatile as well. PopSugar has the perfect way to cool off while tantalizing your taste buds by cutting bananas in half, dipping them in dark chocolate, and freezing them. Once frozen, you can add ghost eyes and a mouth with a bit of peanut butter or yogurt. There are many ways to personalize this recipe with some of your own favorites. To add an extra level of natural sweetness, consider drizzling the frozen chocolate-dipped banana in some honey: Americans consume about 1.3 pounds of honey per person per year, and honey makes the perfect natural sweetener in countless treats and recipes — especially those involving fruit.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Oatmeal

If you haven’t already taken out your crockpot for fall, now’s the time! This truly may be the most fall-sounding dish ever created, and its taste is sure to follow suit. About 54% of Americans over age 18 drink coffee every day, but waking up to the smell of this delectable fall favorite is sure to get you out of bed faster than even the most caffeinated cup o’ joe. Its ingredients include steel cut oats, pumpkin puree, apple, almond butter, maple syrup, nuts, and some spices. Again, this dish can be personalized and suited to fit your tastes, so don’t hesitate to get creative in the kitchen. Find the recipe here.

Boo Cups

This tasty treat comes in multiple varieties as well, but it uses just a few main ingredients: Instant pudding mix, milk, whipped cream, and crushed Oreo cookies. And for those who are wondering, yes, these boo cups are just as delicious as their name is adorable. But for the healthier version, omit the cookies, use orange gelatin, and replace the whipped cream with low fat cool whip. However you make this, remember that there are three main types of hazards or contaminants that can cause unsafe food: biological, chemical, and physical. These treats do contain dairy, so they should be kept refrigerated to avoid potential contamination. Now that would be scary! For the full recipe, visit Kraft Recipes.

Irish Whiskey Pumpkin Pie

Okay, this treat may not be as healthy as the others, but it’s unique and exciting enough to earn a place on this list. Believe it or not, pumpkin pie is quickly growing as a popular dessert option in Ireland, Europe’s third biggest island. So it should come as no surprise that they’ve put their own special twist on the traditional recipe by including just a bit of authentic Irish whiskey. This adds a one of a kind flavor that’s truly something spooky. For the full recipe, check out IrishCentral, which also has a suggestion for how to make this recipe suitable for any time of the year:

“You can make this recipe at any other time of year by substituting butternut squash or sweet potato instead of pumpkin. Their texture and taste are almost the same when flavored and cooked,” writes Zack Gallagher.

Ultimately, there’s no limit to the creative concoctions that become possible during this time of year. You still have plenty of time to experiment, so start cooking up some tasty Halloween treats today!

Frugal Super Bowl Party Guide

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frugal super bowl party guide

The Super Bowl is coming up this Sunday!!! If you’re planning to stay home and host a Super Bowl game, but don’t want to spend a lot, no worries! There are many ways you can throw a fabulous Super Bowl party on a budget which I’ve rounded up here:

Tips for a Frugal Super Bowl Party!

Serve simple finger foods. Appetizers and other “pick up and eat” foods are easiest to prepare, serve and clean up after.

Serve dips! These offer a variety of ways to enjoy the same food. Try chips with taco dip, bean dip, cheese dip, salsa, and guacamole, to name a few! Plus they can be cheap (and yummy) to make yourself.

Take advantage of sales and coupons. Stores offer great deals on Super Bowl fare at this time of year such as chicken breasts, chicken wings, brats, chips, salsas, candy and everything else on your list. You can also find great coupons and combine them with sales for even more savings! (Looking for coupons? Find coupons for everything on your shopping list with my Coupon Database, or browse and print available grocery coupons on my Printable Grocery Coupons page!)

Buy in bulk. If you have a warehouse club membership, prepping for a party is a great time to use it to stock up on water bottles, paper towels, etc.

Don’t buy the party tray at the grocery store! Buy raw vegetables in bulk such as carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, and cut them up yourself.

Put together your own cheese and cracker tray and shape the cheese into football shapes.

Have a potluck! Host can provide the “main” dish, everyone else a side.

Serve food “buffet” style with a chili bar, baked potato bar, or taco bar. This is simple and everyone gets to pick the toppings they want.

Instead of ordering pizzas, buy frozen pizzas and shape the pepperoni on top into a football shape before baking. (This is basically what the delivery places do and charge extra for!)

Go generic. Buy store brands and put it out in dishes or on plates and your guests won’t know the difference. ALDI and Mike’s Discount Foods are great places to find generic brands for the lowest prices.

BYOB – Bring your own beer (or beverage)!

Have a SOUP-er bowl party! Serve one or more varieties of soup. It’s frugal, filling and (usually) healthful. Just add warm rolls, drinks, and desserts.

For dessert, try baking a cake or cupcakes with a football design on top. Or use these free printable football cupcake toppers and other snack or food containers.

Football printables
Images courtesy of playpartyplan.com, inkhappi.com, puzzlestoprint.com, and snapcreativity.com

Decorating

Super Bowl Activities

Of course, the main event will be on the TV – but here are some other activities you and the kids can do too!

Food

Here are some ideas for foods to serve that are easy crowd-pleasers;

  • Chicken wings or drumsticks
  • Burger sliders
  • Taco Dip
  • Potato skins with bacon and cheese
  • Chex Party Mix
  • Crockpot meatballs
  • Pigs in a blanket

Desserts

  • Cupcakes with football design on top (chocolate frosting with white icing laces)
  • Root beer floats
  • Sundae bar
  • Chocolate-covered Strawberry Footballs
  • Brownies shaped like footballs
  • Chocolate football pretzel rods (dip rods in chocolate and paint on white laces with icing)
  • Hot cocoa with marshmallows
  • Popcorn or caramel corn

Easy, Budget-Friendly Recipes

Velveeta RoTel Queso Dip

Melt together a 16 oz block of Velveeta cheese, diced into cubes, and a can of RoTel diced tomatoes with green chilies (or substitute another brand of canned diced tomatoes). Goes great with tortilla chips!

Crockpot Meatballs

Combine a 6 oz jar of grape jelly and 12 oz jar of chili sauce in a crockpot. Mix in a bag of frozen meatballs and heat on low for 8 hours.

OR, if you want to make the meatballs from scratch instead of using frozen:

Mix together the following and form into small meatballs:

2 pounds of ground beef
2 beaten eggs
1 clove garlic or 1/2 cup onions (or both)
1-1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp, pepper
1/2 cup crushed corn flakes

Crockpot Garlic Chicken Drumsticks

This one’s from my friend Nancy – I’ve made these many times and they’re perfect for a party!

You’ll need:

Olive oil
Paprika
Salt
Pepper
4 cloves garlic (or garlic powder)
chicken drumsticks

1) Spray crockpot with cooking spray
2) Slice 1/2 of an onion into slices, and sprinkle them on the bottom of the crockpot.
3) Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat with hands.
4) Put all in the crockpot, cover, and cook on low for 6 hours.

The meat will be so tender and flavorful!

For my list of Super Bowl Party Essentials (like my favorite grill and slow cooker) check out my guide here.

What recipes, tips and ideas do you have? Share in the comments!

Also, check out my segment on WCCO!

(Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links that help support this site at no cost to you. All opinions are 100% mine.)

 

My Review (& Test!) of Opal®, the Apple that Doesn’t Turn Brown!

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Opal apple logo (PRNewsFoto/FirstFruits)

I had the fun opportunity to try out Opal apples, a special non-GMO apple that advertises that it doesn’t turn brown after it’s sliced!

If you serve an apple to your kids, most likely they won’t eat it once it turns brown, right? This is a dilemma for parents who send sliced fruit to school in their kids’ lunches. But even sending whole fruit in your kids’ lunches may not work – 46 percent of parents find that their kids will take a few bites or none at all!

I have this problem with my kids too – the fruit has to be “perfect” for them to eat it. Even when I explain that the brown is natural, they still don’t want to eat it.

I received a box of Opal apples to try. They were sweet and crispy – they tasted great! Definitely as good as any other apples – but then I did my own browning test.

opalapples

opalapple

I sliced up an Opal apple around 9 in the morning, then left it out to sit, exposed to the air. [Read more…]

Purchase Simek’s Meatballs and Feed Both Your Family and a Child in Need

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(Disclosure: I’ve partnered with Simek’s Meatballs for this sponsored post to let you know about their great partnership with Feed My Starving Children. Child hunger across the world is such an important issue and I’m proud to support their efforts to provide children the nourishment they need.)

Simek's packaging

It’s December –  that time of year when things get hectic with concerts, parties and shopping…everyone’s going in a different direction, it seems, between practices, rehearsals and special get-togethers.

Despite the long to-do lists, my family and I enjoy the lights, music and all the activity of the holiday season (as long as I can sit and enjoy some of it for a while!). But while trying to keep up with all of it, I struggle to find enough time to prepare tasty meals that are healthful and nutritious, and satisfy those comfort food cravings on cold nights.

spaghettimeatballs

I LOVE to cook – and love filling up our kitchen with healthful options that are versatile and ready-to-go when I am, like Simek’s Meatballs. Because I rarely have more than, say, 30 minutes to get something together and served for my family, these work great to put something together from the standard Spaghetti and Meatballs, to the many super easy and quick recipes you can find on the Simek’s website including: [Read more…]

Frugal Meal-Planning with Simek’s Meatballs – Recipes & Giveaway

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simek's

With the temperatures dropping and days becoming shorter (I can’t believe it’s already dark out by dinnertime!), nothing beats a comforting, home-cooked meal that’s easy on the budget. I’ve been cooking more hot-dishes, casseroles and other “Minnesota” foods that are easy to put together and inexpensive. This is why I was happy when Simek’s contacted me to try some of their new Meatballs, Lasagna and recipes. Plus they’ve provided a prize pack for me to give away to one lucky Twin Cities Frugal Mom reader!

Simek’s is a local-woman owned company and their meatballs come in three different sizes and have flavor options of beef, turkey, sausage and Italian-style beef. With the meatballs already made and ready-to-go, it’s easy to put more time and creativity into the rest of the recipe! Simek’s has a lot of ideas for getting kids in the kitchen, such as “Meatball Mummies.” These ideas can be found on their Pinterest page. [Read more…]

Red Gold Slow Cooker Recipes & Promotion

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slowcookingredgold

The weather is getting cooler now as fall approaches, and schedules are super busy, making it an ideal time for simple, frugal and comforting slow cooker meals!

I use my slow cooker all year round. It saves us money and time and is always so inviting to come home to the aroma of a warm meal ready to eat. But at this time of year, like me you are probably looking for more recipes to use in your slow cooker that are simple yet flavorful!

Red Gold is focused on slow cooking this fall, and encouraging families to have a hot meal waiting after a busy school/work day. Getting back into the fall schedule is always busy, and slow cookers make mealtimes easier. Plus, in most families there’s usually some delicious leftovers to freeze and reheat on another busy night! [Read more…]

Easy Back to School Snack Ideas from FamilyFun Magazine

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Kids are back in (or starting!) school this week and to make it more fun, here are some some creative and tasty recipes from FamilyFun Magazine! Turn an ordinary sandwich into a school bus inspired treat, and use tuna fish to create protein-filled celery sticks for after school fun!

schoolbusrecipe

School bus sandwich

Park this friendly bus in front of your child to celebrate the start of the new school year. Cut a slice of bread (we used pumpernickel) into a rectangle, reserving a strip of crust. Trim a slice ofyellow cheese to fit the bread as shown. Cut another slice of cheese for the hood. Use the reserved crust for a fender. Cut headlights and grill strips from white cheese and set them in place. Use the pointy end of a grape tomato for each red light. Slice more tomato into a stop sign and smile. Finish with black olive tires, trimmed to lie flat, and pupils (we cut ours with a straw). Now that’s a snack worth stopping for!

Cucumber roll-ups [Read more…]

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