Enjoy Each Bite

I doubled this recipe in one of a few efforts to rid my freezer of nearly 45 bananas. My doubled batch made one regular loaf, one small loaf and 23 standard muffins. They turned out PERFECT! How to make Whole Grain Banana Nut Bread: Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl: 1 cup all purpose flour (I use unbleached) 3/4 cup whole wheat flour 1/4 cup oat flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg In a separate bowl, combine: 2 eggs, beaten 5-6 ripe, mashed bananas 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup vegetable oil Add wet mixture to dry mixture in large bowl and stir just until moistened. Fold in 1/4-1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional). Pour batter into lightly oiled pan(s) and bake at 350 degrees F. Bake Time: Regular loaf, 9x5x3" - bake for 55-60 minutes Small loaf, 4 1/2x2 1/2x1 1/2" - 30-35 minutes Standard Muffins - 15-20 minutes Notes: *You can use all white flour or half white and half wheat ...

Wild rice is one of my favorite types of rice. Here's how I usually make it. In a saucepan over high heat, mix: 2 cups dry wild rice 4 1/4 cups water 1 Tbsp Olive Oil 1 Tbsp Chicken Bullion Seasonings to taste: Italian seasonings, salt, garlic, basil, etc. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for about 30-40 minutes. It is done when all the water is gone and the rice is tender. In the photo above, I mixed in black beans and cooked bacon pieces with some leftover wild rice. I get my wild rice blend from Sprouts Farmers Market bulk foods.

These are fun to make and healthily yummy. Winner! Mix together: 1 cup oats 1 cup coconut flakes (toasted or not) 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup ground flaxseed 1/3 cup honey Optional: 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips Chill in the fridge for about a half an hour, then shape into balls. Store airtight in the fridge or freezer.

We love cinnamon around here, especially when it is in cahoots with sugar... and soft bread right out of the oven. So, here is an alteration to this  recipe to make Cinnamon Sugar Bread! In a large bowl, stir together well: 2 and 3/4 cups flour (all purpose or mix in some whole wheat) 1 teaspoon salt 1 Tablespoon white sugar 1 Tablespoon Active Dry Yeast 1-2 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon Add and stir: 1 cup warm water 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil Stir until it resembles dough and then knead the dough until it is smooth. If it is sticking to your hands, add a few pinches of flour. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with a damp cloth and allow to rise for 20 minutes in a warm place. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Punch down dough and place on a baking/cookie sheet. Spread out the dough to achieve a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Brush the top with melted butter or margarine (Smart Balance Light has no dairy) and then sprinkle ample amounts of Cinnamon/sugar...

Since it's birth, this blog has been all recipes and ideas of how to cook and bake delicious foods without milk products. Although my husband can't eat dairy foods, the rest of us in the family can, so I often make a meal that includes some dairy for us and another dairy-free variety for him.  Such as pizza... His and Hers Pizzas: Bacon Pineapple and Olives. Because his pizza doesn't include any cheese, it gets more yummy toppings piled on to compensate.  So, if you are cooking for a family, not everyone has to go without dairy. There are ways to split up the meal and make special accommodations for the non-dairy types in the group.  And I have to mention that the pizza shown above was the MOST AMAZING PIZZA I have made so far. And that is thanks to some recent adjustments to my Focaccia bread recipe that I use for the crust. It is so full of flavor, soft and thick. Perfect! More about making your own pizza sauce here.

I thought this idea was a little weird at first, just because of my past feelings about mayonaise. But mayonaise gives a nice creamy-like touch to pasta dishes and the meal still remains dairy-free.  This dish is whole wheat penne pasta, cooked shrimp and asparagus. The "sauce" is created by stirring in about 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil mayo, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1-2 Tablespoons Italian salad dressing (check for dairy ingredients), garlic salt, Italian seasoning blend and Mrs Dash Garlic and Herb seasonings to taste.

I used this recipe as the inspiration for my black bean soup. I made a few alterations, mainly cooking my own black beans rather than using canned beans. Also, for dairy-free eaters, no sour cream. I also used the chicken broth that I made last year that was in my freezer. And I altered the garnish for the top. I made my simple garnish out of green onion, cilantro and lime juice. Ingredients ·          6 slices bacon, chopped ·          1 large onion, diced ·          3 cloves garlic, minced ·          2 cups chicken broth ·          pinch of dried oregano ·          pinch of cayenne pepper ·          1/2 teaspoon ground cumin ·          salt to taste ·   ...