Banana bread

I like to enjoy banana bread with a hot cup of tea. Mm-mm, want some?

This is one of my favorites and I've been cooking it for years. I usually make banana bread when I have an abundance of bananas. 

Ingredients
2 cups of all purpose flour
2 tsp of baking powder
1 cup of packed brown sugar
1 stick of butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp of vanilla extract
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup of milk
1 cup of chopped almonds, pecans, or walnuts
cooking oil spray

Directions
Preheat oven to 325° degrees.

Grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan with nonstick cooking oil spray and set aside. In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.

In a large bowl, add the butter and packed brown sugar and mix with a hand blender until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the mixture and mix until well blended. Add the mashed bananas and mix until well blended. Stir in the milk and mix until combined.

Add the flour mixture and stir until well blended. Add the nuts and combine all ingredients together.

Add the mixture to the prepared loaf pan and place it in the oven.

Bake for one hour and fifteen minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes our clean.

Cool and serve! Enjoy!

Note: if you prepare this recipe please feel free to post a picture on my Facebook page! Thanks. 

https://www.facebook.com/Rolisweets

©Rolisweets

Cranberry Orange Smoothie

I'm trying a new smoothie today! It's a combination of cranberries and oranges. I wasn't sure I'd like the two flavors blended together, however, it turned out to be a most enjoyable treat.

The juice from the mandarin oranges should serve as enough liquid to blend the smoothie.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of fresh cranberries
• 1 (15) oz can of mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 large banana, ripe is best
• 2 cups of almond milk (frozen in an ice tray)

Directions
Add all ingredients in a blender and mix until all ingredients are well blended together. Enjoy as an afternoon snack or as a dessert. 

Makes four 8-oz servings.

©Rolisweets

Peppermint Ice Cream

Another holiday favorite, fresh from the ice cream maker. You can modify the sugar in this recipe to suit your taste/diet.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of 2% milk, or the milk of your choice
• 1/2 cup of vanilla flavored coffee creamer
• 1/4 cup of sugar 
• 10 peppermint candies, crushed
• 1 tsp peppermint extract

Directions
Mix the milk, sugar, vanilla flavored coffee creamer, crushed peppermints, and peppermint extract until well blended. Turn the icecream maker on and then slowly add the mixture to the top opening of the ice cream maker.

It takes approximately 15-20 minutes for the ice cream maker to make the ice cream. Once it's done, add your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Makes 4 servings.

©Rolisweets

Strawberry & Kale Smoothie

I'm getting at least four of my daily recommended servings of fruit and vegetables from this smoothie. It's made with strawberries, kale, ruby red grapefruit, and bananas. Delish!

Ingredients

• 2 large bananas, ripe is best
• 1 cup of frozen strawberries
• 1 cup of frozen or fresh kale
• 1 cup of ruby red grapefruit, skin removed
• 1 cup of almond milk

Directions
Add all ingredients in a blender and mix until all ingredients are well blended together. Enjoy as an afternoon snack or as a dessert. 

Makes four 8-oz servings.

©Rolisweets

Christmas Cutout Cookies

Decorating cookies with the kids this evening has been a perfect ending to this holiday weekend. I so look forward to this time of the year! This is just the beginning of our cookie decorating tradition. #Christmas #cutout #cookies #recipes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 2 sticks of butter, softened
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract
• 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour for rolling out the cookies
• Christmas cookie cutters
• Sprinkles, candy toppings, marshmallows, etc.

Frosting

• 2 cups of powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup of whipped cream cheese
• 2 Tbsp of milk
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• Food coloring, optional

The food coloring can be added to the frosting, once prepared, by simply dividing the frosting in half or thirds, to add different colors to your frosting.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375° degrees.

In a small bowl, add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using a hand blender, mix together the softened butter and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and lemon extract. Blend until smooth. 

Add the flour mixture and, using a spoon or fork, stir just until all ingredients are well blended. Separate the cookie dough into three parts and form each part into a ball. Wrap the dough up in wax paper and chill in a refrigerator for 2 hours.

When the dough has chilled and hardened, remove from the refrigerator and flour a sheet of wax paper and rolling pin. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. 

Using the desired cookie cutters, cut out the cookies and place on a non-greased cookie sheet approximately two inches apart. (I use parchment paper.)

Cook the cookies for 8 - 10 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown.

While the cookies are cooking prepare the frosting by combininig and mixing all of the ingredients together just until blended.The frosting should be thick and spreadable.

When the cookies are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

When the cookies are completely cool, have fun decorating!

Enjoy with a nice glass of milk or your favorite beverage!

Makes 24 - 36 cookies.

©Rolisweets