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