PQ's Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

Now that it is truly beginning to feel like fall, it's time for pumpkin recipes. This year, I started pumpkin season with muffins; it was difficult to try to select a recipe, because there are so many out there. I finally decided on the Pastry Queen's pumpkin muffins (actually a bread recipe in her first cookbook, with alternative directions for muffins). The Pastry Queen (aka Rebecca Rather) has a bakery in Fredericksburg, Texas, called Rather Sweet. It is absolutely amazing, so I knew I couldn't go wrong with this recipe. The muffins were very moist and flavorful, and freeze and thaw well too. Enjoy!


Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1 cup canola oil
3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
1 cup water
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt

Streusel Topping
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup pecan pieces (above)

Preheat oven to 350. Arrange the pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them in the oven for 7-9 min., until golden and aromatic.

Line muffin tin with paper liners.

Whisk the oil and sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs, pumpkin, and water and whisk until combined.
In another bowl whisk together flour, spices, and baking soda. Carefully mix the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Fill the muffin pans almost to the top with batter.

Stir together sugar, butter, cinnamon, and pecan pieces. Sprinkle liberally over tops of muffins before baking.Bake muffins 30-35 minutes.
Yield 36 muffins

Strawberry muffins

The best thing about this time of year? It's not the weather or the longer days . . . it's the strawberries! We've had strawberry shortcake, strawberry smoothies, strawberries and ice cream, and of course, lots of strawberries eaten fresh with nothing added. I'm going to freeze some, but I also thought some muffins would be nice to have in the freezer for a quick breakfast. I also made strawberry shortcake cupcakes a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't get any pictures. I guess I'll have to make another batch - good thing I've got a gallon of fresh strawberries in the fridge!


Strawberry Muffins
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup applesauce
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 1/4 heaping cups spelt flour (or 2 cups all-purpose flour)
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries

Cream butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer or in large bowl with handheld mixer. Add applesauce; mix well. Add egg;  mix well.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture. Add vanilla. Gently stir in strawberries.

Spoon batter into muffin pans.Bake at 400º for 20-25 minutes. Yield: 12 muffins. 

Orange Muffins

I purchased the Bob's Red Mill Baking Book a couple of years ago, during one of my "healthier" cooking kicks, but unfortunately convinced myself that the recipes were probably too healthful and not tasty. It sat in a box in my basement until Sunday night, when I was sorting through stuff to donate to garage sale fundraiser. I decided I should try at least one recipe before getting rid of the book . . . and I am so glad I did! These muffins are super easy to mix up and they bake very quickly as well. Don't be alarmed by the spelt flour - it is easy for me to find (in Quincy). However, if you can't find it easily, I think regular flour would work equally well - you might want to reduce the amount by one or two tablespoons. P.S.The muffins are delicious!



Orange Muffins
2 cups spelt flour (can substitute regular flour - might want to reduce it by 1-2 tbsp.)
1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
zest of 1 orange
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup applesauce
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
optional: 1/4 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners (I like the If You Care brand baking cups).
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, orange zest, allspice, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, beat together orange juice, applesauce, oil, sugar, vanilla, and eggs until well combined. Stir into the flour mixture until just combined (batter will be lumpy). Stir in dried cranberries, if using.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the muffins rest 5 minutes, then transfer out of muffin pan onto a wire rack to cool.

Old-Time Doughnuts

Want to be a hero? Just get an OLD Betty Crocker cookbook and try a recipe - like doughnuts.

I made these Old-Time Doughnuts on Memorial Day. We usually don't get to travel/go to the lake/visit friends and family/etc. over Memorial Day weekend thanks to corn and/or soybean planting . . . so I decide to make up for it by frying something. I know, it's weird - and BAD for us - but it's only once a year!

Last year I fried homemade onion rings, this year I chose doughnuts. My husband went crazy over these, claiming they were a perfect replica of the doughnuts his great-aunt used to make. She must have had the Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook too!

Old-Time Doughnuts
(These seem like a cross between a cake dougnut and a glazed (yeast) doughnut)

Beat well: 2 eggs

Beat in: 1 cup sugar
2 tbsp. butter

Stir in: 3/4 cup buttermilk

Sift together and stir in: 3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Chill dough 2 hours. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/3-inch thick (this dough rolls out beautifully). Cut with a floured doughnut cutter (or cookie cutters if you don't have a doughnut cutter - and honestly, who does have one?). Heat fat/oil while rolling and cutting doughnuts . . . When oil reaches 390 degrees, use a wide metal spatula to transfer dough into oil. Fry as many at one time as you can easily turn. Turn doughnuts as they rise to the surface and begin to turn brown. Fry about 3 minutes total, or until each side is golden brown. Carefully remove doughnuts from the oil and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Allow to cool for a moment. To coat with sugar, place one doughnut at a time in a paper bag with sugar - shake well. Serve immediately.
Yield: 2 dozen 3-inch doughnuts
- Recipe from Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook (1950)

History Worth Repeating

a.k.a. Oatmeal Muffins

I recently acquired the 1950 edition of Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book from my Grandma Margaret. I have to admit, I wasn't convinced I needed this book at first . . . but after I took time to look through it, I'm so glad I have it! First, it is interesting to see how recipes were written and the types of things that were popular to cook in 1950. Second, she has certain recipes flagged and even notes written on some pages. For example, the recipe for Spritz cookies (one of my grandma's signatures) is boldly crossed out with the note "no good" written next to it - obviously that wasn't the recipe she always used! Ha!

As I looked through the recipes, I was surprised not only by how much has changed - but by how much has remained the same over the past 59 years. I added several of the recipes to my list of things to try, but these oatmeal muffins really jumped out at me. Maybe because the description says "They're marvelous. So moist at rich!" People just don't use 'marvelous' much any more . . .

I'm a big fan of almost anything oatmeal, so perhaps I'm biased - I think these muffins are marvelous! However, I can also think of several adaptations I would like to try (not all at the same time, of course):

• Add more sweetner (maybe maple syrup) (these muffins are only subtly sweet)
• Add cinnamon
• Add chopped apples
• Add cranberries and orange zest (and maybe white chocolate drizzle)
  
• Top with maple syrup/powdered sugar glaze
• Use coarse sea salt or kosher salt
• Soak the oatmeal longer
• Substitute spelt flour

Okay, enough ideas - here is the recipe:

Oatmeal Muffins

Soak together for one hour . . .
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk

Mix together thoroughly . . .
1/3 cup butter (it actually calls for shortening - no thanks)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg

Sift together . . .
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

and stir in alternately with rolled oats and buttermilk.

Fill lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Yield: about 12 muffins

Coffee Cake Muffins

I'm always looking for a reason to bake something, and last week I found a great excuse . . . actually two excuses. First, I had a morning meeting at work and second, my cousin Sarah and her husband Clayton were visiting and I wanted to leave breakfast for them when I left for work. Why I chose coffee cake muffins is a bit of a mystery . . . I'm not usually a fan of coffee cake (it always seems dry). However, I'm glad I did try it, because I thought the muffins turned out really well - tasty and not too dry. I'll definitely make them again.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake [Muffins]

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sour cream
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the streusel:
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional
(Next time I make this recipe, I will double the streusel - the portions above are the original portions)

For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons real maple syrup

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts, if desired.

Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
(Alternatively, you can pour batter into paper-lined muffin tins [follow the same streusel directions] and bake 20 to 30 minutes)

Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the cake, streusel side up, onto a serving plate. Whisk the confectioners' sugar and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of water if necessary, to make the glaze runny. Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon. - Recipe from Ina Garten via the Food Network.

BB: Easy Sticky Buns

Sometimes it's really uncool to keep hungry people from a hot meal for the sake of just a few more photos (trust me!), so I apologize for the less than wonderful picture.

It was Melissa's turn to choose this week's Barefoot Bloggers recipe: Easy Sticky Buns. Indeed, this recipe is very easy - and the sticky buns are tasty - just make sure not to overbake them or you'll have Crispy Sticky Buns (trust me on this one too!).

The Barefoot Contessa's Easy Sticky Buns

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces
1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

for the filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In a bowl, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with half of the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down.

Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2 inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 30 25 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden on top and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only max, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon), and cool completely a few minutes prior to serving.
- Recipe from the Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics

BB: Banana Sour Cream Pancakes

The first Barefoot Bloggers recipe of the year is Banana Sour Cream Pancakes, which was chosen by Karen of Something Sweet by Karen. Let me tell you, I was excited to have an "excuse" to make pancakes, and this recipe yielded some of the best pancakes I've ever had. The bananas in the batter make it good, but I think the lemon peel is what makes it great. You can barely detect the lemony flavor, but it really helps balance the flavors in the recipe.

I froze a couple leftover pancakes and used them for a quick workweek breakfast three days later. It worked out well, so I think I'll make a big batch this weekend and freeze them for a future quick breakfast fix. See what other bloggers thought of the recipe here.

Banana Sour Cream Pancakes

1 1/2 cups flour (I used spelt)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (sea salt)
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk (possibly more if batter is too thick)
2 extra-large eggs (large eggs)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Unsalted butter (I used ghee)
2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving
Pure maple syrup

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes. Distribute a rounded tablespoon of bananas on each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.

Apple Pecan Muffins

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but it can also be the most challenging. Not many people have time (okay, make time) to fix a nutritious breakfast on weekdays. Lately, my breakfast has consisted of tea and a sprouted grain English muffin with almond butter (and sometimes honey). Ken usually eats cereal (good, because it is the lesser of the evils when compared to Pop Tarts, but bad because it is high carb and not very nutrient dense).

These Apple Pecan Muffins turned out to be a perfect alternative to our normal breakfasts. I found the recipe in Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave, which has "recipes for a healthy lifestyle." I made a few changes (and I have a few more I'd like to experiment with in the future). Here is my version:

Apple Pecan Muffins
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup spelt flour (substitute for all-purpose flour)
1 cup oat flour (substitute for whole-wheat pastry flour)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola or olive oil
2 large eggs (I used brown/cage free)
1 cup natural, unsweetened applesauce (2 of the individual servings)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12-capacity muffin pan with olive oil or cooking spray, or use paper or foil muffin liners.

In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, the pecans and cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar and oil until combined. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the applesauce and vanilla.

Whisk in the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Whisk just until combined. Gently stir in the apple chunks.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle with the pecan mixture. Tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen. Remove from pan and cool completely on the rack.

Note: for me, this recipe yielded 12 regular muffins, plus 5 muffins baked in mini-tart pans. You can keep these muffins in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer up to 3 months, in an airtight container.

perfect summer dessert or breakfast

This berry parfait originally started as strawberry panzanella, as seen on 101 Cookbooks. I intended to make the panzanella (a bread salad). . . but after sampling the delicious brown sugar-glazed cubes of bread, I didn't have enough bread to make panzanella! Just kidding - but they are really good! Inspired by a breakfast dish on my recent trip to Aspen, I decided to add blueberries and raspberries, which led me to a parfait rather than the panzanella.

Here's what I think is a perfect dessert - or breakfast - for summer:

Fruit Panzanella Parfait
1 dense, hearty loaf of bread (16 oz.), cut into 1-inch cubes
(really tasty if it is multi-grain and includes seeds/nuts)
3/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 to 1 1/2 pint strawberries, washed and quartered
optional: 1/4 cup sugar
blueberries and raspberries to taste
1 small container plain (or vanilla) yogurt

Leave bread out, uncovered, overnight. Cut into 1-inch cubes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, melt butter. Add brown sugar and salt to butter and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add bread cubes; toss to coat. Pour coated bread cubes onto a rimmed baking sheet (I suggest lightly greasing or using non-stick spray on the baking sheet); bake 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until pieces become golden brown and crispy.

Mash half of the strawberries with a potato masher (or fork) to make a sauce. Add sugar, if using (my suggestion: use sugar if serving for a dessert; skip sugar if serving as breakfast). When bread cubes cool, layer bread, yogurt, strawberry sauce, sliced strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Alternate layers as many times as serving dish allows. Top with strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.

I think this recipe could easily serve 4-6, depending on serving size (and how many strawberries and bread cubes you snack on during preparation:).

Mmm . . . this is my kind of fruit salad!

[Kind of] Homemade Granola Bars

My husband acts like a crazy person in the spring. In addition to farming, he has been getting up at 4:00 a.m. to go turkey hunting. When I get up a few hours later, I always find remnants of his breakfast left in the kitchen. Pop Tart wrappers, the plastic from a package of vending-machine-type-cinnamon rolls, or - on a good day - a bowl that contained Lucky Charms. I have to admit that if I got up at 4:00 a.m., I would be so disoriented there's no telling what I might consider a good breakfast, but . . . seriously, I thought it was time for him to have something a little more nutritious for breakfast.

I was looking through an old copy of Everyday with Rachael Ray (getting ready to throw it away) and found a recipe for No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars - perfect. They're portable, so he can even eat one while he's driving [to the farm where he hunts], and I had control of the ingredients. This certainly isn't a health food recipe, but I think it's a big step above Pop Tarts.












Granola Bars

4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 cups granola (without fruit)
1 cup Rice Krispies
Your choice of add-ins:

I added:
Almonds, flax, wheat germ, and peanuts to the base recipe. I topped some bars with chocolate chips, some with fruit (dried cranberries and golden raisins), some with pretzel stick pieces, and left some plain.

Other options:
Coconut, pecans, walnuts, raw sunflower seeds, raisins (or any type of dried fruit), peanut butter chips, etc.

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey, and butter. Bring mixture to a boil over medium to medium-high heat; lower to medium-low heat and simmer until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Add granola, Rice Krispies, and sturdy non-melting ingredients (nuts, fruit, pretzels, etc.) to the saucepan; stir until ingredients are evenly coated. Add flax and wheat germ at this point, if using. Transfer to 9x13 ungreased baking pan and press firmly to fill pan evenly (or use 9x9 pan for thicker bars). Press in toppings (chocolate chips). Refrigerate for 15 minutes to help set bars, then cut to desired size.
3. Optional: Once bars are cut, place on parchment paper and label each variety; cover; cross fingers and hope husband will eat granola bars instead of Cap'n Crunch in the morning. If not, consider incorporating Cap'n Crunch into granola bars next time. Just kidding. Kind of.

Note: Although this recipe calls for butter, it could easily be made dairy free if you use a substitute for butter

Apple Pie Shake

Based on the title alone, you'd never guess an apple pie shake could be good for you . . . and the taste of the shake doesn't give away its healthful nature either. I came across this recipe in a preview of the new, updated "You: The Owner's Manual" by Drs. Roizen and Oz. They call it a Double Apple Cinnamon Smoothie, which to me sounds like the name of a healthful (read: not very tasty) smoothie. Because it tastes great, I thought it would be better to call it an Apple Pie Shake. Then people might actually be encouraged to try it - and benefit from the "healthy" nature of the recipe.

Drs. Roizen and Oz preface this recipe with information about the benefits of cinnamon in controlling blood sugar levels. The Apple Pie Shake provides a good amount of cinnamon, in addition to being a low fat source of protein and potassium . . . but the bottom line is this: it tastes great!

Apple Pie Shake

1/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate (not thawed)
1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce
3/4 cup skim milk
3/4 cup low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt
1/8 tsp. apple pie spice

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Cover; blend on high for 1 minute. Pour into frosty mugs and top with ground cinnamon. 2 servings. (I halved the recipe and made it in my Magic Bullet)

Per serving: 204 calories; 3.4 g fat; 5.6 mg cholesterol; 34.9 g carb; 9.1 g protein; 2.7 g fiber; 266 mg sodium; 566 mg potassium; 4 points.

Day-old brioche = awesome French toast

This weekend, I had the opportunity to sample a few treats from My Koog, a new bakery in Quincy. My Koog has French and German breads and pastries; brioche is one of their specialties. I brought home two mini-loaves. Have you ever tried to eat a mini loaf of brioche on its own? Maybe it was just me, or maybe it was the fact that I left it out on the counter overnight . . . either way, I just couldn't eat it plain . . . but it made great French toast. Tender, but not in the least soggy.

The recipe (using the word recipe here might be a little bit of an exaggeration) is: 8 slices of mini-brioche, each 1/2 inch thick, dipped into a mixture of 2 eggs and 3-4 tbsp. milk. Cook over medium-low heat in skillet with butter or cooking spray. Add maple syrup and you have a nice quick Sunday morning breakfast for two. Imagine how good this would be with fresh fruit on top in the summer . . .

Surprise Shepherd Pie + Banana Bread

I thought Mr. Meat & Potatoes would like Shepherd Pie. He likes beef, mushrooms, green beans, and potatoes - all primary components of Shepherd Pie. Makes sense, right? After taking the time to make Cooking Light's edition of the recipe, I dished it up and he said "I don't like stuff that's all mixed up."
Ugghh . . . I knew that . . . but I guess I . . . forgot?

Here's the surprise part: he ate it and he liked it! He actually said it exceeded his expectations and would give it 5 stars. That part really surprised me - 5 stars? I would have given it 3.5 or 4. It was good, but not great. It could have used a little more seasoning/salt and might be better with shredded beef (think pot roast) instead of ground beef. I'll work on the recipe and post it [someday] when I think it's worthy of the 5-star status Ken gave it!

Since I was on a comfort food kick, I also made banana bread. I found a recipe in an old Cooking Light cookbook; this version has 3 points per slice, compared to 5 points per average slice of banana bread. It definitely satisfied my craving for sweets/fruit/bread. This recipe yields a very dense loaf of bread. If you keep leftover slices in the fridge, let them warm up to room temperature or heat in the microwave before serving.


Banana Bread (adapted from Cooking Light)
1 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. light butter, softened
3 medium bananas, very ripe and mashed
1/4 c. skim milk
1/4 c. low-fat sour cream
2 egg whites
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add banana, milk, sour cream and egg whites. Mix well.
3. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.
4. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar/banana mixture. Mix until well blended.
5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, bake at 350 for 1 hour, 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack. When completely cooled, slice into 16 servings and enjoy.

Per slice: calories 147; fat 2.2 g; fiber 1.1 g. Points: 3