KT Baked It: Brown Sugar Banana Bread

A common theme in throughout my blog is an effort to use up everything I have before I buy more. For example, using the same paint or scrapbook paper for various arts and crafts or using up all of the ingredients I have in my kitchen before buying more. It doesn't always workout the way I'd like, but I do make a conscious effort.

That being said, I needed to do something with these over-ripened bananas I had in the kitchen. And banana bread was obviously the first thing that came to mind!

I also only had brown sugar and no granulated sugar, so I had to find a recipe for brown sugar banana bread. Lucky for me, my little sister, Joy found this great recipe from the cooking blog Inspired Taste. This bread was a mother-daughter(s) baking event, with Joy reading the instructions and mom and I baking the bread.

What you need:















1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3 medium ripe bananas
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract





First, mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, mash the bananas into a chunky paste. 

After you've mixed the bananas, melt the butter in increments of 15 seconds. Set it aside to cool. Next, whisk the two eggs in a separate bowl, and then add them to the bananas. Add the butter, brown sugar and vanilla. Mix well. 

In small increments, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing well. 

Pour the batter into a bread pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. 

 And then you have a whole loaf of delicious banana bread ready for eating (or sharing)!

KT Baked It: Cornbread

September and October are possibly my two favorite months of the year as the leaves on the trees change to their beautiful spectrum of orange, red and yellow while the temperature becomes cooler (and I can bring out my sweater dresses and boots).

And, of course, I can't forget to mention the football and another year that Eric and I hope that our Redskins' fortune will turn in favor of a championship team...we are very patient people. Whether or not our team can get it together, we can always look forward to some great fall football food.

As promised in my first baking post this month, I've dedicated my baking ambitions to bread-making. With the fall weather coming as promised by the cool temperature outside this morning, it only seems fitting to enjoy the weather and football this Sunday paired with some cornbread and chili. You can find my favorite chili recipe here, and in the meantime, let's make some cornbread! This recipe comes from FoodNetwork chef, Cat Cora. I made just a few adjustments which turned out great!

What you need:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup almond milk
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey

First, in a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and then set aside

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, whole wheat flour, baking soda and salt.

















Next, whisk the eggs with the melted butter.















The original recipe calls for buttermilk, which I did not have. So I made my own by mixing 1 cup of almond milk with 2 tsp of lemon juice, which I let sit for about a minute before pouring the mixture with the eggs and butter. Whisk all the ingredients, then add the honey and mix.

Mix together your wet and dry ingredients.


The original recipe uses a square baking pan, which I also did not have, so I used a regular bread pan.

Bake your bread in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

























Allow your bread to cool before enjoying with a side of hot chili!

And, of course, don't forget to clean up before you sit on the couch all afternoon enjoying football with you hubby and cat.

KT Baked It: Homemade Pizza Dough

For the month of September, I've decided to devote my food posts to bread! Ah yes, that dreaded yet delicious food that so many of us avoid when we are trying to be carb-conscious. Well, this month I am poo-pooing on that approach to life and keeping in mind the motto "Everything in Moderation." Besides, it's one thing to eat bread that you buy at the grocery store containing ingredients that you cannot even pronounce versus bread that you make from scratch, which I have never done before.

This week's baking post is something that I've always wanted to make: pizza dough. The recipe for this dough comes from the Kitchenaid Mixer Best-Loved Recipes cookbook. Now if you do not have a Kitchenaid mixer, do not fear because I don't either, which is why this will be as rewarding for you as if was for me when you get in touch with your inner Pioneer Woman and knead the dough with your hands. Yup, it's happening. 

What you need:

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon corn meal

First, dissolve the yeast in warm water.

Next, add the salt, olive oil, and 2 1/2 cups of flour. I added my flour slowly, stirring the dough between each addition. 

Continue adding the remaining flour in 1/2 cup increments. At this point, you're going to be using your hands to knead the dough. It took time, but I put in my due diligence and eventually had a nice mound of pizza dough.



Next, I greased another bowl with olive oil and placed my dough into the bowl. Cover the dough with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for about one hour or until the dough as doubled in bulk.















Here is my dough, a huge accomplishment! Next, punch down the dough. Grease a pizza pan (I used a rectangular pan) with some olive oil, then sprinkle the pan with cornmeal. Press the dough across the pan.

And voila! You've just made your very own pizza dough ready to bake for a yummy Friday night dinner. You can use whatever toppings that you like, of course. I made a Margherita-style pizza with a bag of italian blend shredded cheese, fresh spinach, sliced tomato and basil. After you've added your toppings, bake the your pizza at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.



You can find this and many other recipes in the KitchenAid Best-Loved Recipes cookbook, available here!

KT Did It: Cabin Trip

This weekend Eric and I spent some time in Accident, Maryland, where we were graciously offered a chance to stay in his Aunt and Uncle's cabin. I have been told by Eric and other family members that the cabin was a wonderful place to get away for some quiet, relaxation, and appreciation of the serenity and calm of nature. Not only were all of these things true, but I was also excited to explore the cabin, where I was delighted by the decor - from the apple themed kitchen to the various arts and crafts that I found, our stay at the cabin was made even more enjoyable by the warm, welcoming atmosphere throughout the house.

In the morning, we enjoyed sitting on the porch swing drinking coffee together. The weather was nice and cool, and we even had the company of a few humming birds while we sat swinging. Aunt Flo had several plants on the porch and in the garden below that I thought were particularly beautiful. 

And a trip to the cabin did not seem complete without homemade pancakes for breakfast!

The recipe for the pancakes came from a Kitchenaid Mixed cookbook I had at home.

Pancake Recipe

3/4 cup milk

2 tbl butter, melted

1 egg

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tbl sugar

1/4 tsp salt

• Mix milk, butter and egg in a bowl
• Add whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar and salt
• Heat skillet, greased. Use 2 tbl of batter for each pancake. Makes 10 pancakes

This area of Western Maryland is also home to Deep Creek Lake and several state parks, which makes it a great spot not only for hiking and camping, but also canoeing and kayaking. Eric and I went on our first hiking adventure together at Swallow Falls State Park, home to Muddy Creek Falls, Maryland's largest waterfall.

 

 

 

On our way home from the park, we stopped in Oakland, another historic town along the B&O railroad. 

We walked along the streets of the town, venturing into an antique shop before we had a delicious lunch at Wendy's Towne Restaurant.

And of course no trip would have been complete without satisfying my sweet tooth! We stopped at Lakeside Creamery at the suggesting of Aunt Flo and Uncle Dave (who left us a guide of the town restaurants with a few suggestions on where we could find the best food in the area). Everyone else in the area must have had the same idea, because the shop was bustling with customers enjoying a scoop of their favorite ice cream. We indulged in two scoops each in a waffle cone - I had maple walnut and butter pecan, while Eric tried the cookies n' cream and chocolate peanut butter. We ate our ice cream overlooking the lake with a cool breeze. 

We even enjoyed a few games of Scrabble in the evening. Nothing like a friendly competition to go with a quiet weekend away from home. 

This post is dedicated to our Aunt Flo and Uncle Dave, whose devotion to and love for their family is felt by us all. Thank you so much for allowing us to take a trip to your cabin to spend some quality time together. We look forward to more memories to be made there, preferably with the two of you :)