Eggless Banana Muffins

I always seem to buy bananas and let them sit around. Thank god for banana bread! The ripe bananas were screaming at me, but there was a slight problem - we had no eggs. I jumped on the computer and found several recipes for banana bread that didn't require eggs. I thought I'd try them out. (I turned them into muffins instead, so had to experiment with the time)

Eggless Banana Muffins
1/2 C canola oil or shortening
3/4 C sugar
1 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 ripe bananas
1-2 tsp vanilla
chocolate chips (optional)
nuts (optional)

I found these pretty easy to make and they didn't take very long.


1) Cream shortening & sugar. Add vanilla. {Don't be alarmed when it looks like a crumbled mess. This is exactly what happened to me, but it will all work out}

2) Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Cut up bananas and blend them into the mixture. Add chocolate chips and/or nuts at this point.

3) Fill the baking cups about 3/4 full. I used an ice cream scoop to measure the dough out. 

4) Bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. Really watch them, though. I took them out after about 20 minutes when the tops started to get golden brown, but then the middles started sinking. I put them back into the oven until a toothpick came out clean.

 The end product was a little dense and seem to be missing something, but I can't put my finger on it. They have stayed fresh for about 4 days, which is always a plus when it comes to home baked treats.
Do you have a go-to muffin recipe?

Simple Breakfast Burrito

I had an ingenious idea the other day. While stuffing admit packets at the Law School, I started pondering what I would make for lunch. I'm getting really tired of the usual ham sandwich I've made myself since 1st grade. I remembered I had some grape tomatoes and mushrooms and assumed a salad would be fine. Scratch that - no lettuce. So I settled on an omelet, before I remembered I had tortillas. BINGO! Breakfast burrito it is. (I can also thank Bandit Burrito for the inspiration - I had one a few weeks again and it was amazing)

I realize this is just a simple concoction of a few ingredients, but that's what this is all about. I'm all for as few ingredients as possible - and combining whatever I have in the kitchen.

Breakfast Burrito
- Tortilla
- 2 eggs
- grape tomatoes
- mushrooms
- ham
- Mexican cheese

I would suggest heating the tortilla in the oven while you cook the eggs. Just wrap it in foil and let it warm at about 250 degrees.

I scrambled my eggs first. While those are cooking, cut up any vegetables or meat you want to add. Once the eggs are just about ready, add the veggies. Warm them up to your liking. Add some cheese if desired.

 So simple. The second time I made this I added salsa for some zip. It made it 10 times better.

Colorful Revolution

The past couple years I have tried giving up cookies for Lent. Did it ever work? Of course not. I think the longest I lasted was about two weeks - and that wasn't counting Sundays. This year I decided against the no cookie ordeal since I always cave in. Instead I've opted for no snacking after 9PM (another weakness of mine).

So I'm switching things up a bit. I'm obviously craving sweets - cookies especially - and wanted a simple cookie recipe. I fell in love with these simple cookies made from a yellow cake mix years ago when my mom whipped up a batch.

M&M Cookies 
Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix
1/2 C butter or margarine (softened)
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 pkg M&M baking bits

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed. Drop dough on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cool for about a minute before placing on wire racks. 

Viola! Simple as that. The only problem I ran into was the bottoms burning. I'm still not used to an electric oven and am a horrible judge of time.

A lot of cake mixes have recipes on the side for a cookie variation. Have you tried turning any cake mixes into cookies? What are you favorites? Some of my favorites:

Lemony Crisps
Funfetti Cookies
Or just use your favorite cake mix

Chicken Pot Pie

Another chicken dish. I love chicken. You would think that I live on a chicken farm or something. But this is one of my current favorite dinners. AND it's done in about 20 minutes...really.

My rowing coach told me about this easy chicken pot pie and I couldn't wait to try it. All you need is some chicken (I like rotisserie chicken), crescent rolls, frozen mixed vegetables and chicken gravy.

 Roll out the crescent rolls and lay them in a greased baking dish. You only need one package. I like to use the second one for actual crescent rolls.

 Cut apart the chicken. (And eat a little too)

 Add it all together: chicken, about half a bag of frozen vegetables, and one jar of chicken gravy.

Bake it at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or once the gravy and vegetables are done. Also make sure the crescent rolls don't burn too easily.


Easy Chicken Pot Pie
1 jar chicken gravy
rotisserie chicken
frozen mixed vegetables (you choose the amount)
2 pkgs crescent rolls (one for the base, one for yourself)

It's easy as pie!

And for the leftover chicken:
Rotisserie Chicken ideas