Baking and Cooking

When I was in college I loved making banana bread. I made it all the time when I lived in off-campus in an apartment. I used a recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book similar to this one. I had a different version of the cook book then and the newer version changed their recipe some. But the truth is I changed their recipe as well. I like my banana bread to be moist and not dry, so I always add more milk. I decided to use up some bananas today and Hazel and I made some. I changed the recipe to make it healthier as well.

Mashing the Bananas

Hazel is a good banana masher as well as a pretty good mixer. She also loves adding the ingredients.

Mixing the dry ingredients

Beating the eggs

The completed batter

Banana Bread

Your Recipe

4PointsPlus Value

Prep time:  30 min

Cook time:  60 min

Serves: 16

Ingredients

	3 large banana(s), over ripe and mashed
	1 1/2 cup(s) whole wheat flour
	2 tsp baking powder
	1/2 tsp baking soda
	1/3 cup(s) sugar
	1 tsp ground cinnamon
	1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
	1 pinch ground cloves
	1/4 cup(s) ground flax seed meal
	1/2 cup(s) uncooked rolled oats
	1/3 cup(s) lard and vegetable oil shortening
	1 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
	2 large egg(s)
	1/4 cup(s) chopped walnuts

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients. Mash bananas and set aside. Beat eggs, then mix in shortening and milk. Then add banana. Add liquid to dry ingredients. Mix well. Stir in walnuts. Pour into a sprayed bread pan and back for 1 hour. Let cool 10 minutes in pan and then let cool on rack. 

The consensus between Hazel, myself and our babysitter is that it came out great. We each had a few pieces. I think there is some left for Steve, but he worked late tonight. I don't know if he found it when he got home since I was leaving when he came home.

Then for dinner we put some chicken in the slow cooker. Since we had our usual Wednesday babysitter here, I didn't want to spend too much time cooking when I could be doing something else. We changed the salsa chicken recipe I have seen in cook books and heard at WW meetings. I wanted it a little more well balanced. I will serve this with rice tonight. Oh, and my chicken was frozen. Hopefully it cooks in time.

Hazel helped with this as well. I didn't let her touch the chicken, but she loved adding the vegetables, salsa and canned goods. And of course turning it on. Sorry I didn't take any pictures of this.

Salsa & Vegetable Chicken

Your Recipe

5PointsPlus Value

Serves: 6

Ingredients

	6 item(s) cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast(s)
	1 cup(s) fat free salsa
	2 cup(s) canned diced tomatoes
	1/2 package(s) frozen mixed vegetables
	1 1/2 cup(s) canned black beans

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients into slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 hours or if chicken breasts are frozen cook on high for an hour and low for 4 hours.

Again, we all liked it. This Steve did tell me was good as well. So it got four thumbs up. We had it with rice but you could also serve it in a taco shell or tortilla. My little kitchen helper loves to help prepare all meals. Of course her favorite thing is to chop the vegetables now that I got her a cutting board and chopper. We seem to be eating a lot of zucchini now that she is chopping since it is easy for her to cut. Unfortunately, it is not one of our favorite vegetables here, but we are learning to love it.

How do you let your kids help you in the kitchen?

Places I sometimes share.