Good Day Columbus - Packing Your Lunch

This morning I got to spend some time with the Good Day Columbus crew at Fox28 (check out the video here).  It was a lot of fun seeing everything that goes on behind the scenes and all of the fun segments they get to do.  I helped out with some tips on packing sandwiches for lunches, whether that's for your lunch or your kids' lunch.  It was kind of a mini Chopped challenge to think of some interesting ways to use Klosterman's bread (Ohio family owned bread company).  So here are the three super easy, super quick, all vegetarian sandwiches I came up with....

Peanut Butter Banana Rollup

Perfect for kids!  Just smear some peanut butter on two slices of bread, split the banana in half with your fingers, and wrap the bread around the banana like a taco.  The peanut butter will keep the bread "stuck" to the banana and prevent the banana from oxidizing.  Also delicious toasted a bit for ooey gooey peanut buttery goodness!

Avocado Tomato and Cheese

Kind of your vegetarian BLT.  Avocado makes everything better and a packed lunch is no exception.  Bring the avocado with you if you're worried about browning because all it takes is a spoon to scoop and squish!  The avocado and the cheese act as barriers for your bread to keep from getting soggy from the juicy tomatoes... and I hate soggy bread... you know I'm not recommending anything that would leave you with a soggy mess.  :)

Pear and Brie

During the winter I was obsessed with this panini!  I made them several days in a row, which never happens in my house... we're all about variety.  Even though melty brie is the best, you can still get a good cold sandwich out of this cold duo.  Just slice up the pear and the brie and layer it on.  Extra points for a toaster oven at work because nothing beats melty brie!  :)

 

Here are a couple sneak peeks to the behind-the-scenes view on the Good Day Columbus set...

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins - total time 45 minutes

Banana bread muffins used to be something I baked pretty frequently.  I always bought bananas and never seemed to eat all of them before a few turned "extra ripe".  Every time I would tweak the recipe... add cinnamon, mix in some brown sugar, a little lemon zest... I would bring some over to my grandma and she would tell me if it was a good tweak or if something was missing.  Then we would talk for an hour or more about random things.  She always had a good story to tell, even if I had already heard it seven times it was still fascinating.

Over Thanksgiving my dad wondered aloud where I got the cooking and baking gene from.  Definitely not from my parents; they will fully admit to that.  It is completely from my grandma who taught me so much.  Who cooked and baked from scratch nearly every day.  Who showed me how to garden and how much fun it could be.  Who inspired a craft project one hour and timed me in my math tables the next.  Who taught me how to be thrifty and appreciating what I have.  Who had a kind heart, but knew when tough love was needed.

After she passed, I didn't bake banana bread muffins for a while...  I have only made them a few times since then and it brings back those happy memories every time.  It's just one of those things that will always be connected.  I brought out my recipe card, stained with butter grease and smashed banana... and made one tweak. 

As we celebrate the holidays, do you have a tradition that has passed down over generations that reminds you of specific friends or family members?  If you are looking for a banana bread recipe, this one is pretty basic.  Maybe it could become part of your family tradition.  All I know is this recipe is grandma-approved... :)

Poptails - total time 2.25 hours

Beach vacations always call for some cold, boozy drinks.  The forecast is 90s and sunny on the beach this week... so I'm thinking those cold drinks need to be frozen!  Before we left, I test out a couple poptail recipes... popsicle cocktails... yummy!  Just a few ingredient mixed with some booze make some really tasty frozen treats.

I experimented with four recipes... a yogurt mudslide, blackberry cheesecake, banana Nutella, and piña colada.  All were pretty tasty... but I picked two to make at the beach this time.  And the winners are yogurt mudslide and banana Nutella (the two with chocolate, I guess that isn't too surprising).  (For more ideas go to endless simmer.)

The instructions for all four poptails is the same... blend all the ingredients together, pour into popsicle mold and add popsicle stick, and freeze for about two hours (depending on your popsicle molds and freezer).  All ingredients listed below will make about eight popsicles...

French Toast King Style - total time 20 minutes

I really don't know much about Elvis, but he knew what he was talking about when it came to peanut butter and banana sandwiches!  He would have loved this melty, ooey gooey french toast.  Good thing it is quick and easy because I am really not a morning person even though I love breakfast.  So easy that even if my brain is still half asleep it still comes out delicious!

Chocolate Covered Banana Cupcakes - total time 1 hour

It seems like every time I buy bananas I always end up forgetting about them and baking (I submit chocolate chip banana cookies, cinnamon swirl banana muffins, and banana PB muffins as evidence).  Considering how much I put bananas into my baking, I am always surprised to find out how many people don't like bananas.  I think I found the trick though.  Staining the mashed bananas gives the baked good a lighter banana flavor and keeps the cake a pretty yellow (instead of the speckled brown like banana bread).  It takes a little longer and it is a bit messy... but is definitely worth doing... at least once in a while.

Cupcake
1 cup ripe bananas, mashed and strained
.5 cup butter
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup cream
.5 cup creme fraiche
1 tbsp vanilla
.25 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking soda

Chocolate Buttercream
2.5 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter
splash of cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp cocoa

Ganache
1 cup chocolate chips
splash of milk

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mash banana, then push through strainer to remove all lumps.
2.  Whip butter and sugar in mixer.  Add eggs and blend well.  Add salt, vanilla, and baking soda.  Add one cup of flour, blend well, then a half cup of cream.  Add another cup of flour, blend, then a half cup of creme fraiche.  Add the final cup of flour, blend well, then the last half cup of cream.
3. Add in the strained bananas and pour batter into lined muffin cups and bake for 12 minutes.
4.  Whip butter in mixer.  Add vanilla, cream, and cocoa.  Add a small amount of powdered sugar at a time until combined.  Add until you get desired frosting consistency.
5.  Either in a double boiler or microwave, melt one cup of chocolate.  Add a splash of cream and stir.  Spread ganache on top pf each cupcake creating a barrier between the cake and frosting.  Pipe frosting on top of each cupcake and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Cookies - total time 1 hour

I used to make banana bread often.  But since I have started making an effort to eat locally/seasonally... bananas are never really in season in Ohio (pawpaws taste similar, but are hard to find).  So when I got bananas from the grocery store the other day, I forgot we had them!  They ripened to the point they were just too mushy to eat and I didn't want banana bread... but how about banana cookies!  I'm always up for some cookies, these guys are light like banana bread, but sweet and chocolaty like the normal chocolate chip variety.  They got the co-worker seal of approval as the whole jar was gone by lunch time.  Yum!

2.5 cups flour
2 ripe bananas
4 tbsp butter
3 tbsp peanut butter
.5 sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp baking soda
1 pinch salt
8 oz chocolate chips
top with vanilla sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mash butter and bananas in mixer until well combined.  Add both sugars and beat on high for one minute.  Add in peanut butter, egg, and vanilla; mix slowly.
2.  Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add a half cup at a time into the banana mixture.  Add chocolate chips.
3.  Refridgerate dough for one hour!  This allows the flour to absorb the fat (PB and butter) but is short enough to prevent the banana from browning.
4.  Bake for 12 minutes and allow to cool on a rack.

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Muffins - total time 40 minutes

I love bananas and cinnamon sugar, so this combination made sense to try... and it is delicious!  Essentially it is basic banana bread with a cinnamon sugar swirl in the middle,  then topped with cinnamon sugar like the Baked Doughnuts I love to make.  I took them into work and they were gone quick (100% sell thru).

3 ripe bananas

.333 cup butter

.5 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1.5 cup flour

.25 sugar & 2 tbsp cinnamon for cinnamon sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mash the bananas in mixer, add butter and sugar and beat together.  Add egg, vanilla, and baking soda.  Slowly add flour while mixing.  In a separate bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar.

2.  Pour batter into muffin cups, about .333 full.  Add a pitch of cinnamon sugar on top of the batter.  Add more batter and another pinch of cinnamon sugar.  Bake for 30 minutes.

3.  Melt two tablespoons of butter in bowl.  Dip top of each muffin in the butter and then the remaining cinnamon sugar.  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Saturday mornings are usually reserved for pancakes... some times with eggs... but this time it was sweet pancakes!  My pancake mix is already banana flavored, but it would be easy to mash up some ripe bananas and add to regular pancake mix.  Add a tablespoon of Better'n peanut butter (it is creamier and less calories), a teaspoon of vanilla, and some dark chocolate chips.  Cook in some melted butter.  Drizzle some dark chocolate sauce over top.  So tasty!  I am making this every weekend from now on!  :o)

 

Looks delicious even without the chocolate sauce.

Look at the Snoop dog waiting patiently with a piece of pancake on his paw.  He loves both PB and bananas... so I can't believe he waited long enough for me to take this picture (or really long enough not to snatch it out of my hand)!

Banana PB Muffins - total time 40 minutes

These muffins are great for breakfast on the go or add some Nutella on top for a sweet treat!

3 bananas

2 tbsp butter

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

.333 cup brown sugar

.5 jar of Better'n peanut butter

.5 cup applesauce (or one snack pack shown below)

1 tsp baking soda

.5 tsp salt

1.5 cups flour

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Mash bananas in mixer.  Add butter, applesauce, eggs, vanilla, and brown sugar, blend together.  Add peanut butter (more if you want more peanut butter flavor, less if you want more banana flavor).

2. Add baking soda and salt.  Add flour slowly until well blended.  Transfer batter into muffin trays.  Bake 18 minutes for small muffins, 22 minutes for large muffins.