Peanut Butter Popcorn

I really shouldn't blog late at night... 
I think I need to make some!

A favorite... and honestly a neighborhood favorite.  :O)  You know you've got a good recipe when the kids down the street ask for it once in a while!  I love this popcorn not only for the three different sugars it's made with, but mostly I love this popcorn because it has peanut butter in it!  I can eat A LOT of this without feeling super sick... YEAH!  

My theory:  The peanut butter evens things out with my blood sugar before my body hits the overload line.  So maybe not such a good thing... and yet it is indeed.  :O)

This post was asked for long ago when this little blog was started and I asked for requests.  I have a friend, who has since moved, that went to our church.  I made this for a church activity she attended and unknown to all of us... she was pregnant!  And while she was pregnant THIS was one of the few things she could eat.   

So before we get started, TWO things:

1- You DON'T have to eat peanut butter popcorn until you get sick just to see where your overload line is.

2- You DON'T have to be pregnant to feel like this is one of the few things you can eat.  (You can pretty much eat this whenever you'd like... I'm finally adding it into my blog.)  ;O)

Peanut Butter Popcorn

1 C. popcorn kernels, air-popped

cooking spray

½ C. honey

½ C. corn syrup

1 C. sugar

1 C. peanut butter - your favorite

1 tsp vanilla

Pop 1 cup popcorn kernels according to your manufacture's instructions.  Separate the popcorn from the un-popped kernels and into two to three bowls very lightly sprayed with cooking spray.

In a medium space pan, combine honey, sugar and corn syrup.  Bring to a light boil and boil 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. 

Pour even amounts of peanut butter glaze over popcorn in each bowl ONE AT A TIME, and stir to coat.

Pull mixture out of each bowl as completed and onto a piece of parchment paper.  Let cool.

If there is any left to store...  Keep in an air-tight container.

Bret Sr. loves this Natural Jif Creamy...
I prefer Adams Crunchy, but have a hard
time locating Adams PB here in Texas  :O)

When you get your mixture to an easy boil,
set your timer and make sure you have your popcorn all the way ready.
You'll have to move quickly once your done boiling
and then add your favorite PB and vanilla.

This mixture will start setting up FAST!
And you want it on your popcorn... not stuck in your pan.  

Separating your popcorn from the un-popped kernels
will save you from dental pain later!
And this is where I get to say I am not liable for you forgetting...
(you got TWO REMINDERS!)  :O)

Using parchment paper keeps your counters happy!

TIP:  Do NOT use wax paper...
you might end up with wax-paper-PB popcorn.
YUCK

I really shouldn't blog late at night...
I think I need to make some!

A funny little thing:  Payton Olivia likes to call the
pieces with LOTS of coating "juicy".

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Mama Jo's Banana Bread

Hello y'all!  It's been so long... I'm so sorry for that!  My little blog looks sad without having any posts for June... July... August... OR September!  I had a lot of fun this summer with my cute parade of kids - I just feel bad for YOU!  I had amazing plans to blog nothing but waffles in August - looks like we will have to save that one for another month ;0)

But since we are on the subject of breakfast --- let's get back to banana bread!  

(Say what? Huh, Jo -  Breakfast??? Really?  Banana bread for a breakfast food?) Heck yes!  With scrambled eggs and/or green smoothie - BEST BREAKFAST ever.  Ask my kids how many times I made it this week... and how many times I DIDN'T make oatmeal (please re-read granola blog for family insight with the oatmeal).

So it's official.  I found my blog again and remembered my password...  

This is for all you ladies out there making oatmeal all week long - I'm no longer one of you, and Payton Olivia is more than a little grateful.  :0)

BANANA BREAD

1. CREAM:

1/2 cup softened butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 egg yolks  (SAVE your egg whites!  

Put them aside in a bowl to whisk at the VERY end...)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2. COMBINE:

2 cups mashed bananas (about 5-7 ripe bananas)

1-2 teaspoons lemon juice

3. ADD:

  1/2 cup buttermilk

4. MIX IN A SEPARATE BOWL:

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour

Heat oven to 350.  

Cream together softened butter with the sugar.  

Then add and mix in egg yolks and vanilla.  

Mix well with a hand held mixer.

In their own bowl, pile up 5-7 naked bananas.  

Add 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice.  

Using the same hand held mixer, mash up all your bananas with the lemon juice.  

Combine with your creamed ingredients.

Add 1/2 cup buttermilk to the creamed items and mashed bananas; mixing with the hand held mixer.

Then add the combined dry ingredients; 

mixing again with a hand held mixer.

Beat the egg whites in a bowl until light and fluffy with a small whisk or fork.

Fold in beaten egg whites.

***Grease baking dish(s) with refined coconut oil (LouAna's is best!), or Pam cooking spray if you are doing a designed baking pan, and dust with sugar.  

(The stars are to make sure you know this is important --- grease, then dust with sugar... If you have questions about the sugar dusting, please re-read Emily's Brownie post.  If you still have questions after that, please don't ask them.  It's best with the dusting of sugar.  I can't promise amazing without it...) 

Fill whatever you are baking in NEARLY to the top!  

You only want to leave 1/2 inch space between the level of your batter and the top of your pan.  No more, no less. 

--- Note the edges in the photos for this step.

Bake muffins for 15-20 minutes.  

Small loaves 25-35 minutes.  

Large loaf 40-60 minutes.  

(OR UNTIL CAKE TESTER OR THIN KNIFE COMES OUT CLEAN and BREAD IS A DEEP GOLDEN BROWN.)

My pictured (AND FAVORITE FOR THIS!) bundt pan is a Pampered Chef Stoneware with 6 bundts.  They take 35-40 minutes.

Grab up all your ingredients
- plus 3 medium bowls,
one small bowl for your egg whites,
and all baking tools that make you happy...

Get your butter softened, and add sugar.
Get your bananas undressed ;0)
And put together your dry ingredients.

Using a hand mixer makes going from bowl to bowl
and adding ingredients easy peasy...
If you don't have one, get yourself one for Christmas
and mix thoroughly by hand until you do.

Add vanilla and egg yolks into your mixed butter and sugar.
Be sure to dump your egg whites in a small mixing bowl!
You still need them... just not right now.

Grab  your bowl of naked bananas and add lemon juice.
Pull them through your mixing beaters until mashed.

Don't kill your bananas and mash them
past chunky and into puree...
you want your banana bread to be a bit lumpy.  

Add your mashed bananas into
your creamed ingredients.  Mix.
Then add 1/2 cup buttermilk.  Mix.

Add your combined dry ingredients
and mix into your main bowl.
Batter will be very thick.

This little whisk is bliss! 
A fork or small whisk will do the trick...
This is the "before" on your egg whites
in that small mixing bowl.
You need a little elbow room
to get this done right,
so don't put it in a cereal bowl.
(You will have regrets and extra clean-up.)

TA DA!!!
Please make sure they are light and fluffy
before adding to your main mixing bowl...

Fold egg whites into your mixture gently.
Folding gently means you are patient...
It will happen, but it takes a moment!
This process makes this bread light and fluffy,
so it's worth it!
I pinkie promise...  :0)


   

Sugar.  Your.  Pans.

Fill up your pans nearly to the top with batter...
Pretty dang close to the top!  
About a 1/2 inch if you need to be precise.

Starting to brown up at 30 minutes...
However - cake tester came out
sticky and these pretties are 
NOT a deep golden brown.

MUCH   BETTER!

Let rest 10 minutes before bumping out of the pans!
They will break and fall apart if you don't...
Still eatable, just a big pile though and not very pretty.

Someone please invent a
"scratch-and-sniff" computer photo...  
:0)

ENJOY!!!
Breakfast... luncheon... 
family night treat... 
Sunbeam snack...
YES  PLEASE!

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Frozen Chocolate Bananas

It's nearly here!!!   

SUMMER!!!

And with it...   "MOM,  THERE'S  NOTHING  TO  EAT... "

Really?  Nothing???  Wow... that's really strange how there's fruit and veggies in the fridge along with three dinners of left-overs, Mac and Cheese in the pantry that 3 out of 4 of you know how to make, snacks in the snack box... Huh.  Yup.  Nothing.  So strange.

So here's a little something to make out of "nothing"!  Plus, it is FROZEN and therefore doubles as a popsicle.  

SUMMER!!!

So let's get this one going, and make enough to last a few days.  But before you start, you should know that it is easy... Easier than easy!!!  In fact, have your kids read this and let them make it!!!

Here's what you'll need for a dozen:

6 ripe small to medium bananas - barely green at the stem are best

(but not overly ripe... save those for banana bread or green smoothies) 

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup refined coconut oil - (without the coconut taste)

SPRINKLES!  :O)

12 popsicle sticks or short kabob sticks

parchment paper

baking sheet

microwavable bowl 

Optional:  1-2 kids to make this for you... 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the bananas in half and insert a popsicle stick or short kabob stick into each half at the base where cut.

Place them on the baking sheet and freeze for at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate with the coconut oil in a 

microwavable bowl in the microwave.  

Check mixture and stir every 30 seconds until chocolate is 

melted without any lumps, usually 2-4 minutes 

(but don't forget to check and stir every 30 seconds!).

Stir until smooth.

Roll each banana half in the chocolate and then place on 

the parchment paper at least an inch apart.

Quickly sprinkle with your topping of choice (if using).

 Freeze until the chocolate sets – 30 minutes.

YUM!!!  

Serve or freeze in an airtight container for up to a week.

These ended up being our family home evening treat on Sunday.

It's what we had on hand without running to the store... 

Not the chocolate cake requested, but we made something out of nothing!!!

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Lemon - GARLIC - Grilled Pork

HECK YES THIS IS AWESOME!!!  

I'm sharing something I've never written down, so listen up...

I honestly cannot tell you who's recipe this is.  (Greg's or Tasha's)  However, I do know when and where I had it for the first time:  after church, the Schroeder's house. 

I can confirm that notes were passed back and forth to verify ingredients during church (but AFTER the sacrament was passed...)  :O)  to convey dinner plans.  Which was pretty much the Sunday scenario for three years in a row AT LEAST every other Sunday.  I don't know what year it was, but I don't think there was a Miss Bret Annalese yet, so around 8 years ago. ??? Yeah.  Pretty sure... 

(Note to Schroeder's: Those Sundays evenings filled with dinner, kids, and everything-in-between are thought of often and missed!)  :O)  xoxox  Bret Sr., Jo and Davis Parade

"Give a Mouse a Cookie" storyline for Lemon - GARLIC - Grilled Pork:

This is one of those recipes where you make it ALL the time - and then have to take a break - and then you forget how easy and WONDERFUL it is...  AND THEN...  pork shoulder or pork loin goes on sale...  and thinking of things to use up the 20 or so pounds of pork you've bought you REMEMBER  THIS  RECIPE...  and then you make it...  and wonder why it every left your dinner rotation!  

This exact storyline happened a few weeks ago in my kitchen.  

As I went through the process of making this recipe for my family, I actually measured and I wrote down amounts of ingredients that I normally just eyeball.  I had gone looking through my hand-written-on-the-back-of-a-Schroeder-Twin Falls-utility bill-envelope for this recipe and realized I'd never written anything down.  THIS IS THE FIRST OFFICIAL SHARING.  :O)  love y'all!!! 

AND YES... it is that easy.  My brain can remember this recipe without too much effort!  (Plus it helps to make it a lot.)

So thank you Schroeder's... please fight over credit for this one and let me know who's it was first.  :O)

What You'll Need:    

1/2 hour to 4 hours to marinate

4 lbs.  Pork Shoulder or Pork Loin

2 REAL lemons - not bottle lemon juice (don't try to cheat)

1 bundle of garlic - pressed or minced

2 teaspoons garlic salt

3 Tablespoons oregano

1/4 cup and 2 Tablespoons olive oil

foil - 6 square pieces 

1-2   loaves natural yeast bread or French Bread from a store bakery

Sanitarily (WOOOOO... yes.  That is a word.  Didn't make it up!)

Okay, sanitarily ;0) cut up your pork shoulder or loin and trim off any large pieces of fat.  Cut your meat into nearly bite-size pieces.  Note: Pork loin is defiantly easier to cut into cubes, but usually needs a bit more time to marinate and is not as tender.

Half your lemons and juice completely.  Add lemon juice of both lemons to pork and stir.

Add remaining ingredients to your bowl of meat.  Stir until combine well.  Let sit and marinate in the fridge for a minimum of a 1/2 hour for pork shoulder, and a minimum of an hour for pork loin.

When you're ready to get dinner on the grill, pre-heat your grill on med-high for 10 minutes.

Here's your project for the 10 minute pre-heat wait:
Take 2 of your square foil pieces and fold both layers together rolling the sides up to form a bowl.  Repeat using 2 square foil pieces at a time until you have 3 foil "bowls".

When your grill and foil bowls are ready, haul everything out to your grill and put your EMPTY foil bowls on the grill.  Place the foil bowls close together on the grill, and divide the meat evenly between the 3 bowls.  Make sure all the meat is touching the foil and NOT stacked.  

Shut your grill lid and leave the meat alone for 7-8 minutes.  

Stir meat around, basically gently pushing the meat around so that you do not puncture your foil bowls.  :0/

Note: You want the marinate for your French or Natural Yeast bread you've waiting to eat with your meat!!!  You do not want a hole in a foil bowl and loose all that amazingness... Plus, you need it for stove re-heating if there are any left-overs.  Can't guarantee leftovers...

After GENTLY stirring... pushing meat around... Shut your grill lid again and leave the meat alone for 7-8 minutes.  

Meat is done when you can cut it in half with a fork and a pieces are slightly brown around the edges.

Remove foil bowls from the grill as best you can without losing any marinade it has cooked in and stack them together into a serving platter or large bowl.  (Using grill tongs to pinch the edges together, and then lifting one at a time off the grill works best for me.)

VERY  IMPORTANT  LAST  STEP:   Let your meat rest in the foil for 10 minutes.

I serve this lemon GARLIC pork with bread - the cooked marinate is amazing... dip into it with some French or Natural Yeast bread... HEAVEN!!!  

Serve this dinner with green salad, and a seasonal fruit... or just have a green smoothie and call it good for both fruit and veggie!  Love this for a summer dinner, it's as easy soup and everyone is grateful I'm NOT serving soup on a 95 degree day of sun and humidity!  :0)

UPDATES:

If... (sarcastic laughing cued here...) you end up with leftovers, DO NOT REFRIGERATE IN THE FOIL.  Keep until left-over night in the fridge without the foil.  

EASY RE-HEAT:  

Stove top with a pan on low, lid on.   OR   Crock-Pot on LOW 2-3 hours.  

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