Banana Corn Cakes

Everyone loves pancakes. But some of you may have never heard of their Southern cousin, the corn cake. With a slightly heavier texture and a more savory taste, they are generally served alongside meals instead of with syrup for breakfast. I renovated an old classic corn cake recipe so I could serve these for the morning rush.

Ingredients:

1 8.5oz box Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 egg

2 tbsp. melted butter

3/4 cup milk

2 small bananas, peeled and mashed

Preheat pancake griddle or pan. Place bananas in a large bowl and mash them. Add all remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Batter will be a little lumpy. Spoon onto griddle and flip corn cake when bubbles appear and edges are set. Makes 10-12 cakes.

Grab a fork and your favorite honey or syrup, pile them up, and dig in! These cakes can also be made ahead of time and individually frozen on a cookie sheet placed in the freezer. When frozen, just place in a freezer bag and pull out and reheat as you would your favorite frozen convenience pancake.



Sending warm wishes and positive vibes to those of you that are currently struggling! Hang in there, the sun will shine again soon!

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

Hope ya'll had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Ours was frequented by bouts of rain, but we still had a good time overall. Honestly, I didn't cook that much. We dined out most of the weekend at our favorite local restaurants. It's been hot here and that always kills my motivation to fire up the oven. One of the dishes I do enjoy when summer sets in is this Black Bean & Corn Salsa. It is yummy cold with tortilla chips. It also pairs well warm with your favorite lean white meat.

Ingredients: (Can easily be doubled.)

1 15oz. can black beans (drained & rinsed)
1 15oz. can whole kernel corn (drained)
1 14oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies (a.k.a. Rotel tomatoes, I use mild.)
chopped fresh oregano (to taste, optional)
chopped fresh cilantro (to taste, optional)
salt & pepper (to taste)

For salsa:

Mix everything together in a large bowl, seasoning to taste with herbs. If desired, juice of a fresh lime can be added for an extra flavor boost. Serve with tortilla chips.

For side dish:

Add black beans, corn, diced tomatoes with green chilies, salt, and pepper to a large pot and cook on stovetop at medium-high heat until warmed through. Remove from heat and add freshly chopped herbs. Stir to combine. Great served alongside lean pork or chicken.

Mexican Cornbread Casserole

 

This Mexican Cornbread Casserole is both delicious and filling. The original recipe came out of an old church cookbook I treasure. However, like most recipes, I've tweaked it to my taste.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 15 oz. can chili beans
2 cups of salsa (I use mild.)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 14oz. can of fiesta corn (or whole kernel corn), drained
1 packet taco seasoning

Topping:

2 boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown ground beef and onion on stovetop at high heat. Pour into a 13x9 baking dish. Add taco seasoning, chili beans, salsa, cheddar cheese, fiesta corn, and sour cream. Mix until combined.

 

In a large bowl combine cornbread mix, eggs, and milk. Stir thoroughly. Pour evenly over ground beef filling. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 6.

 



Country-Style Zucchini Bread

 

 

Every summer I plant zucchini squash and every summer I end up with too many plants maturing all at once. And even after sharing with all of my neighbors, I would still have a lot left over. That's when I began hiding my plentiful squash in muffins, breads, and cakes. I love this recipe that came out of my local Carolina Country magazine years ago. It actually lists it as a cake and calls for a cream cheese frosting, but I have always omitted the frosting and baked it in a loaf pan as you would bread.

 

Ingredients:

2 cups of finely grated zucchini

1 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups self-rising flour

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 8oz. can crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup chopped pecans

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the oil, white sugar, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and eggs in a large bowl. Slowly add the flour in and mix well. Then add the zucchini, pineapple, and pecans and stir to combine. Pour into two loaf pans, or if you prefer, a 13x9 cake pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until golden brown and bread springs back when touched.

 

I found this recipe plenty sweet enough without adding the cream cheese frosting. But for those of you who would like to serve it as a cake, I will include the frosting recipe.

 

Cream Cheese Frosting:

 

1 8oz. package of softened cream cheese

1/2 cup softened butter

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

 

Cream butter and cream cheese together. Add powdered sugar in slowly and mix to combine. Add vanilla extract and stir well. Spread frosting over completely cooled cake.

 

Good eats!

Easy Can Up-cycle!

             

 

This is easy can up-cycle that even the youngest toddler can achieve. And the best part is that you probably have all the items you need laying around the house. My son had a ball doing this and he was very proud of his finished product. He even insisted that I put his prized toy front loader in the picture with it.

 

For this craft you will need:

 

an empty, clean metal can

an old sock (white or lighter color)

liquid food coloring

tape

 

Place can into sock until the top of the can is even with the top of the sock. Cut off sock below the bottom of the can. Have your child take the food coloring and drip dots and make designs all around the outside of the sock while it's still on the can. Once your child has finished with their design, remove sock and rinse under cold water. Note that the colors and design will bleed, becoming abstract. Wring out excess water and hang to dry. When dry, place sock back on can and fold under the loose sock end and tape in place on the inside.

 

I am using our can to hold pens on my desk. These would look great in multiples for a craft room or office. This would also be a great and inexpensive gift for Dad this upcoming Father's Day.

Banana Nut Muffin Cheat!

I love fresh banana nut muffins made from scratch, but as a busy mom of an active toddler I lack the time to make them. So here's where Nana's great fake-out tip comes into play. Easy, toddler-approved, and ready to eat in under 30 minutes!

You only need these two ingredients plus milk.

 

 

First, mash the ripe banana in a bowl. This is my son's favorite job! He loves cooking with me. Then add the muffin mix and the milk as directed on the back of the package. Stir to combine. Then pour into a muffin tin and bake in an oven that's been preheated to 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until risen and lightly golden. One pack of muffin mix usually yields 6 medium muffins.

 

 

Then just sit back and enjoy a nice cup of coffee while you watch as your muffins disappear. Seriously so good that you would never know that they were not completely homemade. I've sent these to school, work, and on fishing/hunting trips and the bag always comes back empty with rave reviews.