banana blueberry coffeecake.

Coffeecake is already a wonderful thing but coffeecake with bananas AND blueberries make it even more wonderful. This breakfast treat was moist and rich. It was a positively perfect combination of banana bread and a blueberry muffin. It'll make your mouth and belly happy. Guaranteed. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 ripe medium bananas, mashed
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Instructions:

1. Cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Add 3/4 cup of the flour, and beat just until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 3/4 cup of the crumb mixture.

2. To remaining butter/sugar/flour, add 1 cup flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and nutmeg. Mix until combined.

3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, mashed bananas, milk and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and mix just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.

4. Pour into a greased 8 or 9 inch pan and sprinkle with the reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until both topping and cake are golden brown. 

Recipe courtesy of http://cookwithsara.blogspot.com/2009/08/banana-blueberry-coffeecake.html

cookies & cream cookies.

These cookies, hands down, are the best cookies I've ever made and maybe even tasted. I hardly ever get this excited about the things I bake but these cookies were different. The oreos and the white chocolate chips are a perfect combination. I wouldn't change this cookie recipe one bit. It's too perfect and delicious! I found this recipe two weeks ago and have already made them twice!

Look at that chunky deliciousness.

What you need:

2 1/4 cups flour 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter, softened 

1/2 cup packed brown sugar 

1/2 cup white sugar 

1 (4.2 ounce) package Oreo Cookies 'n Creme pudding mix 

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

2 cups white chocolate chips 

15 Oreo cookies, broken or chopped 

What you do:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Cream butter and sugars, add pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. 
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda with a whisk then add it to the butter mixture. 
4. Stir in the chocolate chips and Oreo cookies. 
5. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. 
6. Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven until cookies tops barely have a touch of brown. 

The source of these gems: http://cjaneinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/04/cookies-n-creme-cookies.html

soft-baked monster cookies.

M&Ms, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and oats all in one recipe?! Say what? I say awesomeness. Also I'm not a huge fan of crispy, crunchy cookies but I do just love soft, chewy cookies which is exactly what these are! These cookies are really easy to make (and clean up after!) so get baking my friends!

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour 
1/2 cup oats
3/4 cup M&Ms 
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. 

2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together. Mix in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla (in that order). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Slowly mix in the baking soda and flour. Do not overmix. Fold in the oats, M&Ms, and chocolate chips. If the dough is very soft and unmanageable by hand, chill the dough for 30 minutes before rolling.

3. Rolls balls of dough, about 2 Tablespoons of dough per ball, onto prepared baking sheet. Press a few extra M&Ms on top for looks, if preferred. Bake for 9-10 minutes - do not bake past 10 minutes. The cookies will appear undone. I took mine out at 9 minutes, which is recommended. Slightly press down the baked cookies with the back of a spoon, since the cookies only slightly spread in the oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cookies will firm up as they cool. 

Recipe from http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/01/15/soft-baked-monster-cookies/

spaghetti squash au gratin.

A healthy & delicious spin off of potatoes au gratin.

Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons butter
1/4-1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or more)

Directions:
1. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds. Place in a covered dish with a ¼ inch of water and microwave for 10 -12 minutes.
2. In a medium sized skillet over medium heat, add the butter, onions, red pepper and thyme and cook until the onions are slightly brown in color. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Using a fork, scrape the insides of the squash and transfer to a small bowl.
4. Combine the squash, onions, sour cream and half the cheese together and mix well. Transfer the mixture to a buttered baking dish and top with remaining cheese.
5. Place into a 375º for 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown on top.

Recipe from http://www.food.com/recipe/spaghetti-squash-au-gratin-479755

banana zucchini chocolate chip muffins.

What's the only thing better than banana bread? Banana bread with chocolate chips? No, better than that. The answer: banana bread with chocolate chips AND zucchini [in muffin form]. 

These muffins were the perfect dessert or snack. They're a great way to use brown and mushy bananas. And they are (relatively) healthy too!

What you need:

• 3 very ripe bananas
• 1 cup zucchini, shredded
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2-1 cup chocolate chips (optional, but not really)

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  

2. In a medium bowl mash the bananas with a potato masher or fork.  Add the shredded zucchini, sugar and egg.  Mix well.

3.  In another medium bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Gradually add the dry mix to the wet mix stirring until well combined.

3.  Stir in the melted butter and add the chocolate chips.  

4. Pour into lined muffin pans and bake until a fork or toothpick comes out clean. I won't lie, I don't remember how long I baked them haha oops.  

Variation: Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake in the oven for about 1 hour. Check for doneness by poking the center with a toothpick.  If it comes out mostly clean with a couple of crumbs hanging to it then its done.  If its covered with wet batter then stick the bread back in the oven for 5-10 minutes longer and check again.  When finished let the loaf cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing.  To remove, place a plate on the top of the pan and then flip the pan and plate over together so the bread is upside down on the plate.  Slowly free the bread from the pan then roll the bread right side up.

**Recipe adapted from http://shootsandroots.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/chocolate-chip-banana-zucchini-bread/