Banana Cupcakes

What do you do when your 2 year old daughter says in her sweet little voice, "mommy, let's play in your kitchen" (as opposed to the one she got for Christmas)?

You make cupcakes.

Or "happy cakes" as my daughter says.

I got this recipe from a Taste of Home cupcake contest. With a little GFing they turned out pretty good, but anything is with cream cheese frosting. They taste a lot like banana bread in a cupcake form.

(ohhh, haha! I just noticed the loaf of bread in the background. Oops, shouldn't be posting that on a GF blog...)

Banana Cupcakes

1/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 large banana)

1 t. vanilla

1 cup GF mix

1 t. xanthan gum

1/2 t. rounded baking soda

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. salt

1/4 cup sour cream

Frosting:

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 t. vanilla

1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

3 T. chopped walnuts (optional)

In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt; add to creamed mixture. Mix in sour cream.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Bake at 350 for 18-22 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 mins before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

For frosting , in a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and vanilla. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Frost cupcakes; sprinkle with walnuts. Store in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Mallow Cake

Don't make this if you don't want to know what it feels like to be the most popular person in the room.

But if you do...this is it!

This is seriously one of my favorite desserts. I've made it twice now, one weekend apart.

It's too die for.

I found the original recipe on dana-made-it.com, but I had to do some modifying to make it GF. The cake stays moist for days, not hours and everyone who has tried it can't believe it's gluten free. I can't myself.

You can make this from start to finish in about an hour (including clean up) so this is a great recipe for those, "oops, I forgot I need to bring something" moments.

And, if you are like me, and have no self control when it comes to cake, marshmallows, and chocolate over-load it might be better to just make 1/2 a batch. I have included measurements for both a 9x13 pan and an 8x8.

Hope you like it as much as I do!

Chocolate Mallow Cake

9x13 recipe:

1 cup boiling water

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups GF mix

1 rounded t. xanthan gum

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk mixed with 1 T. vinegar)

1/2 cup oil

1 t. vanilla

Chocolate Satin Frosting (recipe below)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan. Bring some water to boil and keep it simmering while you make the batter.

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour, xanthan gum, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer for 30 seconds.

Add 1 cup boiling water and carefully stir until the water is mixed in, beat for 1 1/2 minutes.

Pour the batter into the 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 35-38 minutes or just until the top springs back when lightly touched.

Make the frosting while the cake is baking. When the cake is done, pour the warm frosting over the hot cake.

Chocolate Satin Frosting

1/2 cup butter

6 T. buttermilk (or 6 T. milk mixed with 1 t. vinegar)

4 T. cocoa powder

1 16oz box powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

2 cups marshmallows

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, milk and cocoa. Cook, stirring constantly, just until it comes to a boil, remove from heat.

Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until frosting is nearly smooth.

Add the marshmallows, then pour the warm frosting over the hot cake, gently spreading until it covers the cake evenly. Cool to room temperature before serving.

8x8 Measurements

(Do all the same instructions)

1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup sugar

1/2 c. + 6 T. GF mix

1 scant t. xanthan gum

6 T. cocoa powder

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 egg

1/2 c. buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 T. vinegar)

1/4 c. oil

1/2 t. vanilla

Chocolate Satin Frosting

1/4 cup butter

3 T. buttermilk (or 3 T. milk mixed with 1/2 t. vinegar)

2 T. cocoa powder

8 oz powdered sugar

1/2 t. vanilla

1 cup marshmallows (I really like marshmallows so I still added about 2 cups!)

Lime Chicken Fajitas

This was our dinner table:

Lime Chicken Fajitas,

and they were dang good.

Betcha you are wishin' you were eating dinner over here, huh!

These fajitas were so good, so spicy, so full of flavor I will definately be making them again.

They come together really fast and easy, and would probably be even easier if you made the marinade a few hours before dinner, instead of the 30 minutes before, like I did.

Either way they are delish!

Enjoy!

Ohhh, how I love the smell of sauted onions and peppers!

Get the recipe with pictured instructions here by Dana, who got the recipe from Guy's Big Bites.

Alfredo Fettuccine

I know that I have posted other Alfredo sauce recipes, but hands down this is the best.

Paul said it tasted like we were dining at the Olive Garden...I guess I should have lit some candles, next time. It's super easy so I will have time to decorate next time!

I got this recipe from a neighborhood cookbook from my sister in law. This recipe is from a lady whose relative who said it came from the Olive Garden, so maybe that's why it was so good.

I made this recipe a little "healthier" if an Alfredo sauce can be. I'll note the changes I made in parenthesis.

Alfredo Fettuccine

1 pt. heavy cream (1 c. heavy cream, 1 c. half and half)

1 stick butter (just 1/2 a stick)

2 T. cream cheese (reduced fat)

3/4 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 T. garlic powder

Salt to taste

Combine the first three ingredients and simmer until melted. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15-20 min. Serve over warm GF fettuccine noodles.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Apple Cider Syrup

You know those nights you just need something fast and easy, not much prep, and tastes good.

Those nights for us are the "breakfast for dinner" nights.

I love them.

I made these pancakes, I got the recipe from Aubrey over at Tasty Little Morsels, and with a little modification they are great tasting pancakes with a great GF texture.

I would only make 1/2 the recipe of syrup, unless you are a major syrup eater, we have at least a cup leftover.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 eggs

3/4 c. pumpkin

1/4 c. oil

Mix together. Add in:

2 T. sugar

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 1/2 cups GF mix

1/2 t. rounded xanthan gum

1/2 t. each: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda and salt.

Mix together with the wet ingredients and then stir in about 1 1/2 c. milk or until desired consistency. Cook on a hot griddle and serve with Apple Cider Syrup.

Apple Cider Syrup

1 c. sugar

2 T. cornstarch

2 c. apple juice or cider

2 T. lemon juice

Mix well and boil for 1 minute.

Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry

New Years Resolution: Eat more veggies.

And this recipe is loaded.

I found this little gem on the Eating Well website (which is one of my new fav. recipe sites).

It has a really nice lemon flavor. I was nervous at first because the good reviews said "love that lemon" and all the bad reviews said "too much lemon, yuck".

But my non-lemon loving husband thought it was terrific!

(I am a lemon-lover)

So if you are worried about being with bad reviewers, just half the fresh lemon juice and zest.

Enjoy and Happy New Year!

{I took this pic with my iPhone, pretty good huh! Ok I know what you are thinking, welcome to 2011!}

• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 10 ounces mushrooms, halved or quartered
• 1 cup diagonally sliced carrots, (1/4 inch thick)
• 2 cups snow peas, (6 ounces), stems and strings removed
• 1 bunch scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces, white and green parts divided
• • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• • 
    

1. Grate 1 teaspoon lemon zest and set aside. Juice the lemon and whisk 3 tablespoons of the juice with broth, soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate with tongs. Add mushrooms and carrots to the pan and cook until the carrots are just tender, about 5 minutes. Add snow peas, scallion whites, garlic and the reserved lemon zest. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Whisk the broth mixture and add to the pan; cook, stirring, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add scallion greens and the chicken and any accumulated juices; cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Serve over rice noodles or cooked brown rice.