Sunday Supper Banana Foster

Banana Foster

There are very few deserts in my opinion which can hit all the notes of flavor as a traditional banana foster.  This simple desert rushes all my five senses into spring.  It beacons me to get out my ice cream maker, cut up some bananas, reach for the rum, and grab a ice cold stick of butter.  It is a favorite in the Davenport house hold.

Serves: 6  Prep time: 5 minutes   Cook time: 7 minutes  Level of difficulty: Silly simple


Ingredients:

Vanilla bean ice cream, homemade or store bought....This time I used store bought.

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tablespoons of brown sugar

1 to 2 pinches of cinnamon

1/4 cup of Rum.... or you can use rum flavoring.  BUT I like to light my banana foster on fire and for that big Ta Da you will need to use real rum.

4 to 5 ripe bananas sliced on a diagonal into about one inch pieces.

4 tablespoons of real butter

1/2 cup of pure maple syrup

Place 4 tablespoons of butter into cast iron skillet or whatever skillet you have along with 3 tablespoons of brown sugar on medium heat until melted.

After the sugar and butter have become friends add your maple syrup to the party. Let that simmer for a minute or so then grab the star of the show...the bananas, add them to the pool of sweet yumminess.

Okay! Now it's time for the big production, the moment when all your guest go Awe!!! Wow!!! Amazing, and gasp at your chef talent!!! Take the skillet off the flame if your working with a gas stove, then add your rum....grab a long lighter and ignite your masterpiece into a flaming ambiance for all to enjoy.  Now your left with only two words to say, "Ta Da".

 












WOW!!!! Love it....Look at that flame!!! If you want to add more of a presentation then throw a few pinches of your cinnamon onto the flame but stand back because the cinnamon causes fireworks.  In know time your banana fosters will be shooting sparks.  It's very exciting!!! Now serve it up...then be very quiet and listen to the sounds of pure delight as your guest experience bananas in a new and magnificent way!

What an evening at the Davenport house we ate bratwursts, sweet potato fries, with spicy beans, and for desert, well you know what we had, my famous banana foster.  Then we all went outside to play catch and enjoy this amazing spring day. I love family day :)

Psalm 37:4, " Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires o your heart."

Homemade Vanilla Almond Milk

Homemade Vanilla Almond Milk


I realized in the last several years when I drink regular milk I feel bloated and tired, so I switch to almond milk and I love it.  You can manipulate the flavor by adding coconut, or almond extract.  You could go wild and add peppermint extract, star anise, eggnog, or whatever your mind can dream up.  To make chocolate almond milk just add 2 tablespoons of cacao powder.  To sweeten your almond milk you could use 2 or 3 medjool dates, agave nectar, or honey works well. I do not sweeten my almond milk except with the dates occasionally.  I find when you add the extracts it flavors the milk perfectly.

Serves: 6     Prep time: 5 minutes  Cook time: 0  Level of difficulty: Silly simple


Ingredients:

2 cups of Raw almonds

6 cups of filtered water...extra for soaking

Vanilla extract

Optional:  medjool dates.....agave nectar...honey

Soak nuts in filtered water for at least 4 hours but overnight is better. Cover nuts with a tea towel.  I did not cover my with a tea towel this time but I usually do and it is the recommended way :) I just forgot....Opps!!!

 
 
















After allowing your nuts to sit overnight, remove any debri that has loosen from the nuts and rinse with filtered water. 

Put nuts into blender... add 6 cups of water blend on high speed until blended.

Pour the blended liquid through a nut milk bag to filter.  Add your sweetener and flavoring :)

ENJOY :)

I put my almond milk in one of the pitchers I inherited from my mom.  I just love using things in my kitchen that was passed down from my grandmother and mother.  Although they are celebrating life in heaven now, using their kitchen gadgets makes me feel like they are cooking right along with me.  Sometimes I can even hear my mom say, "Michele don't over stir your cornbread it will make it tough."  At other times when I'm making my grandmother's dumplings I can hear her say, Shell( cause that's what she called me) make sure you flour your surface before laying out your dough." I think that's probably one of the reason I love to cook so much it makes me feel closer to them in some small way.

Exodus 3:8, "and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites."
Now enjoy the milk in the land He brought you into :)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 



 
 
 



Super Duper Sunday Supper

There is nothing better to me than to walk into my house and smell the aroma of a good old fashion roast cooking in the slow cooker.  The smells usher me back to the late 70's.  I love serving my family in this way, bringing a good meal to the table surrounded by great conversation, followed by a friendly game of dominos. Sunday supper is my favorite meal of the week because I get to spend it with all of my family, everyone gathered at one table for a moment in time, sharing dreams, hopes, and plenty of laughter :)

I got this recipe on Pinterest the pinner said , "it was the best roast they had ever eaten," and I must agree. I will never make a roast any other way!!!!!!

Ingredients:

Serves: 6  Prep time: 20 minutes...Cook time: 8 hours  Level of difficulty...Silly Simple

Roast

1 stick of butter

1 package of Ranch salad dressing  ( I changed it up some and used spicy ranch package)

1 package of Au Jus Gravy

1 jar of pepperoncini peppers

1 Tablespoon steak seasoning

1 Tablespoon of Olive oil


The recipe did not say to brown roast first but I feel like you intensify the flavor if you brown your roast before adding it to your slow cooker with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of steak seasoning.

 Brown Roast

Place your roast in your slow cooker, sprinkle your ranch package over your roast, then sprinkle your Au Jus Gravy package over your roast, place a whole sick of butter on top of the roast. Place the pepperoncini peppers all around the roast place the lid on ....sit back and enjoy the fragrance as it feels your home with memories of a time long ago.

I made fingerling roasted potatoes and sugar snap peas to go along side of the roast. I didn't record the recipe of the sides. What I did is put the potatoes on a cookie sheet sprinkled with olive oil.  I grated 4 garlic gloves over the potatoes, salt, pepper, and sliced red onions. Bake at 400 for 25 to 30 minutes.  When the potatoes were almost done, about 10 minutes out I place some olive oil in a sauté pan along with the shavings of garlic then added the snap peas and some Tamari soy sauce.  I sauté them all together until tender :)  These sugar snap peas are my Dakota's favorite vegetable.

The piece of resistance of our Sunday supper was the Gratineed Pineapple


Serves:6  Prep time: 20 minutes  Cook time: 25 minutes  Level of difficulty: Moderate


Ingredients:

Pineapple with leaves in tact

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup crushed gingersnaps

1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts ( I used walnuts)

1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk ( I used the left over to serve a long side of the desert)

2 Tablespoons of dark rum, or rum flavoring



Stir nuts, coconut, and crushed gingersnaps together in a bowl set aside

An easy way to crush your gingersnaps is put them in a plastic bag and proceed to hit them with a meat mallet. Just like this..

Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and rum, set aside.  With a knife slice the pineapple in half.

Cut the cord from each pineapple half and save to use for a smoothie later.

Cut the flesh of the pineapple into chunks.

Place the pineapple on a lined cookie sheet.  Throw the pineapple chunks back onto the pineapple drizzle the pineapple chunks with the sweetened condensed milk mixture with half the mixture.  Now sprinkle the entire coconut mixture over the chunks, then finish off the sweetened condensed milk over the top of pineapple. Bake at 350 F. for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Amazing!!!

We have a lot of fun on Sunday supper night.. Whitney thought she might adorn herself with a homemade domino nose ring.  Wade is not moved by her decision, he is in the zone.

Zoe wanted to be apart of our Domino game so she pulled up  chair and joined in on the fun :)  She took her glasses off for the photo :)

Bella, is Dakota's dog and she is the bell of the ball :)  That's Bella's baby on the floor nest to her.

Galatians 5:13, " You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love."

Garlic Chicken with Parmesan Sauce...

Knock your socks off chicken pasta recipe

Ingredients:

                                                                  

2 Chicken breast

1/2 cup  shredded Parmesan

1 stick butter

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 Tablespoons of grill seasoning

Angel hair pasta

1 Tablespoon of Olive oil

1/2 red bell pepper cut into strips

Large pasta pot

Large skillet to cook your chicken in

Serves: 4   Prep time:  Cook time: 20 minutes  Level of difficulty...Mellow medium


I love pasta, pasta with a red sauce, pasta with olive oil, pasta with a white reduce sauce, it doesn't matter to me.  Put a plate of pasta in front of me with a little parmesan, red pepper flakes, olive oil and I am set.  Lucky for me y whole family loves pasta.  I am trying Gluten free pasta for the first time although I love pasta but sometimes it doesn't love me.  I'm not sure why, but it appears to me, that the older I get the less tolerance my body has to Gluten...We will see how this new addition pans out in our house hold. Let's get to cookin :)


Heat your pan up for your chicken, while pan is heating cut your chicken into 2 inch strips sprinkle with your grill seasoning.  Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil in hot pan, place your seasoned chicken into your pan sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on each side depending on how thick you cut your strips.

While your chicken is cooking cut your red bell pepper into strips....Kinda like below

After you flip your chicken the first time add your bell pepper strips to pan.

Soon as your bell peppers are added to your pan fill your pasta pot with water, cover and allow to boil, as soon as it begins to boil add some salt. I added some chipotle sauce to my pasta water.

Okay it's time to make this easy breezy sauce my daughter, Whitney showed me how to make.

Melt the butter then add your heavy cream after they meld together and seemed to be getting along add your parmesan, whisk until combined :) Your pasta water should be boiling by the time you make this sauce quickly add your pasta...cook according to the recipe on the box!

Well, I see the finish line, do you?  drain your pasta....add your chicken...pour your sauce over the top and gently stir together....YOUR DONE....sit down and eat with your family, or have a meal to yourself, or invite a buddy over ad break bread together, what ever you do take time to enjoy the flavors of this meal..

Side note:  The gluten free pasta was not bad at all.  I think w will start incorporating this product in our house.  I had no bloating after I ate....Awesome :)

Psalm 188 :24, "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Velvet Bird Coffee

Well, spring is in the air, or at least it was before today...and nothing screams my name like a cup of ice cold brewed coffee running over the shapes of frozen cubes as it meets the sweet cream. Let me ask you, have you ever had a moment in your life where you tasted something so over top you had to share it.  This is that moment, this is that time that I share with you possibly the best cold coffee my taste buds have ever experienced.  So simple, So delicious, So Pinterest!!!


Velvet Bird Coffee

Serves 4....  Prep time...5 minutes Cook time 0...Level of difficulty...Silly simple

Ingredients:

2/3 cups coarse ground coffee

3 Tablespoons of brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

3 cups of good cold filtered water

French Press---If you don't have a French press you can use a mason jar with a lid, if you use another method besides a French press you will need to strain the coffee through a sieve.

Put all the above ingredients into a French press---but do not press it down---place inside ice-box overnight.

After your velvet bird has went night night until morning.  When the sun comes up you can give your coffee a nudge to wake it up so it can play with some sweet cream :)

Sweet Cream Recipe

Ingredients:

1 can of sweetened condense milk

1 can of evaporated milk

Whisk these two ingredients together put into a air tight container.

Make a glass of ice pour----French press your coffee----then pour sweet cream over top :)

I want you take a minute breathe in, then breathe out, place your straw inside your glass and get ready to experience the most amazing, out of this world ice coffee you've ever had on this planet :)  omgoodness I envy you....I remember my first time I had this coffee.  I think my eyes rolled to the back of my head, yes it was that good!!! Maybe even better than how I am describing it.  I don't know you be the judge and weigh in after you try it...

Finished Coffee

John 7:37..."If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink."

Jamie Oliver's Crunchy Garlic Chicken with my side dishes

I am always looking for new and inspirational chicken recipes.  It is such a staple in our household.  I was reading through some recipes one day and found myself intrigue with this recipe from Jamie.




Crunchy Garlic Chicken

Serves: 2....   Prep time: 30 minutes.... Cooking time:15min.  Level of difficulty...Moderate


Ingredients:

1 cloves of garlic ( I used 3) I love garlic

1 lemon

6 plain crackers or cream crackers

2 tablespoons butter

4 springs of Italian parsley (My favorite parsley)

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 Tablespoons all purpose flour ( You could use Gluten Free)

1 large organic egg

2 skinless boneless organic chicken breast ( Regular chicken breast is fine)

Olive oil

Food Processor

Bake @ 475 F. for 15 minutes....Preheat your oven now!

To prepare: peel the garlic and zest the lemon

Put your crackers , garlic, lemon zest, butter, parsley, and pinch of salt and pepper into your processor...pulse until mixture is very fine. Pour mixture onto a plate.

On a second plate sprinkle the flour all over the plate. Then crack your egg in a shallow bowl and beat with a fork.

Place your chicken breast inside a zip lock bag and pound it with a meat cleaver until it is flattened.

Set yourself up a assembly line to make it easier.  Dip then chicken into the flour, then the egg, then the cracker mixture place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, if you have it. Make sure you press the breadcrumbs into the chicken breast so the cracker mixture will stick :)

Place in a preheated oven at 475 F. for 15 minutes....Oh so good :) Serve with lemon wedges to drizzle over chicken at the table.

Now let's check out the side dishes...Maple Brussels Sprouts

Serves:  2 Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes...Level of difficulty: Silly simple

Ingredients:

2 pound of Brussels sprouts washed,  trimmed, and cut length wise.

4 tablespoons of Olive oil

dash of Kosher salt (opt.)

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 Tablespoons of butter

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high...cook Brussels sprouts cut side down 4 or 5 minutes until deep golden brown but not burnt.  Season with salt and pepper... toss and cook 4 or 5 more minutes.  Remove from pan...

Add your butter and maple syrup...cook until smooth. Then toss your Brussels back into skillet, serve while hot...Oh my, you don't know how this smelled while I was cooking it. The air was perfumed with a mix between caramelized butter and piping hot maple syrup.  If you've never tried Brussels spouts the way I cooked them last night you got to give a try.  My marine said I was the first person who has ever gotten him to eat Brussels.. I have pictures to prove he ate them and liked them :) Pics at the end of this blog.  Proof is in the Brussels sprout...lol

The finale side dish is mashed sweet potatoes...


Serves: 2...Prep time:...5 minutes....Cook time: 20 minutes....Level of difficulty: Silly simple

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

freshly grounded nut (to your liking)

2 Tablespoons butter

1 very large sweet potatoes or two small ones

1/2 spring of rosemary


Peel and dice your sweet potato, then add to a pot full of water along with your sprig.

When potatoes are fork tender, (meaning when you poke them with a fork and they are tender)
drain the potatoes put back into hot pot and add your butter, brown sugar, and grated nutmeg.  Mash with a potato masher. Your done, sit down and enjoy your meal with the people you love.

The end product was truly an explosion of flavors.  My husband really enjoyed his meal although when he first walked in the door and seen Brussels on the stove he gave me a look.  I said, "No worries you will love this meal.

With every mouthful my marine could feel the love....

Well I have evidence that my marine liked his sweet potatoes, but honestly he did like my Brussels.  If you don't take my word for it ask him yourself...lol * Although this pic sure doesn't look like he likes my sweet potatoes much. He doesn't like forced pics... I said smile your on blogger....

Romans 8:28, " And we know that all things God works for the good of those who love him."