Banana Boat

Did you guys know that I'm half jungle-kid, at least that's the way I view it.  You see I was born in the Philippines and lived there for 8 wonderful years. I didn't actually live in the real jungle-jungle, but it was very tropical and different.


I got the wonderful privilege of eating with my hands sometimes, and living in shorts and t-shirts year round. This is a recipe you can eat shamelessly with your hands. I mean your hands have to do something, why not eat with them? =)

The Ingredients

Can I make a boat??? Of course! But mine is consumable!

Chocolate, my friends, is what makes the world go round, metaphorically. =)

You know, in the Dead Sea this could probably float.

I challenge you to make this face with your computer.  It's an original. =)

Yuuuuum! I wasn't sure if you're supposed to put aluminium foil around the thing, so I just stuck it in a banana peel, and it turned out pretty good.

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
A desirable amount of chunky and/ or creamy peanut butter
A desirable amount of mini or regular marshmallows
A desirable amount of chocolate chips
Anything else you want to get rid of like butterscotch chips, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, nuts. etc

Directions:
1. Cut the banana in half lengthwise,(make sure to keep the banana peel!) then with a knife spread peanut butter. Drop on your marshmallows and chocolate, etc.
2. Carefully put the banana in the peel, then wrap in aluminium foil and cook in toaster, grill, hot coals, or oven.
3. Enjoy! (And eat like Tarzan would.)


This is a very healthy recipe, in my opinion even healthier than the vegetable pizza. We have a...
banana = fruit
peanut butter = protein
marshmallow = sugar
chocolate = caffeine.
It's not a perfectly balanced meal, but hardly anyone is perfect.

Well, while I have the chance I'd like to say thank you to CJ for nominating me for "The Lovely Blog" and "Excellence in Story Telling" award. Although I probably won't answer all the questions, I just wanted to say thank you for the lovely nominations.

GB2- God Bless, Go BAKE!!!

S'more Cookies

My pictures just didn't do it justice,
so I found the original one

   Do you remember last summer how fun it was to go outside on a cool summer evening, start the fire and make some s'mores? Confession...at our house we just crank up the grill to toast marshmallows, it has to be done somehow!

 Anyway, let's go back to that campfire/grill moment. You're sitting around the fire talking, laughing, and then choking because you laughed so hard or because your brother put too many logs on the fire and you're gagging from all the smoke. Well, what if we could replicate that warm, fuzzy, s'more moment in the kitchen? Yes, let's do it.  Let's make s'mores in the oven!!!   

(You could make the s'more happen in a blender too.)



The Ingredients

I know what you're thinking, "graham crackers?"
Just go with the flow.

Goodbye eggs! You're about to be proccessed, blended, cooked, and consumed.

Why, this actually looks quite good.

Everyone in my family was quite certain that this was a crazy recipe,
but me and my cookies proved them wrong.

Woo-hoo! It worked!  The cookies baked on top of the graham crackers! 

I got this recipe from The Hungry Girl Blog, it's one of my favorites.

I know this recipe is a little intimidating. The whole time I was making this I kept thinking to myself, "What am I getting myself into!!!" But I went along with the recipe, and everything turned out fine. That's the way it usually works, you just gotta keep on keeping on! Most of the time it works, and when it doesn't just laugh about it and try again. Great advice....I should listen to it. =]                                    Do you like my new smiley face?           

GB2- God Bless, Go BAKE!!!

1 Step Smore Shakes

So whether you like it or not...summer is coming! Time to start thinking about the beach, camp, and ice cream! Who wants to think about heating up a hot oven, when you already feel like you're going to faint! Let's go with something cool and refreshing.  Let's go up on our tippy toes and reach that topshelf and grab the blender, maybe do a little dusting too while you're up there. Whatever you need to do to get yourself motivated for some baking...actually blending...do it!

The Ingredients

Make sure to toast your marshmallows, they aren't done until they're brown!

Blend it all together.

Who says smores have to be a graham cracker with a marshmallow and chocolate in between...I like this way better.

Adapted from Joy the Baker "Marshmallow Milkshake".

Ingredients:

5 marshmallows

4 large scoops of vanilla ice cream

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 big long squirt of Hershey's Chocolate Sauce (1/4 cup)

2 Honey Maid Graham Crackers broken into pieces

Directions:

1. Toast marshmallows slightly (Microwave, Toaster, Grill. etc). In blender mix all ingredients together. Blend well. Pour into glasses and enjoy!

      Well, since this is a very short post let me tell you a story. It all started one day when my Mom asked me to go fill up the bird feeder. I went out to the garage, found a bag that said "feed" on it and assumed it was bird feed. I scooped the "feed" into the bird feeder and went back inside.

    Later that week I went outside to play football with my brother.  As we were playing, my brother discovered something rather large and brown lying on the ground. What was it?  Ewwwww yuck!  It was a dead bird.  My Mom then asked me what I put into the bird feeder.  I said, "bird feed." We then looked out in our garage and realized that I had used the "Weed and Feed" instead of the "Bird Food."  I was shocked!!! I went bonkers, freaking out that I had killed something. I felt REALLY bad.

 The End...right? Nope. The next Sunday some friends came over to our house for a picnic. And since we were sitting, playing, and wrestling in the grass, we think some of the weed and feed got on his face and he began to get a rash and it hurt.

Sooooooo long story short...

DO NOT PUT WEED AND FEED IN YOUR BIRD FEEDER

   or else this country's population of birds may go extinct.

GB2- God Bless, Go Blend!!!

"Empty Tomb" Marshmallow Delights

It's Easter! Well, not quite, but it's close enough to start preparing recipes for this very special holiday. I found this recipe here and I love it. It's supposed to represent the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Below is the symbolism of each of the ingredients. 

(This would be a great project for Moms of "little ones" to make for Easter.)

Two of my very good photogenic friends!
(The one on the left liked it so much she was blinded by the goodness!)
She also has a really cool cooking blog!

Large Marshmallows - body of Jesus
Melted Butter - oils of embalming
Cinnamon and Sugar Mix- spices used to anoint the body
Crescent Roll - the wrapping of Jesus’ body or the tomb
Oven – the tomb

Cavity in bun – the empty tomb or the empty cloths

The Ingredients.  I have no idea why the cream cheese ended up in this picture, maybe it's because I've been using a lot of cream cheese lately!

The dough - if you buy the Pillsbury brand it comes pre-cut,
another time saver. 

"Marshmallows dipped in butter??? Sweetie what are you making???" These were my Dad's questions for me.  I assured him it would all turn out fine in the end. =)

I tried to wrap this like a present, but it didn't turn out to well.

              Look out Dippin' Dots! I'm coming in with Dippin' Dough!             

My first Dippin' Dough creation...hmm the FDA might not be too happy with raw dough.
Eh..never mind. =)

Whoops... I guess I'll need to pinch the edges some more next time.  What's SUPPOSED to happen is...the marshmallows melt away and you are left with a round empty shell of dough like the empty tomb.  Check out the recipe link at the top for the real deal!

I've noticed that professional bloggers have cool stuff behind their food,
so I figured my jean skirt would work...or not. =)

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

8 large marshmallows

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Directions:

1. Separate Crescent rolls into eight triangles

2. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Dip each marshmallow into the butter, roll in cinnamon-sugar and place on top of the triangle.

3. Pinch dough around marshmallow, sealing all edges. (Make sure to seal well or the marshmallow WILL escape instead of dissolving away like it's supposed to.)

4. Dip tops of dough into remaining butter and cinnamon-sugar. Place dough with sugar side up in a greased muffin tin.

5. Bake at 375 degrees for 13-15 minutes. Eat warm.




I don't know who the original author of this recipe is, but I loved it! My Grandmother who lives in PA was the one who sent me the link! During the summer I'm going to visit her, so I'm sure there will be lots of new country recipes on the blog. I can't wait! (My brother Luke counts down the months, weeks, days and minutes until we go...yeah we're very excited to see our family!)

GB2- God Bless, Go BAKE!!!