Oatmeal Banana Walnut Cookies…with Mini Chocolate Chips

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Jodee

By Jodee Weiland

Want an oatmeal cookie or do you want something a little bit more? Me? I’ll take the something a little bit more, but something a little healthier as well. Oatmeal Banana Walnut Cookies…with Mini Chocolate Chips anyone?

I love a good oatmeal cookie, but lately I’ve been craving something a little bit more and a lot healthier than the average oatmeal cookie. So I decided to put something together that meets that criteria for me and my family!

My oatmeal cookies have mashed bananas and honey in them instead of brown sugar or sugar. These cookies will not give your kids a sugar high, but they will soon be a favorite, not to mention a healthy treat. I also added chopped walnuts, which I love, and mini semi-sweet chocolate chips for additional flavor, but just enough. I was tired of raisins, but you can add them to this recipe if you want, although I think you will like these cookies without raisins. I used whipped unsalted butter which is lighter and healthier than regular butter. And of course, the main ingredient is the oats, which are always healthy. So try these cookies and find out for yourself just how good they are.

Oatmeal Banana Walnut Cookies…with Mini Chocolate Chips

3/4 cup of whipped unsalted butter
1 cup honey
1 egg
1 cup mashed bananas
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

I like to use parchment paper on my baking sheets for easier clean up when done baking the cookies.

Cream together the butter and the honey with a mixer. Add in the egg first and then the mashed bananas, blending them into the mixture with your mixer. Continue to blend in the baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg with your mixer. Now with a spoon, add in the oats and blend together. Then add the walnuts and mini chocolate chips, again mixing in with a spoon. Finally, gently mix in the flour, a little at a time, by stirring in with a spoon.

Once this is all mixed together, drop tablespoon balls on to the cookie sheet, leaving room between cookies because they will spread out some while cooking. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. The time may vary depending on the size of the cookie you drop on the baking sheet. To be sure watch your first batch and check the bottom of the cookie by gently lifting with a spatula. The bottom should be lightly browned but not burnt. I made about thirty cookies from this recipe.

These Oatmeal Banana Walnut Cookies are delicious and a healthy alternative to store bought cookies or even recipes made with sugar. They’re sweet, but not sugary. Plus they have oats, mashed bananas, walnuts, and mini chocolate chips. Your family will love them, and only you will know just healthy they really are. We love these cookies in our home. I think if you try them, you will love them, too. So try them, and enjoy!

Grilled Flank Steak…Perfection with a Balsamic Marinade

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Jodee

By Jodee Weiland

Grilled flank steak is always good when done right. We like to marinade our flank steak before grilling it.

We’ve used a number of different marinades and like everyone else, we have our favorites. But today we decided to try something a little different. I keep seeing recipes with balsamic this or that lately, so I thought, why not? Why not try a balsamic marinade with our flank steak? I’m glad I did, because it turned out great, just like I thought it would.

I love the flavor of balsamic vinegar in various recipes because of its sweet taste versus other vinegars. Putting it together with olive oil, garlic, and some additional seasonings seemed a good idea. As it turns out, it was. We tried it today, and it really did add to the taste of our grilled flank steak. It isn’t hard to marinade a flank steak before grilling it and taking the time to do so adds flavor to your flank steak. If you try this recipe, I think you will be pleased with the results.

Grilled Flank Steak…Perfection with a Balsamic Marinade

1-1/2 to 2 pound lean flank steak 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 to 2 cloves garlic chopped 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Mix all the marinade ingredients above together in a Ziploc and put your flank steak in the bag. Seal the bag and turn it over several times in order to cover the steak in the marinade. Place the sealed bag in the refrigerator for 45 to 60 minutes before grilling or longer. Occasionally, turn the bag in the refrigerator in order to marinade the steak thoroughly. When ready, grill the flank steak about 3 to 5 minutes, more or less, on each side, depending on how you like your steak done. This will vary according to taste. When done, allow the steak to rest for a few minutes and then slice it diagonally. Once done, serve.

This grilled flank steak recipe is very tasty, but not overpowering. The hint of taste from the balsamic vinegar and seasonings is just enough to flavor the steak without losing the flavor of the steak itself. Best of all, it’s easy to do. Serve your grilled flank steak with a vegetable and something like red potato salad with vinegar and olive oil for a full meal, or serve with just a vegetable for a little lighter meal. Some other good grilled vegetables choices are grilled balsamic asparagus or grilled zucchini. It’s your choice and either way, you will love it. I know we do! Try this recipe and enjoy!

Oven Baked Parmesan Chicken Breasts…Tasty and Healthy

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Jodee

By Jodee Weiland

Years ago, I wanted a healthy baked chicken breast recipe for my family that tasted like fried chicken or better without frying it.

The recipe I ultimately came up with is the result of what I thought would taste good together after trying several different recipes I found in various heart healthy cookbooks and articles. I played around with a few different things and finally came up with my own adapted version of oven baked chicken.

First of all, I use chicken breasts that are boneless and skinless, not chicken legs or thighs. You can use legs and thighs, but be sure to use skinless. The second thing I do is to soak my chicken in skim milk, although you can use low fat or whatever kind you like. The third thing I do is to use crumbled corn flakes instead of bread crumbs and I add Parmesan cheese and seasonings to my mixture. Last of all, I oven bake my chicken. It all adds up to tasty chicken that is healthier than fried chicken. As I have said before many times, I am a health nut, but that doesn’t mean I want to eat bland tasteless food. That just wouldn’t work for me. After all, I’m Italian, and I love good food, so here it is.

Oven Baked Chicken Breasts…Tasty and Healthy

2 to 4 boneless chicken breasts without skin
Skim milk for soaking chicken
1/2 to 1 cup corn flakes crushed
1/2 to 1 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
1/2 to 1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 to 1 tablespoon dried basil
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Olive oil spray

Spray baking pan with olive oil. Cut chicken breasts in half in order to coat more of the chicken (this is optional, but in my family we like more coated pieces).

Crush the corn flakes by putting them in a sealed plastic bag and running your rolling pin over the bag. Once crushed, mix in the Parmesan cheese, parsley, basil, and black pepper. Mix together well.

Soak the chicken breast pieces in the skim milk, then dip into the mixture of corn flakes and parmesan cheese coating completely. Place the coated chicken breast pieces in the prepared baking pan. Then bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.

The blend of corn flakes and Parmesan Reggiano cheese with seasonings as a coating for this oven baked chicken makes it not only very tasty, but healthy as well. Serve your oven baked chicken with the sides of your choice and enjoy a meal that is not only satisfying but has an abundance of flavor as well. The coating is crunchy and when the chicken is baking, your whole house will smell great! This is definitely an appetizing alternative to fried chicken and as far as I’m concerned, it’s better. If you try it, you will know exactly what I mean. Try it and enjoy!

Learn from yesterday, live for today…

Life experiences are what make us who we are today. Come share what I have learned from my experiences about cooking, traveling, and more, and enjoy!

Yearly Archives: 2013

Oatmeal Banana Walnut Cookies…with Mini Chocolate Chips

Grilled Flank Steak…Perfection with a Balsamic Marinade

Oven Baked Parmesan Chicken Breasts…Tasty and Healthy