Bananas Foster Crepes

Bananas Foster Crepes are perfect for a decadent breakfast or a fancy dessert! I love banana anything and these are so good.

The batter creates a light, buttery, crisp crepe.
 Filled with a syrupy banana flavored goodness.
Topped off with a few scoops of vanilla ice cream.

It is delightful!!
So tasty.

Bananas Foster Crepes
Ingredients:

For the crepes:
2 eggs
2 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 Tbsp melted butter
Cooking spray, for coating the pan

For the bananas foster:
1/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 bananas, sliced
1/4 cup dark rum
1/3 cup chopped pecans

*Non- alcoholic version: Add 1/2 cup of maple syrup instead of the dark rum

Topped with scoops of vanilla ice cream and dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Directions:
For the crepes, add all the ingredients in a blender and blend together until well mixed. Refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes. Using a small non-stick pan spray the pan with cooking spray. Add 1/3 cup of batter and swirl it around to spread the batter for a thin layer on the bottom of the small pan. Cook for a minute or so and flip. Cook for another 30 seconds or so. The edges will curl up some and the crepe will get a golden brown color to it. Continue until batter is gone, spraying the pan before each crepe.

For the bananas foster, in a pan add the butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook over low heat and stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Add the banana slices and chopped pecans and cook until the bananas soften. Then add the rum and cook the sauce until the rum has been heated. Use a lighter and carefully light the rum. Remove from heat and shake the pan a bit until flame goes out. Let the sauce cool some.

*Non-alcoholic version:  For the bananas foster, in a pan add the butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook over low heat and stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Add the maple syrup, pecans, and banana slices and cook until the bananas soften. Let the sauce cool some.

Spoon the bananas foster sauce into the crepes for a filling and fold them up. Add some scoops of vanilla ice cream and top off with some more bananas foster sauce.
Enjoy!!

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

Apple Fritter Breakfast Casserole

This apple fritter breakfast casserole combines all your favorite flavors of apple fritter donuts into a breakfast casserole. Simple to prepare, place in the oven, and enjoy apple fritter breakfast casserole for everyone to enjoy.

On our farmers market Saturdays. its a weekly tradition to head across the street and grab donuts from our local bakery. Sometimes our kiddos will join us at the market also, and they really enjoy the morning donuts and look forward to getting them.  My favorite is the apple fritter!

The sweet cinnamon breading with bits of juicy apples topped off with a creamy icing!

Delicious....

So simple! Prepare the ingredients and layer in the 9x13 and bake. Let cool then add the icing.

Apple Fritter Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

Apple Mixture

5 apples - peeled and chopped ( I like more tart apples, so I used Granny Smith)

6 Tbsp butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp Clabber Girl corn starch

2 Tbsp warm water

Casserole Base: 

4 large Croissants (12 oz)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup apple butter

3 eggs - beaten

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze:

3/4 cup powdered sugar

4 Tbsp heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract 

Directions: 

For the apple mixture

In a medium size pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar to the melted butter and stir until both are completely blended. Add the chopped apples pieces to the pan and stir until they are coated well with the sugar mixture. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes longer while continuing to stir. During that 5 to 10 minutes, in a small bow stir together the corn starch and warm water and add to the apple mixture and cook/stir for the remainder of the 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside while preparing the rest of the casserole. 

For the casserole

In a small bowl add the heavy cream, apple butter, eggs, and cinnamon and whisk together. Pull apart the croissants into chunky pieces and place at the bottom of a sprayed 9x13 casserole dish. Pour half of the apple butter/cream mixture over the croissant pieces and then top with half of the apple mixture. Layer in the remaining half of the ingredients. Using a spoon, gently stir around the ingredients so apple mixture and the apple butter/cream mixture are somewhat coating the croissant pieces. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool down to warm. Add glaze and serve. 

For the glaze

Combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract together in small bowl and stir together with a fork until smooth. Drizzle over the breakfast casserole. 

Optional: Sometimes when making this casserole I will add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans when cooking the apples. 

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

All your favorite flavors of an apple fritter together in a breakfast casserole. Bake it up for a weekend breakfast or for a special occasion. It is delicious anytime! 

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own

Crock Pot Sausage, Green Beans, and Potatoes

All in one crock pot meals are some of my favorites! It's so nice to just gather and prepare all the ingredients and put in the crock pot and cook, then go about your day! This Crock Pot Sausage, Green Beans, and Potatoes meal is definitely a go to meal when you don't have much time to spend in the kitchen, but still provides an all around meal.

Often times our nights are busy with sports activities for the kids, homework, working outside and more, that we just don't want or have the time to spend in the kitchen. This recipe is an easy one to fall back on. With the sausage, green beans, and potatoes you can add something as simple as fresh fruit for dessert and have a complete meal.

Prep time is fast and easy too! 10 minutes in the kitchen chopping up the ingredients and dumping into the crock pot, set the time, and out the door you go. It's so nice to come home from a busy day and dinner is already made and ready to go.

Clean up is super easy too!!

Crock Pot Sausage, Green Beans, and Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 Polska Kielbasa sausage (16.8 oz)
4 red potaotes, sliced
2 cans green beans (I used a quart of green beans I canned last summer)
1/4 cup of chopped onion
4 cups water
Pepper to taste

Directions:
Cut sausage into slices and put in crock pot. Wash and slice up potatoes and put in crock pot. We like the skins on, but you can also peel them. Drain green beans and add to the crock pot. Chop onion and add to crock pot. Add pepper to taste. Mix all the ingredients around together. Add 4 cups of water. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

You can use any type of potato instead of red potatoes.

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

Added to Whatcha Crockin' Week 30

Baked Ziti

We are a pasta loving family and usually have some sort of pasta meal once a week. The great thing about pasta meals is that they are pretty inexpensive and easy to prepare. They feeds the whole family and also make great leftovers. You really can't go wrong with a pasta meal. This baked ziti recipe is one that can be made ahead and froze for later or can be made and enjoyed for a meal that day.

I remember growing up, when my dad and grandpa were in the field during planting and harvest, my mom would often times take out a meal to the field. Some of the best memories seriously are just sitting on the tailgate or in the back of the Tahoe enjoying lunch in the field. Pasta meals are some I remember us having!

Paired with a light salad and a bread stick or garlic bread, a complete meal has been made. Of course my mom would always take out cookies or something sweet for after the meal too! :)

As kids, my brother and I would sit around with family and eat our lunch in the field, then we were always sure to grab a tractor or combine ride with my dad or grandpa. So many memories in the field from growing up, that I want my kiddos to have some of the same experiences and I love taking them to the field when I'm helping my dad, for a meal in the field or a tractor/combine ride.

There are so many great meals that work out great for eating in the field, including this baked ziti dish! It can be prepared and cooked that day or prepared and froze to cook at a later time. Freezer meals are a lifesaver sometimes in our family. It's so nice to have them prepared and in the freezer and then if you know its going to be a busy day, just simply setting one out in the morning to thaw and cook when you get home. So easy and definitely takes the occasional stress out of dinner time for the day!

Last week I enjoyed a freezer meal party with my farm blogger friends sponsored by Indiana Family of Farmers. We got together and prepared freezer meals. Each of us prepared our recipe 8 times, for everyone to take one home. In return, we went home with 8 different freezer meals! 64 freezer meals in 2 1/2 hours!! A lot of fun and worth it!

If you are interested in doing your own freezer meal party  check out the great tips Cherie over at The Queen of Free!!

Everyone loves a good pasta dish and baked ziti is tasty and pretty filling meal! Here I actually used penne pasta.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef, browned
1/2 small onion, diced
1 box ziti pasta, or penne
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 24 oz. jar pasta sauce
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Minced garlic
Dried parsley
Dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Cook the ground beef and diced onion seasoned with minced garlic, pepper, parsley, and oregano until browned. Drain off any grease. Cook pasta noodles until al dente. Drain pasta. In an 9x13 baking dish, add the pasta, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and pepper to taste. Mix all together. In a separate bowl add the browned seasoned ground beef and the jar of pasta sauce and mix together. Then add on top of the pasta/cheese mixture in the baking dish. Mix together the pasta and meat sauce in the dish until the pasta is coated well with the sauce. Sprinkle a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese and shredded Parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve.

Baked Ziti  - Freezer Meal

Adjustments to Directions:
After cooking pasta and draining, rinse pasta to cool it off. Add cold pasta to a 9x13 disposable pan. Continue with the rest of the preparation. Cover the prepared baked ziti with one layer of saran wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. This will help prevent any freezer burn. Good in the freezer for about 2 months. For baking, thaw baked ziti and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

So make this dish and enjoy now or later, either way will be a delicious meal, a for sure comfort meal favorite.

Enjoy!

This post was sponsored by Indiana’s Family of Farmers but all 

thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pound Cake Waffles: A Rumford Complete Cookbook Recipe

We love breakfast! Especially weekend mornings when we have no plans, a nice home cooked breakfast is perfect. Waffles are definitely a favorite for us and so easy to make. The kids love them too. When looking through the Rumford Complete Cookbook this month, I wanted to try one of the waffle recipes. The pound cake waffle recipe sounded good, so I wanted to try that. I will for sure be making these again they were delicious!

The Pound Cake Waffles recipe is on page 128 of the Rumford Complete Cookbook. A photo of the recipe is below.

Here is my version of the recipe with some updates, I actually made these waffles a few times they were very well liked!

Pound Cake Waffles: A Rumford Complete Cookbook Recipe 

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
5 eggs
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp Rumford Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon or vanilla flavoring

Directions:

In a mixing bowl combine butter and sugar together and beat to a cream. Add the well beaten egg yokes to the bowl. Then the flour, salt, ad baking powder and mix together well. Add the flavoring you like and beat thoroughly. Lightly beat the egg whites and then add by folding them in the batter. Cook the waffles in a waffle maker and serve. One batch makes 12 waffles.

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE 

I tried these waffles with vanilla flavoring and they were so good! My family really enjoyed them. The flavoring just added a little extra to them. I made them another time and had almond extract and used that, which was also very good.

We will definitely be making these again. Breakfast or dinner (we like to have breakfast for dinner often) they are delicious!

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own

Homemade Strawberry Poke Cake

Strawberry fans will love this homemade strawberry poke cake! White cake made from scratch with strawberry jello combined with bits of strawberries throughout the cake, a thin layer of strawberry chunks, topped off with a layer of Cool Whip is sure a sweet delight! Add a final touch of sliced fresh strawberries to the top to complete this fresh dessert!

Since Valentine's Day is coming up I thought it would be fun to share such a pretty cake and perfect for the holiday. But it is also great really any time of the year, especially when fresh strawberries are in season! Strawberries are my favorite fresh fruit in the summer! It is a great summer dessert!

This delicious white cake flavored with fresh strawberries and topped off with a layer of whipped cream is the perfect dessert for that fresh and sweet taste in a cake! It looks beautiful when you cut into it. If you need a fun, festive and tasty dessert for any holiday or get together this is a perfect and simple treat to make.

I like to bake desserts homemade and that is what I share here in the recipe, but you can easily use a White boxed caked mix just the same.

Homemade Strawberry Poke Cake

Ingredients:

White Cake 
4 egg whites
2 cups flour
1 tsp Clabber Girl baking powder
1/2 tsp Clabber Girl baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Strawberry Filling
2 cups strawberries - chopped and diced into small pieces
1 box strawberry jello mix
1/2 cup boiling water

1 container Cool Whip

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix together and set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine the shortening, sugar, and vanilla and beat together with hand mixer until well mixed. Add egg whites to the sugar/shortening mixture and beat well. Then add the flour mixture and buttermilk a slowly and continue beating together until it is all mixed together well. Pour the batter into a 9x13 well greased baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
While the cake is baking and cooling, prepare the strawberry topping. Boil the water in a small saucepan. Chop and dice the strawberries into small pieces and crush them slightly. 2 cups of strawberries are needed. Add strawberry jello mix, the boiling water and the crushed strawberries to the saucepan and bring to a boil, then let cool.
Once the cake is cool use the end of a wooden spoon with a round handle and poke holes into the cake. Pour the cooled strawberry jello mixture over top of the cake and into the holes. Some of the strawberries can be spread out on top of the cake as well to give a little strawberry layer on top of the vanilla cake. Top off the cake by spreading the Cool Whip all over the cake and add sliced strawberries on top. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

This homemade cake is super delicious! Its fresh and perfectly sweet for any potluck dinner you may have. Great for Valentine's Day, Forth of July, any special occasion you may have. Especially when strawberries are in season with fresh berries!

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own