Mocha Cappuccino Hazelnut Banana Bread

Banana bread is made even more delicious by the addition of a mocha cappuccino hazelnut spread. When you get a nice bite of the spread it is just pure deliciousness in your mouth.

Mocha Cappuccino Hazelnut Banana Bread
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups mashed banana
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
3/4 cup mocha cappuccino hazelnut spread

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour and baking soda.

In a large bowl cream together the sugar and butter. Add eggs in one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in mashed bananas, milk and vanilla, beat well. Slowly add in flour mixture beating at a low speed just until combined.

Add the mocha cappuccino hazelnut spread to a small microwave safe bowl. Heat for 15 seconds and then stir. Add 1 cup of batter and mix well.

Place a spoonful of plain batter into prepared loaf pan, followed by a spoonful of mocha cappuccino hazelnut batter, like making a checkerboard. Continue alternating batters until no batter is left. Using a knife held vertically swirl the batters together. Do not swirl to much or you will lose the marble effect.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until and inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes and then remove bread from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Enjoy!!!

Notes:
You can use Nutella in place of mocha cappuccino hazelnut spread.

Serves: 12
Calories: 316
Total Fat: 11.7g
   Saturated: 4.5g
   Polyunsaturated: 0.2g
   Monounsaturated: 1g
   Trans: 0g
Cholesterol: 43.6mg
Sodium: 114.8mg
Potassium: 135.1mg
Total Carbs: 47.7g
   Dietary Fiber: 1.8g
   Sugars: 22.8g
Protein: 4.5g
Vitamin A: 3.8%
Vitamin C: 3.4%
Calcium: 4.5%
Iron: 8.1%
*The nutritional information will vary slightly depending on the brands you use.
*Adapted from Chef in Training.

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Sloppy Josseppi

I believe this is one of those handed down family recipes, but I am not sure. I do remember going though a bunch of hand written recipes when my Nonnie, which is my grandma, passed away and we were taking care of things. I also remember some sort of conversation about a recipe and a family member that had long passed and I believe it is this one because of the name Joesseppi, but can not be completely sure. I should probably ask my mom and see if she remembers.

Sloppy Joesseppi
Ingredients:
8 ounces egg noodles
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound ground turkey
1 envelope sloppy joe mix
6 ounces no salt added tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
1- 16 ounces container low fat cottage cheese
1- 8 ounce package reduced fat cream cheese, softened

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º F. Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish.

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and return to pan. Add butter and stir until butter is melted.

In a skillet cook ground turkey until done. Add in tomato paste, water and sloppy joe mix. Simmer for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl combine both cheese until well blended.

In prepared casserole dish layer 1/2 of the noodles, all of the cheese mixture, the rest of the noodles and top with all of the meat mixture. Bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

Notes:
I used a homemade sloppy joe seasoning mix to help reduce the amount of sodium in the dish.

Serves: 6
Calories: 366
Total Fat: 15.3g
   Saturated: 8.8g
   Polyunsaturated: 0.2g
   Monounsaturated: 0.1g
   Trans: 0g
Cholesterol: 111.7mg
Sodium: 548.2mg
Potassium: 426.5mg
Total Carbs: 22.3g
   Dietary Fiber: 2.5g
   Sugars: 5.8g
Protein: 32.6g
Vitamin A: 46.6%
Vitamin C: 6%
Calcium: 15.6%
Iron: 12.7%
*The nutritional information will vary slightly depending on the brands you use.
*Adapted from unknown.

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Homemade Sloppy Joe Seasoning Mix

Okay so when I made this sloppy joe seasoning mix I happen to use up two of the spices it required and of course I recycled them like I normally wold forgetting I would need them for the picture. So just forget about two spices missing and focus on a low sodium seasoning mix.

A homemade sloppy joe seasoning mix without all the added sodium and extra stuff you do not want. The packaged mix contains 2,240 mg of sodium versus my homemade mix which contains 35 mg of sodium. Totally worth opening a few spice containers, versus opening one package.

Homemade Sloppy Joe Seasoning Mix
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons dried onions
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed

Directions:
Combine all of the spices and use in place of 1 package sloppy joe seasoning mix in any recipe.

To Make Sloppy Joes
1 pound ground meat of your choice
1 sloppy joe seasoning mix
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Cook ground meat in a skillet until completely cooked, drain. Add seasoning mix, ketchup, water and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Enjoy!!!

Notes:
You can substitute onion powder in place of dried onions.

Yields: 1/3 cup
Calories: 86
Total Fat: 3.6g
   Saturated: 0.7g
   Polyunsaturated: 1.5g
   Monounsaturated: 0.6g
   Trans: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 35.1mg
Potassium: 473.9mg
Total Carbs: 14.2g
   Dietary Fiber: 7.6g
   Sugars: 2.3g
Protein: 3.5g
Vitamin A: 161.5%
Vitamin C: 21.9%
Calcium: 8.8%
Iron: 32.3%
*The nutritional information will vary slightly depending on the brands you use.
*Adapted from The Christian Homekeeper.

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Chili Cheese Tater Tots

Recently I came across a recipe for Chili Cheese Tater Tots and it sounded and looked delicious. I knew my family would enjoy it for lunch. But to be honest it was not all I hoped it would be and my family did not enjoy it as much as I had hoped they would. However, they loved the idea.

My husband wished the chili had more sauce to it, it was basically seasoned meat with tomatoes, but no sauce. The other big problem was the serving size, the original recipe said four servings, but it was such a small amount, it did not fill anyone up. Two servings would have been more accurate.

We all loved the combination of chili, tater tots and cheese, but it just needed a different chili and an adjustment in serving size. We feel that a tomato based chili would be the best.

Normally I do not like to share a recipe unless it is perfect. But I decided that since the idea is so good and a lot of people might already have a favorite chili recipe I would share the idea instead of a exact recipe. Therefore I am not including any nutritional information.

Chili Cheese Tater Tots
Ingredients:
chili, your favorite recipe
tater tots, cooked until crispy
cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:
Place warm crispy tater tots in the bottom of a bowl. Add warm chili and top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Enjoy!!!

*Adapted from Cherry on My Sundae.

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Overnight Berry French Toast

I had some frozen blueberries and strawberries in my freezer that I wanted to use up, but as it turned out not enough of either one to make this breakfast. Then I realized if I split the recipe in half and made it into two batches I would have just enough.

Both the blueberry and strawberry varieties of this breakfast were delicious, but my husband and I preferred the strawberry better, but that is because we prefer strawberries over blueberries. Either variety you make it is a delicious breakfast.

Overnight Berry French Toast
Ingredients:

French Toast
1 loaf french bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
2- 8 ounce packages reduced fat cream cheese
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries or blueberries, thawed
10 eggs, beaten
2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup maple syrup

Berry Sauce
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup frozen strawberries or blueberries, thawed

Directions:

French Toast
Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, 1 egg and lemon juice until well mixed.

In another large bowl whisk together the 10 eggs, milk, vanilla and syrup.

Place half of the bread cubes into the prepared baking dish. Spread cream cheese mixture over top and sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups berries. Place remaining bread cubes on top and pour egg mixture over top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking.

Preheat oven to 350º F. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for 25-30 minutes or until center is firm and bread is lightly browned.

Berry Sauce
In a medium saucepan mix together the sugar, cornstarch and water. Bring to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes stirring constantly. Mix in berries, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until sauce is thicken and berries have broken down a bit.

Enjoy!!!

Serves: 8
Calories: 497
Total Fat: 16.6g
   Saturated: 8.7g
   Polyunsaturated: 0.1g
   Monounsaturated: 0.3g
   Trans: 0g
Cholesterol: 239.4mg
Sodium: 546.9mg
Potassium: 190.9mg
Total Carbs: 71.3g
   Dietary Fiber: 1.5g
   Sugars: 45.3g
Protein: 16.6g
Vitamin A: 15.1%
Vitamin C: 4%
Calcium: 72.8%
Iron: 11.5%
*The nutritional information will vary slightly depending on the brands you use.
*Adapted from allrecipes.com.

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Cottage Broccoli Bake

The combination of ingredients in this dish may seem strange, but let me tell you they actual work. They work so well together that they create an incredibly delicious side dish. So delicious that I probably could have eaten half of it all by myself.

Cottage Broccoli Bake
Ingredients:
1- 16 ounce container low fat cottage cheese
1- 10 ounce package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well drained
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1- 7 ounce jar roasted red peppers, well drained and chopped
4 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray a 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients well. Pour into prepared pie plate. Bake for 45 minutes or until center is set. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into slices and serving.

Enjoy!!!

Serves: 6
Calories: 209
Total Fat: 10.4g
   Saturated: 5.4g
   Polyunsaturated: 0.3g
   Monounsaturated: 1.8g
   Trans: 0g
Cholesterol: 149.5mg
Sodium: 562.5mg
Potassium: 224.9mg
Total Carbs: 7.4g
   Dietary Fiber: 0.9g
   Sugars: 3g
Protein: 18.9g
Vitamin A: 30.9%
Vitamin C: 43.9%
Calcium: 24.7%
Iron: 7.7%
*The nutritional information will vary slightly depending on the brands you use.
*Adapted from unknown.

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Sweet Sour Pork Chops

Not only are these pork chops delicious, but they are so incredibly super easy to make. Now that is my kind of meal, delicious and super easy.

Sweet Sour Pork Chops
Ingredients:
4 thick pork chops
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup honey

For Serving(not included in nutritional info):
rice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º F.

In a small bowl mix together the soy sauce, chili sauce and honey. Place pork chops in a greased casserole dish and pour sauce over top. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until pork chops are completely cooked. Serve over rice.

Enjoy!!!

Notes:
The cook time needed will depend on the thickness of your pork chops. They could need less than 45 or more than 60 minutes, it all depends on how thick the pork chops are.

Serves: 4
Calories: 237
Total Fat: 9g
   Saturated: 3.2g
   Polyunsaturated: 0.7g
   Monounsaturated: 4g
   Trans: 0g
Cholesterol: 46.5mg
Sodium: 840.8mg
Potassium: 181.5mg
Total Carbs: 23.5g
   Dietary Fiber: 0g
   Sugars: 20.4g
Protein: 23.1g
Vitamin A: 0%
Vitamin C: 0.2%
Calcium: 0.1%
Iron: 0.5%
*The nutritional information will vary slightly depending on the brands you use.
*Adapted from The Four Ingredient Cookbooks by Linda Coffee and Emily Cale.

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