Peanut Butter & Banana Oatmeal

Start off the morning with an easy oatmeal recipe with the classic combo of peanut butter and bananas.

I think it's really funny that I can eat sliced bananas with other food but not a whole banana by itself. It's the weirdest thing, but anyways I have been craving peanut butter all the time for the past couple years. I want all the peanut butter treats and snacks. I was excited for this breakfast because I love oatmeal and love the idea of "churching" up plain ol' oats with things you probably have in your pantry. It was quick and fantastic and it makes 4 servings, so if you want, you can store it in the fridge for another couple days worth of breakfast!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Banana Bread

This combination of pumpkin and banana bread is such a treat, but the cheesecake filling really makes the recipe supreme!

I am so excited to start sharing fall recipes - FINALLY. My poor husband got off work on Monday and found all the fall and Halloween decorations out. It's still in the high 80s here in Tennessee, but September 1st is always the beginning of fall for me (even if it's technically not fall yet). I've been making pumpkin recipes already and I'm happy to share this awesome pumpkin recipe today. I think what I enjoy most is that this is sort of easing into fall treats. It's not 100% pumpkin bread, so it's a nice subtle way to start off the season. I also adore the cheesecake filling. I mean banana bread and pumpkin bread are great with some cream cheese spread, so having that cream cheese baked into it is just perfection!

Banana Pudding Cheesecake Blondies

One of the best crusts on a dessert I've ever eaten and topped with a fluffy smooth no-bake cheesecake, these Blondies will rock your socks off!

I absolutely love this recipe because of the crust - and you will not often hear that from me. I don't care for pie much because the crust is meh. But this crust...guys. It's very reminiscent of banana bread. I mean I would make just the crust and eat it alone. I did like the banana pudding flavored no-bake cheesecake layer too though. It's altogether such a great recipe. Easily a favorite.

Cuban Chicken & Black Bean Quinoa Bowls

Quinoa and black beans topped with spicy, tangy chicken, mango, and fried chili bananas!

I cannot speak to the authenticity of this dish that is dubbed Cuban, but I can speak to how delicious it is. I know that not everyone thinks fruit goes with savory dishes, but I feel like those people haven't tried the right dish. I personally love fruit in savory dishes, but I have to admit that I wasn't sure about bananas in a savory dish because I don't really like bananas a ton. However, my skepticism was met with surprise and I enjoyed every component of this dish: the seasoning on the chicken, the quinoa and black beans, and the bananas and mango. It was amazing! I did make a slight adaptation with subbing lemon juice in for the orange juice because my oldest is allergic to oranges.

Banana Pudding Pancakes #FantasticalFoodFight

Welcome to another Food Fight! Fantastical Food Fight is a group of food bloggers who will get a theme or ingredient each month and make some sort of variation for it. It could be traditional or nontraditional and can be found in a cookbook, on a blog, or be a blogger's own creation! For more details, check out this page.

This month's Fantastical Food Fight theme is BANANA. Apparently, there is this thing called the International Banana Festival that takes place in the month of September (in Kentucky, I think?). That was all I needed to go ahead and make our September Food Fight all about bananas. I left it up for whatever my blogging friends wanted to do - sweet or savory - anything banana goes!

My birthday was this past Sunday and I decided that even though last month, waiting until the last weekend before the Wednesday to post ended in fiasco, I would risk it. This month, I had a magical recipe in mind and I wanted it on my birthday. I am ridiculously excited to share these gorgeous little pancakes today. What a decadent way to start my 30th year, right?!

It has all the best elements of banana pudding and then you get pancakes too! The sauce honestly seems pretty close to vanilla pudding to me. I'm fairly certain it is pretty much just a homemade pudding and I didn't even realize it when I was making it. Pudding makes me nervous haha. But alas, no hollandaise-esque disaster. Everything went perfectly and my birthday breakfast was FANTASTIC! It was awesome!

Banana Split Trifles

The perfect summertime treat that can be portable in lovely individual servings!

I love desserts that can be portioned individually and I love them even more when they can be portable, like in this recipe for these delish trifles. They take a little bit of time to make, but they truly aren't too bad. The cake is made from a box mix and is light and fluffy. The pudding is homemade which was a first, if I'm remembering correctly, for me. It was super simple and quick. Then it's just a matter of building your trifles into mason jars and you've got a great dessert for a cookout in the summertime. The fresh fruit was simply perfect in this - absolutely reminiscent of a banana split sundae.

Berrylicious Smoothie Bowls

Start your day with this berrylicious recipe - loads of berries plus whatever toppings you want!

I've been wanting to jump on the smoothie bowl bandwagon for forever, but I'll be honest..I hate pulling out my blender so much. I don't have it out on the counter (although I would love to) and I also hate cleaning my blender. But I finally decided it was time to try one and it was super wonderful. Probably still not something I'll make all the time, but definitely a nice treat when you're craving berries in particular. I topped ours with blueberries, blackberries, banana, honey, coconut, almonds, and granola (cashew butter and cocoa nibs).

Banana Chocolate Chip Granola Muffins

Granola topping and a teensy bit inside the batter adds great texture to this breakfast muffin recipe!

I'm not particularly fond of bananas by themselves, but I love bananas in bready type foods like bread (LOL) and muffins. I love banana pancakes. I also love banana pudding. But anyways, banana muffins are definitely an acceptable way for me to eat bananas and I had saved this recipe from one of my Secret Recipe Club assignment blogs to make at some point (not for reveal day). I loved the idea of using granola as a topping and I loved having chocolate in the muffins even more!

Banana Nutella Muffins

Sweet banana muffins with a rich swirl of Nutella

Banana bread is one of my all-time favorite things and I do occasionally enjoy a lovely banana nut muffin. I thought the idea of Nutella and banana together in a muffin was such a great idea and the recipe itself looked quite simple. And all those things were so true. The muffins were very easy to make and they were so delicious. The richness of the Nutella really truly is the perfect addition to a sweet banana muffin.

Blueberry Banana Bread

 Blueberry and banana are the perfect pair in this scrumptious banana bread recipe!

Today is supposed to be quite chilly for April in East Tennessee. Chilly days make me crave a good book cuddled up with a warm blanket. But I also love to bake on chilly days because it's so much better to be in a warm kitchen when it's cold than when it's hot. Baking bread - whether it be banana bread or not - always fills the home with such an amazing smell and I love it. Someone needs to sell that smell for the plug-ins because I would have it going 24/7. Errr...maybe not though because I would be hungry ALL.THE.TIME.

 
I love traditional banana bread and have made so many different recipes, but I have also found that I love making new banana bread recipes with different ingredients in them. I've had Biscoff and Reeses banana bread, both of which I loved. I definitely want to make a banana bread/carrot cake hybrid soon. But I just have to say how much I really enjoyed this banana blueberry bread. I think it could easily be made with raspberries or blackberries too, if they are more your thing :)

Reese's PB Cup Banana Bread

Peanut butter cups and banana are great partners-in-crime in this banana bread.

I've been playing catch up a little. Last week, I had plans to get more recipes scheduled and be ready for this week to come along...and then the flu came along. I am hoping to get back ahead! So even though this isn't being posted early in the morning like I usually post, I had to get at least one recipe shared this week. I love Reese's cups. I love banana bread. I was not, however, sold on the two of them together. I know plenty of people love peanut butter and banana sandwiches, but that ain't me. I like peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and green olive. If you have never had the latter, you have to try it, the olives are tart and sweet and so good with peanut butter.

I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome of this banana bread recipe. The chocolate and peanut butter made it so much more addictive than the normal banana bread for me. It did NOT last very long at all.

Cinnamon Pecan Banana Pancakes

When I was younger, I was very accustomed to eating pineapple pancakes. They were my absolute favorite and it wasn't until we went through the elimination diet with Matthew, my oldest, that I branched out and tried banana pancakes. We had to eliminate basically everything but fresh fruits and veggies and meat. He couldn't have any rice, flour, corn, soy, dairy, egg, spices, etc. We slowly added things back into his diet and I had found a banana pancakes recipe in a food allergy book.

I honestly can say that I'm not big on bananas if they aren't mushed up into something. I love banana cake, banana bread, banana muffins....but I won't sit down and eat a plain old banana. I hate the texture. I had my reservations about the banana pancake recipe in the food allergy book, but Matthew had always loved the banana baby food and, like a good momma, I was gonna make something that my baby man (or lady) liked. And it turns out...we all love banana pancakes!

I received Jess's blog for Secret Recipe Club a few months ago and made a delicious chowder recipe and this recipe for banana pancakes. I posted the chowder for my reveal day post and, obviously, just now am getting around to sharing the pancake recipe. Because of the cinnamon and pecans, this breakfast treat is very reminiscent of fall. They are nice, thick pancakes. Add some maple syrup and you're good to go!

Triple Chocolate Banana Bread

I'm still working my way through my Fort Drum food pictures. There is just something with New York that I had the worst time with pictures and a lot of these were in the summer! My Tennessee pictures are loads better - lots of natural light. So unfortunately these pictures of this banana bread are just weird. The color is really off. I will get around to retaking them eventually.

Funny enough, I made two different recipes of banana bread last Monday. I rarely buy bananas because myself and Matthew don't eat plain bananas and Nick and Cami never finish off a bunch and I end up having to make banana bread for all of us to eat. Cami picked out some bananas when we went grocery shopping and she got this huge bunch of bananas, like 8 total. And Nick/Cami ate one of them before they got to banana bread stage. I should have remade this recipe, but then again, the two recipes I tried are amazing! Can't wait to share them too :)

This banana bread was my first "extreme" banana bread - I am calling it extreme because when I was little...a different banana bread, meant one with walnuts in it. Nothing crazy. So for this bread to be chocolate...WOAH! Totally insane! Like most banana bread recipes - it's mighty delicious!

Banana Bread Donuts

A recipe on a Saturday?! WHAT?! I have felt so bad about my inconsistency lately with pregnancy + closing in on the end of my college term + moving, that I just had to share another recipe this week. I had every intention of this one happening on Wednesday, but just never wrote it up and then I realized Thursday that I had lost a day. Anyways...

Banana bread is one of my all-time favorite treats - I don't think I've met a banana bread yet that I wouldn't eat. I've had a variety of different kinds, so when I found this recipe for donuts, I knew I had to try it.

In the original recipe, the blogger, Melissa, used cream cheese frosting on top. I personally did not - mostly out of laziness, but I felt that they were just fine without the frosting. But at the same time, I really would love to try them WITH frosting because I'm sure they are even better that way. They still maintain their donutness, but they totally capture the banana bread quality and that is just the best durn breakfast you could ask for!

Secret Recipe Club: Banana Nut Bread

It's time for Secret Recipe Club once again :) For those who haven't heard of Secret Recipe Club, it's a large group of bloggers who each month are assigned another SRC member's blog secretly, make a recipe from their blog, and post it for reveal day. It's so much fun to see who got your blog and what recipe they decided to make. If you are interested in joining, go check out this page and get put on the waiting list! We've had a lot of newbies lately, so I don't think the wait is too long :)

This month I was assigned to The More Than Occasional Baker written by Ros (The Baking Addict!). She has a lot of really great sweets on her blog and it made it extremely difficult to choose what to make. However, I am preparing for a move in a few months and trying to use stuff that I have on hand. I had 3 bananas about to go bad and, of course, all the other staples to make some delicious banana bread. Every once in a while, I will crave banana bread hard. I love baking it and my whole house smelling like banana bread. *sigh* So Ros' Banana Nut Bread was just perfect for what I really really wanted.

I am incredibly excited to debut my first pictures of "spring" and using my new vinyl backdrops from Swanky Backdrops. I so so so love when it's springtime here in nearly-Canada New York - because we actually get sunshine. These pictures make me very proud and are taken right smack dab in the middle of my living room with nothing else but the plate of bread sitting on the backdrop :)

My minor adjustments were just converting over from metric to standard and a little less pecans, but still more than the original that Ros adapted :)

Banana Pudding Poke Cake

I've made a few poke cakes in my time. This one takes the cake - sorry, just had to get a little punny up in here. It's the very best poke cake that I've made and eaten to date. It's got yellow cake on the bottom and banana pudding on top. It's honestly the most amazing cake in the whole wide world. You can also serve this with fresh bananas to have a more authentic banana pudding experience.

Raspberry M&M Banana Bread

I am a very stubborn person.

VERY.

I am set in my ways about a lot of food, although I have recently become a little more daring and decided to try new things. I have posted 3 banana bread recipes of 4 that I have tried. My tried and true is not on the blog and the other three were great. Only one of the 4 are different from regular old banana bread (Strawberry Cake Mix Banana Bread) because I like regular ole banana bread.

When I had a craving for banana bread, I decided to see what recipes I had on my bread board on Pinterest and really wanted to make the Raspberry Dark Chocolate Banana Bread , however I only had frozen raspberries and semisweet chocolate chips. I did have a bag of Raspberry Dark Chocolate M&Ms and that was good enough for me, so I made the adaptation. It was delicious banana bread and I'm feeling a lot more comfortable about trying new banana bread flavor combinations.

For all those celebrating tomorrow, Happy Thanksgiving!! :)

Secret Recipe Club: Elvis Pancakes

It's time for yet another Secret Recipe Club reveal day. For those of you wondering, Secret Recipe Club is a group of a couple hundred food bloggers separated into 4 groups. Each month, each blogger gets assigned to a different blog in the group secretly and they make a recipe or two for reveal day. Each group posts on a different Monday - today is Group D's day to reveal what blogs we had and what we made.

This month, I was assigned Emily from Life on Food - luckily enough I happen to save recipes from fellow Group D members' blogs and had Emily's Elvis Pancakes on the menu the week assignments went out, so there was no contest! But just for the heck of it, Emily also has some other amazing recipes I've saved from her blog too: Blueberry Banana Bread, Danish, and Maple Pecan Granola. Clearly, I was on a breakfast kick when I looked through Emily's blog :)

We have brinner every once in a while, so we actually had these for dinner and they were great! Fluffy pancakes, salty crunchy bacon, smooth peanut butter, and sweet bananas - I mean what else could you ask for?!

Girl Scout Week: Mini No-Bake Banana Cheesecakes

My confession of the day: Trefoils are my favorite Girl Scout cookie. I think this makes me in the minority with the old ladies. No one thinks Trefoils are the best!! I think they are the most addictive...they kind of sneak up on you that way!

These cheesecakes were really cute and a fast, easy dessert to make for a crowd. I used banana chips instead of real banana slices because the chips clearly keep better.

Banana Bread Oatmeal

My son is like me in the way that he doesn't like raw bananas, so I try to sneak in bananas to foods he likes. This was a quick way to make oatmeal and it was pretty good.