Hannah Banana Granola

Last March I was debating on whether I should start a food blog. I was constantly cooking and creating various recipes. It has also always been a dream of mine to open a food establishment, but I believe in starting small and thought a blog would be a great start. I was at my friends house and asking if they had any ideas for my blog. My friend said so point blank- well duh Hannah's Bananas, since you are Hannah Banana. Thus, the blog was born. But even more so I am making a specific Hannah Banana post as a bit of a test. My boyfriend basically only refers to me as Banana and also has been asking for at least a shout-out. Yes, this is a test to see if he actually looks at my blog.
But besides the sneaky test, I made this granola of things I like and also in spirit for the start of the new year. Each year people make a resolution to eat healthier, be better, and on- so here is my healthier granola to help kick start a year I hope that is filled with good health, happiness, and prosperity for all.

Servings: 9 half-cup servings

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of old fashioned oats
1/8 cup of honey
4 tablespoons of agave
3 tablespoons of water
4 tablespoons of PB2
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup of banana chips broken into small pieces

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

In a large bowl mix the oats, honey, agave, cinnamon, vanilla, PB2, and walnuts. Spread the mix onto a baking sheet and place into the over for about 40-50 minutes, until the oats are lightly browned.

Brake up the banana chips into small pieces. Once the granola is done, mix in the banana chips. Allow the granola to sit out and cool for about 30 minutes until it becomes crunchy.

Store in an airtight container and enjoy!

 

Peppermint Candy Chocolate Bark

As the holiday season approaches it is always nice to be thankful for what we have in our lives; it is important to focus on the good present rather that what is missing. For some holidays can be bittersweet- happy for the holly times or reminiscent of what used to be. But it is always important to shine the light on the dark and be grateful for our lives and the people in them. At the Hebrew school I teach as we discuss ways to give back to others and how we can be thankful for all we have. This past week we also had a discussion of how we can thank people, or G-d in the religious aspect of the school as well as where we can talk to G-d. Once this question arose, as we were sitting in the sanctuary of the Temple, a child called out, "Church! We can talk in Church!" Sometimes that needed chuckle is necessary and allows us to take a step back and appreciate all the good around us.  To appreciate and say thank you, this peppermint bark is a great gift.

Ingredients:

2 bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 bags of white chocolate chips
1/2- 1 cups of crushed peppermint candies or candy canes
Instant coffee

Directions:

Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper.

Make a double boiler and place the semi-sweet chocolate and about 1 teaspoon of instant coffee in the top part of the boiler. Allow the chocolate to melt and stir often. Once the chocolate is a smooth consistency, pour it into the pan. Place the pan into the fridge to allow the chocolate to harden.

While the chocolate is in the fridge, melt down the white chocolate. Once the white chocolate has also melted to a smooth consistency, pour it over the semi-sweet chocolate. Before placing the chocolate in the fridge, sprinkle the crushed peppermint candy over the white chocolate. Place the pan into the fridge and allow the chocolate to harden.

(*If wanting a smoother or more fudge like consistency, add a bit of milk into each of the chocolates as they are melting in the double boiler.)

Once hard, break the chocolate into pieces and enjoy!

Happy Holiday!

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

I've been on a banana kick lately- maybe it is due to the lack of banana recipes on my blog or the fact I've celebrated my birthday for two weeks, and I am, of course, banana. My birthday festivities ranged from a surprise birthday party, to a nice dinner with my mom, to a small party with friends at school. Each had their special quirks and of course a banana theme- from an ice cream cake decorated with bananas to an apron decorated with the Hannah's Bananas logo. Although I love the combination of banana and peanut butter, thus making me inspired to create this recipe in honor of my last week for the semester at my research position. Yet on that day I did witness some interesting behavior involving a butt, but (haha pun!) I'll spare the rest of the details.
Enjoy this sweet and potential breakfast item and have a banana filled bite!

Servings: about 24 cupcakes

Ingredients
 3 mashed bananas
1 stick of unsalted butter, browned
1 egg
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup of sour cream

Frosting Ingredients:
1 stick of vegetable shortening
1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups of powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla
3/4 cup of creamy peanut butter
5-6 tablespoons of water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In small pot, place the stick of butter on medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and continue to stay on the heat until it becomes brown in color and produces and nut like fragrance.

In a medium mixing bowl mash the three bananas. Then add in the sugar and browned butter. Then mix in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the sour cream, baking soda, and baking powder. In small batches mix in the flour.

Once the ingredients are fully combined, ladle the batter into a cupcake lined cupcake pan, filling the liners about 3/4 of the way full. Bake the cupcakes 15-20 minutes, until they are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

To make the frosting
In a medium add in 1 stick of vegetable shortening and 1 stick of butter. Slowly add in the three cups of powdered sugar, and cream the powdered sugar with the shortening and butter. Then add in the vanilla and peanut butter. Finally add in the water in order to reach a smooth consistency.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, the frosting can be added. Either by spreading or using a pastry/plastic bag to create a swirl, frost the cupcakes. To add a finishing garnish, place a banana chip on top.

Enjoy!

Miso Noodle Soup

Like a nice bowl of soup on a cold night, a good group of friends can give you a nice warm feeling in your belly- or more so your heart. As Thanksgiving approaches, so does my birthday. As usual everyone goes home and my birthday celebration tends to be postponed with my friends. Although, that changed this year. After going on an unnecessary long grocery shopping trip, I walked into my house only to hear a group of people yell surprise. Of course my natural reaction was to squeal in a ever so high pitched tone, but I was unsure of whether I was more afraid or surprised to see friends from various groups all in my living room to greet me with a ice-cream cake and yelling happy birthday. It was one of the greatest surprises and made me feel so loved by all my friends. Never did I expect such a thing and couldn't be more thankful to be surrounded by such great people in my life. But after the mushy-gushy of loving my friends, I wanted to share my recent recipe of Miso Noodle Soup. I hope this soup will warm your tummy on a cold night just as my friends warm my heart (or rather make me scream or possibly pee my pants from fright) in the least corny of ways.

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of white miso paste
1/2 cup of chopped scallions
8 cups of water
1 block of firm tofu cubed into small pieces
1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 teaspoons of wasabi paste
1 cup of rice noodles
2 nori sheets broken into small pieces

Directions:

In a large pot, combine the miso past and water. Allow the water to come to a slight simmer. Continue to stir to make sure the miso paste is fully absorbed into the water.

Then stir in the cubed tofu, scallions, and rice noodles. Allow the water to simmer until the rice noodles are fully cooked- for about 8 minutes. Then stir in the soy sauce, nori, wasabi paste, and grated ginger.

Turn down the heat of the soup. Allow it to slightly cool and then enjoy!

 

Greek Yogurt Chocolate Chip Muffins

It is always a story when a friend turns 21. From waking up with  a mysterious nose bleeds, your face in a garbage can, or a wonder of how you got home and where that mark on your face is from, 21 leaves no room to not have a story after the night. This past week two of my housemates, one being my roommate, turned 21. This only meant double the trouble. From finding a stranded intoxicated friend on the front porch to a morning at the Emergency Room, I can only say the week has been eventful. But as always a story was made and entertainment provided by my inebriated tap dancing. Yet, what a better way to wake-up hungover and potentially wanting food and having the mom-like housemate (of course that's me) to make muffins to stuff your face with more. Although waking up at 7 and cleaning the house was not all to pleasant, muffins always are- unless someone is asking to butter your muffin (hope someone gets this mean girl reference). Regardless of the morning you are having and the want for muffins, enjoy this sweet and semi-healthy eat.

Servings: 14 muffins

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

Ingredients:
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup of milk
1 cup of chocolate chips

Directions:
 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, yogurt, brown sugar, and vanilla.

Then in another bowl combine the flours, baking soda, and baking powder. Slowly add this mix in batches to the wet ingredient mix.

Then add in the chocolate chips- make sure to not over mix the batter. The batter will be lumpy- but this is fine. Ladle in the batter about 3/4 of the way into the liners.

Bake for 10-12 minutes and then allow the muffins to fully cool.
Enjoy!

Kitchen Sink Cookies

I like to call these cookies kitchen sink cookies not only for the random ingredients thrown together in them, but for the mere fact I put together the mix in my sink to avoid flour flying everywhere, which still somehow happens. Although, sinks in college homes can be questionable- you never know how long one dish has been there or what mystery substance is in that container everyone refuses to wash. 

But it is always fun to experiment and throw odd ingredients together and have something wonderful and tasty as the end result. These cookies were my throw together recipe to create before heading to Nashville for the weekend. Although my airport experience was all to interesting with the obvious flight delay and spotting and man carrying around sweet potatoes. But from my kitchen sink to yours- enjoy these yummy cookies y'all!

Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients:

14 tablespoons of melted butter
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of capt'n crunch
1 cup of pretzel rods
1 cup of chocolate chips
1 cup of peanut butter chips

Directions:

Combine the sugars in a bowl and then mix in the melted butter until the sugars are no longer lumpy. Then mix in the eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In small batches add this to the sugar mixture. Once fully incorporated, add in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, capt'n crunch, and pretzel rods.

Place the cookie dough into the freezer for about 1 hour. Then preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
On a parchment lined cookie sheet place heaping sized spoonfuls of the dough and smooth them out into balls by rolling them in between your palms.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until they are lightly golden. Then allow the cookies to completely cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy everything but the sink!
 

Superfood Granola

As Halloweek is here, yes it is a celebration of weeklong festivities in the college world, a little recharge food is sometimes needed after a night out. Although in the college world Halloween is always an interesting time with a wide variety of costumes mostly consisting of how much people can get away with wearing the least possible amount of clothing. But there are always those who stand out for their funny and unique costumes ranging from superheroes to oversized food costumes. Yet, it's when the little kids dress up that the cuteness really comes out and parent's humor truly shines. The other day at the school where I do research on Autism, the children had a Halloween parade. One child was sent with a tye-dyed lab coat that read Dr.Blunt on the chest pocket. I have to say I laughed and then also wondered what kind of hippie parents this kid had. Dressing up is always fun and entertaining- it is a way for those alter-egos or hidden personas to emerge, whether it is a sexy cop/cat/nurse/etc or something like abusive Bert and Ernie. Regardless, celebrate the hidden persona and then treat your body well with some granola. The super-foods in it might even give you super powers.

Servings: 8 Servings (1/2 cup each)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1/3 cup of red quinoa
5 tablespoons of hemp hearts
1 tablespoon of chia seeds
5 tablespoons of flax seeds
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
1/2 cup of pepitas
1/4 cup of maple syrup
1/4 cup of honey
1/3 cup of water
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/3 cup of goji berries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to about 300 degrees. Then in a large bowl combine the oats, quinoa, hemp hearts, chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts, pepitas, maple syrup, honey, water, and cinnamon.

On a  greased baking sheet spread out the granola mixture. Lightly spray the granola with cooking spray. Then place the pan into the oven and allow the granola to cook for about 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy.

Once the granola is done and lightly cooled, add in the goji berries and mix the granola once again.

Enjoy!