Caramel Banana Cake

Today I spied some bananas that were awfully ripe. They were starting to get brown spots on them, even. I immediately thought that today was a day for banana bread.

And then, my thoughts turned decadent. I thought that I could easily adapt my usual banana bread recipe to become banana cake. Top it with frosting, and we've got dessert, folks. And not just any frosting, either. Cream cheese frosting. But the madness doesn't stop there. Oh no. I added toasted pecans for a little crunch and (because I couldn't help myself) a caramel drizzle.

Get in my belly!

Now you have great insights into my life as a fat kid. Moving on to the recipe...

Caramel Banana Cake
Recipe by Sara (stuff-by-sara.blogspot.com)

For the cake:
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
6 Tbsp butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp caramel sauce*

For the frosting:
2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk or cream

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Preheat oven to 350º.

In a large mixing bowl, combine bananas, butter, and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix thoroughly.  In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients, and gently stir until just moistened. Pour batter into greased 8x8-inch pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

When the cake comes out of the oven, take a knife and poke several holes in it. Pour 1/2 cup caramel over the cake and let cool.

To make the frosting, whip butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and about a cup of the powdered sugar. Beat until creamy. Add powdered sugar and milk until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.

Spread cooled cake with frosting. Top with pecans, and then drizzle with remaining caramel sauce.

*I used jarred caramel sauce this time around, but you can use homemade if you prefer.

Cheddar & Chive Biscuits

Everyone loves the cheddar biscuits at a well known restaurant that I won't mention, but it's name is reminiscent of Crimson Crustacean. I adore those delicious biscuits, so I decided to try my hand at making a copy-cat version at home.

I started off with the obvious: cheddar cheese. I decided to stray a bit from the restaurant's version, and man, did I like what turned out. A hefty spoonful of chives later, and we've got cheddar and chive biscuits, but they're not a far cry from the famous Cheddar Bay Biscuits at Red Lobster. Whoops. I said it.

If you're interested, here's my recipe.

Cheddar & Chive Biscuits
Recipe by Sara (stuff-by-sara.blogspot.com)

2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 Tbsp butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp dried chives
3/4 cup milk

2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp garlic powder
pinch of salt

Combine flour, baking powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Add 8 Tbsp butter. Mix until crumbly. Add cheese and chives. Toss together. Add milk. Dough will be rather thick.

Drop by large spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. This recipe will make 10 to 12 biscuits. Bake in a 375º oven for 12-18 minutes.

Melt remaining 2 Tbsp butter. Add parsley, remaining garlic powder, and salt. Brush hot biscuits with butter mixture.

Enjoy at least one biscuit while it is still warm. Pat yourself on the back for making biscuits instead of going out to a pricey restaurant. Repeat.

Four on the Couch

I am one of the youth leaders for my church congregation. The youth love playing games, and I've got more than a few up my sleeve. Here is one of my favorites to play if you've got a fair-sized group (10-30). This is also great for young adults.

Four on the Couch (alternately known as The Couch Game)

1. Start by writing the names of everyone in the room on separate slips of paper.
2. Form a circle of chairs that includes one seat for each person playing, plus one empty seat.
3. Designate 4 seats in a row as “the couch.” This will be important later in the game.
4. Divide into teams. Girls vs. Boys works well, but any arrangement you choose will be fine. Make sure teammates are sitting every other chair, which means that each team will start with 2 people on “the couch.”
5. Have each person draw a slip of paper—the name you draw is your name for that round.
6. Whoever is to the left of the empty seat gets to call out a name. The person who drew that name gets up and sits in the empty seat, leaving an empty seat somewhere else in the circle. Whoever is to the left of the new empty seat calls out a new name, another person moves, etc.
7. The objective of the game is to get all four of your teammates on “the couch.” Once that happens, the game is over.

Have fun!

Me Talk Pretty One Day Review (and Next Month's Pick)

Let's start with Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. This wasn't really a winner for me, but several of my friends loved it.

I will admit that David Sedaris has a writing style that is amusing, but I still didn't think this book was as funny as it was purported to be. To be completely honest, I ditched it about 2/3 of the way through. It just wasn't a book that I wanted to keep reading.

Don't let my review stop you from reading it, though.  Like I said, everyone else I know who has read this quite enjoyed it.

On to next month. The book I have selected for April is

Edenbrooke 
by Julianne Donaldson

From Goodreads:

Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she’ll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry.

From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will she be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.

This "Proper Romance" has a gotten great reviews on Goodreads (average 4.41 stars), Amazon (average 4.7 stars), and Barnes & Noble (average 5 stars).

I hope this book is more enjoyable than my other picks :-P

Happy Reading!

Lucky Leprechaun Punch

I know this is a bit late, but things have been crazy around my house lately! My darling sister gave birth to a beautiful baby, so I've been a little distracted.

isn't she sweet?

Even in the midst of baby-excitement, my family found a way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. My family likes to celebrate St. Pat's in style. We go all out with corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and lots of green food to accompany the traditional Irish fare.

This year, I concocted what I like to call "Lucky Leprechaun Punch." My brother-in-law said he would drink it everyday, so don't think you have to save this for next St. Patty's Day. You can break out this tasty beverage anytime you want! I think that kiddos would be especially excited over a vibrantly green refreshing drink.

Lucky Leprechaun Punch
Recipe by stuff-by-sara.blogspot.com

1 packet lemon-lime drink mix  (I used Kool-Aid)
1 can frozen limeade concentrate
3/4 cup sugar
1 quart water
2 liters lemon-lime soda (Sprite, 7-Up, Sierra Mist--whatever tickles your fancy)
1-2 cups ice

Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl or gallon-size pitcher. Stir to combine. Enjoy!

Jelly Surprise Muffins

I love muffins. My mom made muffins quite a bit during my growing-up years. We ate them for breakfast but also for snacks. Yesterday, I had a hankering for my favorite muffins.

They look pretty average, right? Wait until you bite into one.

Jelly! Yum!

The jelly center is baked right into these little beauties. My favorite is strawberry jam, followed closely by seedless raspberry. You can use whatever jam or jelly tickles your fancy.

Jelly Surprise Muffins
Recipe by Sara (stuff-by-sara.blogspot.com)

2 cups flour
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1 cup milk
½ cup oil
12 tsp jelly, jam, or marmalade

Preheat your oven to 350º F. Prepare your muffin pans by greasing them or lining each cup with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix egg, milk, and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture, and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Be careful not to over mix, since that can give you tough muffins instead of the tender, delicious texture we're after.

Gently spoon batter into each muffin cup until it is about 1/2 full. Reserve the other half of the batter. Top each muffin with 1 tsp jelly or jam. Cover with remaining batter.

Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

If you eat these little cuties warm, be careful of their jelly centers. They will be hot, so don't burn yourself!

To Pin or Not to Pin

That is the question.

(source)

I am a Pinterest lover. I loooooove Pinterest. Before joining Pinterest, I was known to bookmark a lot of webpages. I wanted to save every good idea or neat project. So I would bookmark each and every one. And then I found Pinterest. GAME. CHANGER. I can still gather all my ideas, and I can satisfy my OCD-like need for order by organizing my pins on individual boards. Win!

The only problem with my Pinteresting addiction is that some ideas that circulate Pinterest aren't worth my time. Sure, the look really cool. Or they sound good in theory. But in practice? Not so much. Enter in: To Pin or Not to Pin. My guide to what has worked for me and what hasn't. I will share with you, litte by little, my Pinterest discoveries: the good, the bad, and the ugly.


First up, homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies.

(original source)

You know you've seen this pin. With 291 likes and 1509 repins, who hasn't? I tried this recipe about a week ago. I'll start off by saying that I am a bit of a food snob. But who doesn't love an Oatmeal Cream Pie? They are one processed, pre-packaged food I will admit I enjoy on occasion. These, however, didn't fit the bill for this tough critic. The cookies were not as dark as the picture, and while tasty, lacked the signature flavor of my Little Debbies. The cookies were also more cakey than chewy. The marshmallow cream filling was pretty good, though. Don't get me wrong, I think this is a good cookie recipe, but not a good oatmeal cream pie recipe. Since I was hoping to make knock-off Oatmeal Cream Pies, this wasn't a winner for me. (Note: this review is regarding the above recipe only. There are several other Oatmeal Cream Pie recipes on Pinterest, but I haven't tried them yet.)

To Pin or Not to Pin? Not. 

Next on the line up: Yoga Routine for Better Sleep

(original source)

There are only a million-and-one yoga pins out there. Which ones are worthy? Well, let me tell you this one is. It is also the easiest yoga routine I have ever done, so it is totally do-able for you novices out there (like myself). It doesn't require any special equipment or mats, which is also a win for those of us who occasionally dabble in the yoga scene. This yoga sequence had me ready to roll over and start snoozing. It was relaxing, and I felt like I was doing my body a solid by "exercising" before sleep.

To Pin or Not to Pin? Pin!



Up to bat, that crazy Mountain Dew glow stick thing

(source)

I went camping this last weekend (yes, in March. Yes, it was freezing). My brother was with me, and he decided that it would be a good time to put the Mountain Dew Glow Stick to the test. Result: undrinkable, uninteresting Mountain Dew. No glow. Not even a dim light. After consulting with several friends who were equally disappointed with their own attempts, I label this a fail. Snopes confirms that this is just a silly hoax. Completely sad, since it would have been awesome to have a glowing bottle of Mountain Dew.

To Pin or Not to Pin? Not. 



Last one for today: let's talk Brownies.

(original source)

As mentioned previously, I am a bit of a food snob. When it comes to brownies, I am really finicky. I like a moist, chewy, rich, fudgy brownie. Emphasis on fudgy. Yum. No cake-like brownies for me. And none of those light-brown impostors. I am a fan of America's Test Kitchen, so when ATK was mentioned in the pin description, I knew I had to try this recipe. These take a little more work than your average brownie recipe, but they are soooo worth the effort. This recipe embodies everything I love in a brownie: decadent, but not overpoweringly sweet; great texture; rich chocolate flavor. I have made these brownies twice already, and you can bet I won't stop there. This is a recipe worth savoring.

To Pin or Not to Pin? Pin!



I hope this post was helpful to you! If there are pins you want me to review, leave me a comment.

Follow me on Pinterest: pinterest.com/sararachels