Whole Wheat Banana-Oatmeal Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup rolled oats
2 bananas chopped
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt


Directions:
In a blender, puree milk and oats until smooth. Add bananas, flour, baking powder and salt and puree a few seconds more. Let batter rest 10 minutes.


Heat a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Mist with nonstick cooking spray, then scoop batter into the pan in about 1/4 cup increments. Reduce heat to medium low and cook pancakes until air bubbles appear and underside is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook about 5 minutes more. *Top with sliced bananas, walnuts, and pure maple syrup, or any syrup of your choice.
YUM!

Pancakes (or Waffles)

2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) oil

Mix all together with a spoon.  May be a little lumpy.  Let sit for 5 - 10 minutes if you have time, but if not, then go ahead and cook immediately.

For Waffles:  Increase oil to 1/2 cup.
Separate eggs.  Add the yolks to the batter.  Whip the egg whites separately until stiff.  Fold the egg whites into the batter right before beginning to cook the waffles.

Swiss Chicken

Chicken Tenders (enough to cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan in a single layer)
Swiss Cheese slices (enough to cover the chicken in a single layer)
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/4 cup milk (or water)
1-1/2 cups dry stuffing mix
1/4 cup butter

Grease or Spray 9x13 pan.
Lay the thawed chicken tenders in the pan in a single layer.  Lay the cheese slices on top of the chicken.
Mix the soup and milk together and spread over the sliced cheese.
Melt the butter and stir into the dry stuffing mix (I think that 1-1/2 cups is about right - but I know that one sack of Pepperidge Farm stuffing was enough for 4 pans of chicken)
Sprinkle buttered stuffing over the soup.  Cover pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

8 tablespoons honey
4 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
8 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
4 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 cup fresh orange juice
8 teaspoons cornstarch
6 teaspoons peanut oil
24 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pint small, sweet mixed peppers, quartered, or 4 mixed bell peppers, cut into 1-inch strips
12 scallions, whites cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, greens cut into 1-inch pieces and thinly sliced vertically into thin strips
16 ounces snow peas, trimmed
3 Servings of cooked rice
1 cup of water
Chopped peanuts for sprinkling, optional

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, chili-garlic sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, orange juice and cornstarch; set aside.

Meanwhile, coat the chicken with 3 teaspoons oil and heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken to taste with salt and pepper and cook, turning occasionally, 2 minutes. Transfer the partially-cooked chicken to a plate. Reserve the pan.

Heat the remaining 3 teaspoons oil in the pan; add the peppers, scallion whites, and snow peas. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the reserved chicken; whisk the sauce again and add it to the pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is tender, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add rice, water, and contents of the pan to a wok and stir for 3 - 4 minutes over high heat. Sprinkle with the scallion greens and peanuts, if using, and serve.

Cinnamon-Sugar Popcorn

1/2 c. unpopped popcorn
1/3 c. butter
2/3 c. white sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 250.

Pop popcorn in air-popper.

Melt butter in a saucepan.  Add remaining ingredients.  Stir over heat until sugar is mostly dissolved.  Pour over popcorn and stir to coat all popcorn.  Dump popcorn into a large roasting pan (if you have one.  If not, multiple cookie sheets also work).  Put pan into the oven for 10 minutes.  Leaving pan in the oven, turn off the oven and leave for 20 minutes.  Take popcorn out of the oven.

Optional yumminess:

Melt almond bark or vanilla chips and drizzle over the popcorn.  Wait for it to cool (or not.  Or speed it up by putting it in the fridge or freezer).  Eat and enjoy!

Caramel Apple Jam

Ingredients

• 6 cups diced peeled apples (1/8-inch cubes)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon butter
• 1 package (1-3/4 ounces) powdered fruit pectin
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

• In a Dutch oven, combine the apples, water and butter. Cook and stir over low heat until apples are tender. Stir in pectin and bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Add the sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg and return to a rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Remove from the heat; skim off foam. Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner. (Adjust as necessary for your altitude) Yield: 7 half-pints.

This is incredibly yummy!  

Baked Quesadillas

1 c. chicken, cooked and cubed (or steak)
1 c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 c. Ranch Dressing
1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies
4 (9 in) flour tortillas

Combine meat, cheese, dressing and chilies.  Divide evenly among tortillas.  Fold tortillas in half.  Place quesadillas on baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.