Recipe #43 - Honey Butter

No corn bread is complete without some delicious honey butter.  And this recipe whips up very quickly.  Therefore, you need it.  Trust me.

You can find it in the cookbook on page 51 or online here.

Three basic ingredients: butter, honey and powdered sugar.  Its like buttered frosting.  Yum!

You want to let the butter sit out for at least 20 minutes, so its about room temperature.  This helps it to whip up nicely.

Now when it comes time to beat these ingredients together. I would recommend slightly beating the butter first before you add the other ingredients.  Even on my lowest speed, I ended up with a mess.

Butter first.  Then everything whips together for about 30 seconds or so, until its all light and fluffy.

Then you lather it on this fantastic corn bread (found here) and enjoy!

The serving suggestions on the side of the page say to serve it with corn bread (check!), dinner rolls (luckily on tonight's menu) and sopapillas (oh my heart, that sounds good!).  This recipe makes a ton of honey butter too, so I might just do all three...

Recipe #42 - Corn Bread

As far as I'm concerned, corn bread is the perfect compliment to a bowl of chili.  And I love chili.  Therefore, I have made my fair share of corn bread -- from a box.  I'm not a huge fan of "real" corn bread that contains chunks of corn, nor do I want to spend a ton of time making it.  So a box mix does the trick.

But never, ever I have used a box mix that I like so much as this recipe.  Yes, this cookbook has a "box mix" for corn bread and it is delightful.

You'll find this recipe on page 43 of the cookbook or online here.

Here's the secret ingredient:

What?!  Cake mix, you say?  Yes, cake mix.  Yummy, fantastic cake mix is needed to make corn bread.  Like the recipe already?  Me too.

This recipe is just 2 Jiffy cornbread mixes, a yellow cake mix and all the eggs/milk/oil that those mixes call for.  That's it!  First you combine the 3 mixes.

Then you add the oil, milk, and eggs called for in the directions for the mixes.

Mix it together per the ingredients on the cake recipe.  (Typically that means beating on low for 30 seconds and high for 2 minutes.)

Then you're ready to bake the bread!  You can either cook it in muffin tins or do a 9x13 pan and a 9x9 pan.

Yes, this makes a LOT of corn bread.  Frankly, its enough to feed a decent crowd...so why not invite guests?  After all, you slaved over a hot stove all day to make this fantastic corn bread...or so they'll think!

Oh and don't forgot to lather it with Honey Butter.  (That review comes tomorrow!)

Recipe #41 - Chili-Lime Steak

My husband loves me tons, but he loves me even more when steak is on the menu.  I don't buy it very often, so when I do, its a treat.  If I add mashed potatoes to the menu, I might just get a long foot massage.  Score!  Too bad we can't have steak every night. 

This recipe for Chili-Lime Steak is found on page 124 in the cookbook or online here.

First you start with these fantastic ingredients.

You combine the spices in a small bowl.

Then you stir in the lime juice and olive oil.  This mixture gets rubbed on both sides of your steak.

Allow it to stand for 15 minutes and preheat your grill. 

Onto the grill it goes!  It takes about 5-7 minutes on each side.

Once it is cooked to your liking, allow it to stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Then you slice this baby into strips and gobble it up.  So good!  You've got to try this.

The cookbook also has a recipe (on page 124 too) for Chili-Lime Steak Salad.  It is fantastic as well.  It is a terrific way to use any leftover steak.  Okay, who are we kidding?  There won't be any leftover steak.  If you want to make the salad, you're going to need to double this recipe and hid the second half of it.

Recipe #40 - Chunky Monkey Banana Cream Pie

I have a very simple outlook on life -- everything will be okay as long as you have chocolate and peanut butter.  Right?  If you're a chocolate/peanut butter fan, this recipe is a fantastic twist on banana cream pie, and you need to try it.

It's call Chunky Monkey and it is found on page 225 of the cookbook.  Click here to find the variation listed at the bottom of this page with the Banana Cream Pie recipe.

First, you combine your pudding mix (I used chocolate), water and sweetened condensed milk.

After it is mixed well, you put in the fridge to chill while you move to the next step -- whipping the cream.

You fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture and return it to the fridge.

Next you slice the bananas and layer them on the bottom of the crust.  Since I made this pie at the same time as the Banana Cream Pie I posted yesterday, I made the same mistake on my banana layer.  (See post here.)  Make your banana layer look like this:

Not like this:

Notice above that I used a chocolate crust for this pie.

Then you pour the chilled mixture over your bananas.

I gave my daughter the beaters to lick.  She liked the whipped cream so much, both beaters went in the mouth immediately.  She couldn't get it in fast enough.

After that, you whip up some more cream, but this time you sweeten it with powdered sugar.

It gets spread it over the top of the pie.

 

This pie can be served with honey roasted peanuts on top of you like.

I made both this pie and the original Banana Cream Pie version for an extended family dinner.  The Chunky Monkey was the favorite for sure.  However, all those people were related to me...so, take that for what its worth.  But make no mistake about it, this pie is tasty!

Recipe #39 - Banana Cream Pie

I really like pie, but I don't make it very often.  Here is why:

1.  I like to try new recipes.
2.  I can't taste a slice before I serve it to guests.  But if it is a new recipe, I want to make sure its good before serving it.
3.  If I just make it for my family, there is way too much pie left.
4.  If there is way too much pie left, I eat it.
5.  Sometimes, I eat it for breakfast.  (See post here.)
6.  If I eat pie for breakfast, I have to run on my elliptical.

Therefore, I typically stick to making cookies that I eat too many of and have to run on my elliptical.  Hmm...I need to work on that logic I guess.

Anyhow, this time I made pie -- Banana Cream Pie.  You can find it on page 224 of the cookbook or online here.

First, you combine your pudding mix, water and sweetened condensed milk.

After it is mixed well, you put in the fridge to chill while you move to the next step -- whipping the cream.  (Like my fancy mixing bowl?  Sweet, huh?  No pun intended.)

You fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture and return it to the fridge.

Next you slice the bananas and layer them on the bottom of the crust.  Now, listen up so that you can learn from my mistake.  When I read the word "layer" my brain thought the pie should look like this:

Then I had some banana left, so I ate it.

However, when I looked at the Our Best Bites blog for the link to this recipe, I found that it really was supposed to look like this.

Oops.  "Layer" doesn't mean one flat row.  Lesson learned.  (I think that Sara and Kate should hire me to figure out all the errors one could make while following one of their recipes.  Even when the wording should be very clear, I am bound to find another interpretation!)

Then you pour the chilled mixture over your layer of bananas.

After that, you whip up some more cream, but this time you sweeten it with powdered sugar.

It gets spread it over the top of the pie.

Ironically, the only thing that I found lacking in this pie is the amount of bananas in it.  Hmm...wonder why.  Geez.

There is also another version of this pie called "Chunky Monkey" and I liked it even better than this one.  That review is coming next!  Stay tuned for more reasons to exercise daily.

Recipe #38 - Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice

This is one of my all time favorite recipes ever.  Not kidding!  I like rice just fine, but plain rice is...well, plain.  I need excitement in my life.  Plain is rarely an great option for me.

Brace yourself for this delightful side dish.  It is Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice.  It can be found on page 203 or online here.

Oh and its so easy to make!  You put your rice, coconut milk, water, salt, vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Once it is boiling you, turn the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.  Then you let it stand for 5 minutes while you chop your green onions.

Then you added the onions, a little salt and pepper and this fantastic rice dish is ready.  That easy!

My family loves this dish as much as I do, and whenever I serve it to other people, they're surprised at how yummy it is.  It was been a recipe that I've made over and over from the cookbook too.  Get it on this week's dinner menu.  You can thank me later.

Recipe #37 - Mint-Chocolate Cookie Pudding Pops

With the warm days of summer disappearing, we thought we better made another batch of the pudding pops at our house.  I blogged about the Peanut Butter Banana ones here, but the cookbook has six different pudding pop recipes.

This recipe is found on page 242, but it is not online.

This recipe is as easy as they come though.  It has just 4 ingredients.

You put everything but the cookies in the blender until smooth.

Then you have a cute little girl crush the cookies for you.

Beware:  Your child helper might swipe a cookie in the process.  So make sure you have enough before recruiting this sort of help.

You stir them into your liquid mixture.

I'm pretty sure that I could drink this mixture.  I just needed a tall glass and thick straw.

Then all that's left is to put them in your popsicle molds.

(You can have a cute little girl help you with this too.)

Mine made nine pudding pops.

My family inhaled these!  They have a perfect blend of mint and chocolate, but the pudding makes them creamy.  Be sure to get your cookies in super small pieces.  I should have checked the work of my helper a little closer.  Some of our cookie chunks were on the larger side of life.  Easy fix though!

Recipe #36 - Black Beans

Whenever I make Mexican food, I'm never sure what to serve as my side dish.  I love Mexican rice and refried beans, but my kids never touch them.  Chips and salsa are another option, but they seem more like an appetizer.  I needed something that my kids would eat.  So I thought we'd give this recipe for black beans a try.

You can find the recipe in the cookbook on page 202 or online here.

You start by sauteing the onions and garlic in a skillet.

Then you add the beans and seasonings and bring it to a boil.

Once it starts boiling, you turn it to low and simmer for 7 minutes.

After they're done cooking, you add some lime juice and smash some of the beans to thicken it up.

You can serve it with some cheese on top.  I find that anything I serve with cheese on top is more likely to be eaten by my children.

Speaking of the kids, the black beans were received differently by each of them.  My oldest said, "These are surprisingly decent."  He ate his entire serving.  My middle child (who is my pickiest) said, "What's for dessert?"  This is her trademark question when determining if its worth it to finish her dinner.  And my youngest ate able half of her serving and didn't want any more.  This is typical for her though, unless it involves chocolate.

The only thing I would change is that I would cut my onions up much smaller.  You need the onion taste in there, but sometimes they were a little chunky for my liking.  I think that was "cook error" though, not a flaw in the recipe.