New Week Blessings!

New Week Blessings!

Hey friends…it is a new week starting off with a Holiday which makes it a short week so that has to be a good thing in itself doesn’t it?

A-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y! 🙂

And what better way than to start off with an easy to prepare meal that is so scrumptious?

Labor Day usually marks the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall…but what if you are not quite ready for that transition?

Simple!  Combine a Fall with a Summer.

Here is how I do it.

I make a crock pot beef stew AND a Tropical tasting bread AND if I need a further Fall-ish feel…a big cast iron skillet of apple cake AND this can all be topped off with a tropical drink….strawberry mango colada!

Now how cool is that??

Below, I have handy dandy printable recipes for Tropical and Fall combined!

Enjoy !

Yummy Jamaican Banana Bread

2015-09-08 14:25:27

Banana Bread with a taste of the tropics! Sooooo good!

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Ingredients

1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
4. 1 cup granulated sugar
5. 1/4 cup butter, softened
6. 2 large eggs
7. 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
8. 1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt (or pina colada flavored for a really tropic taste!!)
9. 3 tablespoons dark rum OR apple cider
10. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
11. 1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
12. Cooking spray
13. 1 tablespoon flaked sweetened coconut
14. 1/2 cup powdered sugar
15. 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime or substitute lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.
4. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Add banana, yogurt, rum, and vanilla; beat until blended.
6. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist.
7. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut and pour or spoon the batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, sprayed with cooking spray; sprinkle the top with 1 tablespoon coconut.
8. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan about 10 minutes and then remove from pan.
9. For the icing drizzle...Combine powdered sugar and lime juice, stirring with a whisk; drizzle over warm bread and allow to cool completely before serving.

Notes

1. If your bananas are not ripe yet...just put them in the fridge for a couple days. I never have to worry about having ripe bananas because as my bananas get a little dark sitting on the counter, I pop them in the freezer to be instantly ready for any banana nut bread recipe. Just let them thaw while you mix up your breads and you have instant ripe bananas!
2. When measuring dry ingredients such as flour, level the flour (or sugar) with a knife. Baking requires exact measuring for greatest success.

Me and My Captain https://meandmycaptain.com/

Thick Beef Stew in a Crock Pot

2015-09-08 14:53:38

The aroma of beef stew simmering in a crock pot on a cool Fall Day just makes one feel good!

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Ingredients

1. 1/3 cup flour
2. 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (I love the smoky flavor)
3. 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (I like Lawry's)
4. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5. 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
6. 1 tablespoon olive oil
7. 1 medium onion, chopped
8. 1 (8 ounce) package mushrooms, chopped
9. 3 potatoes, diced (I use Idaho)
10. 5 carrots, sliced
11. 2 stalks celery, chopped on diagonal
12. 2 cloves garlic, minced
13. 1/4 cup Marsala wine
14. 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
15. 3 (10.5 ounce) cans beef broth or use the carton, organic is great
16. 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
17. 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix (I use Lipton)
18. 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika, additional if desired
19. Add additional salt and fresh ground black pepper to stew if needed.

For the thickener

1. 2 tablespoons cornstarch
2. 2 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

1. Combine the flour, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, seasoned salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a large, resealable plastic bag. Add the beef, and seal the bag. Shake the bag thoroughly to coat the beef with seasoned flour.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet (or non stick skillet) over medium-high heat. Shake the excess seasoning off the beef, then stir the beef into the hot skillet with the onion and mushrooms. Cook and stir until the beef is evenly browned. Remove the beef and any crusty bits and place in a crock pot or slow cooker.
3. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, garlic, Marsala wine, and Worcestershire sauce into the cooker with the beef mixture.
4. Add the beef broth, onion soup mix, 1 teaspoon of paprika and the tomatoes to the mixture. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or on low for 10 to 12 hours.
5. Season to taste with salt and black pepper if needed and add the thickener for a nice thick beef stew if that is your preference (it is definitely mine)

Notes

1. I prefer my beef stew thick....but that is just my preference. So for a thicker stew, combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Gradually stir the mixture into the simmering stew until thickened. Yummy!

Me and My Captain https://meandmycaptain.com/

Cast Iron Skillet Apple Cake

2015-09-08 15:12:15

Easy cast iron skillet apple cake...OR you can use a 9 X 13 baking dish OR two 9 inch round pans...your choice!

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Ingredients

1. 2 eggs
2. 1 3/4 cups sugar
3. 2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
4. 1/2 cup oil (I use canola)
5. 6 medium Gala or Fuji or Honey Crisp apples
6. 1 teaspoon lemon juice
7. 2 cups flour
8. 2 teaspoons baking soda

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Peel and slice the apples and sprinkle with a bit of lemon juice coating to keep apples from turning brown.
3. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, cinnamon and oil.
4. Mix together the baking soda and flour and add to the apples coating well and then add all ingredients into the egg mixture bowl.
5. Mix well (best with a fork) until all of the flour is absorbed by the wet ingredients. Pour mixture into a large greased cast iron skillet or a 9x13 baking dish or two 9″ round pans.
6. Bake for approximately 55 minutes.

Notes

1. Serve warm or with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream.....yummy!

Me and My Captain https://meandmycaptain.com/

Strawberry Mango Colada

2015-09-08 15:43:26

What a great tropical drink! Fresh Strawberries, fresh Florida Mangos and a little umbrella!

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Ingredients

1. 1 cup fresh strawberries (or you can use frozen strawberries)
2. 1 cup fresh mango or you can use frozen mango
3. 1 cup pina colada mix (I used Mott's)
4. 1 cup crushed ice
5. 1 cup Malibu Coconut Flavored Rum (more or less if you like)

Instructions

1. Place the strawberries and mangos into a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add the pina colada mix, crushed ice and coconut flavored rum and give another quick blend
3. Pour or spoon into two tall glasses and top with an umbrella!

Notes

1. When my Third grand daughter and her fiance visited....we toasted a meal with favorite drinks and I found this combination fit me perfectly. I don't like a lot of Rum in mine. The Captain and I went back to the restaurant, talked the bartender into giving us the recipe and then make us two drinks. This particular restaurant doesn't use the little umbrellas, but I knew that ahead of time, so I took two umbrellas with me and propped them on the glasses as we drank these wonderful drinks next to the water and boats on the bottom level of this outdoor restaurant! It don't get any better than this! 😉

Me and My Captain https://meandmycaptain.com/

Are you, my dear readers ready to leave Summer and jump into Fall?