Strawberry Banana Muffins

I always have overripe bananas in my kitchen, which is great for whipping up banana bread. This week I have a ton of strawberries and I didn't want them go to waste. I thought strawberry and banana muffins sounded yummy, so I searched Google for a good  recipe. I stumbled upon a great one!  The one I found can be made with or without eggs!  Woo Hoo! I made the muffins without eggs so my little one with the egg allergy could eat them too.  

I found the recipe on EgglessCooking.com.  

Egglesscooking.com adapted the recipe from JoyOfBaking.com.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

1/2 cup Melted Butter

1/2 cup Plain Yogurt (or 2 eggs)

1 cup Overripe Mashed Bananas (approx 2 large bananas)
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1 cup chopped Strawberries

2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour

3/4 cup  Light Brown Sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  

Line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.  I didn't have liners so I just sprayed the muffin tin.  Next, melt butter and set it aside until it cools down to room temperature.  In a medium size bowl, mix yogurt, mashed bananas and the vanilla extract.  Once the butter is cool, add it to this mixture.  In another large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients {flour, brown sugar, baking soda and powder, cinnamon and salt}.  After they are mixed well, add the strawberries.   Make sure the strawberry pieces are coated well.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just blended. Do not over mix the batter.  Fill each muffin cup with the batter (see photo) - Recipe makes 12 muffins.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.  Place muffins on a wire rack to cool.   
Enjoy!

These muffins are great served warm or cold!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers!

-->

Tried & True Tuesday ~ Shrimp & Grits

After having the awesome Shrimp & Grits in Duck, NC, at The Red Sky Cafe,  I didn't want to wait until June to have them again.  I've been wanting to try to make them for a while now...I finally made my first ever Shrimp & Grits! 

  

It took forever to find a recipe I wanted to try.  I found a great recipe on FoodNetwork.com...

Bobby Flay's Shrimp & Grits

This recipe called for quite a few ingredients...

The Cajun seasoning is a KEY ingredient for the shrimp...

Ingredients

Shrimp
1 1/2 pounds (26-30 count) Wild Georgia Shrimp
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (Recommended: Tone's Cajun seasoning)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper

Cheesy Grits

2 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes (Knorr is recommended)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup quick grits (Quaker is recommended)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 1/2 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar

Sauce

2 tablespoons butter 
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
1 cup chicken stock 
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (Texas Pete is recommended)
1 slice sugar-cured country ham (I used brown sugar-cured ham & bacon)

Head The Food Network for the step by step directions.

......................................................................

Here are a few tips when making this dish:

CHEESY GRITS

# 1 lesson I learned during my research on Shrimp & Grits, 

DO NOT USE INSTANT GRITS for this dish.  It was recommended to use Quaker Quick Grits.

  

I wasn't able to take pictures of the grits during the cooking process.  This was my first time making them - they needed a lot of whisking and attention. Be sure to use a heavy-bottomed sauce pan.  Once you add the grits to the liquid,be sure to whisk continoulsy until they begin to thicken.  Grits can burn easily, so be sure to watch your heat. I cooked my quick grits over medium heat in the beginning and then turned the heat down slightly once they thickened.  Once the grits start to thicken, whisk often.  Have a spatula handy too, one that can tolerate high heat.  Scrape the sides and bottom of pan as needed. 

SHRIMP

My local grocery store didn't have Wild Georgia Shrimp so I decided to use the
next best thing, Frozen Raw Peeled Deveined Wild Gulf Shrimp.  I bought 2, 1 pound bags and used all of them, 1/2 lb more than what the recipe called for.

The shrimp have A LOT of kick!

{If you are not a fan of a lot of spice, you can use 

less and it will still turn out great}

Be careful not to overcook your shrimp, 

they are ready in only 3 to 5 minutes!

This is my first ROUX ever!

{Besides Thanksgiving gravy}

Make sure you have extra chicken broth in the house - it came in handy!

I used about a 1/2 cup more than what the recipe called for.  When I added 

the flour to the drippings leftover from the shrimp, the roux was super thick,

 too thick to work with so I added a little Swanson Chicken Broth. 

{*the EXTRA chicken broth is not from the 1 cup of broth I used later for the sauce.}

The sauce turned out Perfect!

Here is the finished product...

The Shrimp & Grits were mmm, mmm good!

The cheesy grits were fabulous, I loved them!  

I'll be making this recipe again!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers!

King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread Makes the BEST French Toast!!!

We had breakfast for dinner again, 

King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread French Toast!

This was a last minute dinner.  I planned on making Shrimp and Grits for the first time, but my husband and little one weren't thrilled with that idea.  I know my husband will love shrimp and grits when I do finally make them...oh, and I'm making them soon!  


I decided to make breakfast for dinner, which is always a hit.  I ended up making the BEST French Toast I've ever had...it was that good! 

I wanted to use Challah bread, 
but the store was out, 
so I ended up using this...

Hawaiian Sweet Bread!  

I also had a loaf of Italian bread, so I used both.

There was no comparison between the two breads, 

King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread kicked the Italian bread's butt!  

King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread Makes the BEST French Toast!!!

Not too soggy, not too dry, it was just right.

My husband said it was the best French Toast he's ever had!

My oldest said it's better than going to a restaurant!

As for my little one with the egg allergy, I made her egg-free pancakes. 

{The Hawaiian Sweet Bread is under the Italian Bread ~ 

French Toast isn't that pretty but it sure is yummy!}

Here's how I made it...

I made my French Toast a little different...

I used this recipe below:

Fluffy French Toast  Recipe by Bonnie on All Recipes.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon - *I sprinkled this on both sides instead of adding to the mix
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon white sugar - *I used light brown sugar
• 12 thick slices of bread ~ *I used 1 Hawaiian Sweet Round, sliced into 1-inch thick slices

Directions

1. Measure flour into a large mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk in the salt, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla extract and sugar until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat.
3. Soak bread slices in mixture until saturated. Cook bread on each side until golden brown. Serve hot.

*The Hawaiian Sweet Bread slices are huge, so one slice is perfect for a serving.  If you want, you can cut the bread into smaller slices, by cutting them in half.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers!

Sunshine Day!

One of my favorite signs that summer is right around the corner...

these bright balls of sunshine, 

The American Goldfinch!

{The male is a bright summer yellow}

Sorry for the poor quality of the photos, 

they were taken from my kitchen window.

{Male is left, female is right ~ The female is an olive yellow}

Want to learn how to attract these 

fun backyard birds?

Click here.

Have a great weekend!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Cheers!

Sugary Sweet Thank You!

These cupcakes are a sweet thank you from a very sweet friend.

They are just too cute not to take pictures of and share!

Which one to eat first???

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers!

A few of my favorite things in and around Duck, North Carolina...

*Links from my previous posts on my OBX trip with more tips and highlights can be found at the bottom of this post.

Here are the rest of the highlights and tips 
from my Spring Break trip...

{in no particular order}

The Bike Paths...

Click here to learn more about the bike paths.

Be sure to bring your bike or you can rent one.

Biking is the best way to get around Duck. 

We rented bikes and a Cornhole set from Duck Village Outfitters.  

They had everything we needed, from helmets to baskets for the bikes.

Click here for a list of rental companies to meet your 

recreational needs while visiting Duck and the surrounding areas.

Love BBQ?

Run to Duck Deli!

They have the best North Carolina Pulled Pork BBQ!!!  

A must try!!!

Duck Deli has the yummiest Hushpuppies I've had to date!

If you love Shrimp N' Grits, 

head to Red Sky Cafe...

Red Sky's DO NOT disappoint!

They also have awesome Fish Tacos!

The best deal for Shrimp n' Grits is during lunch, only $11.99 - Dinner menu it's $25

So.  Darn.  Good.

Red Sky Cafe has the cutest decor walking up to the door...

For a great cup of coffee 

or hot chocolate, head over to 

Duck's Cottage.

This is the cutest coffee-shop & book store, so unique!

They are known for their world famous coconut-crunch coffee.

My little one LOVED the hot chocolate!

This cute dog bone dispenser was on the porch 

walking up to the coffee-shop's front door.  

Duck is VERY dog friendly!

Duck is ranked in the top 10 for dog beaches.  

Click here to find out more.

Right in the heart of the Village is the Duck Water Tower

Duck has a wonderful variety for shopping & great dining!

Click here for a shopping guide.

Click here for a dining guide.

For great take-home SEAFOOD,  

Dockside 'N Duck Seafood Market ROCKS!

They are so friendly and have the freshest local seafood.  

During our week stay, we pretty much lived here.

They have all your cooking needs ~ sauces, marinades,

 sides, desserts and all the utensils you'll need.

 Their crab & clam dips are super yummy ~ good warm or cold...

but I highly recommend heating them!

They have ready-to-eat cooked peeled & deveined shrimp.  

My favorite is their Old Bay Spiced Shrimp!

Also great...their she-crab soup!  

What they are known for is their Down East Clambake, 

everything in one pot. 

My first stop for my June trip to Corolla will be here!

All around Duck, Corolla and surrounding areas are these adorable 

painted Wild Horse statues.  Each one is unique and they come in all different sizes.

 Up the road from Duck is Corolla, famous for the 

Currituck Beach Lighthouse and their wild horses. 

Click here to find out more about the wild horses.

Click here to find out more about the Currituck Beach Lighthouse.

I hope to go on a wild horse tour during my trip to Corolla in June.

This is my second trip to the Currituck Beach Lighthouse...

Even though I've been to the lighthouse twice, I haven't climbed it yet.  Thankfully, my aunt did and took pictures of the amazing view from the top!

($7 to climb the Lighthouse)

In the morning, FOLLOW YOUR NOSE to

Duck Donuts...

{These are "hurt you" good donuts!  So good, ONE person, who will remain anonymous, ate 5 of  the 6 }

The best part of Duck and the Outer Banks,

 the reason we all come...

What a beautiful way to start the day in the Outer Banks...

...and a spectacular way to end to a day with a sunset on the Sound.

So many reasons to love Duck and why...

The best sign of a great vacation is not wanting to leave...

We all wanted just a few more days...

Can't wait to return.

Here are links to my two previous posts on my trip: 

I ♥ OBX

& 

Spring Breakin' in Duck

(OBX Beach Home Rental Tips)

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers!