Author Archives: Alyssa

Banana Oat Cookies

Alright, so many banana recipes and they are all sweet bread or cookies! I need more healthy ideas for bananas!

Agghhh!!

I went back to my Oatmeal Banana Cookie idea and added a few more ingredients to spice it up. It’s not as healthy as the banana cookie but it was really yummy and pretty close!

Banana Oats Cookies with text

I think by now you know I love a glass of milk with a warm cookie.

It’s like a kiss without a squeeze ;)

Banana Oats Cookie Dough

First, beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Then mash all the bananas and add them to the mixture. Add the egg.

In a separate bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time and stir.

Cloves & Cinnamon?? Yum! I love this combination with bananas!

Banana Oat Cookies on Pan

Place about 2 Tbs. of batter on a greased cookie sheet and bake about 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

Bnana Oats Cookies

These cookies were really yummy. I used a lot of bananas too!

So they were a little sticky…

But I think if I used less bananas, they wouldn’t have been as sticky.

Banana Oats Cookies with Milk

Banana Oat Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
2 1/2 cups oats
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/3 cup golden raisins or craisens
1/4 cup shredded coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Grease a cookie sheet. Mix the sugar and butter until fluffy with a hand mixer on medium speed.

Mash bananas the bananas until soft. I have been starting to use my hand mixer to mush my bananas because the bananas are always from the freezer and I use a lot! I like the texture a lot better too especially in a cookie!

Stir in the egg and bananas. In another bowl, add the remaining ingredients together.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet gradually while stirring.

Stir mixture is well combined. Place about 2 Tbs of dough on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges are golden brown. Enjoy!

Try them out and leave a comment below to let me know how you liked them!

{adapted by Simple Daily Recipes}

Banana Oats Cookie

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A Day on the Yuca Farm

Well, I promised an exclusive on Yuca, so here it is! It is so fun to learn about different types food in other countries!

We got a tour of the farm our friends own. They live in a really tropical part of Costa Rica and the Yuca just thrives here! We toured around the farm and learned so much about how they plant and harvest Yuca.

Yuca (YOU-ka) is not the yucca (YA-ka) that we are familiar with.

Yuca Trees on the FarmWhat is Yuca?

Yuca (also known as Cassava) is a long root that grows from a small skinny tree. It is a major staple in Latin American cultures because it is a very starchy vegetable and thrives in tropical regions.

Starch means carbs, so this is a very filling type of vegetable.

In Costa Rica particularly, Yuca is a big staple (well besides rice) because it is much cheaper than the potato. Yuca Farm with Rows

We had never heard or seen of Yuca before coming to Costa Rica. But I think we have been properly introduced now that we have been here a while. This is after all, the Costa Rican potato!

The Yuca is planted by placing a stick or twig of a tree that has already been harvested. The twig will spring up a new tree.

The new trees are planted at the same time they harvest, saving lots of time! The Yuca is a one time harvest. It takes 9 months for the roots to fully grow and be ready for cosecha, harvest. Yuca Rows The tree trunks sort of resemble bamboo but a skinnier version!

Pulling Yuca Roots from the Ground

Once the trees are ready for harvest, the tops of the trees get cut down.

Then the farmers go back and pull up all the roots. Our friend here makes it look easy but some of those roots are long and really hard to pull up!

Luckily it rains a lot so the ground is nice and soft!

Yuca Roots

The Yuca looks like, well, a root! I guess if we didn’t know what it was, we would mistake it for a piece of wood!

Yuca with White Inside

The inside of the Yuca is bright white and this is the part gets eaten. The yuca gets cleaned up, peeled, and cooked.

Pile of Yuca Roots

This whole pile of yuca came from just one tree! It is a very productive crop! It is also really cheap. We have seen Yuca in the store for about 260 colones per kilo. That is about $0.25 per pound.

We brought some Yuca home this weekend from our trip to the Yuca farm so keep an eye our for some Yuca recipes this next week!

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Cucumber Dill Greek Yogurt Salad

A great summertime cold salad, a refreshing side dish!

Cucumber Dill Greek Yogurt Salad I was inspired by my friend Lori to make this salad since she shared a picture of her lunch the other day! I was so glad we tried it out. It’s a perfect salad for lunch on a hot day and a great way to get the veggies in!

My husband loves Dill so this was a big hit! I will be making this again! We live about a 25 minute bus ride away from the market where we normally get our veggies and we hadn’t been to town for a week since we have been working away.

It felt like we were in a vegetable drought. Uh-oh.

I get kind of grumpy when I don’t have any vegetables because it feels like my cooking options are limited.

So I was really happy to have these 3 beautiful cucumbers sitting on my cutting board waiting to be eaten!

Cucumbers

They look so juicy! The one in the middle had a weird lump but it was still really yummy! (Cucumbers are one of my favorite veggies besides carrots)

Slice Cucumbers

Start by peeling the cucumbers and slicing them in half. With a spoon scoop out all the seeds and then with your knife, slice into little half moons.

Dill

Next, add the dill, salt, pepper, and garlic powder,vinegar, and Greek Yogurt.

Cucumber Salad

And there you have it! I love these kind of “toss-in-all-in-and-stir” recipes. They are quick and for lunch, I always want quick! Enjoy!

Cucumber Dill Greek Yogurt Salad

Ingredients:

3-4 large cucumbers (about 2 pounds)
4 tablespoon plain greek yogurt (I used some of our Homemade Yogurt)
1 Tablespoon dill
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (substitute red or white wine vinegar if needed)
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Peel the cucumbers and cut them in half. Scoop out all the seeds with a spoon and then cut into half-moon shapes. In a medium bowl combine yogurt, dill, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add cucumber to bowl and toss with yogurt/dill mixture until combined well. Add additional salt and pepper or even some cayenne for some spice.(husbands preference) Refrigerate covered until ready to serve.

{adapted by She Wears Many Hats}

Cucumber Salad

 

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Banana Scones

These tasty, moist scones are a quick creation that are just the right size! 

Banana Scones Main

More and more bananas. Sometimes I feel over my head in bananas, I can hardly shut the freezer door! The best part is, these banana scones were one of the best things that came out of my recent banana marathon. They make my heart do flips.

And my neighbors love them.

And of course, my husband!

Would you just look at all these bananas!?

Banana Bunches on the Grass     Bananas Right off the Tree

This was right after we chopped the bananas down from the trees out on the farm. These bananas are so small (and dirty) compared to what we are used to buying at the local grocery store with Chiquita banana stickers. No stickers here!

But it is like anything you grow, it is fresh and organic-ish! And yummy! Seriously, I have never tasted such a sweet banana. They are the best snack!

Some of my friends have asked if the machete is my new kitchen tool. (noted in the pictrues above) Well, if I want bananas then I suppose it is! That thing is wicked!

Here are the bananas all prettied up and posing.

Banana Bunch

Ok, ok, I’m getting to the real deal.

Enter, Banana Scones…….drumroll

These scones are one of the quickest breakfast recipes to make.

Ever.

I made these for breakfast one morning and had them ready for the oven in about 15 minutes. They only take about 7-10 minutes in the oven! Needless to say our guests were impressed (or they just think Americans are funny or something).

Oh, I forgot to mention they are from Guatemala. They get a kick out of our American food – basically something besides rice and beans. So the whole chocolate chips with bananas in a cute little bread form is a little strange to them. What a shame. So glad I can help out with that!

Cube Butter

First, add all the dry ingredients together. And stir it all up!

Now the fun part!

Cube 3/4 stick of butter into small cubes and using a pastry blender, fork, or your fingers, mix together until the butter forms a crumb like texture. I’ve found it’s easier for me to use my fingers.

Besides, who doesn’t want to get up to their elbows in flour!

Cut butter into Flour

When you are finished, it should look a little like this. Crumbly and little dry. I cut down the butter in this recipe from the original because I like less butter. Butter=Fat Boo!

Smash Bananas

This recipe calls for buttermilk. And what do you know, we don’t have buttermilk here in Costa Rica! So, I have to make my own. I make buttermilk by adding 1Tbs of Vinegar per cup of milk and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Works like a charm . You can get this started while you are mushing those bananas.

Isn’t mush a funny word! Mush-smush!

Add milk and Vanilla

Now, make an indent in the middle of your dry ingredients and add the buttermilk, vanilla, and mashed bananas.

(My husband was pretty excited about this vanilla drip picture so make sure you notice)

Add Chocolate Chips

Next, another one of my favorite parts – add chocolate chips! I add about 1/3 cup even though the recipe calls for 1/2 because it’s called marriage compromise and I am nice but don’t mess with a girl and her chocolate! That is why…

I steal a few (Shhh…)

Dough Ball

Once the chocolate chips are mixed in, you have a beautiful fat dough ball.

My dough ball looks like it has a mouth, hmm cookie monster?

Knead the Dough

Now roll the dough ball around on a floured surface – I would say lightly floured surface but this dough is STICKY!

It means business – touch me and I will stick to you!

So get lots of flour and work the dough into two 10-inch circles and cut like a pizza. You can also work the dough into a rectangle, cut into squares and then cut each square into 2 triangles (kind of like the PBJ school lunch sandwich. yep.)

Doughy scones

So pretty! This is the step that means you are really close to tasting delicious moist scones that are to DIE for!

Really soon!

Scones in the Oven

I peek in my oven sometimes because it’s too exciting. Oooo yummy!

There you have it! Banana Scones!

Banana Scones

Banana Scones

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup loosely packed brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, mashed (I use around 6 or more small bananas)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Banana Scone Glaze Options

Brown Butter Glaze

1/4 cup brown butter
1/2-3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons milk

Cream Cheese Glaze:

1 Tbs milk
2 oz. of Cream Cheese
1-2 cups of powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon until combined. Cut butter into small cubes. Add butter to the dry ingredients and using your fingers, a fork or pastry blender, mix it together and combine until the butter forms little crumbs. I like using my fingers because I feel like it gets combined better.

Make an indent in the center of the dry mixture and add in buttermilk, vanilla, and the mashed bananas. Mix until a dough forms – this dough is super sticky. Just have some flour handy.  Add in chocolate chips. Make sure your counter and hands are really well floured. Divide the dough in half and pat it into two 10-inch circles on the floured surface. Cut like a pizza into 6 or 8 wedges , then place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Top with glaze and serve! Makes about 12-16 scones

Brown Butter Glaze

In a bowl add brown butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Whisk until the mixture is well combined, then add in 1 tablespoon of milk, while mixing. Stir for about 4 minutes. Set a timer too because I once stirred and right at 4 minutes it came together. If it still doesn’t look glaze-like, add 1/2 tablespoon of milk at a time and mix. If you put too much – just add a little more powdered sugar until you get the right consistency.
{adapted by How Sweet Eats}

Enjoy these Banana Scones! Let me know how yours turn out!

Banana Scones with Chocolate

 

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Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

With our church convention coming up and expecting company, I decided to make some of these cookies in advance and freeze them. Never hurts to be ready! I was so glad I did because they were a hit and easy to just warm up again in the oven! My Hubby and I did steal a few while we were playing cards. Who can pass up a cookie warm from the oven? Yum!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

 

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

inspired by: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups flour
1 cup quick rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
12-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until the batter is light in color, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt. When it is mostly combined, add the chocolate chips and mix until well combined.
Scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto a greased baking sheet, spacing the cookies 1-2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned and still soft in the center. Place cookies on a cooling rack to cool completely.

These are great for freezing! They have such wonderful texture, they are bound to be a hit!

 

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Baked Potato Chicken Casserole

This is a delicious cheesy, chicken and potato recipe that I couldn’t fully enjoy, because I have not been able to find bacon around here! There is always a lot of pork for sale in the markets but no bacon. I am on the search now, because who can call a baked potato loaded when there is no bacon, or green onion. I’m going to have to make this again. But even without some of the crucial ingredients, it was very delicious!

Baked Potato Chicken Casserole with bacon

Baked Potato Chicken Casserole

1 lb chicken breasts, cubed
4 potatoes, cubed
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
3 tablespoons hot sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup green onion, diced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450. In a large bowl mix the olive oil, hot sauce, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and garlic. Add the potatoes to the bowl and mix well. Pour potatoes into a greased pan, reserving some of the sauce. Bake the potatoes for 45 minutes, stirring frequently. While the potatoes are baking add the cubed chicken to the remaining sauce so it can marinate. In a small bowl mix together the cheese, green onion and bacon. When the potatoes are tender, add the cubed chicken and the layer of cheese mixture and place in the oven for another 15 minutes, or until chicken in done. Enjoy!

 

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Easy Cinnamon Rolls

I have a HUGE sweet tooth for cinnamon rolls. In my home town at the county fair, the cinnamon roll wagon would always be there selling the delicious rolls. I would always splurge and get one. Soo yummy! Anyways, who has time to make cinnamon rolls? (probably a good thing because it really should be a 1-2 times a year treat) This easy recipe is quick and delicious! No yeast required! Try them out!

Easy Cinnamon Rolls

My dough was a little sticky this time so it looks a little floppy but they came out good once they were cooked! It is so much fun making these little guys! My husband is a sucker for them too so I”m glad I’m not alone on this one :)

Easy Cinnamon Rolls

 

Quick & Easy Cinnamon Rolls

inspired by: Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients:

Cinnamon Filling:

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Cinnamon Roll Dough:

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
5 Tablespoons butter, melted and divided

Icing:

6oz cream cheese, softened
5 Tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425. Combine filling ingredients in a small bowl, then mix with a fork until well blended.
  2. In a another large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together buttermilk and 4 Tablespoons melted butter in a separate bowl, then pour into the middle of the dry ingredients. Stir together until dough just comes together (do not overmix.) Kneed slightly with your hands until the dough forms into a ball
  3. On a  floured surface roll into a rectangle. Spread half the filling mixture into the center, leaving a small edge on all side, then roll like a sausage. Pinch together seam, cut into slices. Then place rolls in a non-stick sprayed 11×8″ pan. Brush cinnamon rolls with remaining Tablespoon of melted butter and bake for 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.
  4. Meanwhile, to make the icing, mash together softened cream cheese and powdered sugar with a fork until smooth. Whisk in buttermilk, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until creamy. Drizzle onto hot cinnamon rolls and spread evenly.

Enjoy!

 

 

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Banana Coconut Bread

Quite possibly my most favorite recipe ever! It seems like I always have bananas going bad and a freezer full of bananas waiting to be used. That means lots of banana bread! The best part about this recipe is that it freezes very nicely! We are living on a farm in Costa Rica that has tons of banana trees and hate to see them go to waste! So here I am a baking again :) Now this is my little piece of home!

Banana Coconut Bread

Just look at that moist bread hot out of the oven. This is when my husband comes wandering in sniffing around :)Coconut Banana Bread

Yum!

Coconut Banana Bread

Total Prep Time: 20 min Yields: 1 loaf or 12 cupcakes

1 3/4 cups of flour                                             1 egg

1 teaspoon baking soda                                 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (or any flavor)

1 teaspoon baking powder                           1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup coconut                                               1/2 cup oil ( I usually cut this in half to try and make it healthier)

3/4 cup of chocolate chips                             1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar                                       2 large ripe bananas, smashed

1/4 teaspoon salt                                              handful of coconut for garnishing the top

Directions:

Mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, brown sugar, coconut, and salt. In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients. The egg, yogurt, vanilla, oil, and bananas. Slowly combine the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients stirring only until completely mixed together. Add chocolate chips. Spray your bread pan or cupcake pan with oil and fill. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or 20 minutes for cupcakes. Don’t eat it all, it’s amazing!

 

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Browned Butter Pasta Dinner

This is just a quick and easy recipe. If I had access to more veggies, I would have put some Spinach to give it some more color!

Browned Butter Pasta

Browned Butter Pasta

Ingredients:

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 to 6 tablespoons (1/2 to 3/4 stick) butter
1 pound long pasta, like linguine or spaghetti, or any other pasta
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or more to taste
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 cup of fresh diced tomatoes

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Meanwhile, bring the butter to room temperature. Once at room temperature, place in a sauce pan and stir until browned, be careful not to burn it. Add the Parmesan cheese, garlic, and tomatoes.

Cook the pasta until tender; drain it. Toss the pasta with the butter mixture, adding a little of the water if necessary to thin the sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve immediately. Serve extra cheese if desired . Enjoy!

 

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My Gym Experience

Let’s go sign up for a gym!….ugh…, no thanks! Seriously these were my thoughts! I have had a few gym experiences in the past and was never really comfortable enough to really enjoy it. (I tend to worry too much about other people and what I look like) But, I think everyone does that, especially girls, that’s why they have girls only gyms right!? So, much to my husbands convincing, we went to check out a gym. (He had a gym at work so he was just supporting me). I am so glad we went that day to check out the gym, I loved it!

My experience at 24-hour fitness was life changing for me.

I didn’t really want to sign up at first because it seemed overwhelming to me. So many weight lifters and fit people!  Also, most of my gym experiences have been smaller, not so many people kind of gyms. But this absolutely changed my life. First of all my husband convinced me to try some of the classes the gym was offering which is wayyyyyy out of my comfort zone but it was the best choice I made!

Out of my Comfort Zone

I started out trying the spin class and was amazed at how much I loved it! (even though I threw up after the first class haha) I know for a fact it was my awesome spin instructor Christina who made me push myself more than anyone ever has! She convinced me to try the Body Pump class!! Me pumping weights??? What! It was so fun! I am so glad I got to get in on those classes! It’s amazing! Everyone should try taking the classes the gym has to offer – it helps create fun friendships and connections.

Spin Class with people riding stationary bikes exercising hard

Picture Courtesy of honeywerehealthy.blogspot.com

Since we have started traveling, I realize now how much I really miss my fun workouts at 24-hour fitness! It is so hard to maintain a workout schedule when we are constantly on the move. Also just being in a place where I am not as comfortable or used to makes it hard to feel motivated to workout.

Now, we have a found a spin class at a gym here in Costa Rica and are headed there as often as we can. It’s a great workout and we like the instructor! I really miss my classes back in the states at the gym, but I have realized that fitness is a daily thing where ever you are and no matter what is going on. I don’t have access to a gym every day here but occasionally I do and I make the most of it when those opportunities come. We live in a neighborhood on a mountain side, so I make sure to go for a run or even just a walk daily. Gotta make use of those mountain inclines!

What has been your workout experience?

I would love to hear about your struggles, worries, and all your great experiences with gyms or just working out in general! I know there are so many women out there with the fear of getting involved in a gym or even just a routine exercise, I am one of them! Leave a comment and share your thoughts!

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