Low-sugar Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Banana Breakfast Cake

I realized the other day that I had a jar of peanut butter I had to use up soon.  And when I opened my freezer, I found three frozen bananas.  And that's how this cake came about.  It's a thick cake and sticks to your mouth, but it's filling and low-sugar, making it great for breakfast.

Grease a 9x13 pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a big bowl, mix these together:

3 mashed bananas

1/3 cup to 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup to 1 1/2 cup water (I actually used an 11.1 oz. container of coconut water that I had to use up)
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup softened butter or oil (I used olive oil)

Then mix and add the dry ingredients:

4 cup flour

1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cocoa powder

1 cup chocolate chips

(Add a bit more water if too thick or a bit more flour if too thin, enough to make a thick batter)

Pour into greased pan, sprinkle a spoonful of sugar on top.  Bake for about 50 minutes or till done, covering with foil last 15 minutes if necessary.

Let it cool then eat (and store leftovers in the fridge).

What we did when we got the virus

We always expected the virus would eventually hit us, but we managed to escape it … until last month.  We knew it was going around my husband’s work, and so, feeling it heading our way, I stocked up on a bunch of food and vitamins and immune-boosters.  Just in case. 

And several days later, we got our first positive.  Not through my husband’s work, ironically, but through my son’s.  Three days later, two more of us tested positive.  I expected all six of us to get it, but only three of us got it (the 12-21-year-olds).  (And yes, we all quarantined for 14 days.  Because that’s the incubation period for those still testing negative.) 

Thankfully, it ended up being quite mild for us.  (Who knows, but maybe if us 40+-year-olds got it, it might’ve been worse.  I know a few adults around my age who got it pretty rough, and a few elderly people who died from it.)  

The first to get it was already getting better before he even tested positive.  He had one or two days of a 101-degree temperature which went down to the 99-degree range for a few more days, and he lost his taste/smell on the third day, but that’s about all he got.  The second had a mild fever (mostly 99.4-100.5) for a week, which spiked to 101.9 after he took a bath on day 6, and a small cough (which sounded maybe a little "goose-like," the only way I can think to describe it).  And the third son was barely sick at all, just a very mild temp and the feeling of being a little “under the weather,” but we tested him anyway and it was positive, but with a super-faint line because he was already almost all done with it before we even knew he was sick.  And my fourth son who normally gets hit the hardest with illness, who gets the highest temperatures and picks up infections easier than the rest of us, never got sick.  (Thank you, God!) 

All in all, it was about 10-12 days of mild fever in the house (fevers lasted about 6 days per person).  10-12 days of me running around taking temperatures, checking coughs, making soup, serving tea, and dishing out various immune-boosters to help us as much as possible.  And I thought I’d share what we did to treat it, in case anyone else is looking for ideas.

Using Essential Oils during Sick Season

Since we are headed into sick season (and have been in it for almost 2 years now), I thought I'd compile a few of my favorite, commonly-used essential oil recipes, for easy reference.

 

FYI: There are some essential oils that should not be used around pets (particularly tea tree oil), so research the oils you use before diffusing it in the same room as your pet.  And there are some that are not recommended for use on or around small children (or those with compromised immune systems).  Research the oils you use before using them if you have pets, little kids, or people with health issues.  I will add notes about using essential oils around children at the bottom of this post, and recommendations for dilution ratios.  (Also see “My Basic Safety Rules for Essential Oils.”)  NEVER use essential oils directly on skin without diluting first.  And dilute it more for younger kids.  I created the recipes below for my family’s use, for kids aged 10 and up.  And we all have averagely-healthy immune systems.  (All the oils listed in these recipes are Essential Oils, not fragrance or flavor oils.)

Simple Chicken Salad Sandwich with Dried Cranberries

Okay, so I bought a ton of cooked, canned chicken during the lockdown in March, and now I need to find ways to start using it.  

First I did a simple BBQ Chicken Pizza.  [Either make your own pizza crust dough or buy a premade one, top it with BBQ sauce and some chopped onions and garlic, sprinkle on some cooked chicken (drained and pressed, if it's full of water from the can), and add a thick layer of shredded mozzarella on top.  Bake till done.  I make my own thick crust, so I cook mine for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  If it starts to brown too much near the end, cover loosely with foil.]

Our Favorite Pot Roast in Gravy

This is such a simple dinner.  The pot roast basically makes it's own gravy.  Just make some corn and mashed potatoes on the side, maybe some rolls, and you have a dinner that pleases almost everyone:

In a large pot, add 4-5 pounds beef top round (or chuck roast, but I prefer top round because it's not as fatty, chop it into large chunks if you need to)

Then sprinkle this on top:
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon seasoned salt (Lawry's)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 1/2 Tablespoons onion powder
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 -1 Tablespoon dried oregano

Pour 3 cups of water over the top, bring it to a boil on medium-high then turn it down to a low-boil, covered, for 3 to 4 hours.  You know it's done when you try to pick it up with a fork and it falls apart.  (Add more water as necessary if too much water boils off while it's cooking.)

When it's done, mix 3-4 Tablespoons cornstarch with 1/2 cup water (or more, if too much evaporated), pour right into the pot while it's on low boil and move the meat around with a spoon so that the cornstarch water gets spread throughout.  Let it return to a boil for about a minute so that it thickens up into a gravy.  Turn off heat and serve.

Low-Sugar, Double-Chocolate, Coconut-Milk Breakfast Cake

I made this recipe to use up some of the coconut milk I bought during the lockdown (in case dairy became hard to get).  It turned out almost brownie-like in my opinion (considering that I never make brownies because they are too sugary).  It was soft, slightly chewy, chocolately, and very lightly sweet.  Perfect for breakfast with a cup of coffee or milk.  (We always do low-sugar, so add more if you want it sweeter or if it's going to be for dessert.)

Grease a 9x13 baking dish (I use glass).  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a big bowl, add and mix:

1 can coconut milk (I used a 13.66 oz. can unsweet organic coconut milk)

3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup olive oil (or oil of your choice)
1 1/4 cups sugar (or up to 2 1/2 cups, if you prefer)

1 cup of water

Then mix these and blend with the wet ingredients:
4 1/2 cups flour (I use fresh ground flour)
2/3 - 1 cup cocoa powder (I use 1 cup, very cocoa-y)
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup shredded coconut (optional)

If the batter is too thick, add a bit more water.  If it's too thin, add a bit more flour.

Pour into greased pan, smooth out, sprinkle a spoonful of sugar across the top, and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, until done.  You may need to cover with foil the last 15 minutes.  Let it cool, then serve.  (Or serve warm.)  I am not a morning person, so I always make it the night before so that it's ready for breakfast in the morning.

What I Stocked Up On, in case of Lockdown or Quarantine (with simple recipes)

(The memes are from here.)

This is some of what I stocked up on (with a few recipes at the end) as the Coronavirus panic took hold of our country.  I made sure to only buy what I knew we would use up by the expiration dates, and I spread it out over several shopping trips.  I'm not stocking up out of concern that we'll be on lockdown or quarantined.  (We're homeschooling homebodies anyway, so as long we don't get the virus, we'll be fine.  Which is good, because - surprise! - we just got put on lockdown.)  I'm stocking up more out of concern that this will have economic repercussions, affecting the country's future food supply.  Maybe not huge repercussions, but ones that will make us realize how much we took for granted before.  (My bedroom looks more like a fall-out shelter, full of food and supplies.)  

My "Every Day" Essential Oil Diffuser Blend for Staying Healthy

I have been using this essential oil blend every night all winter in the diffusers I keep in everyone's bedrooms.  Last winter, I used a similar one every night all winter.  (And I run one during the day in the living room.)  

Last winter, we only had one mild cold go through the house for the 6 of us, and this winter we got the flu once in February and a small cold this week.  Last winter was the first time I put diffusers in everyone's bedrooms and ran them every night, and last winter was the first time we didn't get the several sicknesses and the really bad, week-long flu (almost always between Christmas and New Year) that we got practically every winter before that.  I would like the think the diffusers made a big difference!

This is the blend I made and used all winter:

Homemade "Spiced" Hand-Sanitizer with Essential Oils

Two Posts in One:

Post #1: Homemade Hand Sanitizer With Aloe
This is a repost of a recipe I posted almost exactly 3 years ago, to the day - 3/3/17.  (How funny!  I had no idea it was almost the exact same date when I decided to repost it now.)  With the coronavirus going around (and the panic surrounding it), it seems like a good time to share this recipe again.  

Cinnamon Zucchini (or Pumpkin) Bread

I love having recipes with interchangeable ingredients, like swapping out pumpkin for zucchini.  That way, one recipe can lead to several variations.  This is a wonderful Spiced Bread - pumpkin or zucchini.  We use it for breakfast, slathered with butter and drizzled with honey.

Super Simple Essential Oil Blends for Cold/Flu

Okay, I think it's time to start adding more posts to this blog - starting with a couple of super-simple essential oil blends that I made for this cold and flu season.  

I keep these two blends in separate bottles.  They are straight, not diluted with carrier oil, so that I can use them in a diffuser or add them to carrier oil as needed, and so that I can blend them or use them separately as needed.  It's more versatile this way.  

Lavender Essential Oil and Tea Tree Oil for Owies, Bug Bites, and General Wellness

            (Auto-correct doesn’t think “owie” is the right spelling.  But I think it’s just fine.)

            By far, the best essential oils for bug bites and general owies are lavender and tea tree oil.  Always keep these on hand to tackle any mystery bump or bite (diluted in carrier oil, of course).

            I became a loyal fan of lavender when I saw a few drops of it heal a red, hot, spreading spider bite on my toddler, a growing skin infection (cellulitis, I believe) from a mosquito bite, and a blood infection that was a black line travelling up someone’s arm from an infected burn.  It only took a couple drops, and all of these things went away completely.  The blood infection vanished within two hours of applying the oil once and the infected bites within two days after applying it a couple times each day.  (This was before I knew to dilute them, though.  I strongly believe in diluting them now so that you don’t become sensitized to them.)

            And my husband had a bad spider bite on his knee that made his knee hot and swollen and red.  We tried various oils on it, but the only one that worked was Tea Tree Oil.  It healed it within a few days.

            If you only ever buy two oils, make it these two. 

Fakey Bacon

            There’s only one thing I never feed my children.  I mean, for the most part we avoid GMOs and artificial this and artificial that.  But the one thing I tell them never to touch is pork.  No ham, no bologna, no sausage, no bacon.  (So who’s thinking “horrible parent” right about now?)

            The only time we eat pig products is when we have marshmallows (gelatin) for s’mores on vacation once a year, when we take vitamins with gelatin (but we try to buy those without gelatin), and when we forget to not eat pie that we didn’t make (many pre-made pie crusts have lard) or bean dips at parties (most people buy the regular refried beans which contains lard). 

            But other than that … no pork!

Moist and Chewy Low-Sugar Chocolate Zucchini Breakfast Cake

            (Say that 5 times fast!)
            I am constantly cutting down the sugar in everything I make.  And yet I do like a nice chocolate cake.  And I also like finding ways to use up the abundance of overgrown zucchini that I get from the garden in the summer.  (From my father-in-law’s garden, that is.  I don’t get enough sun for much summer squash in mine.) 
            So I found a way to combine “low sugar” with zucchini and chocolate … and that’s what this cake is.  A good-for-you cake that we usually eat for breakfast.  (I am not a morning person so I do not cook breakfast in the morning.  But I make cakes like these the night before so we have something quick yet healthy to grab for breakfast.)

Our "Go To" Stove-top Pot Roast

I really suck at cooking beef of any kind, in any way.  But this is my easy, "go to" recipe whenever I get a huge hunk of beef.  (Wow, that sounds a bit inappropriate.).  

This recipe works great with brisket, but less expensive cuts of meat work good too.  You can use tougher cuts because it simmers all day in juice, till it falls apart.  

Today, I am trying top round, but chuck roast works good too.  (I seriously don't know what the difference is between most cuts of meat, other than filet mignon, so I just pick one based on size, shape, and price.  Use whatever cut you prefer.  And I wish I had pictures to post, but our computer isn't working.)

Here's the recipe:

Low-Sugar Zucchini Bread - Three Ways

(Spiced, “Carrot Cake-ish,” or Chocolate Chip)
A "go to" breakfast bread for us!

            I cringe – physically cringe and gag – when there is too much sugar in a recipe. 

            Whenever I make dessert for other people and I try to pour in the called-for amount of sugar (which is usually double what I put in for my family), I physically cannot make my hand pour the whole amount in.  I start to sweat and panic at the thought of too much sugar.  So I always stop short. 

            Personally, the ratio of sugar to flour that I think is perfectly sweet is about 1 cup sugar to 4-5 cups flour, maybe with a spoonful of sugar sprinkled over the top to trick your mind into thinking that it’s sweeter than it actually is. 

            But the recipe that I found for zucchini bread in a cookbook is more than 1 cup sugar to 2 cups flour.  UGH!  So I made this one with less sugar.  I think that the less sugar you have, the more flavor you can actually taste in your food and the better you feel about yourself.

Simple Tomato Salsa - Two Ways

#1  This is one of my favorite ways to use tomatoes from the garden.  You could make a whole meal out of just this with some chips or crackers, some cheese on the side, and some fresh fruit.  It would be great on a really hot day when you don’t want to cook.

            All you do is dice up some tomatoes and garlic cloves and add some rough chopped basil.  If you want, season it with a little salt and pepper and/or a drizzle of olive oil.

            That’s it!  So simple.  (I would say about a clove of garlic and a couple basil leaves per regular-sized tomato.) 

            It’s great on sliced, buttered, toasted French bread or with crackers, tortilla chips, pita chips, or other chips.  (I’m partial to Cracked Pepper and Olive Oil Triscuits.  Oh, so good!)

 

#2  This is almost the same thing, but not quite. 

            Just dice up some tomatoes, garlic, onions (red, if you prefer), and bell peppers (optional), and add a little salt and pepper.  (Use the quantities of each that you like.)  

            A friend made this once as an appetizer, but we experimented by spooning it onto our slices of cooked pizza.  It added so much flavor and pizzazz to an otherwise boring pizza.  And we have never been the same since.  It has revolutionized “pizza night” at our house.  Whenever I don’t make it, my cheese pizza slice looks really sad.  

            These would also be great on tacos, fajitas, or other such food!

Easy Garlic Butter

            Today, I am making garlic butter for my kids who all have colds.  I have one son who cannot swallow a pill or vitamin to save his life.  So one day, I made a ton of this garlic butter for him, and he ate it slathered all over a piece of toast. 

            Garlic helps you fight germs. 

            So this is not only a great butter to serve with dinner (especially on warm, homemade bread or French bread), but it’s also great for when you are not feeling well and need a boost for your immune system. 

            And it couldn’t be easier to make.  (The hardest part is peeling the garlic.)

Easy Meal: Potatoes Two Ways

            This is so ridiculously easy that it almost doesn’t warrant a post.  But I thought I’d share it anyway because sometimes the simplest things are the most overlooked things.

            Occasionally, I make this super simple meal at our house.  And almost no one complains.  It takes about an hour but includes almost no preparation or mess at all.

 

            All I do is scrub up some potatoes (sweet or russet), wrap them in foil while they are still wet, and pop them into the oven or toaster oven at 450 degrees for an hour.  Then when they are done, unwrap them, slit them, mash lightly, and then …

            1.  For the russet potatoes, simply top with butter, shredded cheddar cheese, salt and pepper.  You could also add sour cream, chives, onion powder, garlic powder, cooked sloppy joe meat, chili or taco meat, etc.  But even just the cheesy potato makes a really simply, satisfying meal.  (Maybe with some carrots, corn, green beans, or other veggies on the side, too.)       

 

            2.  For the sweet potatoes, I like to top it with butter, dried cranberries, nuts, shredded coconut, pepper, cinnamon, and maple syrup (or you could use a sprinkle of sugar).  It’s one of my favorite ways to eat a sweet potato for lunch when the weather gets cooler in the fall. 

 

(Trust me, it tastes better than it looks!)

            This is a go-to meal when I do not want to make a lot of dishes or do not have the time to do a lot of preparation.  I just pop them in the oven and get other things done while they cook.  And then an hour later – voila - lunch is all ready in a few short steps.                

See!  I told you it was pathetically simple!

             

Pan-Fried and Shredded Chicken Fajitas with Candied Carrots

Another easy meal for a hot summer day!  I like pairing the spicy fajitas with the slightly sweet carrots.  It makes a nice complimentary contrast!

This dish comes together in a snap if you have pan-fried and shredded the chicken ahead of time.  I like to make a double batch of the shredded chicken and use one for dinner that night and then freeze the rest for a quick meal later. 

 

 

(Okay, you'll just have to get used to the fact that my pictures of food will not be the best.  I'm too busy cooking and serving it to a family of 6 to care about the pictures.  I'd much rather be taking pictures of flowers anyway.)