Nilla Wafer Banana Pudding

This baby needs to get here already, I am finding myself nesting in the form of cooking and baking. The house isn't as clean or as organized as I would like it, but truthfully, I don't have the energy to clean it. As soon as I start cleaning, my back starts to hurt and I need a nap, I am truly a toddler! I have been nesting at school getting everything ready for my substitute and worrying about things like food at home. I have started to make meals and freeze them so in the midst of baby craziness and trying to catch up on sleep once she has come, we can still have a home cooked meal without the work of having to make it. However, today I ran into a problem. As I was handing out snack for my Kindergartners, I saw a recipe on the box of Nilla Wafers and couldn't stop thinking about it and had to have it TONIGHT! I am glad that I made it, it was delicious! It was actually super easy too!

 

What You Need

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1/3 cup  flour

Dash salt

3   eggs, separated

2 cups milk

1/2 tsp.  vanilla

45 NILLA Wafers, divided

5   bananas, sliced

Make It

HEAT oven to 350°F.
MIX 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Blend in 3 egg yolks and milk. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water 10 to 12 min. or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
RESERVE 12 wafers for garnish. Spread small amount of custard onto bottom of 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Cover with layers of 1/3 each of the remaining wafers, bananas and remaining custard. Repeat layers 2 times.
BEAT egg whites on high speed of mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread over custard, sealing well to edge of dish.
BAKE 15 to 20 min. or until lightly browned. Cool slightly. Top with reserved wafers just before serving.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

How to Prepare Without a Double Boiler

A double boiler helps to keep custards, such as the pudding filling for this recipe, smooth. If you don't have a double boiler, you can make your own by placing a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water on top of the stove. Be sure to use a bowl that fits snugly over the pan. Most importantly, do not allow the simmering water to touch the bottom of the bowl. Use pot holders when removing the bowl of cooked custard from the saucepan as it will be very hot.

Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese

My husband found this recipe and we thought we'd give it a try. Lately, my cravings have led me to Noodles for their Mac and Cheese, so we thought we'd give this recipe a try at home and see if it would satisfy my craving. Sorry about the picture, it really doesn't look good, but I promise it was. We ate it on the deck and I took the picture with my phone, which is why it is so dark. We found this recipe on Kevin and Amanda's website.

Cheeseburger Macaroni

1 lb lean hamburger meat
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies (or petite diced tomatoes)
2 cups beef broth (or water)
1 cup elbow macaroni
Brown and drain hamburger meat. Stir in taco seasoning, Rotel, beef broth, and macaroni. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and cover pan. Simmer 12-14 mins until macaroni is tender.
Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce….
2 Tablespoons butter
2 tbsp flour
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking for 5 minutes until fragrant and light brown in color. Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Whisk until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until melted. Add the salt and pepper to the cheese sauce. Pour the cheese sauce over the hamburger mixture. Stir gently to combine.
Serves 4.

Read More http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/cheeseburger-macaroni.html#ixzz1J7j0EwKN

 A little bit of heaven in my mouth, WOW! These cookies are amazing and I don't think I am just saying that because I am pregnant and eat everything, they are SOOOO Good! You must give these a try. I made one patch and had to go back and make another double recipe because I knew there wasn't enough for me to really enjoy. They make really big cookies, but you could make them smaller and make more, but why would you do that when you can eat a Big Old Cookie and be happy instead of eating three or four? Even better, this is a Weight Watchers Recipe from Gina's website so you don't have to feel too guilty going back for more!

Chewy Low Fat Banana Nut Oatmeal Cookies
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 15 • Serving Size: 2 cookies • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 175.8 • Fat: 6.7 g • Protein: 3.5 g • Carb: 28.3 g • Fiber: 1.6 g • Sugar: 14 g

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup mashed ripe banana
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups quick oats
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°; line two baking sheets with parchment paper or use a silpat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, with a mixer, cream together the butter and the sugars on medium speed.  

Add the egg, followed by the mashed banana and vanilla extract.

Working by hand, stir in the flour mixture and the oats until just combined and no streaks of flour remain; stir in the chopped walnuts.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls (approx 3 tbsp each) of the dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until cookies become light brown at the edges.

Let cool on baking sheet for 3 or 4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container so you don't eat them all in one sitting!

Makes about 30 cookies roughly 3 tbsp each.

Hashbrown Crust Quiche

 I must say, you know you found a good recipe when you and your husband eat the WHOLE thing for dinner! It was very tasty and the perfect meat-free dish for Friday. It was also pretty easy to make, the only thing I would have changed, would have been to let the hashbrown crust get a little more crispy. I was worried it would get cooked even more once I added the eggs, but it didn't. It was still delicious and will be a repeat recipe at our household. My picture is horrible, I took a quick one with my phone before eating, but since we ate it all, I didn't have time to take another. :)

 

Loosely based off of a Paula Dean Recipe. 

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 3 cups, shredded frozen hash browns, thawed and drained
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 3/4 cup of cooked zucchini (Paula used cooked ham)
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Gently press the drained hash browns between paper towels to dry them as best as possible. In a 9-inch pie plate, toss the hash browns with the melted butter into the plate. Press them into the bottom and up the sides to form a crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and starting to crisp.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. When the hash brown crust is ready pour the egg mixture over it and return to the oven.
Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for about 30 minutes until the quiche is light golden brown on top and puffed.

Pioneer Woman's Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Zucchini, and Feta

This was delicious! It would make for a great spring/summer salad at a BBQ. I forgot to take a picture, but trust me, you'll love it. It has the perfect subtle lemony taste and delicious fresh vegetables to make eating a second helping okay. You can see pictures of the finished product on the PW's website below. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Pioneer Woman's Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Zucchini, and Feta 

Recipe Here

Ingredients

• 12 ounces, weight Farfalle (bowtie) Pasta
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 whole Lemons (more To Taste)
• Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 2 whole Zucchini, Cut Into Small Wedges Or Diced
• 10 ounces, weight Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise
• ⅓ cups Minced Fresh Parsley
• 6 ounces, weight Crumbled Feta Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta until done. Drain and rinse in cold water until completely cool. Add olive oil and lemon juice, then add salt and pepper to taste (do not undersalt). Toss to combine. Add zucchini, tomatoes, parsley, and feta, and toss to combine. Add more of what you think it needs; I like to go heavy on the feta! Squeeze in a little more lemon juice/drizzle more olive oil if it needs more moisture.
Cover in plastic wrap for at least a couple of hours. Pasta is best when chilled for a few hours before serving.