Travel and Good Eats

Gluten Free Banana Bread, YUM

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Okay, so now that I entered my 50’s, I realized that your body definitely changes over time. This means that you have to put in extra effort to take care of yourself. I was always able to eat whatever I wanted but as of late, I noticed certain foods are affecting me differently so I have been doing trial by error and the elimination process. I find that gluten free foods are definitely beneficial to my diet. Oh how I love banana bread!!

Every little bit helps!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups gluten free flour mix
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 3 eggs
  • ¾ half and half
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 3 bananas, ripe and mashed

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

You can use either a 9 inch loaf pan or 4 small individual loaf pans (I like the individual ones so I can freeze them and take them out when I need one or give to a friend).

Whisk together the dry ingredients of 2 cups gluten free flour blend, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tbsp of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp of nutmeg, 1 tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix 3 eggs, ¾ cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 tbsp of maple syrup, and ¼ cup sugar.

Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients then add the 3 mashed bananas to the batter. Stir until well mixed.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes or until the top of the bread is lightly golden.

Check the bread after 40 minutes. Take either a tooth pick or butter knife and pierce to see if any batter sticks to either. I usually watch to see if the top of the loaves turn golden brown and base my cooking time on that.

Awesome when served with butter!!!

This is my third time making these but it finally came out exactly how I anticipated it would!

Nutrition Information:

 SERVING SIZE:

 1 (12 servings total)

Amount Per Serving: 

CALORIES: 226TOTAL FAT: 11gSATURATED FAT: 1gTRANS FAT: 0gUNSATURATED FAT: 9gCHOLESTEROL: 48mgSODIUM: 310mgCARBOHYDRATES: 28gFIBER: 1gSUGAR: 8gPROTEIN: 5g

This data is provided by Nutritionix and is an estimate only.

Joe’s Restaurant, Utica, NY

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I’d have to say even though Utica, NY has been named the worst of the worst cities in New York, as of the past two years it has made some drastic changes for the better. A new hospital has been approved to be built in the downtown Utica area. The Utica auditorium also has a new renovation underway and some of the major roads have been under construction. It definitely is looking a lot better.

I am not one to talk politics or go to my towns monthly board meetings. That’s just not me. But when I see our surrounding areas doing better I’m relieved for my kids. Changes are great but there is a lot to be said about the existing establishments that have been around for decades.

You walk into certain places like old bakeries, restaurants, and grocery stores that take you back in time and stir up old memories. How do we hold on to that if those types of places are going extinct? Some businesses are passed on from generation to generation but eventually begin to be phased out due to lack of interest or monetary funds to keep a place going.

I’m just happy that there are still places around like Joe’s Restaurant so that new generations realize that life isn’t about glitz and glamour, that simplicity is what creates values and appreciation for the little things such as good food and time spent with family and friends.

The food served here is a totally different subject all in its own. First and only rule at Joe’s is DO NOT ASK FOR BUTTER or you will be thrown out lol. Another key factor you need to know about Joe’s are the hours of operation. Tuesday’s 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Yup that’s right only two days of blessing you with their home cooked meals, patina decor, and an at home type of feel atmosphere. Just expect to wait for a table if you don’t get there before 11:00.  Even though it is small it definitely gives you a welcoming feel.

Joe’s Restaurant in Utica, NY located on Jay Street,  are one of those places that leave memories etched in your mind forever.

 

 

 

Lunch in upstate NY, Casa Too Mucha

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For a Wednesday a.k.a. hump day, I must say it turned out to be a great day. My kids had a snow day, the office was slow, and I didn’t have to substitute teach either. Woo hoo! So we went to lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant called Casa Too Mucha. The title is very deceiving because its far from expensive.

The menu ranges from Mexican food to anything and everything else. Everything on the menu is homemade and delicious! My favorite is the chicken chimichanga. Oi!  And yes they still have their Christmas tree up but that makes the place even more special. The owners are so welcoming and the place is cozy as heck.

Since we had a little time to kill after lunch we did a little shopping at Marshall’s in Rome, NY. If once or twice a month I can go in there just to catch some deals I am more than a happy camper. Seriously, you can’t beat their prices on some of their stuff. Good quality leggings for $5.99 really??? And a sweet little tunic for $9.99. How can you go wrong??

I love finding good buys. Two recommendations if you’re ever in the upstate NY area. Casa Too Mucha for a great meal and Marshall’s for great deals on household items, clothing, etc. You can’t go wrong.

The weekend is almost here and we are suppose to be going to the movies and out to eat. I’ll be doing a movie critic review as well as dining review again this weekend! Enjoy your day everyone!

Oatmeal Raisin chewy, amazing, easy Cookies

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My life is all about quick, easy, but getting it done right. These cookies fall into those three categories let me tell you.

The key to these amazing cookies is that you cannot over bake them. I repeat, do not over bake them. You like them soft and chewy right? Then time them and keep checking.

Another thing you must know before you start to make these is, I have to give you heads up, you have to chill the cookie dough mixture for at lease 20 mins. I know time these days is a factor for everyone, especially me! Hey 20 minutes is 20 minutes right?

In addition, if you want to store the dough for a long period of time,  you can freeze the dough but make sure you roll your cookie balls out first and then when your ready to bake them, throw them right in the over frozen.

Ingredients

(You can do this now or when your mix is chilling, pre-heat your oven first at 350 degrees and I get two cookie sheets ready before I even start) You can use parchment paper or just make sure they won’t burn and stick to the pan. My cookie sheets are from Pampered chef and they are non-stick which I love. But if you don’t have non-stick just use parchment paper.

1 cup (2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened to room temp (if you forget to take your butter out, just throw it in the microwave for about 9 to 11 seconds) it works for me.

1 cup of light or brown sugar (packed, aka measured exactly)

1/4 granulated (white) sugar

2 eggs

1 Tablespoon of maple syrup or molasses (seriously don’t stress if you don’t have either of those ingredients, you can also use honey watered down with a little apple cider)

1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract

1 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking SODA

1 and 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups of old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup of raisins

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts (optional) those are usually by special request only in my house

Step one

From the above ingredient list take the softened butter and sugars, and mix with a hand mixer. Mix in the two eggs one at a time. Add in the syrup(or substitution)and the vanilla extract.  After combining those, set aside.

Step two

Add the flour, baking SODA, ground cinnamon, and salt together and mix up with a fork. Next, mix in your wet ingredients with those dry ingredients. On a low mix speed, throw in your oats, raisins, and nuts until well blended.

Now I didn’t always believe this was necessary but you do have to chill the cookie mix before you bake them. At least 20 minutes. It makes a difference in the way they come out. I chilled it as one big ball but if you want to roll out each cookie about a teaspoon heap, or just scoop and drop. Two reasons I didn’t chill as individual cookies is one, I didn’t have room in my freezer to put the cookie sheets in there and two I liked to roll them when they are harder so the mixture didn’t stick to my hands.

After chilling, bake at 350 9 to 11 mins. Make sure they stay light in color and put your oven rack in the middle or upper level so the bottoms don’t burn!

Good luck and remember, don’t over bake!!