Banana Bread Bites

I love banana bread. Growing up, there was nothing better than my grandmother’s fresh, warm banana bread. My favorite part was the just-under-cooked center of the loaf. Unfortunately, I’m not a baker like Grandma Statz. I can bake. Sometimes I will bake. And, occasionally, my baking works very well (e.g. check out my Orange-Cranberry Bread). But I am not a baker.

So, I was really intrigued and excited when I completed this recipe the first time. Admittedly, I was aiming to make banana cream pie-like balls or macaroons. (Brent loves Banana Cream Pie, and if you haven’t tried our recipe for it, you should.) When I took my first bite of these, however, the texture and flavor were nothing like banana cream pie. Instead, it reminded me of that just-under-cooked center of banana bread. The best part? There’s only a little cooking and no baking required!

Pomegranate-Bacon Arugula Salad

I have been craving salads a lot lately. To mix things up a little bit, I pursued lists of seasons vegetables and fruits to find something we do not normally eat. I came across pomegranates. After a little more research, I learned that they are actually most commonly harvested October through February; but sometimes the harvest is earlier or later. Still, I couldn’t resist looking for them at the store and, just as I had hoped, the international market had them.

This is a fairly simple salad, but it packs of lot of flavor. In fact, it has all five basic tastes: bitter, salty, sour, sweet, and umami. It’s light but satisfying, and beautiful, too! We hope you will enjoy it.

Delighted by Down South Paleo: A Review, a Recipe and a Giveaway

Growing up outside Richmond, Virginia, I knew where I stood—geographically. But I wasn’t ever sure if I could call myself a southerner. With parents from the midwest and family scattered all over, it was hard to find a single identity. So, I gave up trying. There are interesting places, captivating people, and scrumptious food choices all over the world; why restrict yourself?

Easy Morning Green Smoothie

Brent and I made a commitment to getting more greens into our diet this summer and morning smoothies have been a fast and delicious way to do it. This recipe is so simple, it almost feels like it shouldn’t count. Still, we have experimented with a few variations and ultimately found that we like this collection of ingredients best. The smoothie is tangy, bright, and filling. It would be refreshing any time of the day, but we have enjoyed sipping it each morning the past few weeks. (It’s been too hot to crave eggs or other, heavier breakfast items.) We hope you’ll agree that this is an excellent way to start your day!

Lamb-Wrapped Asparagus

Last week, we created a recipe for Baeckeoffe, and we had a few pounds of pork shoulder, lamb shoulder, and beef chuck remaining. We froze the beef, but decided to use our handy meat slicer to make thinly slices of the pork and lamb. Stir fry! That’s what we would do with the pork. Easy. Deciding what to do with the lamb was less so.

By Saturday, I knew we had to use the lamb—or else it might spoil. So, as I wandered through Costco, I searched for inspiration. It came when I saw the asparagus. Bacon-wrapped asparagus is amazing. Why not try it with lamb? I was pleasantly surprised with the results. Plus, it’s simple, but looks quite fancy. You’re friends definitely will be impressed. So, I highly recommend it for a dinner party!