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Search Results for “banana bread”

  1. Friday, July 29

    Cora’s Sour Cream Banana Bread Recipe + The BEST Way to Eat Banana Bread (How have I never done this?!)

    Right now I’m in New Jersey visiting my family. Despite the fact that my sister-in-law Cora had a baby just six weeks ago, she has still been caught cooking us delicious food. Yesterday she made four loaves of banana bread, which (unsurprisingly) are already gone! Cora has been kind enough to share her sour cream banana bread recipe with us today. Everyone say thank you, Cora! {Thank you, Cora!}

    Cora's Sour Cream Banana Bread Recipe from @janemaynard

    Cora’s recipe is wonderful and tastes like butter. The day it is baked, the top is wonderfully crispy, while the bread itself is soft and moist. And as happy as I am to now have Cora’s great recipe, I’m even more happy about the fact that Cora and my brother Christian shared the greatest tip ever for eating banana bread.

    The Best Way to Eat Banana Bread | Cora's Sour Cream Banana Bread Recipe from @janemaynard

    You know how when you make banana bread or brownies or whatever that has a crispy top and it goes soft over night? WELL…Cora and Christian always toast their slices of banana bread and then slather the slices with butter. The top gets crispy again, the edges are awesome, and the bread stays soft and delicious. And then, of course, melted butter. It’s basically the greatest and I may never eat banana bread any other way again. These toasty slices of heaven might be even better than fresh-from-the-oven banana bread. Crazy talk, I know, but true.

    The Best Way to Eat Banana Bread | Cora's Sour Cream Banana Bread Recipe from @janemaynard

    Enjoy! BonANA Appétit!

    Cora's Sour Cream Banana Bread Recipe
     
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    From my wonderful sister-in-law Cora, who is an excellent cook!
    Author:
    Recipe type: Baking
    Serves: 2 loaves
    Ingredients
    • ⅔ cup butter
    • 1⅓ cup sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla or coconut extract (either are delicious!)
    • 1½ cup mashed bananas
    • 2¾ cup flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ c sour cream
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
    2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
    3. Add vanilla or coconut extract then add eggs, beating well after each egg.
    4. Add mashed bananas and mix well.
    5. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
    6. Beating on low, add ⅓ of the dry ingredients until just combined. Add ¼ cup of the sour cream, beat on low until just combined. Repeat with ⅓ of the dry ingredients, then the rest of the sour cream, then finishing with the last ⅓ of the dry ingredients, making sure to mix until just combined with each addition.
    7. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake for 40-45 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

     

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 11:12 am   4 Comments
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  2. Tuesday, July 19

    Chocolate Chip Coconut Banana Bread

    I received this banana bread recipe from my dear friend and fellow graphic designer Julie in Boston about 10 years ago. She brought the bread to work one day and my recipe radar immediately started buzzing. Of course I asked for the recipe, which she graciously shared with me the next day…on a piece of paper, in her handwriting, complete with a little sketch of a monkey holding bananas. About five years ago I digitized all my recipes (i.e. sat down and typed them all into the computer for hours on end…digitized sounds cooler, though). Despite the digitization, I still hang onto my recipe card box. It’s a treasure. All those recipes, lovingly hand written, complete with notes, sketches, and, sometimes, the handwriting of loved ones who have since passed. I can still picture many of those handwritten recipe cards, even when I’m looking at a typed version on the computer or iPad. Like with this bread. That little monkey will never leave my brain and always reminds me of happy times in the design studio with Julie.

    This banana bread is soooooooo good. A little lighter in texture than other banana breads, but still very moist. I brought it to a party last weekend and people were gushing. And I feel like I can say that with total humility since it’s not my original recipe. ALTHOUGH…my tweaks have put it over the edge, if I do say so myself. (Okay, humility out the window!) The original recipe calls for nuts, which I hate in my baked goods. Instead, I put in coconut. It’s so awesome. Also, I try to use mini chocolate chips whenever I can. They distribute beautifully through the bread and are perfect for this recipe. That’s not to say that if you use regular chocolate chips you won’t be happy…you will. But the minis kind of rock it.

    Chocolate Chip Coconut Banana Bread
     
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    Author:
    Recipe type: Baking
    Ingredients
    • 1¼ Cup sugar
    • ½ Cup (1 stick) margarine, softened (Jane note: I use butter)
    • 2 eggs
    • 1½ Cup mashed ripe bananas (Jane note: about 4 medium-sized bananas)
    • ½ Cup buttermilk (Jane note: if you don't have buttermilk on hand, put about a 1 tsp of lemon juice or vinegar into your ½ cup, then fill the rest with milk and let sit for 5 minutes)
    • 1 tsp. vanilla
    • 2½ Cup flour
    • 2 tsp. baking powder
    • ½ tsp. salt
    • ¼ tsp. baking soda
    • 1 Cup mini chocolate chips
    • ¾ Cup shredded coconut (original recipe calls for 1 C chopped pecans or walnuts instead of the coconut)
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 350, grease bottom only of 2 loaf pans.
    2. Mix sugar with margarine/butter. (Jane note: I use my beloved pastry blender to do the mixing until the point when I add the dry ingredients.) Stir in eggs. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla.
    3. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, soda until just moistened - do not overstir!
    4. Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips.
    5. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes, until top and edges are browned and the center looks cooked (Jane note: I have dark, non-stick bread pans and my bread is done at ~45 minutes). Cool 5 minutes in pan and then on wire rack.
    Notes
    Jane Note: I couldn't find my second loaf pan last week, so I did one loaf and the rest as muffins. The muffins came out great and cooked in about half the time as the loaf. Half of the batter yielded 11 muffins, so a full batch would be about 22 muffins. That all said, I do think I like the loaf form better.

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 10:37 am   40 Comments
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  3. Tuesday, February 11

    Cream Cheese and Banana Stuffed French Toast

    I’m kind of in love with French toast. And I think the love might be genetic because Cate is equally obsessed with it, too. Which is why it’s surprising that with this deep abiding devotion, I’ve never made stuffed French toast before. Crispy French toast? Check. Baked French toast? Check again. Begging for delicious French toast recipes from all of you? Triple check! But for some reason I’ve never ventured into the world of stuffed French toast…until now.

    cream cheese and banana stuffed french toast from @janemaynard

    A few months ago we met my sister in Dana Point for breakfast. I ordered cream cheese-stuffed French toast because, well, who wouldn’t? And, in all honesty, I was supremely disappointed with what came to the table. I was expecting a cream cheese filling but got slabs of straight-up cream cheese. I was expecting magically stuffed bread but got two slices of French toast lying on top of each other with the aforementioned cream cheese just sitting in the middle. The dish did not at all live up to my expectations. This weekend I finally decided to make what I had envisioned a reality. (Yes, I have French toast visions. I told you it was serious.)

    cream cheese and banana stuffed french toast from @janemaynard

    My homemade version was everything I imagined the restaurant version should have been. The right amount of sweet, the right amount of gooey, the right amount of cheesy. Nate really liked it, which is saying something because he does not in fact love French toast the way I do. (Never has the case of “opposites attract” been more true than with Nate and I!) Cate of course loved the stuffed French toast just as much as I did.

    This stuffed French toast recipe was inspired by the Banana Cream Cheese Pie from the Dodo in Salt Lake City. Side note: I have been trying to recreate that pie at home but I’m finding it’s nearly impossible. I know some of you have been waiting for that recipe to appear on the blog but it may never happen, which is tragedy of epic proportions. While I may not be able to get the pie perfected, at least I can enjoy it in breakfast form!

    cream cheese and banana stuffed french toast from @janemaynard

    I had leftover cream cheese frosting from when we made the chocolate heart sandwich cookies last week. I just used that for the filling and it was perfect! You could also simply let cream cheese soften to room temperature and mix in a bit of powdered sugar, vanilla extract and, if needed, a bit of milk to make it easier to mix up. Just add sugar to taste. You don’t want it to be too sugary, but you also want some sweetness involved.

    (>> Find out more…)

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 10:24 am   47 Comments
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  4. Thursday, February 23

    Charcuterie for 500, Please, Alex.

    From Jane: I am super excited today because I get to introduce you to This Week for Dinner’s first-ever regular contributor (who isn’t me!). Everyone meet Cora Wallin! Cora is my sister-in-law who has been making good food for our family since the day we all met her. She’s an excellent cook who is behind some of my favorite recipes here on the blog (I’m looking at you taco meat, sour cream banana bread and sweet potato burritos with the yummiest black beans ever). Last summer when Cora and I were hanging out at my parent’s house, she was telling me about a few of her recent favorite recipes. I was thinking about how I needed to make them and photograph them so I could share these recipes on the blog, and then I had a genius idea. Cora is both a fabulous writer AND photographer, so, um, that means she can just write these blog posts for me, right? Somehow I got her to agree and now we are all benefitting! (Okay, maybe Cora isn’t benefitting so much, but whatever. She just loves me THAT MUCH.) Cora is kicking things off with a delicious and beautiful post that explains how to do charcuterie at home. Thank you Cora! 
    How to Do Charcuterie (Photo credit: Cora Wallin) from @janemaynard

    We had an official #adulting moment last month. We were invited to dinner as a family (including husband Christian, 7-year-old Maddox, 5-year-old Sophie and 8-month-old Phoebe) by one of Maddox’s classmates. Obviously, I’m not a stellar member of the PTA (excuse me, PTO) for this to be our first family-dinner-at-a-classmate’s rodeo. It felt significant. It felt a bit nerve-racking. Would it be an evening of polite and benign conversation while the smelly seven-year-olds made fart jokes at the end of the table or would this be the beginning of family friends?

    About 30 minutes before show time, I sent the husband out to buy flowers and wine. Which meant we were almost late to a dinner only two blocks away. We arrived dew-kissed (read: sweaty) and slightly winded from the horror of getting three children in and out of coats, hats and shoes. The older kids ran off to destroy our hosts’ home while Christian and I joined the grown-ups on the sofa by the fire. I plopped down onto said sofa with Phoebe clinging to me and became even “dewier” thanks to the romantic, blazing hearth. Then my eyes fell to the coffee table where there upon the altar of friendship was laid mana. Life reviving sustenance. BEHOLD, a cheese board with the all the dressings and trappings of a Pinterest fantasy. Then I knew, I really knew, we would all be fast friends.

    How to Do Charcuterie (Photo credit: Cora Wallin) from @janemaynard

    That’s the power of the charcuterie. It brings fancy salamis and smelly cheeses together on little edible carb-loaded plates and turns everyone into heart-eyed smiling emoji faces. It’s pure magic. It’s how we can heal this world. So let’s break it down Jeopardy style…behold the keys to world peace.

    What is…charcuterie?

    Charcuterie is just a snooty french word that means a collection of cured meats. Now, I’ve unsuccessfully attempted charcuteries in the past, but what my new best friends showed me was the key to friendship and charcuterie glory is an assortment. Before I would grab 3 different kinds of meats and it always felt like a bit of a let down when I made the spread. Go for a variety, not quantity. Try rosemary ham, 3 different salamis and a pate or teewurst. Have a mix of sweet, spicy, peppery meats as well as melt-in-your-mouth prosciutto. It’s much better to do a little bit of a lot of things than a lot of just a few.

    What is…cheese?

    But meat alone won’t do the trick, otherwise my southern cousins’ pepperoni logs and Slim Jims would be the height of social entertaining. The lactose-y wonder of cheese is what makes all those delectable meats sing. Again, it’s all about the the different textures and flavors. Pick up a creamy brie, crumbly blue, smoky gouda and zippy manchego. Each bite should feel like a choose-your-own-adventure book for your mouth.

    How to Do Charcuterie (Photo credit: Cora Wallin) from @janemaynard

    What are…edible plates?

    Serve that wonderful meat and cheese on delicious edible plates. And don’t forget, variety, variety, variety! (Are you sick of that theme yet?) Don’t just serve water crackers. Slice up a fresh baguette. Grab some fig and olive crackers at Trader Joe’s. Toss in thin and crunchy breadsticks. The more the merrier.

    What are…all the extras?

    The extras are what will really set your charcuterie and cheese board apart. There are SO many amazing options but here are just a few: marinated olives (pitted always feels less awkward), nuts, caper berries, pepperoncinis, roasted peppers, juicy grapes, thin-sliced Granny Smith apples, french dijon mustard, fig preserves, quince or guava paste, fresh honey”¦the list is endless. A great place for ideas can be your local wine shop. Many of them have cheese departments where you can get suggestions for wonderful pairings.

    How to Do Charcuterie (Photo credit: Cora Wallin) from @janemaynard

    What is…presentation?

    Lastly, don’t forget to make it pretty. Put cheese on little squares of parchment. Add fragrant sprigs of fresh herbs. Roll soft cured meats and fan out chorizo slices. Intermix your groups of meats, cheeses, crackers and extras.

    Remember this is about coming together. It’s about building bridges of hope and love. Let the cheese show you the way.

    Posted by Cora Wallin at 2:50 pm   8 Comments
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  5. Friday, February 21

    Friday Show and Tell

    Happy Friday! Hope everyone is having a good day and getting TOTALLY AMPED UP for the Downton Abbey finale this Sunday!!!! (I might be. It’s hard to tell, right?) Also, True Detective. The end of last week’s episode slayed us. Basically Sunday night is my favorite right now.

    3 kids, a mom and a kitchen: banana bread bites from @janemaynard

    Here are the links to my writings in places elsewhere on the web this week, including the second installment of 3 Kids, a Mom and a Kitchen. This time we made banana bread bites that were gone by the end of the afternoon!

    Babble!

    Cosmo!

    As always, please share whatever you want with us! I love reading your links and random sharings!

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 9:39 am   4 Comments
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  6. Wednesday, February 5

    Recipe Index

    recipe index for this week for dinner from @janemaynard

    Main Dishes | Side Dishes | Desserts

    Soups | Salads | Appetizers | Breakfast

    Mexican | Italian | Asian | Swedish

    Thanksgiving

    Poultry | Meat | Seafood | Vegetarian

    Sandwiches | Pasta | Pizza | Grains/Rice | Rolls/Bread | Dips | Sauces/Condiments/Dressings

    BBQ/Grilling | Crockpot

    Beans/Legumes | Corn | Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes | Squash

    Chocolate | Pies/Tarts | Cakes/Cupcakes | Muffins | Cookies | Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt | Frosting | Bars

    Drinks

    Main Dishes

    Side Dishes

    Desserts

    Soups

    Salads

    Appetizers

    Breakfast

    Mexican

    Italian


    Asian (Indian, Thai, Chinese…)

    Swedish

    Thanksgiving

    Poultry

    Meat

    Seafood

    Vegetarian

    Sandwiches

    Pasta

    Pizza

    Grains/Rice

    Rolls/Bread

    Dips

    Sauces, Condiments, and Dressings

    BBQ/Grilling

    Crockpot

    Beans/Legumes

    Corn

    Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

    Squash

    Chocolate

    Pies/Tarts

    Cakes and Cupcakes

    Muffins

    Cookies

    Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt

    Frosting

    Bars

    Drinks

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 12:04 pm   2 Comments
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  7. Friday, June 10

    Jennifer Garner, My Almost Friend

    As a member of Martha’s Circle, I was invited to participate in an event hosted by actress Jennifer Garner for Frigidaire’s Kids’ Cooking Academy, which also supports Save the Children. Alas, the event was in upstate New York, and I’m in, you know, CALIFORNIA. I’m beginning to feel like my life is a constant 2-degrees of separation from Jennifer Garner. First my dear friend Allison got to hang out with her TWICE (you can read about her fun experiences here and here), and now this event that I was invited was, well, in New York. I have such a hard life, eh? Definitely whine-worthy. ANYWAY…since I couldn’t be there myself, I sent one of my far-flung correspondents to pretend he was me. Here’s his report (which, by the way, just made me even more sad to have missed it!):

    To tell the truth, life as a far flung correspondent really isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. So when I had the opportunity to leave Manhattan on the hottest day of the year (so far) to visit a world-class restaurant and meet a celebrity, I was outtathere in a New York minute.

    First the setting: Chef Dan Barber’s Blue Hill at Stone Barn is a localvore’s fever dream. Once a Rockefeller estate, the complex is now a self-sustaining organic farm where nearly everything that arrives at the table is grown practically right outside the door.

    For the event, Blue Hill’s kitchen director, chef Adam Kaye, demonstrated three farm-to-table recipes to a dozen or so kids ranging in age from 2 ½ to six or seven. As the kids worked on crispy zucchini with parmesan, a spring vegetable salad with baby peas, asparagus and edible flowers, and strawberries with mint, yogurt, and honey, Jennifer would pitch in with the demo, or stroll  along the table helping the kids out. This lady definitely knows her way around a whisk.


    THIS WEEK FOR DINNER: How did you learn to cook?

    JENNIFER GARNER: I grew up in a house where my mom cooked dinner every night, and I learned from her. I would help out sometimes, though I don’t think I was much help to her. Growing up that way makes it odd to pull something out of the freezer and put it on the table rather than a home-cooked meal.

    TWFD: Do you cook with your kids?

    JG: I do a lot of cooking with my daughter. Mornings are for baking, and she has her banana bread recipe memorized, so sometimes she’ll suggest variations, like “Let’s make it with some whole-wheat flour,” or “Let’s add some chocolate chips.”

    TWFD: What are some of your favorite recipes to make with her?

    JG: One thing is, we make pizza every Sunday. I got a great recipe for honey-wheat crust from Sarabeth’s Kitchen. And I got an ice cream maker as a gift many years ago. It’s so easy to make homemade! Sometimes I substitute the cream for whole milk. I like that you can control the fat, and just add any fruit you’ve got in the fridge for flavor. Also for dessert, I love Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Busy Day Chocolate Cake. I make a little 8” pan of it — so quick and easy.

    TWFD: As a mom, do you make sure your kids only eat homemade from scratch?

    JG: I don’t really try to restrict what they eat. I want them to know that all food is great in moderation. Some days are just junk food days!

    TWFD: How did you get started advocating for children’s causes?

    JG: I think it’s shocking that one in four kids America are at risk for hunger. It’s really a silent problem, because these kids don’t have a voice. They can’t rally in Washington. ‘Save the Children’ is doing such a wonderful job fighting hunger in the U.S., going into impoverished rural communities, providing physical activity, healthy foods, and 0-5 early-education programs. The difference these programs make in the vocabulary of these children is so impressive; it’s something you can’t ignore. And I have to hand it to Frigidaire, which has made a $500,000 commitment to ‘Save the Children.’ If other corporations made that kind of commitment, think of what we could accomplish.

    There you have it, Jennifer Garner, my almost friend. Hope you enjoyed this little interview with her…and maybe one day I’ll actually get to meet this lady! 😉

    Visit maketimeforchange.com to learn more about Frigidaire’s Kids’ Cooking Academy. Every time you do, Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children’s U.S. programs, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a new Frigidaire Gallery French door refrigerator.

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 9:54 am   6 Comments
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  8. Wednesday, January 31

    RECIPES: Sweet Things

    Hello! This page that you have just landed yourself on is how I used to organize recipes on the site. However, we now have a much more robust recipe index page with all the recipes on the site organized by all kinds of helpful categories. Click here to see the full, up-to-date recipe index!

    this week for dinner blog "sweet things" recipes from @janemaynard

    Apple Bavarian Torte

    Apple Toffee Dip

    Apricot Peach Galette

    Banana Boats

    Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

    Banana Crumb Muffins

    Banana Granola Coconut Muffins

    Basic Sweet Crêpes

    Berry Saucy Syrup

    “Best Ever” Brownies (from Ruth Reichl)

    Black Bean Brownies

    Blueberry Muffins

    Bread Pudding

    Brownie Cupcakes

    Buckeyes

    Buttercream Frosting

    Caramel Apple Galette

    Chicken Parmesan

    Chocolate Almond Crackles

    Chocolate Bread Pudding

    Chocolate Cake

    Chocolate Cake Doughnuts

    Chocolate Cake with Raspberry White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (say that 5 times fast…I dare ya!)

    Chocolate Candy Cane Biscotti

    Chocolate Cherry Biscotti

    Chocolate Chip Amish Puff Cookies

    Chocolate Chip Coconut Banana Bread

    Chocolate Chip Cookies (NYTimes recipe)

    Chocolate Chip Granola Bars (Crispier)

    Chocolate Chip Granola Bars (Chewier)

    Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Coconut Cookies (The Perfect Cookie)

    Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookie Bars

    Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

    Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

    Chocolate Cupcakes

    Chocolate Ganache Cake

    Chocolate Ganache Tart

    Chocolate Idiot Cake

    Chocolate Mint Cookies

    Chocolate Mousse

    Chocolate Mousse (Julia Child recipe)

    Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars (No-Bake)

    Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

    Chocolate Swirl Cookies

    Chocolate Zucchini Bread

    Chunky Blonde Blondies

    Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti

    Cinnamon-Sugar Donut Drops (aka Turkey Leg Donuts)

    Coconut Caramel Sauce

    Cornflake-Chocolate-Chip-Marshmallow Cookies (a.k.a. Milk Bar Cookies)

    Cornflake Crunch and Crispy Crunch 

    Cranberry Cutie Mocktail

    Cranberry Slush

    Cranberry Orange Slush

    Cranberry Sauce

    Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Cream Cheese Chocolate Fudge

    Creamy Juices

    Crispy Crunch Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Crispy French Toast

    Crispy Peanut Butter Cups (easy!)

    Deep Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

    Donuffins

    Double Chocolate Milkshake

    French Silk Pie

    Fresh Coconut Ice Cream

    Frost Bite Mocktail

    Fruit Dip

    Fudge (cream cheese fudge, to be exact!)

    Fudge (Carnation recipe; made with evaporated milk)

    Glazed Chocolate Cake

    Gooey Cinnamon Biscuits

    Grandma Blomquist’s Brownies

    Grandma McCarthy’s Brownies

    Grandma Wallin’s Bulle

    Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

    Homemade Chocolate Syrup

    Homemade Creamsicles

    Homemade Frozen Yogurt

    Homemade Oreos

    Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

    Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

    Hot Chocolate (easy and amazing)

    Vanilla Hot Chocolate Mix (also amazing, not as easy, good holiday gift)

    Hot Vanilla

    Julia Child’s Best Ever Brownies

    Kaiserschmarrn (or Emperor’s Pancakes; a traditional Austrian dessert)

    Lemon Bar Squares

    Lemon Cheesecake

    Liege Belgian Waffles

    Life by Chocolate Cupcakes

    Magic Peanut Butter Middles

    Makes-Its-Own-Crust Apple Pie

    Marshmallows (homemade)

    Melt-Away Cookies

    Mexican Wedding Cookies

    Milkshake

    Mini Molten Chocolate Cakes

    Norma’s Brownies

    Nut Tart

    Oat Bran Muffins

    Oreo Truffles

    Peanut Butter Blobs

    Pineapple Satay

    Pots de Crème au Chocolat

    Pumpkin Cheesecake

    Pumpkin Coffee Cake

    Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread

    Pumpkin Rocks

    Pumpkin Squares

    Raspberry Sauce (or blueberry)

    Roasted Nectarines (or any other stone fruit; great with burrata or ice cream!)

    Rolo Cookies

    Salted Brown Butter Cookies

    Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

    Salted Caramel Thumbprints

    Scotch Truffle Hearts

    Scottish Shortbread Cookies

    Seven-Minute Frosting

    Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

    Skillet Peaches A La Mode

    Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

    Spiced Pecan & Pumpkin Butter

    Strawberry Banana Coconut Smoothie Shake

    Strawberry Icing (amazing and simple)

    Strawberry Milkshakes

    Stewed Plums

    Swedish Semla (cream filled buns)

    Sweet Chex Mix

    Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

    Tres Leches Cake

    Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

    Vetebröd (Swedish Cardamom Bread)

    Whipped Cream

    Whipped Cream Pudding Frosting

    White Chocolate Raspberry Cake

    Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Whoopie Pies

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 11:02 am   10 Comments
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  9. Monday, November 27

    Seven Tabletop Gifts That Give Back (and Look Great!)

    I have another guest post for you! AND it’s from another one of my favorite, funny friends AND she just so happens to be besties with Rachel, who is today’s other guest poster (which was totally coincidence). And she and I have the same name. And so do our husbands. So, what I’m saying is, this post is meant to be. Jane and I scoured her company’s  products and came up with this list of 7 amazing tabletop gifts that give back. (Click here to find out why Jane’s company To The Market is so awesome.) It’s time to spend money and make a difference!  Also, there are a few sale items and a secret discount buried in the post below, so get reading, clicking and shopping!

    ****

    The name Jane is the best name ever. My friend other Jane and I both share it. This post is about how we met on Ancestory.com.

    Gifts That Give Back: To the Market's Holiday Cheer Kit

    HOLIDAY CHEER KIT ($40)

    From the table to the tree, the holiday cheer kit is a festive holiday accessory. These cute little holly leaves are exactly what your table needs for that extra pick-me-up! These are made by artisans in Mexico.  This purchase helps the makers improve their lives, their children’s lives, and their communities through the dignity of work.  

    Gifts That Give Back: To The Market's Heart-Shaped Wooden Cutting Board

    HEART SHAPED WOODEN CUTTING BOARD (Regularly $40, Now $30 with custom TWFD code YUM10)

    Who doesn’t love this heart shaped cutting board? Use it to cut your food on in the kitchen or to serve some tasty food during your holiday party! This was handmade in Guatemala and helps to employ vulnerable communities.

    Gifts That Give Back: To The Market's Honey Vanilla Candle

    VANILLA HONEY CANDLE ($26.99)

    A warm scented candle is an essential during the cold winter months and vanilla honey is a classic. These hand poured soy glass candles are made by vulnerable women in Chicago. This candle helps a young mom provide for her children by giving her the confidence to chase her dreams.

    Gifts That Give Back: To The Market's TAY Ikay Table Runner

    TAY IKAY TABLE RUNNER ($120)

    Simple yet chic, this table runner is a clean statement piece. Go for an even bigger statement and add a white vase with some fresh flowers! This table runner is carefully handwoven and naturally dyed in Guatemala. This purchase supports sustainable livelihoods and traditional weaving.

    Gifts that Give Back: To the Market's Overdyed Kantha-Stitch Placemate Set in Cranberry

    OVERDYED KANTHA-STITCH PLACEMAT & NAPKIN SET IN CRANBERRY (Regularly $65, On Sale Cyber Monday for $45.50)

    Deep rich cranberry is such a lovely color for this time of year and this placemat and napkin set will make your tableware pop! This is truly a unique set that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. Your dinner guests are guaranteed to love the detail of this sari napkin and placemat set made by women in India. A purchase of this table set helps women rediscover their dignity, independence, and creativity in a financially rewarding way.

    Gifts That Give Back: To The Market's Safina Banana Fiber Basket

    SAFINA BANANA FIBER BASKET ($38)

    This small basket can hold anything from fruit to bread to popcorn! This light neutral is not only a safe bet for the holidays, but it can be used year round for all kinds of gatherings. This basket is named after the sweet woman who makes it! She’s an uneducated HIV+ widow. Since becoming involved in basket weaving, her outlook has improved. She wants you to know “I love you very much. I reach out to say thank you for buying.”  We love her too!

    Gifts That Give Back: To The Market's Hand-Painted Batik Bone Bottle Opener

    HAND-PAINTED BATIK BONE BOTTLE OPENER ($22.99)

    Made in Kenya, this hand-painted bottle opener is an ideal hostess gift  for your favorite bartender.  Pattern design vary for each piece, making this truly one of a kind!

    Happy Shopping!

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 12:34 pm   1 Comment
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  10. Thursday, October 8

    What to Eat in New Orleans, i.e. How to Give Yourself a Food Hangover

    Last week I went to New Orleans with my mom, sister-in-law Cora and sister Anne with one goal: to eat tons of food. We not only achieved our goal, we did so with flying colors. Actually, too many flying colors. By the third night I felt strange. Physically strange. I think it was a food hangover. Listen, I’ve been known to put down a lot of food in my day, but New Orleans just about did me in. And it was totally worth it. Man, the food is awesome. And beyond food, the city is beautiful, the people are friendly and the music is the BEST. New Orleans has captured my heart. (As well as my stomach!)

    Cabildo Alley | New Orleans | What to Eat in New Orleans from @janemaynard (photo by Cora Wallin)Cabildo Alley. Photo credit: Cora Wallin

    As we prepared for the trip, Anne made us all do research and put it in a Google doc so that when we were on the ground we’d be ready to go! Of course we didn’t get to half of what was in the doc, but we did a TON in our 3 1/2 days in NOLA and I honestly can’t believe how much food we ate.

    Jackson Square | What to Eat in New Orleans by @janemaynardJackson Square

    If you follow my very enthusiastic advice and visit New Orleans (you better!!!), here are all the delicious/wonderful/interesting/fun places you should visit!

    BREAKFAST

    Ruby Slipper Cafe (Days 1 & 4…we started and ended our time in New Orleans here!)
    My friend Kalli visited NOLA just one week ahead of us and recommended the Ruby Slipper Cafe, stating that the biscuits were the BEST THING EVER and that she wished she had just ordered biscuits and bacon as her meal. I do agree that those items were delectable, but I am SO glad we ordered other items, too. Honestly, Ruby Slipper really stands out for all four of us as a favorite from the weekend. Here are some of our Ruby Slipper top picks! (Click here for full menu and descriptions.)

    • Chicken St. Charles: I could eat this for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s UNREAL. The fried chicken is divine, the egg was poached to perfection, and the tasso sauce finished it all off beautifully. (Side note: Tasso ham is a southern Louisiana specialty.)
    • Eggs Blackstone: This was my first meal in New Orleans and, let’s just say, it set a very high bar.
    • One word: BISCUITS. Best biscuits we had all weekend.
    • Bananas Foster Pain Perdu: This French toast was one of my mom’s favorite foods from the whole weekend. Delish!
    • We didn’t imbibe at Ruby Slipper, BUT their alcoholic breakfast drink menu was extensive and delicious sounding. It’s always 5:00 somewhere, right?

    Chicken St. Charles from Ruby Slipper Cafe in New Orleans | from @janemaynard

    Biscuits from Ruby Slipper Cafe in New Orleans by @janemaynard

    Eggs Blackstone from Ruby Slipper Cafe in New Orleans by @janemaynard

    (>> Find out more…)

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 9:51 pm   15 Comments
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