Coffee Infused Banana Bread

A couple of months ago I was chatting with my friend Abbeeroad, who asked for a good banana bread recipe.  In pulling up the one I normally used from the Better Homes & Gardens classic red gingham cookbook, I stumbled onto a version of a coffee banana bread.  Since I also had bananas to use up we both made some that day.  The original recipe called for adding ground coffee straight into the flour mixture, which sounded silly to me.  No matter how fine ground your coffee, it's still going to make for gritty bread, so I swapped it out for instant coffee which would dissolve.

Over the course of the pandemic, I've made this bread 5 times now, changing something every time.  I've finally perfected my version of the recipe, which includes changing the technique for infusing the coffee flavor, and upping the whole grains by using some whole wheat flour and some ground flax seed.  But don't worry if you don't have those things, you can still use AP flour.

Coffee Infused Banana Bread
1 1/4 cups AP flour +  ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour + 1/4 cup ground flax seed
OR
2 cups AP flour

1 – 2 teaspoon instant espresso or coffee
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup granulated sugar (I use a scant cup, especially if my bananas measure more than 1 cup)
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 large)
⅓ cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons milk of choice (I have used cashew or hazelnut with great results)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons espresso sugar or turbinado/raw sugar (optional)

In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave.  You want it liquid, but not boiling hot.  Add in the instant espresso or coffee powder, and stir well.  Let the coffee infuse the butter for 5-10 minutes, while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

Preheat your oven to 350°. Grease the bottom and partway up the sides of an 8" x 4" loaf pan.

In a large bowl whisk together flour(s), baking soda and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture and set aside.

In a separate medium bowl combine the beaten egg, granulated sugar, banana, milk and vanilla. Once the coffee butter has finished infusing, add the butter into the wet ingredients and stir well.  Break up any little clumps of coffee than may have not dissolved.

Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened.  The batter will be lumpy. Spoon into the prepared pan. If desired, sprinkle with the espresso or raw sugar.  Honestly, I don't feel this bread needs it at all, but some folks like things sweeter.  You do you.

Bake for 60 - 70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely on the rack.

Garden Pests April Fool's Projects

This year, after the move from Craftster to Lettuce Craft, the Mod Squad decided that Garden Pests would be a great theme for our annual April Fool's project takeover on the site.  I created a few quick  projects to join in the fun. 

A pair of earrings featuring naughty bunnies trying to steal my bok choy.  The bok choy beads are lampwork glass that I've had for ages.

Dougie, the Derpy Worm bookmark, crocheted from Darn Good Yarn's ombre silk.  The face is top stitched with embroidery thread.

And finally a set of squirrel paper lanterns.  The cut files came from the Silhouette Store, and were cut from some paper given to me by the lovely pottermouth, over at Flew the Coop.  The file cut just fine, but I did worry the whole time I was weeding it that I might tear it, and I do wish the overlap for gluing was a bit bigger, but all in all it was a quick and easy project.

Cajun Skillet Dinner (pantry staple friendly)

My husband loves cajun food of any variety, so I try to keep some andouille sausages in the back of the fridge or the freezer.  If you like your food extra spicy, feel free to top with a little extra hot sauce.

Cajun Skillet Dinner 
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 12 oz package fully cooked andouille (I used Aidell's), sliced into half moons
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled & diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 tsp Cajun seasoning (Recipe to make your own.)
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Fresh parsley for garnish (or use the celery leaves!)
White rice for serving

Directions:
Start a pot of rice, or set your rice cooker to have the rice ready for dinner time. 

While the rice cooks, drizzle a little olive oil or a spritz of cooking spray in a large skillet, over medium heat.  Cook the sliced up sausages for a few minutes, so they take on a little color, and their flavor infuses the oil in the pan.  Once they are lightly browned, remove them from the skillet with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pan.

Add the onion, celery, & carrots to the pan, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  You want them softened but not mushy.  Add the garlic, and cook about 30 seconds, stirring well so it doesn't burn.  Add the red beans and tomatoes. 

Sprinkle in the cajun seasoning, and a few grinds of fresh pepper.  Taste, and add salt if needed.  (The beans, tomatoes and cajun seasoning all have salt in them, so you might not need any.)  Cook about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes and beans are heated through, and the tomato juices have formed a sauce in the pan.  Add the sausage back into the pan, and stir to combine.

Serve the sausage and veggies over the rice, and garnish with fresh parsley, or chives from your garden, or some celery leaves.

Mediterranean Red Lentil Soup (vegan & pantry staple friendly)

This delicious soup was warming and hearty, and best of all it was easy to make with things I already keep in my pantry.  It is perfect for dipping some no-knead bread, toast, or naan that you squirreled away in you freezer a few weeks ago.  It made 6 servings, so we had it for dinner twice, and froze the rest for later this month.

Mediterranean Red Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled & diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 Tablespoon yellow curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 cups dried red lentils
4 cups (1 tetrapak) vegetable broth
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon harissa paste
2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
Sour cream or plain yogurt for serving
Chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, chives, or celery leaves for serving

Directions:
Drizzle some olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot, over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes.

Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, curry powder, and turmeric, and saute another minute until the garlic becomes fragrant.  Don't let the garlic burn!

Stir in the carrots, dried lentils, vegetable broth, and tomatoes (with their juice), and 1 cup of water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Simmer uncovered until the lentils are soft, about 20-25 minutes.

If the soup thickens too much, you can add a little more water while it simmers.

Remove from the heat, and add in the harissa paste, and lemon juice, stirring well to incorporate them.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, vegan sour cream, or plain yogurt on top, and sprinkle with fresh herbs if you have them.

Irish Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy and Buttered Peas

Happy Saint Patrick's Day my friends!  While we are all in social isolation and cannot share a pint together tonight, I thought we could at least share recipes.  This year I found some Irish bangers at Aldi, and couldn't resist making up a little feast for DH & I while we're home together.

Irish Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy with Buttered Peas

Bangers & Mash
1-2 packages bangers
2 lbs gold potatoes, peeled and large chopped
1/2 stick butter
Milk of choice (I used cashew milk)
1 tsp dry mustard powder

Onion Gravy
1 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, sliced
4 cups (1 tetrapak) vegetable broth
1 cups red wine or water

Peas
1 16oz bag frozen peas
3 Tbsp butter
2 tsp sugar
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
Salt & pepper
1-2 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees, or whatever the lowest setting is.

Cook the sausages in a skillet over medium-low heat until nicely browned on all sides; transfer to an oven-safe dish or pan and move to the preheated oven to keep warm.

Place the potatoes into a saucepan with enough water to cover them, over medium-high heat, and boil  until tender, and easily pierced with a fork. About 15 minutes. Drain and return to the pan. Sprinkle over the dry mustard, salt & pepper.  Add in the 1/4 cup of butter, and a splash of milk.  Mash to your desired consistency.  I like mine with a few chunks. Set aside.

While the potatoes are cooking, start the onion gravy.  Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the onions and cook until they are translucent and starting to brown, about 8-10 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium, and pour in the vegetable broth and red wine.  Boil the mixture down gently, until it's about half the volume it was. It should take about 10-15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, and keep warm.

When the gravy is close to done, heat a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the butter, peas, sugar and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally until the butter is melted, and the peas are heated all the way through.  About 5 minutes.  Stir in the mint, and remove from heat.  Season with salt & pepper.

To serve, place a large dollop of mashed potatoes on one side of the plate.  Place 1-2 sausages on top of the potatoes, and smother them both with a good ladle full of the onion gravy.  Place the peas on the other side of the plate.

Pretend that the vegetables on your plate make up for the whole stick of butter in your dinner.  Pour a favorite beverage, and enjoy with someone you love.  Keep each other close in your hearts & spirits right now, even if we're kept apart in person.
Slàinte!

Recycled Silk Tuck-Away-Tote

For my first quarter Fiber & Textile mod project on Lettuce Craft, I decided to run a Spring Greening Challenge.  The assignment was to craft an item that replaces a commonly used disposable version, such as dishcloths, cloth napkins, paperless-towels, etc. 

For my own contribution, I knew I wanted to make something out of a recycled yarn.  I dug through my stash and picked out a few cakes of Darn Good Yarn's silk blend sport weight yarn, in colorway Burgundy Blossom.  It's made from reclaimed sari silk and viscose. 

I searched Ravelry for a grocery tote pattern, and found this super cute Tuck-Away Tote pattern, that contains a pocket, that the tote can be folded up into!  You can easily tuck it away to carry in a purse or coat pocket. 

 The round pocket is positioned along the bottom of the tote.  I finished it off with a pewter Celtic button that I had in my stash. 

All tucked away, ready to go on a shopping trip.  ...whenever we're finally allowed to go out again!

Makers Gonna Make Ruler Holder

This quick little project was made for a challenge over on Lettuce Craft.  My dear friend Emma, aka sheepBlue, ran a challenge on the Decorative & Functional Board, asking folks to repurpose an item that they would normally throw out from lack of use, or wear and tear.  A few weeks ago I bought some new silicone kitchen utensils, and they came with a rather ugly holder, in bright teal plastic.  I knew I'd never use it, and tried to think of ways to repurpose it, but failed, so it went into the recycling.  Look how boring it was!

Fast forward to Friday, when I was cleaning the house.  I was putting away some stray bits and bobs in my studio, and I noticed the canister I had my tall rulers in.  It was a repurposed pirouette cookie tin, that I had covered in scrapbook paper to match my craft room/husband's office, back when we lived in Bowling Green 6 years ago.  The colors no longer match my space, and it's lightweight, and prone to tipping over.  Brain wave!  Go grab the utensil holder out of the recycling, and give it a makeover.

The cut file came from the Silhouette design store, and it had lots of cute little stars all around it.  Sadly they did NOT want to transfer with the text.  But that's fine.  I kinda like the cleaner look without them.  And here it is, corralling rulers, and keeping the little felt Scotsman company.