Sorry!

I'm sorry to report, I have to take a week off from the blog.  I will be gone all week for a conference in Atlanta. 

Hopefully I will have some good stuff to share when I get back.

Have a great week!

-Amanda

Red Velvet Cake Balls

Tonight it's my turn to host my bunko group.  I'm doing a Halloween themed night but wanted to make a dessert that doesn't scream "Halloween theme" with the same old pumpkin something. 

I found a recipe for Red Velvet Cake Balls on Bakerella's website. Bakerella was a pioneer in the whole Cake Ball trend so I knew the recipe would be fabulous, no taste testing needed.  It was still a little spooky, dark chocolate on the outside and red on the inside. Okay, spooky might be a stretch, but they are fabulous!  Really these girls couldn't care less about themes as long as the food is yum.

The recipe could not be simpler.  But note, I did make one small change to the dipping chocolate. 

She called for Chocolate Bark.  What the?  Chocolate Bark?  I have no idea what that is, and it's no where in the store.  I searched the baking isle to just make sure I wasn't crazy. 

So for the dipping chocolate, you will need 1, plus another 1/2 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening.  Melt chocolate chips and shortening together in a microwave safe bowl. Start with microwaving 1 minute, stir well, then go in 30 second increments until melted.  Watch carefully, chocolate burns easy.  Once that's smooth you are ready to dip. Just proceed with recipe as normal.
(Yes, shortening grosses me out too, but it's necessary evil when you make dipping chocolate with chocolate chips)

Recipe Link:
 http://www.bakerella.com/red-velvet-cake-balls/

Here are my photos along the process, step-by step.  I made the cake and rolled out the balls Tuesday and dipped them in Chocolate Thursday.  You can make these way ahead of time if you need to and freeze them in an air tight container. 

Perhaps it is spooky?  Looks like blood to me!

I know this is my food blog but I can't help but show off my table centerpiece my super talented sister, Karen  made for me.  To assemble she hollowed out a green Cinderella pumpkin and used "coffee break" roses with seeded eucalyptus greenery. 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this!  Are those roses gorgeous or what?

In case you missed it...Chipolte's Guacamole Recipe

One of the chef's from Chipolte appeared on today's Talk of the Town to share their coveted Guacamole recipe!

Holy Guacamole!   Not only did they give the Guacamole recipe, they also shared the Spicy Corn Salsa and regular Tomato Salsa.  

If you've not tried the guac at Chipolte yet, I don't know what you are waiting for.  It's life-altering, amazingly good.  Stop fighting the urge and get to one of the three Nashville Locations (West End, Green Hills, Brentwood, and soon to be open location on Cool Springs Blvd.  Yes, I even know all locations.  Sad, but true.)

These recipes are so simple.  That's the beauty of Chipolte.  Fresh, simple, good ingredients.

Here is link to the Talk of the Town site with recipes.  Video included, for those who love visuals....
http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=13365089
Enjoy!

PS: If you are on planning on whipping up a batch, I saw Hass avocados are on sale for $1.00 at Kroger.  Pretty good buy on them for them for early fall.  Run, don't walk.  In case I beat you to them ;-)

Portion Distortion

I've gained 4 pounds!  There, I said it.  I have been a health superstar for the past 3-4 months.  Now, I can literally feel my progress slipping away.  My weight was down to a number that I hadn't seen since my early 20's, (let's just say I'm late 20's now, shall we?). 

Let's examine how the shrinkage, and now slight expansion of my waistline has occurred.  For starters, my husband was on board the health train, toot toot!  He too had put on weight since we moved in together four years ago.  He had never been interested in losing any weight though.  Until one day he woke up with a whole new attitude, seemingly overnight.  He decided to quit the gross fast food stops for lunch everyday.  These stops were a merry-go-round circuit of McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King. 

The new and improved husband 2.0 version only eats Jersey Mike Mini Turkey and Provolone on wheat, or a Subway Club on Wheat with light chips, no sodas every weekday for lunch.  That's right, he switches back and fourth between the two every day.  I would get sick of subs, but he seems to be okay with the monotony. 

I also drastically changed our nightly cuisine.  Prior to us turning over a new leaf, we would eat whatever our heart desired for dinner.  Granted, mostly grilled stuff, (I never fried anything here at home) but we had a major case of what I refer to as "portion distortion".  Portion Distortion is eating the biggest quantity of helpings that will fit on your plate.  Oh come on, we've all been there.  We have our most detrimental case on Thanksgiving Day.  Where you have to stack side items, on top of meats, on top of sides items.  Your plate is out of room but your only mid-way through the buffet.  Well, we tended to eat such hearty portions every night.  And boy oh boy, did it catch up to us.  

So I changed my wicked ways, with Jim into the new diet too.  We ate fish nearly every night.  I would fix a side of vegetables, steamed (normally a freezer baggie kind), and typically rice for a carb.  My rule at night was to stop eating when I was nearly full, not binge until I'm miserable.

Did it work?

YES!  But now, this is where things get real interesting 'round here.  My husband never even darkened the door of the gym over the couple of months we were losing weight, while I was running 3-4 miles 5 to 6 times a week on the treadmill (*sigh*).  He was still eating Subway and Jersey Mikes, while I made myself eat something here at home each day that was healthy (*sigh*).  HE, lost about 35 pounds.  35 pounds that I didn't even know he had to lose.  35 pounds, pretty effortlessly.  By only changing his lunch stops and cutting out cokes, eating my healthier meals at night. 35 pounds! 

(I can't lie, I started thinking sabotage about half way through the process, he lost 20 pounds, I lost... like 3.  I was starting to wonder if I should slip a couple pads of butter in his fish, or lace his coffee with heavy whipping cream.  BUT my better judgement overruled the devil perched on my shoulder.  I continued to support his rapid, infomercial worthy weight loss. Meanwhile I clawed and scrapped to lose every milli-pound.  Yes, even a milli-pound was a victory for me at the end of the day.)

Disclaimer: I'm not taking any of the glory from my husband.  I know he made sacrifices in his own way.  I'm very proud of him.  I just wanted to paint an accurate picture of the uphill battle I faced in my own house.

What did I lose?

20 pounds.  Yes, I know that's pretty respectable to most people.  But in case you have never seen me in person, lemme explain.  I'm 5'11.  So I have a lot of body to spread 20 pounds over when I gain it, and likewise a lot to loose it over when it's gone.  It's a great thing when I gain weight, but sorta frustrating when I lose it.  20 pounds later, few people even recognized I lost anything.  Oh, but they did my husband.  He is gracious though, and made sure to point out that I had lost weight too when people would compliment him. He didn't want me to lose steam.  He's sweet like that. 

Sure, there are few noticeable changes in me when I loose just 20 lbs.  My face is skinnier, yes. I fit into the skinny jean that I'd been saving on the top shelf of the closet, because I just knew I would wear them again someday.  (And ladies, is there any better feeling than zipping up that small size you had been working so hard for?  Zipping 'em. up, and thier LOOSE!  I equate that feeling to that of winning the lottery myself. Sublime!)

So, I'm down 20 pounds, where did I go wrong?

Once again, portion distortion.  It's what got me out of that weight, and it's what can get me back into that weight again.  I've been traveling some with work and having to eat out.  I traveled over the weekend to Minnesota, and as you see from yesterday's post I ate really, really well.  Oh, not to mention College Game Day's around my house!  Game day food was my kryptonite last year to put on the 20lbs, and I might be on my way to making the same mistake this year.

I'm still running some.  By some, I mean 1-2 times a week in the neighborhood.  No gym time.

I'm still 95% Pescetarian, (only eating vegetables and fish), only eating chicken and rarely beef on Saturday's or Sunday.

To answer your burning question, no, my husband hasn't gained back one ounce.

The solution to losing the 4 pounds is so obvious a 3rd grader could figure it out.  More exercise, smaller portions.  It's getting myself back into the groove that the hard part.

Why am I sharing all these embarrassing details about my weight? 

Accountability perhaps.  If I put these nagging 4 pounds out there for you friends to read maybe I'll work harder for it.  Granted, my 4 pounds is a smaller girls 2 pounds to lose, but it's hard losing it hard none-the-less.

If you haven't seen me lately, or perhaps ever, I don't want this blog of healthy food to give off the false image that I'm some stick figure health nut.  I'm not.  I crave macaroni and cheese nearly every day of my life.  Though haven't had any in months.  The smell of a burger cooking on a grill makes me want to eat it.  But the sight of a cow reminds me why I try to refrain. 

I struggle everyday, with e-v-e-r-y pound.  I feel like most of you reading this do also.  I dont' know a single friend of mine that doesn't obsess over their weight and self-image.  Most of these girls are size 2's.  I can't understand why they obsess since they are so thin, but I think we all teeter-totter with the same "4 pounds" I'm facing.  Sometimes we're up, sometimes we're down.  Whether size 2 or 12, we all fear the "4 pounds".

My question to you is, what gets you jump started back to eating well and exercising when you fall of the wagon like I have?  I would love to know where you find motivation. 

Is there a certain exercise program you enjoy?  Certain foods?  I would like to compile a list of things that we do right here in Clarksville Tennessee, (or Kentucky).  We are all working with the same local resources of gyms and food.  So let's share what works with each other.  Sure, we read these tips for eating and excersice in national magazines, but not all that is locally accessible.

If you want to share some tips or advice with me, or maybe want to struggle and lose the "4 pounds" together I'd want to hear from you.  Leave a comment here, facebook me, or email me at amandalane1@yahoo.com.

Don't be shy!  I want to know all tips, big or small.

Eating my way through Minnesota

Disclaimer: Blogspot is acting super wacky today and all my fonts are mixed and matched.  I can't figure it out?  But the show must go on...

So, my good friend Laura and I took a girl’s trip to the twin cities over the weekend. Laura’s Mother lives in Saint Paul and she is has been gracious enough to invite me to visit with Laura several times.  Now, I know Minnesota might not stand out to you as a "vacation destination" per se, but the twin cities have quickly turned into one of my favorite places to get away.  

Since this is my food blog, I'll try and stick to the amazing dishes I had.  To keep this a brief as possible, I will give you my Twin Cities Must List:

You MUST stop in Patina: 

Patina is far and away the best gift shop I’ve visited! There is something for everyone here. While my bank account was rejoicing, I was sad that I had minimal room in my carry-on for purchases. 

Even though the website can't compare the actual store, here is a link http://www.patinastores.com/index.php

 

You MUST lunch at Salute (and order the Cobb Salad)

First stop Saturday was lunch at Salut.  It was a gorgeous fall day and the restaurant had all the doors to the charming outdoor patio open.  We could have sat outside, but since it was a College Football game day, and we are southern girls, we opted for seating in the bar area with televisions. 

 For starters we had their famous Pommes Frites. (we call 'em french fries round these parts).  The menu boasts that Salut is the home of "The Best Fries in the Twin Cities".  They were correct.  No, I've not had all the French fries in the twin cities.  But I know a good fry when I have one.  These could not be beat. To make them extra sinful, they serve the fries with a side of homemade Béarnaise sauce.  To die for!

Entrée time!  We’ve lunched here before while visiting, and I remember this Cobb Salad vividly as the best one I’ve ever had.  The salad was dressed lightly with a homemade Green Goddess dressing instead of the traditional Blue Cheese or Ranch. 

Salut link:  http://www.salutbaramericain.com/

You MUST eat at Chino Latino (and go into the crazy bathrooms)

Chino Latino is the most original restaurant I’ve ever been to.  (Yes, this is another restaurant we’ve been to before while in Minnesota, but it was so bizarre and good we had to go back.)  This is a place to “see and be seen” in Minneapolis.  Let’s just leave it at that.  The music is loud.  The people are beautiful and trendy.  The bathrooms are, let’s just say “memorable”.  I don’t want to spoil anyone’s surprise if you are lucky enough to get there.

The food is self proclaimed as “street food from around the hot zones”.  Street food just so happens to be my favorite thing. 

For appetizers we went with two lettuce wrap dishes.  One with beef, one with an eggroll type center, both delightful!  The portions sizes here are ginormous (is that even a legit word?) and meant for sharing. 

We filled up on the app’s, but of course couldn’t stop there.  For our entrée we went with the Coconut Shrimp Curry (Described as: Shrimp and rice with pineapple and red bell peppers in a sweet Thai coconut red curry sauce).   Dishes are served family style.  We each had an ample portion and barely put a dent in the bowl.  The coconut curry sauce was spicy, yet sweet. 

In a major food blogger faux pas I forgot to snap a picture of the entree before we dug into it.  Whoops. I assure you, it looked as delightful as it tasted.

Chino link:  http://www.chinolatino.com/

Lastly, You MUST, MUST, MUST have breakfast at Key’s Café

Key's is self branded as "the food you grew up with".  What could be better than that? 

Yes, Key’s Café is diner style food.  With one BIG difference.  All fresh, all homemade.  I quite possibly had the best omelet of my life.  The Farmers omelet was bursting with diced ham, onions, hash browns and cheese.  Yes, hash browns and cheese INSIDE the omelet.  Mind blowing, right?

As a bonus to what was already the best breakfast ever, the toast was served with their homemade strawberry rhubarb jam.  Yes!

Can't make it there for during breakfast hours? You're in luck, they serve breakfast all day.  Like a good diner should...

Key's Cafe link: http://www.keyscafe.com/

I can’t discuss Saint Paul fare without giving honorable mention to the Saint Paul Grill.  We typically eat Sunday brunch here.  Check out the atmosphere and brunch menu on their website.  If you have two days in Minnesota I recommend hitting up both Key's Cafe, and Saint Paul Grill for breakfast. 

http://www.stpaulgrill.com/

Thank you, Mrs. Thomas for another unforgettable girls weekend!

My new lunch obsession

To avoid soup overload I switched up my lunch routine lately.  Now, I have become obsessed with these Morning Star Farms Spicy Black Bean burgers.  I might be a little late to this black bean burger trend, but better late than never. 

I used to buy Boca Burgers, but these Morning Star Farms burgers blow Boca's away in taste and texture.  Don't waste your money with Boca.

This meatless burger is loaded with black beans, roasted corn, brown rice, and chili peppers.  It's not all pulverized and unrecognizable either.  You can see whole beans and corn in the patty. 

The patties are perfectly portioned to watch your waistline too.  Each burger contains only 120 calories/4 grams of fat.  It also has an impressive 4 grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein. 

Why a meatless burgers you ask?  Because they are MUCH better for you than that beef crap you buy at the drive-thru.  These have 73% less fat that regular burger! 


Ideas for toppings:Last week, I made the burgers southwest style.  I started by mashing up 1/4 of an avocado and 1 tablespoon store bought salsa.  Slather that on one side of toasted Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats bread.

Cook the burger according to package directions and top with a handful of shredded vegan cheese and some jarred jalapeno slices. So good!

I hadn't had time to grocery shop for the week yet so today I had the burger backyard BBQ style.  Adding red onion, fresh tomato slices, lettuce, and a slather of Dijonaise dressing. 

I promise you will not miss one morsel of meat in this lunch. 

They taste amazing and are a snap to prepare! 

Arrrrriba! Yo quiero taco salad

When I was young, my sister used to make killer taco salads.  What made them so special was she used tortilla bowls that you buy and bake at home, not Frito's or tortilla chips.  Last night I was feeling all nostalgic and wanted to re-create those taco salads.  But, OF COURSE, Kroger was out of taco salad bowls!  Who's shocked Kroger let me down, again? Anybody? Anybody? (crickets....)

I had to improvise.  The result was a lightened up version of taco salads that uses fresh ingredients and homemade tortilla chips.  Perhaps Kroger did me a favor by being out of of what I intended to use? Nah, let's not give them too much credit... 

I don't think my husband even knew it was my low-fat version of a real-deal taco salad it was so tasty.  I even snuck in soy cheese instead of real cheese. Sneaky, sneaky. (Shhhhh.  Don't tell him, he never knew)

Shrimp Taco Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Homemade chips:
2 burrito size flour tortillas
Non-stick cooking spray
Cumin (if desired)

Salad:
1/2 pound fresh shrimp
1 teaspoon chili powder
sea salt/black pepper
2 cups romaine lettuce chopped
1/2 cup canned black beans; drained, rinsed and dried
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1/4 small red onion, chopped
1/2 avocado chopped
2 tablespoons jarred jalapenos chopped
A Sprinkle of Cheddar/Monterey jack blend shredded cheese (I used soy cheese)

Dressing:
3 Tablespoons store bought salsa
1 Tablespoon light ranch dressing

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut flour tortillas into wedges like a pie.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray generously with non-stick cooking spray.  Lay tortillas in a single layer on baking sheet (don't overlap tortillas, use two baking sheets if needed)  Spray tops of tortillas with non-stick cooking spray.  Bake in oven for 5-10 minutes, keeping a close eye on them.  These burn fast, when you start to smell them cooking they are most likely done. 
Once done and still hot from the oven, sprinkle chips with a little bit of cumin to add a smokey flavor.  Set chips aside until ready to use.

Make sure shrimp are dried well with paper towels.  Sprinkle with chili Powder, salt and pepper, to taste.  Heat a non-stick skillet, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray over medium-high heat.  Saute shrimp 5-10 minutes, or until done.  Keep warm while you assemble salads. 

To assemble salads, line dinner plate with tortilla chips.

Add toppings, starting with lettuce. 

(You can add or omit your favorite taco fixin's to suite your family)

 For dressing, mix salsa and ranch dressing well.  Pour over salad just before serving.

They say you eat with your eyes first.  If so, this was a feast!  So colorful and fresh. 

The chili rubbed shrimp are a great lower fat alternative to hamburger meat with sodium laced taco seasoning.  If you want to be reeeally good, you can omit the ranch dressing and top with just salsa. 

Side note:  Do you know how to seed a tomato?  I didn't, until I saw it on the food network.  I used to hate adding tomatoes to salads because the juice makes everything soggy.  I've solved that by seeding all the tomatoes I add to salads and sandwiches.

To seed, slice tomato either in half or wedges like below.  Hold over sink or trash can and give it a good light squeeze, like you would a lemon. 

What's left if pure tomato flesh and none of that wet seedy stuff.  Tah-dah!

This ain't your Aunt Jemima's syrup

Next time you have an itch for a mid afternoon candy bar, I have a suggestion for you.  Try glazed nuts.  I made Ellie Krieger's recipe for Maple Glazed Walnuts over the weekend.  These are phenomenal!  They taste like those yummy candied nuts I make around Christmas time that are laced with butter and sugar.  But these are a much healthier take on the nutty indulgence. 

Walnuts are one of those "super foods" we all hear about.  The health benefits are a mile long.  Be mindful of your portion size though.  Walnuts are high in fat, but all good fats that will keep you healthy and provide you with tons of energy.  These glazed walnuts are a much smarter pick over a sugar bomb chocolate bar out of the snack machine. 

I've been eating these right out of the zip lock baggie as a mid-afternoon snack.  But I also can't wait to try them on a crisp fall salad with apples or pears.  Plus, if you use organic 100% pure Maple Syrup these are natural, whole food snack (By my definition of the term anyway.  It seems there are a thousand interpretations on what exactly "natural" is these days).  Since many of us are trying to avoid processed foods, it's an added perk.

Maple Glazed Walnuts

2 cups walnut halves

1/3 cup maple syrup (Don't skimp on this one, but 100% pure maple syrup; organic if you can find it.  A small bottle is around $7.00, and worth every penny.  Read the ingredients label if you are in doubt. If you've never tried real, pure maple syrup you are in for a treat.  It will make you wanna slap your Aunt Jemima it's so good!)

1/8 teaspoon salt

Heat a dry skillet of medium-high heat.  Add the walnuts, maple syrup and salt.  Cook, stirring frequently, until syrup is caramelized and nuts are toasted, about 3-5 minutes.  Spread the nuts evenly on wax paper sprayed with non-stick cooking spray to cool completely.

Above: Just added in the maple syrup, you can see it bubbling in the pan.

Almost done, you can still see some of the syrup in the bottom of the pan. 
Keep stirring and mixing them well.  You want them to be evenly coated.

Done!  You can see the walnuts are glossy with the glaze and all the moisture from the pan has coated the nuts.

After they have cooled they are still gorgeous!  Shiny and slightly sticky. 

One more tip: Wash the pan immediately!  The drops of sticky syrup left will glue itself to the skillet making it a dish washer nightmare.  Yes, I know from experience.

Happy snacking!

Lobster and Shrimp Ravioli with Vodka Cream Sauce.

A couple of our friends are spending the long weekend in our favorite vacation spot, Sandestin Florida.  That got me thinking about a meal we have each time we are in Sandestin.  The Lobster Ravioli at Grafitti in Sandestin is one of our favorite meals of all time.  It might be the vacation atmosphere or getting to share the meal with our great friends, but something about that place makes it magical every time. 

Since I had the meal on my mind this week I decided to try and re-create a similar dish for us here at home last night.  I had a horrible day yesterday so I knew I needed a great meal and a glass bottle of wine. 

A picture doesn't do this dish any justice. 
If you had a scratch and sniff computer screen, you would be dying for this dish right now!

I created this dish with a little help from the store.  Yes, I've made homemade ravioli before with wonton wrappers that turns out wonderfully.  However, this week when I was at Whole Foods I spotted a box of fresh Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli.   Why go to all that trouble myself with these gems staring at me?  I decided to take the easy route.  Buy the ravioli and make my own sauce to dress it.

Now for the sauce.  Rachel Ray's "You won't be single for long Vodka Cream Sauce" is one of my favorite sauces to make at home.  It tastes like something you would order out at a nice Italian restaurant.  Plus, its super quick to prepare.  I've heard some of my friends comment this sauce does not turn out the same for them when they cook it.  Make sure you take the time to reduce the vodka down as instructed. Cooking out the alcohol and concentrating the flavor is what makes this dish perfect.

If you don't have ravioli, you can follow her instructions for Penne pasta. I've had the sauce over lasagna also instead of a traditional marinara sauce.  DELISH!  The possibilities are endless!
Recipe Link:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/you-wont-be-single-for-long-vodka-cream-pasta-recipe/index.html

Preparing the sauce takes literally 10 minutes, start to finish.  You can boil the raviolis as you make the sauce.  Which makes this a lightning fast meal to prepare.  Perfect for busy week nights.  Here are some of my pics along the cooking process.  As you can see in the end I finished my plate off with a healthy sprinkle of fresh Parmesan Cheese. 

This is the brand I found in Whole Foods, by the fresh cheese section. 
It was full of seafood!  I was skeptical, but these were great.

You'll know fresh ravioli is done cooking when it starts floating around the surface like above.

Cheese Please!

If you want to impress dinner guests or your honey on a date night this is PERFECT! 

Warning, don't make it unless you want people hounding you for more. 

I had plenty of sauce left over so I'm going to turn what's left into a meal for Sunday night.  I'll share with you next week how I made this sauce work a double-shift for me.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Over the weekend I needed a little something sweet to take over to someone as a game day peace/good will offering (to and Alabama fan, on Alabama/Florida Gameday).  I combined two recipes for banana bread that I've had my eye on for a couple of weeks.  One recipe had a simple ingredients list that was relatively healthy for you, and the other had peanut butter.  I'm like Elvis, a sucker for mixing bananas and peanut butter.  So I combined the best of both recipes to make my own little diddy. 

I doubled this recipe so I could have some of the bread for my own game day festivities. But to my surprise, I only own one loaf pan.  I improvised by making banana bread cupcakes with the remaining bread mix.  They turned out super cute, if I do say so myself.  This post is really a two-fer recipe, you can make a loaf bread or go the cupcake route.  Either way, these are purrrrdy tasty.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf or 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
Bread:
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cup ripe bananas, mashed (about 4 bananas)
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Glaze:
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a (9x5 inch) loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray for making a loaf, or line a muffin pan with cupcake foils for cupcakes. 

In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda and salt. 

In another large bowl combine butter, peanut butter, eggs, bananas, yogurt, and vanilla, whisking until smooth.

Fold flour mixture into the butter mixture until well incorporated.  I like to add flour in a little at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Pour into prepared pan or muffin tins, filling each cup about 3/4 full. 

This is a a picture of when cupcakes were coming out of the oven

Bake 20-25 minutes for cupcakes; 50 minutes for bread loaf.  (or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean)  Once cool enough to handle, remove cupcakes or loaf to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar, milk and peanut butter with a fork until well combined.  Use the back of a spoon to thinly glaze each cupcake or bread loaf with peanut butter glaze. 

This glaze was so yummy, I think I could have eaten it off of a dirt pie. 

I've already been thinking of a thousand other things to top with it. 

Enjoy!

Banana Note:  Most mash bananas with the back of a fork.  I think that takes too long.  I used my mini food processor for the job.  Doing 1-2 bananas at a time.  It made a perfect chunky liquid mix for bread.  I think the food processor is a great alternative to using all that elbow grease on mashing up a couple bananas.