Meal Ideas

Quick Banana Pudding

Do you like banana pudding? I’ve found that most people either totally love it or totally hate it. Some people don’t like bananas, for others it’s a texture thing. Well, my house is half and half. As you may have guessed, I enjoy nearly ALL foods! lol However, my husband doesn’t care for any puddings (he’s really missing out on bread pudding…shame) or Jello (again…Jello shots?!). Luckily, our son seems to be siding with me and enjoying pudding/jello/yogurt items. Hooray! Now I can make certain things without feeling bad for just making them for myself! lol

I mostly shop at Aldi, and my store rarely has vanilla wafers, but suddenly they were in stock! I knew I had to make banana pudding. I always buy bananas, so we might as well go all the way, right? Plus, the instant pudding mix insured that I’d be able to make my sweet treat and eat it pretty soon after.

Just a few ingredients…just how I like it!

I know, I know…this doesn’t look like enough ingredients to make REAL banana pudding. Listen, as Tabitha Brown says, “That’s my business!” No really, I’ve made the traditional banana pudding where you cook the custard and bake to brown the meringue. I’ve also prepared the kind with boxed pudding and Chessmen cookies. As a matter of fact, preparing these two recipes was an early way that I attempted to impress my father-in-law. It worked…banana pudding was one of his favs.

Remember, this house doesn’t NEED a lot of this dessert, so I went with individual servings. Your situation may be the same, so check this out:

Ingredients

  • Ramekins or other small bowls (4)
  • Bananas (I used 1.5)
  • Instant Pudding Mix (1 box)
  • Vanilla Wafers
  • Whipped Cream

Mix the instant pudding according to the instructions. (I whisked by hand for a little workout! lol) While the pudding is thickening, line the ramekins with vanilla wafers and top with some banana slices. Scoop in some pudding, then layer more wafers, bananas, and the final layer of pudding.

Add a little whipped cream at the end if you’d like, but it’s still good if you leave it off. Definitely top the desserts with a wafer because it’s cute! lol

Yep, that’s what you think it is. A random pan with a lid that I saved from one of the Summer BBQs…we recycle AND upcycle around here! 😉 I couldn’t just let those cute little cups sit in the refrigerator all out in the open, especially with a 5-year-old around, so this was perfect!

Now, I said this recipe was quick because I prepared it in maybe 15 minutes. You COULD eat it after an hour or two like I did, but it’s even BETTER the next day! You really want to give the wafers time to get soft in the pudding.

Let me know if you make this!

Meal Ideas

Green(s) Eggs & Ham with Miss Baby

The Girl is 4 months old, super active, alert and talkative! She’s often in the kitchen with me, but today I let her get in on the action a bit.

Breakfast scrambles are one of my favorite things to prepare when I want to spice up our usual scrambled eggs routine. The ingredients vary, but there’s always cheese! lol Here are today’s ingredients:

  • Eggs (4)
  • Butter (1 Tablespoon); Olive Oil (a little swig)
  • Spinach (half-bag or a couple of handfuls)
  • Deli Ham/Turkey (as much as you like)
  • Minced Onions
  • Shredded Colby Jack Cheese (as much as you like)

First I sauteed the spinach with a little olive oil, seasoned salt, pepper and minced onions. After the spinach was wilted sufficiently, I set it aside in a ramekin and warmed some chopped deli meat. No need to get it super cooked, just enough to knock the refrigerator cold off…added that to the ramekin too.

I always scramble my eggs in a tablespoon of salted butter, so that was the next step. When those eggs were nearly ready I seasoned with a little salt & pepper, then added the other cooked ingredients and cheese. Folded everything in and served!

I ate mine with a dollop (ok…it was a whole single serving cup) of guacamole! I added toast and Conecuh sausage to my husband’s plate for a bit more bulk.

Here are a few more breakfast scramble ideas we enjoy:

  • Onions, Peppers, Mushrooms
  • Bacon & Sausage
  • Taco-seasoned Meat (top your scramble with a little salsa)

Remember…cheese always pulls everything together! 😉

One more picture of Miss Baby with a makeshift shaker — empty honey bear with a few macaroni noodles!
Adventures

Life Update

Hello!!!

Long time, no post! I think we last left off in the Spring of 2021. Whew!

Since that time things have been mostly the same, but very different. Funny how daily activities can remain consistent while major life changes are happening. I’m still cooking daily, but I haven’t really been inspired to take pictures and document my process. Here are a few shots of some meals:

Family Highlights

  • April 2021 – I quit my part-time job
  • July 2021 – My husband’s father passed away
  • August 2021 – The Boy started Pre-K
  • November 2021 – We finally closed on some recreational land (been looking since 2018ish)
  • January 2022 – The Boy started playing basketball
  • March 2022 – The Boy started playing baseball
  • March 2022 – We welcomed our daughter (The Girl)

Ah, yes! I buried the exciting news! lol We’re super happy to have our newest baby in the family…especially since The Boy has been asking for a sister since 2020!

You see, conceiving children hasn’t been very easy for us. The first go-round I had to have some fibroids removed to clear the way. This second time took muuuuuch longer. After trying alone for over a year, we sought out a fertility specialist in 2020. Then the pandemic hit and we put a pause on things for a few months. After starting the doctor visits again…a few months of “trying on our own” with monitoring…seven IUI’s later, we conceived our baby girl in July of 2021.

We’re adjusting to life as a family of four quite well, but things are obviously a bit different with an infant in the house. Sometimes she’ll sit in the high chair and watch me cook, and other times I have to hold her in my arms or the baby carrier. Somehow I still manage to make meals happen throughout the day! Did I mention my husband is working from home full-time?! Whew!

School starts again next week, so maybe…MAYBE…I’ll have a bit more time to post again. *fingers crossed*

Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Adventures

Seafood Market

I may have mentioned it before, but my husband LOVES seafood! He enjoys seafood of all kinds, but his favorite is shrimp. He’s from a small town in Alabama that’s maybe 10 minutes away from the Florida state line, so I suppose growing up so close to the Gulf Coast contributed to this love. Since we were visiting his parents this week, we made the one-hour trip to Pensacola (FL) to get shrimp from our favorite seafood market!

Continue reading “Seafood Market”
Meal Ideas

Teriyaki Chicken Tenders

One of my favorite mall food court meals is from the Chinese restaurant. Pizza is fine, and fries are always nice…but there’s nothing quite like getting that combo with two meats, fried rice, and an egg roll! These days I rarely go to the mall, and even more rarely go to the food court for my favorite treat. That’s why I needed to recreate that delicious Teriyaki chicken at home!

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Meal Ideas

Frying Alternatives

We all enjoy fried food, right? If you choose to prepare fried food, how many of you enjoy that fried food smell that’s left in your kitchen? *crickets* Exactly, that’s definitely not my favorite part. Oh, there’s also that whole thing about fried foods not being the healthiest…but honestly that hasn’t been my main concern! lol Whatever the reason, I think it’s good to have some cooking alternatives that can rival frying.

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