Banana Bars/Pumpkin Bars

I originally got this recipe from my Aunt Lori Sue and it was a Pumpkin Bar recipe.  I liked the recipe so well that I converted it to Banana Bars and they have been a hit every since.

Basic recipe:
2 C Flour
2 C Sugar
4 Eggs
2 Tsp Baking powder
3/4 C cooking oil
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt

Banana Bars:
2 cups mashed Bananas

Hint:  When you have bananas that are getting brown, throw them in a zip lock bag in the freezer.  When you have enough to make a batch of bars, thaw (use Microwave to thaw) and use in you recipe.  This process brings out the banana flavor in bananas.  These may look gross, but they are taste good in the bars.

Pumpkin Bars:
1 TBS cinnamon
1 16 oz can pumpkin
1 TBS Pumpkin pie spice

Stir together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Add Banana or Pumpkin, oil and eggs.  Mix until smooth.  Put in a greased 10x15 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  These are better if they are a little under baked rather than over baked.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 oz cream cheese, softened
6 TBS butter, softened
1 TBS Vanilla
1 1/2-2 C powdered Sugar

NOTE:  I think these are better if slightly thicker than a 10x15 pan will make.  I double the recipe and bake in two pans.  A 11x17 and a 9x12.  This makes it the right thickness.  I take the large pan to my event and then I have a small pan for the Family or I freeze for later.  They freeze very well.

Caribbean Chicken

2 T olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 pinches ground cinnamon
4 boneless chicken breasts halves, cut into chunks
2 T curry powder
cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and
garlic and cook, stirring, until golden brown.  Add tomatoes, chicken,
and sprinkle curry powder; season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to
low, and cook, stirring, until mixture has thickened and chicken is
cooked through, 15 to 25 minutes.  Add coconut milk and stir until
well combined; cook 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Garnish
with cilantro and serve.

Gin Basil Smash

Equal parts of the following:

Gin
Lemon Juice
Simple Syrup (Equal parts water and sugar, dissolved)
Basil - 2 -5 leaves per glass

Add Basil, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Gin and Ice to a cocktail shaker.  Shake vigorously to muddle the Basil really well so that the basil is bruised to get all the basil flavor in the cocktail.

I like to make some cuts in the basil leaves to help release the flavor.
Serve on Ice.

Homemae Facial Cream (Anti-Wrinkle)

Secret Ingredient is Rosehip seed oil ~ Regenerates the skin, reduce scars and wrinkles, prevents the advancement of wrinkles and aging, and helps skin to regain its natural color and tone.

Anti-wrinkle Face Cream

3 tsp Jojoba Oil
3 tsp apricot kernel oil
3 tsp Rosehip seed oil
5 drops carrot-seed essential oil
1 1/2 tsp beeswax pastilles
5 tsp rose water

Place beeswax, jojoba, rose hip and apricot oils in a double boiler.  (I bought small glass jars for storage an melted it right in the same jar in a pan of water.  Heat very gently to melt the wax.  Stir well, remove from heat.  Slowly stir in remaining ingredients.  Place in fridge until set. 

After it cools as you stir it to use it, it gets very creamy.  I love it.

Makes a small 2.5 ounce jar.  Use under eyes in the morning and evening.  I use on my whole face and then put my Mary Kay makeup right over it. 

I buy all my ingredients from Mountain Rose Herbs or on amazon. 
I got this recipe from http://greenbootliving

Homemade Sunscreen

Ingredients:

1/2 cup grapeseed oil, coconut or olive

5 tsp zinc oxide (available online or in stores-make it is pure zinc oxide. )(This recipe has SPF of about 20, adding more zinc oxide will increase the SPF)

1 Tbsp Beeswax (I used pellets.  Easy to measure out)

2 Tbsp Natural Aloe Vera Gel - Not the kind with alcohol or propylene glycol

1/8 cup distilled water

1 tsp Rosehip essential oil (Optional ~ use any scent, just not citrus because it is phototoxic

How to make:

Heat oil and beeswax on a double boiler (or in a mason jar sitting in a pan of low boiling water) until just melted.  Remove form heat, and add essential oils.

Put into bowl that will not be used for food, and add zinc oxide powder, set aside.

In Small pan heat water and Aloe Vera until just warm.

Add the water/aloe mixture slowly while whisking vigorously or use an immersion blender.

I used a whisk and I didn't think it was that bad to get it all mixed and thicken.

I stored this in a plastic container with a lid.

Extra Notes:

This sunscreen is not completely waterproof, and will need to be reapplied after swimming or sweating. 

Make sure not to inhale the zinc oxide powder, use a mask if necessary

This recipe has SPF of about 20, adding more zinc oxide will increase the SPF

Add more beeswax to make thicker sunscreen, less to make smooth sunscreen.  Adding about 3 times the amount of beeswax and removing the water will make a sunscreen bar that runs on like stick deodorant

Vanilla extract is great for fragrance

Remove the zinc oxide and it is a great lotion.

I used this last year when we went to Adventureland for the whole day and I only put it on once and did not get a burn at all.
 
I originally go this recipe from http://greenbootliving.com

Lotion Bar

All the lotions that you buy have so many ingredients in them and one of the ingredients is Alcohol.  This dries your hands out, if this is the case, why did we use lotion in the first place?   I found these lotion bars that are super easy to make and only 3 ingredients and no alcohol.

Ingredients:

1 part coconut oil
1 part Shea butter, cocoa butter or mango butter ( or a mixture of these.  I used Shea butter only)
1 part beeswax pellets ( you can add an extra ounce or two if you want a thicker consistency.  which leaves less lotion on the skin when used.)
Optional:  Vitamin E Oil to preserve.  Use 1 tsp vitamin E oil for this recipe when made with 1 cup of each ingredient.
Essential Oil of your choice.  I used 1/4 tsp Jasmine Rosehip oil for a light fragrance

This recipe with 1 cup of each makes 12 small bars.

How to make:

Combine the Coconut oil and beeswax in a Mason jar in a pan of boiling water.  stir to melt, when this is all melted,  add the Shea butter and melt.  When all melted add the essential oil if you are using any and pour into your mold.

Silicon molds work best.  I used a plastic tray for soap making.  Allow the lotion bars to cool completely before attempting to pop out of the molds.  These could be made into different shape mold for holidays or special occasions for gifts.

Good luck,

Scotch-A-Roos

1 Cup White Sugar
1 Cup Corn Syrup
1 1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1 tsp Vanilla
6 Cups Rice Krispies
1 Cup Butterscotch Chips
1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Bring Sugar and syrup to a boil. Remove from heat and add peanut butter and vanilla, mix well.  Add cereal and mix.  Press into 9x13" greased pan.  Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips together, mix well.  Spread over bars.  Refrigerate then cut into squares.