Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

3 c. sugar
4 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
3 t. baking soda
6 ripe bananas
4 large eggs
1 c. canola oil
1/2 c. orange juice
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips (toss in flour so they don't sink to the bottom)

Sift all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Put the bananas into a large bowl and mash at low speed.
Add eggs, oil, oj, and vanilla and mix til smooth for 1 minute at medium speed.
Add the dry ingredients, mix til smooth, about 2 minutes.
Add chocolate chips and mix til blended.
Pour into a greased and floured 9 inch tube or bundt pan. (You can also use 2 loaf pans)

Bake at 350 for 1 1/4 hours.
Cool on rack 15-20 minutes, then unmold.
Top with powdered sugar.

Wing Dip

Easy Peasy Creamy Cheesy! (can you tell I am spending time in an elementary school?)

3 bricks of cream cheese
2-3 cooked, chopped chicken breasts
Ken's Steak House Blue Cheese dressing (start with 2 cups, add to taste)
1 cup of Texas Pete Hot Sauce

Microwave all ingredients until creamy and mixed.
Serve with Scoops and celery

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 (16 oz.) can pureed pumpkin
1 1/2 cups oil
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 package chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and oil until smooth. Add in dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake 16-20 minutes at 400 degrees. Makes 24-30 muffins.

I replaced the oil with unsweetened applesauce and reduced the amount of eggs to 2 eggs and these were still really yummy! They freeze well too! Very yummy with a cup of coffee!!

Happy National Waffle Week! Sept 6-Sept 12

I made these yesterday (I doubled the recipe) and froze the leftovers-Who needs Kashi?!! I also added about 1/3 of cup of ground flax seed.

Money Saving Mom's Favorite Whole-Wheat Waffles
(Makes approximately 6-8 waffles. I usually triple or quadruple this recipe and it will make enough to last for at least 4-6 breakfasts for us.)

1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup milk (I usually use half milk, half water--unless I have a lot of excess milk to use up!)

1/2 cup oil or melted butter (I usually use half oil, half applesauce. You can use all applesauce, but we don't think they turn out quite as well that way. I've also substituted other pureed fruits and veggies and those work as well. So long as you do half oil/half puree, it doesn't make much difference.)
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
Mix together dry ingredients in one bowl. Lightly beat together wet ingredients in another. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Pour batter onto lightly-oiled waffle iron and bake until done.
To freeze, I normally just let them cool and then stick 5-6 in each freezer bag. To thaw, just pull them straight out of the freezer and heat in the microwave, in a toaster oven, or in the oven.