Crock Pot Banana Bread

It's summer.  It's hot.  You'd like to be a good little baker and whip up a tasty banana bread for your family or to share with friends, but, like I said, it's hot.  Turning on the oven is about as appealing as snuggling under a blanket in wool pajamas right now.  What to do?  Well, you could use your crock pot.  I know, the idea of using a crock pot to bake is mind-blowing (my mind was totally blown), but it absolutely works and the result is a perfect bread with a moist crumb, baked through and without the wet, sticky crust you might think would happen.  There's good flavor in this bread, which could be adapted by adding nuts if that makes your heart sing.  I brought this to a meeting at work and shared leftovers at home.  Madaline just about fell off her chair when I told her I made it in the crock pot and she's been patiently waiting for me to post the recipe!

I found this recipe on Pinterest from Maggie at Smashed Peas and Carrots and just had to try it.  It comes together just like any quick bread.  Only the baking method is different.  I did add a bit of cinnamon and baking spice to the batter for an extra flavor kick.  It didn't occur to me at the time, but a teaspoon of vanilla would likely go a long way too.  I also attempt to create a crust on top using cinnamon sugar.  What I didn't realize was that as the bread bakes in the crock pot, it bakes over the top of itself, so the cinnamon sugar topping ultimately became a tunnel of cinnamon sugar inside the bread itself, which was definitely not a bad thing.  In fact, it's give me some ideas for future crock pot bread with tunnels of flavor inside.  You have to try this, if for no other reason than to impress your friends that you baked tasty bread in the heat of summer without ever turning on your oven.

Turkey Enchiladas with Corn & Chile Sauce

As I've said before, Mexican food is a favorite in our house.  We generally have it at least once a week, but it will often make more than one appearance on the weekly menu.  And these enchiladas are definitely a favorite among our many Mexican dishes.  The turkey is perfectly spiced and you can adjust the heat to your liking by varying the chili powder and salsa. Rolled into tortillas with cheese and topped with a perfect sauce, you'll love how flavorful these are.  The sauce deserves it's own time in the spotlight--it's just so good.  Corn, chiles and cilantro play well together in this creamy sauce that you'll want to eat by the spoonful.  But I recommend actually putting it on the enchiladas and then going to town.

Last summer, Dave and I visited our friends Kate and Andy (you remember Kate, she's the one who gave me this fabulous recipe).  Kate was kind enough to make us dinner and treated us to these delicious enchiladas.  Which Dave immediately fell in love with (I like them a lot too). So asked Kate for the recipe which she shared (I don't know where she got the recipe from), and then I made these right away.  And again before the week was out.  They really are that good.  I've often added a can of black beans to the turkey mixture (you'll notice I actually have a can of beans in the ingredients picture but forgot to add them to this recipe), just to bulk them up a bit and add another level of flavor.  Either way, this is a great recipe that's quick to put together. These enchiladas are a pretty frequent member of our dinner rotation and if you like Mexican, you'll be hooked, too.

Maple Oatmeal Cookies

Okay, so I know maple isn't exactly a summertime flavor, but did you really want me to wait until October to share these with you?  They are still delicious and have a soft texture, sweet maple glaze and a touch of maple mixed into the cookie paired perfectly with the nutty oats.  These were also in the package I sent to my Dad and my brother, but I kept a few back for Dave and I to enjoy. These would be great with a little cream filling for a variation on a oatmeal cream pie.  Yup, that soft and delicious.

I pinned this recipe of Valerie's from une Gamine dans la Cuisine because I knew Dave would enjoy the maple flavor and my Dad would love the oatmeal variation.  It's a perfect recipe and I was intrigued that Valerie ground the oats--almost to a flour--before adding to the dough.  I really wanted there to be some maple flavor in the cookies themselves, so in lieu of almond extract, I used maple flavor.  I also added a bit of maple flavor to the glaze.  My glaze was significantly thinner than Valerie's, but still quite tasty.  If you want a glaze that stiffens up a bit faster and doesn't just pour over the edges, try adding a bit more powdered sugar or starting with a 1/4 cup of half and half and adding more until you get the consistency you like.  These are a lovely version of a strong oatmeal cookie that you can adapt with different enhancements and add-ins, but I think the maple flavor is perfect enough.

Patriotic Rice Krispies Treats

Looking for something fun and festive to take to a last minute get together today?  These are just basic Rice Krispies treats dressed up in red, white and blue to celebrate today's festivities.  Cute and layered, these treats are sweet and crunchy.  Plus no bake is always a win on a hot day, right?

Among all the other festive Fourth of July recipes that have been circulating the interwebs over the last few weeks, these made the rounds and I loved them for their ease and great colors.  The first place I saw this recipe was from Lil' Luna.  Luna makes her treats from the traditional recipe, but divided the ingredients into thirds and colored one part red and one part blue.  I'm not sure how I failed at this concept, but I couldn't get my first layer to coat properly and I was concerned about my layers not smoothing out evenly.  So I improvised.  I increased the cereal by 50%, but doubled the butter and marshmallow components.  The result is a soft and chewy bar with a little extra sweetness that still puts a smile on your face.  I did get a little help from Dave adding in the food coloring so I could keep stirring, so this is a great recipe if you've got little helpers in your kitchen.  You probably have all these ingredients in your kitchen, so whip up a batch before you head to today's cook-out!

Boston Baked Beans

There's something about baked beans that just screams summer.  They are a backyard barbeque staple and perfect with just about any barbeque main dish.  Especially hot dogs.  Warning: these beans are so good your hot dog bun might just become a delivery vehicle for beans.  Sweet but still spiced and loads of smoky flavor from the bacon, these beans beat anything that comes in a can.  And yet they are still easy because you make them in your crock pot!  Beats heating up the kitchen on a hot summer day.  Throw this together in the morning before your cook out and go about the rest of your business, by the time the burgers and dogs come off the grill, these will be perfect and ready for your picnic buffet.

Stephanie, my source for all things crock pot over at Crock Pot 365, shared this recipe with adaptations for bacon or sausage.  She went the sausage route, but there's just something about bacon that just makes me (and Dave) smile.  Plus it's more traditional for Boston baked beans.  I used a 4 quart crock pot and pinto beans, rather than kidney beans.  My ingredients picture shows 2 big cans of beans, but the quantities listed are based on Stephanie's recipe.  But this can be easily adapted to make more beans if your gathering is large.  We make these beans often and you'll definitely enjoy these for your summer gatherings.