Kahlua-Banana-Nutella Bundt Cake

After announcing that I'm back on my last post; which was nearly two weeks ago...a lot has happened in my personal life...although, one thing that is really positive is that my eye is healing very nicely after the Retinal surgery, and I'm starting to see better, but it will take at least six months for a full recovery of my eye sight.

Do you ever feel so overwhelmed with things happening around you...especially in your family during the holidays?

I had an urgent and important visit from my younger sister from out of town, staying for nearly a week, just focusing on her issues/problems...forgetting about my own (one of the reasons for not posting)...then, came the horrific tragic news about about the Sandy Hook Elementary School with a gunman on a 'killing spree'...which totally shocked, and paralyzed all of us in the nation, and especially in Connecticut where it took place. I am numb, and feel horrible, sad, angry, can't stop crying for the little 'angels' (I have 2 grandchildren their age) and adults whose lives have been taken so tragically...leaving their family 'heartbroken' forever!

So horrifying, and gut wrenching, that I can't begin to describe my feelings. I could go into a long theory of 'gun control' and 'mental illness' which is already a call for HELP~ I could ask, like a lot of people have asked?

"Why does God allow innocent young children to die in such horror?" "Where was God when this horrific massacre took place?" God established humanity with 'FREE will'...we can choose to do right, or wrong, evil...or good; but there are consequences to our choices. God did intervene...otherwise there would have been more death

We blame firearms, God, and our government, but never blame ourselves as a whole. We cannot ignore mental illness, and need to focus more and getting the help for our children early in life when this kind of problem is detected.

Although some bloggers have posted a 'Silent Monday'...we cannot be silent on any day, when it comes to 'gun control' in our society which has gone out of control in our country. We should have a 'moment of silence' in our own way, or together to honor the 'little angels' and adults that have gone on to their final resting place...so, so sad; our hearts and spirits are broken, and Christmas will never be the same!

 I totally re-created this wonderful bundt cake just from 'tweaking' my banana bread recipe with 1/4 cup of Kahlua liquor; you can substitute 1/4 cup strong coffee in place of the Kahlua. Swirl in 1/2 cup Nutella in the batter, but don't mix it in entirely. Also, be sure to add 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon baking soda.

 I wanted to link this delicious bundt cake to #BundtAMonth for December to Lora's blog...so sorry; I just don't have the time or energy to do this right now...also posting my recipe. If you would like this recipe I created, do let me know, and I will post it later!

Thank you for all your sweet and caring comments, I am so ashamed for not even visiting my dear friends' blogs, not even my own daughter's @Cake Duchess!

I love you all, dear friends...please forgive me for my silence and 'aloofness.'

Pumpkin-Banana-Cranberry Mini Bundt Cakes #BundtaMonth

Notice something different?...I figured out how to use 'text' in my photos! So thrilled to start out for the #BundtaMonth Challenge, and the theme for October is Pumpkin!

Vintage 'Vera' table cloth, (brand new $1.99) ...a 'thrift find' from Goodwill

Hi everyone! I have so much to share with you starting with this post...which is so exciting because, it is the month of October, a very favorite month of mine which spells FALL, AUTUMN...HALLOWEEN, the crisp cool fall weather...of course; I'm not talking about S. Florida, but in our northern states, and everywhere else where they celebrate the beautiful fall season. I mentioned before that this is one of my all-time favorite season with the beautiful changing of the gorgeous autumn colors of the leaves...weaving its magical bright orange, yellow, brown, burgundy colors. So mesmerizing and enchanting, that I would want to enjoy this for more than just a short time!

I've been wanting to link up with such great 'blog hops' ...but for me, the easiest ones are the ones where I can link up whatever I have on my blog for that chosen day...but as for the #BundtaMonth link, I cannot resist it not just because my daughter Lora and Anuradha are the partners in crime of this fabulous 'bundt' challenge...and I just happen to love bundt cakes. I have been baking bundt cakes since the seventies when they were so ultra-popular.

I still have my original dark orange color seventies bundt pan along with a couple newer ones, and an awesome mini heavy duty pan, a 'thrift find'...which I love to bake in. I didn't want to take time browsing for a recipe, so I just used my 'trusted' basic banana bread recipe that I have memorized, modified it, and added the pumpkin and the fresh/frozen cranberries from Whole Foods.

What is #BundtaMonth all about?

Here’s the challenge:
Anuradha (Baker's Street) and Lora (Cake Duchess) will pick an ingredient and announce it the first week of every month. All you Bundt loving bakers need to do is use your imagination on how you’d like to incorporate it and bake a Bundt – mini Bundt or large Bundt – and link it up to our blogs throughout the month. It's that simple!

They decided to bake with pumpkin in their October Bundts.

If you're out of ideas and are looking for inspiration you should check out their Pinterest board that has 100+ bundt cake recipes.

Pumpkin-Banana-Cranberry Mini Bundt Cakes
recipe by; Elisabeth

1 cup all-purpose flour
 (I used King Arthur unbleached all-purp)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (I used Libby's
2 ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable, or canola oil
1 bag (12 oz) fresh, or frozen cranberries
(you can use dried cranberries, in place of fresh
or frozen...1 cup)
1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (I used a sm. amt. of fresh grated)
3 or 4 pieces crystallized ginger
(you can use 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger instead)





Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Get 3 bowls ready for your ingredients. (1 large, 1 medium, and 1 small)
On the top right photo...in the large bowl,
add the canned 15 oz. pumpkin puree, the 2 sugars,
the cinnamon, the grated nutmeg, the 2 bananas, and mash coarsely with a potato masher.

In a small bowl, add the 2 eggs, and 1/4 cup vegetable, or canola oil, and whisk with a fork.






In the medium bowl, combine the flours, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix together.






Add the cranberries, and the crystallized ginger to the flours and mix gently together. The importance of this method is; so that they don't sink to the bottom of the batter when baking.

Now, you can add half of the fruit and flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, in the large bowl. Also the the egg mixture to that, and fold in gently.

Now, finish adding the second half of the fruit and flour mixture, and fold that into the large bowl, again.

Finish, by gently incorporating everything, so that you don't smash the cranberries.









Spray a a mini bundt pan, and a 6 cup muffin pan with cooking spray, and add the batter carefully, about 3/4 full  in the bundt pan, and halfway full in the muffin pan

 Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes...remove the muffin pan, which will be done...Lower temperature to 350 degrees F. and finish baking the mini bundts for another 20 to 25 minutes (total 45 minutes for the bundt cake) Cool on metal rack for about 15 minutes before inverting the bundt cakes.

As you can see, I've worked very hard on this challenge, planning, working on re-constructing the actual 'memorized' banana bread recipe from 'scratch' taking step-by-step photos...trying to capture a good natural light with a 'speck of sun'...virtually, never using 'props'...just 'thrift finds' items I have on hand.

I almost forgot the glaze recipe!

2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon light rum
1 teaspoon (maybe 2, if needed)

Mix all the ingredients with a fork, making sure there are no lumps, and to have it at a fairly thick consistency. (finger testing)...making sure it stick to your finger when you test it. Drizzle on with a teaspoon, since these are small cakes.

Just look and see how incredibly moist is the texture. Your taste buds are in for a huge surprise when you bit into the sour taste of the cranberries, and the sweet tangy taste of the crystallized ginger.

As for kids under 6...I recommend using dry cranberries, that have been soaked in boiling water for a few minutes before mixing it in the batter. (my little 6yr. granddaughter literally picked out each cranberries before she ate the cake, which she did like, but not approved of the sour taste, which actually mingles with the sweet cake and a surprise of the slightly spicy crystallized ginger!

Mango-Strawberry Cobbler

Some cobbler have toppings that are actually as thick as biscuits, but to me it's patches of a crusty dough that has a cake-like flavor on the inside. I've been making all kinds of cobblers that is so easy, and so nice with fresh fruit that you want to use up.

Although, I did just state in my previous recent post that mango season is over in S. Florida...it really is over! This was the best mango season for us in years, and we were so blessed with all the abundance of these lovely tropical fruit, that we just had to use it in so many ways.

Last week, the final 4 mangoes fell down from the top of the tree and they were almost too ripe. Didn't want to use them for smoothies...it would be so selfish when we had smoothies just about every day for one month. I have not made a cobbler, since about one year ago, and it's time that I make one.

I made the cobbler this afternoon, and I was so very happy that we had beautiful sunshine today, but very, very, hot. Today was the first day of school for most of the kids in our area, and both my grandchildren started back! The weekend also went so nice with perfect Florida weather...rain again, in the late afternoon, but during the day was gorgeous and sunny!

Cobbler has got to be the easiest and fastest dessert to make...you just have to remember, that it starts out with 1 cup of flour, a little sugar, dash of salt, and don't forget the baking powder, and of course, a little butter, moisten it with either a little bit of milk to form a dough, or a little over 1 cup to be able to drop the dough on the fruit, and bake for 35 minutes...Let me tell you, the best way to eat this amazing cobbler; while it's still warm. This was gone so fast that I must say I will be making it more often now, with different fruits!

 I wanted to show you close up how juicy the fruits are (I have a little secret for that)...and for the cobbler, you can see the thickness, which is just right, and see how moist it is, yet has a crusty top!

This is my favorite photo...Gabby enjoying her cobbler, for an afternoon snack. She had her first day of school, 6th grade, and she came home so happy...all smiles, and such positive energy and lots of stories.If you want to make your family happy, with the most perfect, easy, afternoon snack...make them a fresh fruit cobbler...they will love it, and 'thank you' for it!  Now, on to the recipe...click on read more...(as if you didn't know it!?)

linking to: Hearth and Soul @ Zesty South Indian Kitchen

Mango-Strawberry Cobbler
recipe by: Elisabeth

Topping:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
dash of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup milk
Confectioners sugar for dusting

4 ripe mangoes
peeled and diced small
1 cup cut strawberries
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp sugar
juice of 1 orange, and 1 1/2 teaspoon corn starch mixed in a cup with the orange juice. Add enough water to make 1/2 cup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a 9 inch square pan, or an oblong, or a favorite ovenproof glass pan, combine the fruits, with the ginger, cinnamon, and the orange juice corn starch mixture, and toss lightly.

To prepare the topping, combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl. Cut the butter in small pieces, and with a pastry blender, or a fork, mix into the dough, until it forms a crumblike texture. Slowly add the milk and mix lightly; it still will be crumbly in texture, but that's how it should be.

Dollop the topping with a large spoon (I use and ice cream scooper) unto the mango mixture. You can spread the mixture... or leave it as a dollop, not to cover the surface.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes until it gets a light brown color, and the fruits are bubbly and thickened.
Dust with confectioners sugar, and serve warm.
Serves; 5 or 6

Paula Deen's Banana Nut Bread...and Awards

If you're feeling sluggish in the mid-afternoon, here's a very nice "pick me up" ...a slice of Banana Nut Bread, and a cold glass of organic low-fat milk. Of course, you can substitute it for a nice steaming cup of tea, or coffee...the choice is yours!

You"re probably wondering why I chose Paula Deen...the "queen of fatty foods" ...
Is it because it's FAT TUESDAY?...would that be appropriate for someone who is still on the Weight Watchers program?...or just recently finding out that she has type 2 diabetes, that she had for three years already, and we just found out!

It's really true, that we don't have to cook like that, with all the butter and fat, she is not encouraging us to cook that way, but it certainly is very tempting to try those recipes. I have found an easier method...just cut down on the fat, and make it a lighter version!

I found a super great thrift find, recently, at Goodwill. Paula Deen's first cookbook, before she became a famous food network star. It was copyrighted in 1997. The price, as you can see it was $1.29 soft cover book, filled with her early famous recipes. She owned a small restaurant at the time, in Savannah Georgia, with her two sons working there. Very cozy, simple, and down-home good Southern foods. I was really impressed with the Banana Bread recipe, and would like to share it with you. As far as for points value...it has to be at least 3 points pr slice...compared to 2 points with the WW Banana Bread, which I will also make soon. I lightened it up a bit, but I must admit, this was an incredible Banana Bread, enjoyed by all!

Linking to: Full Plate Thursday, @Miz Helen's Country Cottage
                Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop, @Katherines Corner
                Food Photography @Crisp Photoworks

Banana Nut Bread
The Lady and Sons, by Paula Deen

1/2 cup Crisco shortening
(I used 1/3 cup vegetable oil)
1 cup sugar (I used 3/4 cup)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt (I used 1/2 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs beaten
3 ripe bananas mashed
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream shortening and sugar. (whisk oil, and sugar, if you're using oil.) Stir together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and add to creamed mixture.

Add remaining ingredients; mix well.

Pour into a well greased pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
( I baked mine for 30 minutes on 350 degrees, and lowered the temperature to 325, for an additional 25 minutes.)

This is such a cute award...besides the fact that it's called CUTE AWARD! I received this from my friend Csilla, in Hungary, @Csilla Konyhája . She recently made a fantastic cheese danish...a childhood favorite of mine, which I will attempt to make soon.

These two lovely awards, I received from my friend Ping, in Malaysia, @ ping's pickings. Check out her latest refreshing carrot, and ginger cocktail...so pretty, and refreshing...a good way to have your daily carrots...lol

"A word of Love can make a world of difference".

These beautiful bouquet of roses, I chose to take as an award, instead of the awards that was returned to me, by my friend Amelia, from Malaysia @ Amelia's De-sserts. Check out her latest cute, and funny "chick creation" and her yummy coconut topped light dessert.
The Liebster award, I cannot accept since it is for bloggers with less than 200 followers. With the 2 lists of followers I have twice as the 200, so I decided that I would accept these beautiful roses as the award!

Thank you Csilla, thank you Ping, and ...thank you Amelia, for the lovely awards. I am really and truly honored...I will make the best effort to pay these forward, and link them!

Rajma...and WW Corn Bread

Just recently, I was browsing through some food blogs of friends that I haven't visited for a while, and my eyes
got caught on a simple spicy bean dish...an Indian spicy vegetarian chili that inspired me so much...
knowing that I had all the spices, and it's a Weight Watchers approved dish, as well, plus the fact that I truly love, spicy foods!
When something really inspires me that someone makes, I usually leave a comment saying that "I would love to try this"..."I'm going to make this"..."I'm bookmarking it to print and copy the recipe"...how many of us say these over and over again?...only to just put it aside and forget about it! Nancy, and her husband Veejay are the authors of the Kitchen Gypsies, and I mentioned to my friend Nancy, that I would like to make this dish, and I actually did, in my slow cooker...a huge pot of it! So thanks for the inspiration, Nancy!

 Do visit their blog for the recipe, and browse through for some amazing authentic Indian, and American cuisine, that they have to offer.
Points per serving with rice: 10

Linking to: Cookbook Sundays @ Couscous-Consciosness

When I get inspired about a recipe...especially if I have the ingredients on hand, I could hardly wait to "jump" on it to make it, especially when it doesn't require an electric mixer, or a long time for preparation, and baking time. I can honestly say that this Weight Watchers Corn Bread recipe is the BEST by far, and guilt free light, super moist, and delicious of any corn bread or corn muffins I have made. It's pure, and simple...no butter, no fat, or oil added, just pure buttermilk!

Just look at the beautiful color, texture, and natural thickness of these healthy and delicious red kidney beans, soaked, and then cooked for several hours in the slow cooker! I served them over Thai Jasmin rice...amazing, spicy, and totally comforting and satisfying!

You can see the lines on the slow-cooker crock pot where it started to cook, cooking down and getting thicker.

The next day, I served it with my cornbread, which is a Weight Watchers recipe, that I will share with you.
I topped the Rajma with a generous spoonful of Lebni, which is a thick Middle Eastern Kefir, that can only be purchased in a Middle Eastern market, which we have here, locally, in West Palm Beach.






Recipe for the WW Cornbread...click on!

Corn Bread
from Weight Watchers Complete Cookbook

1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup all purpose flour
4 teaspoons sugar
2/12 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup + 2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray an 8" square pan or a 11-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

(Quaker Yellow Corn Meal is by far, the best to use, and Pam Original cooking spray.)

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, beat the buttermilk and egg. Pour over the flour mixture; stir, just until blended (do not overmix).

Transfer to the pan. Bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center come out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack 10 minutes; serve warm.
Makes 12 servings
Points per serving: 2










Just a little update...maybe, not so short; to share with you on my weight loss project. Since I mentioned to you, that I gained back 2 lbs of my 9 lb weight loss, since Super Bowl weekend.To make matters worse, I skipped a WW meeting following that week...knowing I had gained weight back. Well, I did get the courage to go get weighed in, this week, all bundled up in sweat suit, jacket, and heavy sneakers (going to the gym afterwards) I told the lady, I am not removing my jacket, or my sneakers, I know I gained 2 lbs, plus, all these heavy clothes, and shoes, and late afternoon...already had lunch, another 2 lbs will be packed on. Sure enough she marked 4lbs extra weight!

I am not going to the meetings any more for a while, did have to pay $42.per month, to get back online to be able to get the E-tools. When they say it's FREE online...sure, it's free, just to sign up, but then you have to pay for what the call the PASS to get you started, to be able to track your own weight, and follow with the program, at your leisure time. Now, this way I could go to the meetings (just to get weighed in)...and not have to sit through the meeting, and just come back home to get online, and follow through! Also, this way it still comes out cheaper, than the $15. you have to pay to go in person to the meetings, once a week!

OK...last, but not least. I have been carefully watching, and counting my points this week; I decided to get on the scale...wouldn't you know, I made my goal of the 10lbs loss...actually lost probably about 11, or 12 lbs. since Jan. 2nd. of this year...slow, but sure! Whewww! ...a huge guilt is lifted from my conscience, and also the weight. It's been 6 weeks of trying...failing, and determined, but I did it, and will continue!
Thanks for all your support, and caring, and I am determined to continue because I do want to be healthier and live longer to see my little grandchildren grow up, and be there for my family!

Hugs... and have a wonderful and Blessed weekend, my friends:DDD