20 Ways to Use Ripe Bananas

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While I love to eat bananas in their original form, I much prefer them baked, grilled, whipped, blended, and frozen. I love it when our bananas get so ripe that my kids won't eat them because they look funny, because that is when bananas are at their best--ripe & sweet!

20 Ways to Use Ripe Bananas

1. Banana Oatmeal Muffins at Family Balance Sheet
2. Banana Walnut Baked Oatmeal at Family Balance Sheet
3. Grilled Banana Splits at Family Balance Sheet
4. Banana Nut Pancakes at The Happy Housewife
5. Banana Daiquiri at The Daily Noff
6. Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies at OMFG So Good
7. Banana "Ice Cream" at Whole Living. Just TWO ingredients!
8. 3 2 1 Custard at Greenbacks Gal. Just 3 ingredients! Also a Paleo recipe.
9. Eatmore' Fudge Squares at Chocolate Covered Katie
10. Banana Blueberry Swirl Popsicles at Martha Stewart
11. Banana Pops at Bakers Royale
12. No Bake Banana Sundae Cheesecake at The Messy Baker Blog
13. Dark Chocolate & Banana Truffles at Love and Olive Oil
14. Bananas Foster Bread Pudding at Confessions of a Baking Queen
15. Back Yard Bananas Foster at The LoveBite
16. Barbecued Stuffed Bananas at The Paleo Mom
17. Roasted Banana Cake at The Faux Martha
18. Slow Cooker Honey Bananas at skinnyms.
19. Butterscotch Banana Blondies at Hungry Rabbit
20. Coconut Lemon Banana Bread at Good Life Eats

Did you know you can freeze ripe bananas? I do it all the time when I don't think I'll use them up before they get too bad. I just unpeel them and stick them in a freezer bag. When I want to use them, I thaw in a strainer, unless I'm using them for smoothies, to allow them to drain a bit before using them in recipes. You can also freeze in their peel, but I think it's easier to peel before freezing.

For even more Ripe Banana recipes, check out my Pinterest Board, "Ideas for Ripe Bananas". I'm always adding to it. If you have a recipe you'd like me to include on the board, leave the Pinterest link in the comments.

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Homemade Turkey Stock

If you've gone to the trouble to roast the turkey for Thanksgiving, then you might as well take the next step and make homemade turkey stock.

Homemade Turkey Stock

Ingredients

• Turkey carcass and reserved neck
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2-3 celery stalks
• 2-3 carrot sticks
• 1 garlic head, remove some of the white papery cover, cut in half crosswise
• 10-12 sprigs of fresh parsley and sage
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 peppercorns
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Place all of the ingredients in a large stock pot and cover with water about 2 inches above the ingredients.

2. Cover. Bring to a boil. Uncover and reduce to a simmer for 2 - 3 hours. Stirring occasionally.

3. Allow to cool. Carefully, spoon or pour the stock, veggies, herbs through a sieve into a big bowl. Press juices out of veggies and herbs. Discard bones, veggies, herbs. Stir well and allow to cool down completely. Remove any fat that rises to the top.

I have found turkey stock to be more gelatinous than chicken stock once it has cooled down. Do not be alarmed. That is a good thing. It thins out when cooked in dishes or soups.

The stock will last a few days in the fridge. I like to freeze in 1 cup and 24 oz freezer containers.

Before:

After 3 hours:

Pour the stock through a seive:

You can also make turkey stock in the crock pot.

Do you make homemade turkey stock?

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How {NOT} to Carve a Turkey

How hard can it be to carve a turkey?

I found out one Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago when I was preparing for Turkey Week. I asked my husband to photograph me while I carved the turkey I had just roasted. There was some mild eye-rolling, but he is generally game to play with his Nikon.

I took the turkey and what I thought was a sharp knife to our sunroom so we could capitalize on the natural light. And I started to carve.

So far so good...

But my knife began to fail me and I needed to twist.

...and pull...

...and tug...

And when it looked like this...we bagged the photo shoot...

I mean, really, how hard can it be to carve a turkey?

Apparently it's not hard for Alton Brown. And I'm sure it won't be hard for you either. Although, I would recommend a sharp knife. Check out his video on How to Carve a Turkey.

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Turkey Gravy Recipe

This recipe serves 4 - 6 people. Adjust the ingredients to make more gravy for a larger crowd.

Turkey Gravy

Ingredients

• 3 - 4 tablespoons turkey fat and drippings leftover from your roasting pan
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups turkey stock

Instructions

1. In a saute pan, heat the turkey fat over medium heat.

2. Add 3 Tbsp flour to the fat and whisk together to prevent burning and to form a paste, about 2 minutes. Mixture will bubble.

3. Add the turkey stock. Continue to stir out any clumps and bring to a boil until the gravy thickens, about 3 minutes. Reduce to a simmer for 3 - 5 minutes.

Do you have a different method for making turkey gravy? Let us know in the comments.

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How to Safely Thaw a Frozen Turkey

There are two ways to thaw a frozen turkey.

1.  Thaw the turkey in the refrigerator.  
Leave the frozen turkey in its packaging and place in a pan. (Trust me on this.  A few years ago, I simply put the frozen turkey in the fridge without placing in a pan.  When I removed the thawed turkey from the fridge, I had a stream of blood from my fridge to my sink before I realized what had happened. YUCK!)

Place the pan in the refrigerator.  It takes about 1 day for every 4 pounds of turkey to thaw in the refrigerator. This online calculator will also tell you how long you need to thaw the turkey in the fridge depending on size of turkey.

2. Thaw the turkey in cold water.
If you forget to get the turkey out of the freezer in time, you can thaw the turkey in cold water. Leave the turkey in its packaging and place breast side down in the kitchen sink and cover completely with cold water. Change the water frequently as it starts to warm. It takes about 30 minutes per pound to thaw this way. Use this online calculator to determine estimated time for thawing.

REMEMBER it is not safe to thaw the turkey at room temperature due to bacterial concerns.


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How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Every year, daddy and the girls carve a pumpkin or two. Instead of throwing the seeds into the compost, I roast them up for a fun snack.

It's super easy and the flavor variations are endless.

How to Roast Pumpkin (and other fall squash) Seeds

1. Remove seeds from pumpkin or squash.

2. Rinse the seeds and remove any remaining pulp. I'm not going to lie, it is the most tedious job to remove the pulp. Do the best you can and it's okay if some pulp is left.

3. Coat the seeds with olive oil or melted butter and your favorite seasonings. This is pure personal preference or whatever you have in your pantry. It can be as simple as salt and pepper to spicy as red pepper flakes and chili powder and/or everything in between. I recently used Lawry's seasoning salt and the seeds were quite good.

4. Spread the seeds out on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Stir the seeds half way through baking.

5. Remove from oven and cool completely. Enjoy!

Did you know that you can roast other fall squash seeds, such as butternut squash, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, and just about anything in the fall squash family?

Do you roast fall squash seeds? What are you favorite seasonings to use? Let us know in the comments.


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How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

It's uncanny how much cooked spaghetti squash looks like pasta. What's even more uncanny is that my kids didn't question that it wasn't pasta. When they asked, "what's for dinner", I honestly said, "spaghetti squash." They didn't even flinch; they just gobbled it up like they do when they eat pasta.

I had never cooked or even eaten spaghetti squash until last week when I found one in our CSA box along with directions on how to cook it. It takes about 45 minutes in the oven. Shred into spaghetti stings, toss with your favorite flavorings and dinner is served. It was easy-peasy.

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

1. Spaghetti squash is a fall squash, so the rind is quite hard to cut into. Carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise with a sharp chef's knife.

2. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds. Discard the seeds (in your compost) or roast them like you would pumpkin seeds.

3. Place the squash halves cut-side down in a baking dish. Fill the dish with water, about 1/2 inch up the sides of the dish. Cover with foil. Cook 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

4. The squash is done cooking when a knife can easily pierce the rind. Carefully turn the squash over and drag a fork in the squash from one side to another creating the 'spaghetti'.

5. Mix the spaghetti squash with your favorite herbs and seasonings and serve.

How do you cook spaghetti squash? Let us know in the comments.

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How to Freeze Basil

I didn't bother growing basil in my garden this year, because we always receive such large quantities from our CSA. I froze the last batch that we received to use later in the fall and winter when I make a lot of soups and casseroles.

It is fairly easy process, but you can't just put the basil leaves in the freezer like I do when I freeze other herbs. The basil leaves will turn black in the freezer. Instead I made a basil puree and froze in 1 tablespoon portions.

How to Freeze Basil

1. Remove the long stems from the basil, leaving just the leaves. Rinse the basil and dry using a salad spinner or squeeze out the excess water with a clean towel.

2. Place the basil leaves in a food processor and start pureeing the leaves. Slowly drizzle extra virgin olive oil into the food processor while it is running. Use approximately 2-3 tablespoons of the evoo for every 2 cups of packed basil leaves.

3. Spoon the pureed basil into an ice cube tray, about 1 tablespoon per cube. Place int the freezer.

4. Once frozen, move the basil cubes into a freezer bag. Label the bag. Use the fresh basil into soups, stews and casseroles.

Related articles:

• Freezing herbs
• Walnut Basil Pesto

How do you preserve fresh basil? Let us know in the comments.


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How to Grill Pizza

Homemade pizza night is a big hit at my house during the colder months, but who wants to turn the oven on in the middle of summer?

So I attempted to grill it and I soon realized just how quick and easy pizza is to grill.

How to Grill Pizza

1. Preheat the grill to medium, around 400 degrees.

2. I find it easier to do the prep work inside and then take it all outside, so while your grill is heating up, roll your favorite pizza dough into pies. Instead of making one large pie, I made two smaller ones. I think they are easy to move to the grill. I have a pizza peel, but I also used the under side of an un-rimmed cookie sheet to carry the dough.

Pull together your favorite toppings. My kids requested  boring cheese pizza, so that's what you see. But you can use any toppings or creations that you like.

You'll also need a little olive oil, a grill brush, and long tongs.

3. Using a grill basting brush, carefully brush olive oil on the grill. My brush endures heat up to 500 degrees, so be aware of heat. You don't want to melt your brush.

4. Place pizza dough on the hot grill. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes.

5. After 3-4 minutes, the dough will start to bubble and turn golden brown on the underside. You can grill the pizza longer if  you want it more crispy. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.

6. Using long grill tongs, flip the dough.

7. Add your toppings to the pizza. Close the lid and grill for another 3-4 minutes or until the bottom of the pizza is golden brown. Remove pizza from grill using your pizza peel or the rimless cookie sheet.

Do you grill pizza? What are your favorite toppings? Let us know in the comments.

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Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot

Life has become very hectic lately and I found myself in search of less time consuming recipes. While we love Roasted Chicken, I just didn't have the two hours to make it for dinner. But that whole chicken in my freezer needed to be used, so instead of the oven, I reached for my crock pot. It is super easy and when I came home from work that day, dinner was ready.

The instructions are simple:

Remove the whole chicken from its packaging and remove the bag in innards inside the chicken cavity. Place the innards in a bowl and set aside in the refrigerator. Rinse and pat dry the chicken with a paper towel. Sprinkle the inside with salt and pepper and place the whole chicken inside the crock pot.

Sprinkle the outside with your favorite seasonings. I slid some peeled, whole garlic cloves under the chicken skin and put a few inside the chicken cavity. I also sprinkled the outside with kosher salt and ground black pepper.

Put the lid on the crock pot and turn on low for 7 - 7 1/2 hours. My chicken had a popup thermometer, but you could insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the cut of meat without touching the bone to check for doneness. The chicken is considered done at 180 degrees.

Viola! Dinner is ready. Really, could it be any easier?

When the chicken is done, allow it to rest for 15 minutes before cutting into it to prevent the chicken from drying out.

Also, DON'T THROW OUT THE BONES AND STOCK! It's time to make homemade chicken stock.

Keep the broth from the chicken in the crock pot. Add the bones and skin.

You can also add:

• 1 onion, cut into quarters
• 2 carrots, cleaned and roughly chopped
• 2 celery ribs, cleaned and roughly chopped
• 1 head of garlic, outer papery layer removed and cut in half horizontally
• handful of parsley sprigs,
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
•  the innards (this is totally optional, but if you do include the innards, exclude the liver which makes the stock bitter)

Fill the crock pot with water. Put the lid on and and turn on low overnight.

The next day.

Allow the stock to cool. Strain the stock through a sieve into a large bowl.





You may use the stock immediately or allow to cool completely and store in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, skim any fat that has risen to the top. Pour into freezer containers to keep in the freezer. I like to store in 32 oz, 16 oz and 8 oz portions.

The crock pot stock technique can also be done with the leftovers from roasted chicken, roasted turkey, and I have even done it with the rotesserie chickens from the grocery store.

Have you ever cooked a whole chicken in a crock pot? What are your favorite spices for chicken? Do you make your own chicken stock? Let us know in the comments.

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