Cocoa Banana Bread With Chocolate Chips and Walnuts

I am partial to Dutch cocoa powder and anything that is made out of it.Had to try this recipe from Joy of Baking.I absolutely love recipes from that site. They are all fail-proof. And this bread is no exception.Something that  I will be baking again and again.
Without Further ado, lets move on to the recipe.

Ingredients(Makes One 5 X 3 mini-loaf):

• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp King Arthur All Purpose Flour
• 1/8 cup Dutch-processed Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup Toasted, chopped Walnuts
• 1/4 cup Chocolate Chips
• 1/8 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 cup(1/2 stick) Butter, melted
• 1 1/2 ripe bananas, smoothly mashed
• 1 large egg, whisked
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• A pinch of Salt

Procedure:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Sift together the Flour, Cocoa Powder, Baking Powder and Soda in a bowl.Add the Sugar and Salt. Mix well.
• Combine the mashed bananas, whisked eggs, vanilla extract, butter in another bowl with a spatula.
• Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients.Mix only until combined.The batter should be thick.
• Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips.

• Transfer the batter to a greased oven-proof bread pan.
• Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool completely on wire rack prior to slicing.
• Serve at room temperature.

Makes One 5 X 3 inch Mini-loaf.

Note:

• To bake a 9X 5X 3 inch loaf, double the ingredients and bake for ~55 minutes.

Enjoy!

Read More...

Thai Shrimp Curry over Rice Noodles and a CSN giftcertificate win

Dears, This is my first guest post at the KrazyKitchen. Like what you see? Head over there to key in your comments and also for the recipe. While you are there check out some incredible recipes posted by other bloggers as well. EnjoY!

Did I mention before that I won a $60 CSN Gift-Certificate at KrazyKitchen?Thanks to Tamy and others at KrazyKitchen for this super exciting gift. I will tell you in detail what I bought with it. The packages have just started to arrive and I am jumping in joy.

Happy Weekend!

Read More...

ReviewAndARecipe: Great Ideas for riding the heatwave

Yeah, this is obviously the first choice..Plenty of freshly made juice or crisp cold water to quench that thirst that seems never-ending at this point.

Or it could be just chilling indoors underneath this budget-friendly/eco-friendly fan..Did you know that "moving air" is at-least a few degrees cooler than "still air". Instead of relying on air conditioners alone use ceiling fans to save on electricity bills.

This gyro style twin-turbo fan with its antique finish has stolen my heart ..doesn't it look awesome? The whole system turns thrice per minute all the while the twin high-speed fans rotate in different directions for some serious air circulation.

At work, use this awesome tropical-themed portable fan that has you dreaming of White sandy beach, balmy island breeze and tropical trees..

Have your outdoor party at dusk,under this lighted Oasis umbrella and entertain your guests with Fruit Spritzers and Tropical Fruit Pops.

People who only have a small balcony/patio can still enjoy warm weather evenings with this beautiful, serene looking coppery solar lanterns with state-of-the-art LED technology that takes advantage of all the sunlight at daytime and does some good to the planet without using any fossil fuel.

For more information on the lighting and fans mentioned in this post, check out this CSN store.
Direct Links:
Polished Brass Fan
Gyro Style Twin-Turbo Fan
Portable Palm Tree Fan
Lighted Outdoor Umbrella
Solar Lanterns

Now onto the recipe for Fresh Orange and Mixed Berry Juice:
Ingredients:

• Freshly Squeezed Sweet Orange Juice - 3 cups
• Slightly Sour Blackberries - 6#s
• Blueberries - a handful
• Raspberries - a handful
• Sugar/honey - for taste

Procedure:

• Blend all the above ingredients in a blender or a juicer. 
• Serve cold with ice cubes in the morning with scrambled eggs or sweet muffins.

Makes ~2 servings.

Enjoy!

Read More...

Awesome Products for the Kitchen

Beso has me dreaming of Kitchen Gadgets. For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, Beso is the one-stop online destination that scours for products(you name it, they get it) from diverse online shopping retailers in a consolidated custom-tailored way. A huge portal if you will.
Just yesterday I was surfing Beso and found myself wishing for this super-elegant Neiman-Marcus Cake Plate with Dome. It was love at first sight.

When people say homemade pasta rocks, I didn't quite understand how much until I had a plate of it recently at a friend's place. Now I am in want of this efficient but economical Atlas Marcato Pasta Maker that means business -

How about these Le Creuset 4 set mini-casserole for under a $100 bucks? I wouldn't mind having these in Cherry or Cobalt or both

I would be finding reasons to host a party if I had this eye-catching Spode Blue Italian Party Platter -

Now this Blue Rose Pottery 16-piece dinnerware will ensure that me and my folks dine in style. What do you think?

This RSVP International Marble Pastry Board and Sur La Table Marble Rolling Pin with Stand has me thinking of pies, pastries and more-

If you need anything for your kitchen, living room or dining room definitely check Beso and surf to your heart's content.
The Links for all the above Products:

• NM Cake Plate: http://www.beso.com/crystal-cake-stand-cover/1570790371/detail
• Atlas Pasta Maker: http://www.beso.com/atlas-marcato-pasta-machine/20798887/detail
• Le Creuset mini Casserole: http://www.beso.com/le-creuset-casseroles-petite-set-of-4/1918782355/detail
• Spode Party Platter: http://www.beso.com/spode-blue-italian-oval-platter-14-inches/571085513/detail
• Blue Rose Pottery Dinnerware Set: http://www.beso.com/polish-pottery-spring-blossom-16-piece-dinner-set/990651912/detail
• RSVP Marble Pastry Board: http://www.beso.com/marble-pastry-board-18x18-in-by-rsvp-international-at-pillsbury/1566036801/detail
• Sur la Table Rolling Pin: http://www.beso.com/marble-rolling-pin/714918993/detail

Read More...

Tortilla roll-ups and the winner of CSNStores gift e-card giveway

Tortilla roll-ups are great idea for a quick snack or party-food. One that can be made in a jiffy that also happens to be a total crowd-pleaser. This recipe is my healthy interpretation of this ever popular dish.
Sending this to "A veggie/Fruit A month Event".

Ingredients:

• Whole-Wheat Tortilla - 4, medium
• Avocado - 2, pitted and smashed roughly
• Black Olives - a handful, finely chopped
• Red Roasted peppers - 4 tbsp, finely chopped
• Laughing Cow Soft Swiss Cheese - 4 Wedges
• Lime/Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
• Salt and pepper - for taste

Procedure:

• Spread a wedge of Swiss cheese on the tortilla.
• Quickly mix smashed avocado along with black olives, roasted red pepper, salt and pepper and lime Juice.
• Top the cheese-smeared tortilla with a portion of avocado mixture.

• Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and slather on the tortilla.

• Roll each tortilla and wrap it in plastic. 

• Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
• Using a sharp serrated knife slice the tortilla and serve cold.

Makes ~32 bite-sized roll-ups

The winner of CSN Stores $80 Gift e-card Giveway  is comment # 168 -

That would be FancyGrlNancy. Will send you an email shortly.
Thanks to everyone for participating in this event. If it was up to me, I would give everyone of you a gift-card. But sadly it not up to me. :(. Well, you could get lucky next time. Stay tuned for an upcoming Giveaway.

Enjoy!

Read More...