Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes

Occasionally I will get a craving for banana pancakes. When I make them, I will also toss in some other things to bring them up a few notches...chocolate chips, granola, blueberries, shredded coconut. Well this time, I decided to put some peanut butter in it. They were SO delicious, so I decided to share the recipe here. Now I buy pancake mix...I don't make it from scratch...it is so much easier. I use Fiber One mix, because I feel like I am maybe eating a little healthier since my pancakes have more fiber.

Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes
(Printable Recipe)

(Makes 1-2 servings)

1/2 cup pancake mix (I used Fiber One Buttermilk)
1 very ripe banana
1 Tbsp peanut butter (I used creamy)
1/3 cup water

1. Combine pancake mix and water (you may need to add more depending on consistency you prefer, but wait until all ingredients are added to determine this).
2. Stir peanut butter into pancake mix.
3.Cut banana in half. Mash one half and stir into pancake mix. Slice the other half into coin shapes and stir into pancake mix.
4. Heat skillet over medium high heat. Spray with cooking spray. Add about 1/4-1/3 cup pancake mix to pan. When bubbles form on top of pancake and sides look set, flip over. Cook until set. Repeat with remaining mix.

I usually just put syrup on mine and they are SO good!

Chex Muddy Buddies

This is such an easy and delicious snack...albeit, maybe not the most healthy option, but great to satisfy those chocolate/peanut butter cravings. I made my brother a whole batch to share with his girlfriend for Christmas. I couldn't stop snacking on them. I recently made them again (with a slight tweak that I will discuss at the end) for this weekend's upcoming Gasparilla Extravaganza Children's Parade. We are going with our friends and bringing my niece. It will be a long day, so we will need snacks. I also had a bunch of Chex left, so what else to do with them, but to make these? Oh by the way, we always referred to this as "Puppy Chow."

Chex Muddy Buddies
(Printable Recipe)

9 cups Chex cereal (you can use any you like or even combine some)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (see below for a yummy recommendation)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar


1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. You can even freeze this recipe.

For my substitution I divided the entire recipe in half and instead of having all chocolate, I used white chocolate for half. My hubs said he thinks he likes the white chocolate better! I thought it was taste funny with the peanut butter, but it doesn't. The white chocolate and peanut butter combo actually tastes a lot like Reese's Peanut Butter Cup peanut butter and very little like white chocolate.

SO GOOD!
Oh here is the nutritional info from http://www.chex.com/

1 Serving (1/2 cup): Calories 220 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 4g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 5mg; Sodium 200mg; Total Carbohydrate 30g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 17g); Protein 3g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 6%; Vitamin C 2%; Calcium 6%; Iron 25% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2 MyPyramid Servings: 1 tsp Fats & Oils *% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Skyline Chili

There is a restaurant in Clearwater called Skyline Chili. They originally started up in Cincinnati, Ohio and have a few chains around the country. Their chili is really more like a chili sauce which can be served over pasta, fries, hot dogs, etc. My husband LOVES their 3-way chili (more about this in a bit) and has taken me over there for a few lunches throughout our courtship. Yum...that's all I have to say about it. Immediatly upon tasting it, I noticed a hint of a cinnamony flavor...my hubs HATES cinnamon....or so he says. I read over their menu and the original owners (who of course made the recipe) are Greek.
We have had this chili on pasta and on fries....I have had it as a burrito filling...all so good! I found the following recipe on recipezaar.com and tried it at home. Almost exactley the same. It is still missing something, and I can't put my finger on it....but close enough that I would never miss the original recipe. I have made it twice over the past few weeks and we just love it! I hope you try it and enjo! Serving suggestions at the end of the recipe. (PS- some of the ingredients may sound strange, but believe me, combined they taste amazing!)

Skyline Chili knock off
(Printable Recipe)

1 cup onion finely chopped (no chunks in chili at the restaurant- I grated mine with a cheese grater- oh and feel free to use more, the hubby says he doesn't like onion, so I am starting small and putting more in each time)
2 pounds ground beef (I used 90% lean with no problems)
4 cups beef stock
16 oz tomato sauce
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp vinegar (I used white)
1/2 oz grated unsweetened chocolate (or substitute cocoa powder- look for conversion on this)
2-4 cloves of garlic smashed or finely chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to taste depending how spicy you want it)
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves

1. Brown onion over medium high heat. Add broth and ground beef. Seperate ground beef so it is fine (no clumps). Bring to a slow boil and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, assemble spices and other ingredients. (I usely put all the ingredients in 1 bowl and dump in at the same time). After simmering 10 minutes, put all other ingredients into the pot. Allow to simmer uncovered for 1 hour.
3. Skim off fat (if you have any, with 90% lean there isn't even enough to skim).
4. Serve over pasta, in a burrito, over nachos, over hot dogs, on a baked potato, on french fries, on a salad, etc.

Now at the restaurant, their most ordered dish is the pasta...they serve it different ways....3-way, 4-way, 5-way.
The 3-way is the spaghetti, chili, and a heaping amount of finely shredded cheddar cheese
The 4-way is the 3-way with either diced onions or red beans
The 5-way is the 3-way with both red beans and diced onions

I prefer mine with onions and NO beans. I also will sometimes ask for tomatoes. Oh one other thing, they always give you a bowl of oyster crackers with your meal. Yum...hope you like it!