Frozen Chocolate Covered Banana Peanut Butter Sandwiches

Long name, tiny tasty treat. 

It may only be spring, but it's starting to feel like summer here in Florida and that means hot weather and summer treats.

These little babies are a perfect sweet morsel for those hot days and nights.
You could even say they are good for you!

Before making these the first time I thought freezing bananas would make them as hard as a rock, but quite the contrary they get creamy and delicious. 

Here is what your going to need:

• Bananas
• Peanut Butter (Chunky or Creamy)
• Melted Chocolate (Optional yet recommended)

First your going to cut up your bananas. I tried to cut about two at a time before quickly putting them in the freezer. 

I didn't want them to get brown and ugly.

To make them easy to peel, I always cut the ends off first.

They don't have to be anywhere near perfect, but try and get them about a 1/4 inch thick. Because of the shape of the banana your going to get some slices that don't look so pretty but don't panic, they are going to be yummy no matter what.

Try and keep the two slices next to each other, so that when you put them together they are roughly the same size. 

Now put a healthy glob (that's a technical term) of peanut butter in between the slices. The more the better in my opinion.

Stick your plate of little sandwiches in the freezer for about an hour so that they are nice and cold. 

I recommend putting wax paper in between the bananas and the plate so that they don't stick, but I didn't have wax paper....oops!! No worries though, they easily come off if you slide a knife under them. 

Next comes the chocolate!

You can buy the Baker's Chocolate melting chips in a big bag, and use a double broiler to melt it yourself or you can be like me and take the easy way out by using these convenient cups and microwave it up.

Follow the directions and you'll get this molten bowl of deliciousness!!

Now, you can choose to cover your sandwiches any way you like, either by dipping them, dunking them, or drizzling the chocolate over them. 

After a couple of attempts I found the dunking or dipping works out better in the end even though the drizzle looks prettier.

However you choose to cover your sandwiches, stick them back in the freezer for at least another hour. Afterwards, remove them from the plate and put them in a resealable plastic bag for easy access!

Secrets Of The Blah-Blah Sisterhood

Now I'm not going to tell any actual secrets (girl code) but I feel as though this is a topic that most people (and when I say people, I mean women) can relate to.

There is this club. The beauty of this club is that at a certain point everyone is allowed in....keeping your membership is another story.

It's called....the blah-blah sisterhood.

For those of you that might not know what I'm referring to, this is a preferably small group of people to which you share the good, the bad, and the ugly.

These people are the ones that have seen your ugly cry, (you know, the one where your impossible to understand and the makeup running down your face makes you look like a character from a horror flick) and the ones who know you so well that you can communicate in facial expressions alone, when in front of non-members.

On a rare occasion your boyfriend will drift into this club unknowingly and quickly want out, but for the most part it's made up of friends and family.

When your a kid you aspire to be a part of this elite group. The phone rings...your mom picks it up...and the conversation begins.

You poke her and whisper - who's that?

 She shushes you and walks in the other direction...of course you follow.

Who are you talking to? Another shush.

It seems as though they are speaking in morse code.

He did what?...stop...well what is he going to do now?...stop...I can't believe him...stop.

Finally, after jumping around like a fool trying to hear what the voice on the other line is saying to no avail, she hangs up the phone.

Mom...mom...mom!!!!

Who was that?

What did they say?

Who were you guys talking about?

What did they do?

The reply is always the same. Usually she is nice enough to tell you who it was, but definitely not what they were talking about....rats!!

The day you are accepted into this club comes so suddenly, you could almost miss it completely. You and your mom are just sitting around with either a friend or a relative, and they start talking in depth details with each other about a situation you have never heard of before now...and then they ask you for your opinion.
You look behind you, and ask - who me?

Your brain finally wakes up, after partially zoning out because you thought they were just going to talk in code anyways and asks...what's going on here?

Ding!! The light bulb goes off when you realize.....your in!!!

Like I said, this is a club that everyone gets to be a part of...but it's smart to keep your chapters small. Mine is about 4 or 5 people depending on the topic at hand. Any larger and you start running into problems....this is a whole other discussion that I'm not quite ready for.

But on another note, it is certainly an honor to be part of this club, a membership in which we all hope to pass on to a daughter of our own one day.

P.S.- If you find that you are not currently part of a blah-blah sisterhood group, find one fast- the members jackets are fabulous, the clubhouses have good candles, and the snacks are chocolate covered-as all good snacks should be.



An Irish Prayer To Live By

It's St. Patrick's Day and in honor of my fellow Irish men and women out there, I would like to post an old prayer to live by:

 

Take time to work,

It is the price of success.

 

Take time to think,

It is the source of power.

 

Take time to play,

It is the secret of perpetual youth.

 

Take time to read,

It is the foundation of wisdom.

 

Take time to be friendly,

It is the road to happiness.

 

Take time to love and be loved,

It is the privilege of the gods.

 

Take time to share,

Life is too short to be selfish.

 

Take time to laugh,

Laughter is the music of the soul.

 

Ranch Snack Crackers

When it comes to this recipe, it really couldn't get much easier!

Why?

Because it's snack time!

With only a few ingredients you can simply make a tasty snack that you can split up and take anywhere in only 20 minutes. This is the first time I've made these for Kevin, but after he tried them his response was - your going to have to make another batch. 

All you need is: 

1/4 Cup of vegetable oil

1/2 Teaspoon of garlic powder

1 Packet of ranch dressing seasoning

1 Bag of oyster crackers

Just add these ingredients into a bowl and give them a good stir (Make sure all the crackers are evenly coated. No one wants to chow down on a cracker dud with no seasoning!!) You can add some salt, but I personally think it's good enough on it's own. 

Once coated, dump your cracker mix onto a baking sheet. Preferably one that has a lip around the edge so they don't fall off.

Bake at 250 degrees for 15 minutes, giving it a stir every 5 minutes and voila! 

Split it up into sandwich baggies to have a quick snack to go, or put them into your soup to add a tasty crunch.

Hey Shorty! The Pros And Cons Of Being A Small Girl In A Tall World.

Being on the smaller end of the size spectrum has always given me a unique perspective on, well just about everything. I've never been able to decide if that's a good thing or bad thing, so I'm going to do what I do best.
Make-A-List!

Lets start with the pros shall we?

1. Being able to fit just about anywhere- small bed...no problem, hide and seek...thats my game, need someone with small hands to get in those tight spaces...I got your back. These are the weird things that I pride myself at being pretty darn good at. I know, they're admirable. 

2. Being able to crawl on counters without judgement- listen this one sounds weird, but hey I'll take what I can get. To reach what I need out of my kitchen cabinets a short girls gotta do what a short girls gotta do, and I'm going to climb on whatever is available to get to it.
Don't judge me.

3. Skirting through crowds- when in a crowded place lets face it, you tall people may be able to see over the crowd but can you move through it? I think no. Well when this situation occurs, it's time to send in the short girl. The rules are simple;
1. Move Fast
2. Dodge elbows
It's a dangerous job, but someones got to do it. 

4. Being able to wear kids clothes- this may sound odd but have you ever seen how expensive fishing and hunting clothes are? I regularly go to sporting goods stores such as Bass Pro and Dick's Sporting Goods and as the boys stand in the same section for hours trying to decide between the green bait and the brown bait, I sneak off to the clothing section.
Naturally.
Ladies size small camo hunting pants- $49.99 (not that you can get a small anyways)
Youth size large camo hunting pants- $29.99
I say bingo to that deal!

5. Being able to ride in things when your tired- shopping carts, little red wagons, and some large child strollers. Walking sucks when your tired and I'm not above any of this, 'nough said. 

Ok, here we go with the cons.

1. Being able to fit just about anywhere- yes this is also listed as a pro, but it can be very much considered a con. You see, when you can fit anywhere people ask you to do some undesirable things. This includes, being forced to crawl into some gross and dark places. 

2. Trying to go grocery shopping- most of the time when I go grocery shopping I drag Kevin along to be my creeper patrol (Walmart is a scary place) but on the rare occasion that he isn't around there are always a million things I need that are out of reach. Usually there is some tall stranger lurking around that I can ask to get it for me, but when there isn't one in sight it's time to get creative. I may or may not have been known to build the occasional tower of soda boxes to reach the bottle of ginger ale way in the back of the top shelf...no shame, no shame at all. (By the way, standing on something that makes me of average height never ceases to amaze me...you people can see everything!) 

3. Looking like a child walking next to your boyfriend- listen I am constantly being mistaken for someone much younger than myself, but when your boyfriend walking next to you is much taller, wheres boots that make him even taller, and always sports a beard this happens more than normal. Being asked if your brother and sister....no bueno. (I have to say, that moment was quite the low point) 

4. Having current fashion limitations- ok, I know I said fitting into youth clothes is a pro, but this comes with the price of not being able to wear grown up clothes either!!! (did I mention the lucrative ladies size small camo pants?) You know what I'm talking about.
Exhibit A: the maxi dress.
Are those things made for giants or what? I stand next to one hanging up and it's longer than my entire body, not to mention they are everywhere I go practically mocking me....insanity I tell you. Make a maxi dress for short girls!

5. People thinking you can't do anything because your "fragile"- hearing people say that they are afraid that your going to break because your so small is really quite annoying. Due to this often repeated phrase I have noticed that I, as well as many other small girls have developed the habit of not asking for help. You think I can't carry that? Well let me show you.
Kevin has often come home to large pieces of furniture moved to a different room. He then asks how I've moved something three times my size and weight.
It's all about the pride ladies.

I don't know if I have decided if being small is a good thing or a bad thing, but I'm sure really tall girls have just as many grievances. For all you average sized girls, enjoy.

The daily struggle.

Crock Pot Lime Chicken Tacos

This week I decided to make something a little more on the savory side, instead of dripping in sugar (even though, sugar is my specialty).

This recipe is one of my go to favorites, one of the ones Kevin always runs home for. So easy because it's made in one of my favorite cooking tools....my beloved crock pot! It was practically my best friend while in school, due to the vast amount of recipes that are cheap and require little to no work. 

Normally people associate crock pot meals with being dry and flavorless (so did I at first) but this recipe is so tasty and juicy your going to want to make it all the time. 

First of course you need a crock pot! 

Mine is little but it's more than big enough for just the two of us!

Then your going to need the chicken. Most people shy away from frozen chicken, but it's just so convenient for us and works just fine for this recipe. When you get a bag of frozen chicken there are always those tiny pieces and you ask yourself....what am I going to do with those?? This recipe gives you a perfect opportunity to use these abnormally small pieces, because your just going to shred them up later! If you have fresh chicken good for you, get those puppies to work!

Next your going to need to make your cooking liquid. This is what makes the chicken so flavorful! 

It's so simple, all you need is; 

• Lime juice
• Water
• Chili Powder (my personal favorite spice in the cabinet) and
• A measuring cup

To the measuring cup add;

• One tablespoon of chili powder
• Three tablespoons of lime juice and 
• Enough water to reach the half a cup line on you measuring cup

Mix all your ingredients up with a spoon and pour half of your liquid into your empty crock pot. 

Add the chicken, and then pour the other half of your liquid on top. 

Plop the top on, set your crock pot to low, and let it sit for five to six hours. 

Fast forward a little and you get this!

Remove your chicken and use a couple of trusty forks to shred it to pieces!!! Go crazy!! Think about how many times your co-workers drove you crazy this week!!

Carefully pour the left over cooking liquid out of your crock pot. Believe me, the meat is going to be plenty juicy enough without it

Yay your almost done with all the work!! Just a couple more ingredients to add. Some tasty salsa and some sweet corn. 

You can use any kind of salsa but this is my absolute favorite. It is made by Walmart but it is surprisingly one of the best store bought salsas I have ever tasted. You can actually see and taste all of the ingredients and is very fresh (unlike some other salsas you find in the chip aisle..cough cough). 

Add your shredded chicken back into your crock pot and then a cup of both the salsa and corn (this may change depending on how much chicken you make). 

Put your lid back on and set your crock pot on warm for another thirty minutes to let the flavors infuse!!!

Meanwhile, you can do what I do. Steam up some rice!!!

This one is my favorite! (Look it even says no fat...twice!!)

After your thirty minutes are up, add some sour cream and cheese and chow down!! 

Make sure you are ready to make this recipe one of your go to favorites as well!!