Mango Salsa

It's 95 degrees here in Illinois today, and I needed something cool and refreshing to cancel out the hot weather.  This mango salsa was the perfect addition to my poolside snacks.  Super easy, and VERY healthy--you can't go wrong. 

Ingredients: (Makes about 4 cups)

• 4 mangoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 4 green onions
• 8 tbsp fresh cilantro
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 pinches salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together.  You can put it into a blender or food processor, or keep it nice and chunky if you like.
2. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Choco Banana Melt

If there were ever a cheap delicious dessert that you could pass off as being semi-healthy, this would probably be it.  I mean, yes it's got loads of chocolate and marshmallows in it, but bananas are healthy, right?  The banana will cancel all of the calories of the chocolate and marshmallows.  At least that's what I tell myself...  Besides, calories don't count on the weekends...  Thanks to FamilyFun.Com for the original recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1 small handful of mini marshmallows
• 1 small handful of chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven for 400º F.
2. Peel the banana, then cut a lengthwise slit across the banana.  Place on a sheet of aluminum foil.
3. Put a bunch of chocolate chips and marshmallows into the slit.
4. Wrap the banana in your aluminum foil, then place in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the marshmallows have melted.
5. Eat with a spoon and plenty of napkins.

Banana Bread

My husband's family is made up exactly like The Brady Bunch... His family consisted of his dad and three sons.  Then his dad met his wife, who had two daughters... Okay, well, they're missing Jan, but still! Anyways, as a joke one Christmas, my hubby inherited a copy of Alice's Brady Bunch Cookbook.  This recipe comes from there.
It especially comes in handy when you were at the grocery store and thought you'd be healthy and buy some bananas---except you forgot that eating them was the important part.  So now you have a whole bunch of bananas that are getting a little mushy.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 large bananas, mashed
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. First, mash up your bananas.
2. In a separate, large bowl, cream together the butter an sugar until fluffy.  Add the eggs and beat well.
3. In another separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and mix well.
4. Fold in the mashed bananas and vanilla.
5. Pour the batter evenly into 2 greased 9x5-inch loaf pans.
6. Bake at 350° F for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then remove to racks.  Makes 2 loaves of banana-tasting goodness.

*Thanks to Kevin Week's Seriously Good for the picture. :)

Apple Crisp

Last time I went grocery shopping, I bought two giant bags of granny smith apples.  I didn't know what I wanted to do with them, so they sat in my kitchen for a while.  Today, I decided to make something--but by this time, most of my groceries had been used up.  This is a perfect dessert to make with just the bare essentials.
Thanks to Julia Zurbrugg for the picture.

Ingredients

• 6 medium apples
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 cup butter (melted)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup brown sugar

Directions

1. Set oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside.
3. Peel, core and slice apples
4. Sprinkle with sugar and spice mixture and mix well.
5. Place apples in 8x8 buttered baking dish
6. Mix together brown sugar and flour; add butter and mix until crumbly.
7. Sprinkle evenly over apples.
8. Bake for about 30 minutes or until apples are tender.
9. You can scoop some in a bowl over ice cream, or eat straight out of the pan if your sink's full of dirty bowls and you don't want to wash anything.... Ahem.

Banana Ice Cream

Alright, I've finally tried this, and all I have to say is: Wow! Who would have thought that frozen bananas have the same consistency as ice cream?  This was so cool and easy to make, I can't wait to try it again.  And what a great treat to have if you're trying to fit into a wedding dress (ahem). 
Ingredients

• Bananas

Directions

1. Peel your bananas first.
2. Cut them into small pieces.
3. Freeze for just 1-2 hours on a plate.
4. Blend, blend, blend - scraping down the bowl when they stick.
5. Enjoy the magic moment when they turn into ice cream!