A Little of This and a Little of That

 Best shot of the week 

Best new grocery discoveries

It's a great alternative if you don't like Feta Cheese crumbles, and it comes in several flavors found in the deli section. 

Cocktail-inspired treats, sorbet bars in three flavors that are alcohol free. 

Most Clever New Chip Flavor

All the layers found in the favorite Tex-Mex dip make it a great game-day food. 

New recipe: Banana Bread

One can never have too many banana bread recipes. I particularly liked this one, with its super-moist and buttery texture and brown sugar flavors. The addition of yogurt makes it a moist bread. This is not an overly sweet quick bread, but could increase sugar content to one cup. Use a fork to mash the bananas. This recipe yields 15 banana bread muffins. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F for 16 more minutes. 

To freeze: Tightly wrap the loaf or slices (individually or grouped) in 2–3 layers of plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place wrapped banana bread in a large freezer-friendly storage bag or reusable container. The recipe is from Sally's Baking Addiction.com

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt or full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
• 1 and 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 3large or 4 small ripe bananas)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
• optional: 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, or 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions: 

• Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lowering the oven rack prevents the top of your bread from browning too quickly. Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the yogurt, vanilla, and mashed bananas until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed just until combined. Do not over-mix. Fold in the nuts/chocolate chips, if using. The batter should be thick.
• Pour and spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 60 minutes, loosely covering the pan with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from browning too much. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. Cool the bread in the pan set on a cooling rack for 1 hour. Remove the bread from the pan and cool it directly on the rack until ready to slice and serve.
• Store wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week