I was making up a batch of my 5 Minute Versatile Cookies and thought I would share with you my banana hack!
Here is a video to show you what I mean:
I have had these bananas for quite a while… I think going on two weeks and they are perfect. I actually wished they were just a little riper because they would mash much easier when I make the cookies. 🙂
Anyhow, if anyone knows why this works, please share!
Have a great day! I have to go and take amazing cookies out of the oven now! They smell amazing.
Lately I been having trouble getting paper towels. First it was toilet paper and now paper towels. Go figure.
Anyhoo, the cool thing is that I came up with a creative solution and it ties in with one of my favorite topics which is thrift store shopping and my love of fresh air!
Here was one of my thrift store scores from a while back:
A pretty flannel sheet with roses on it
This was a king sized flat panel flannel sheet that I picked up at the thrift store for like $2 or something like that.
More than a sheet!
But this sheet is more than a sheet. I have used it for a cover at the lake house for my futon that I had on the deck this summer and it tied in with my ‘shabby chic’ theme. It ended up getting a hole in it but who cares? It was 2 bucks!
Now it has more wonderful uses:
My pretty sheet cut up into various sizes of towels or rags
I cut the entire sheet up in to various sizes of towels or rags, or call them what you will. These are now, rags for around the house, used in drying my fruits and veggies, and now also paper towels substitutes!
My cut up flannel towels on the paper towel rack.
The best part about using these is that I wash them and then dry them on the clothes line and the smell is oh so amazing. So I love using them for that reason too. Not to mention how pretty they are.
I will be on the hunt for more flannel sheets to add to my collection and then we can all have our own color in our household too…. 🙂
I love recycling, reusing, repurposing and helping charities and the environment. What’s not to love about all of those things?
Have a great day everyone and if you want to see some of my favorite thrift store treasures that I have found here is the link:
Snap Laundry Detergent – Triple Enzyme Maggie’s favorite NON-TOXIC & Enviro-friendly laundry soap delivered right to your door. Also available in scent free and large quantities.
Where I live in Canada today it is really cold. This was just posted 4 minutes ago:
It is currently -23 C where I live and much colder with the wind chill factor
Anyhow, it is a great time for enJOYing hot and nourishing soup. Yesterday I made a delicious pot of soup along with some other goodies like a small meatloaf (something I rarely make), a Cajun Rice & Chicken dish, and my soup. I had 3 of my favorite pots on the go: 🙂 Two cooked in the oven with the chicken and meatloaf and the other stove top for the soup. Oh and also in the pic is small stainless steel pot which boiled a small batch of potatoes.
3 of my red cast iron pots. I have more too lol in different colors. I use these pots often and I have a couple of locations where I spend my time so they are spread out over 3 kitchens 🙂
Soup Hacks
Today I thought I would share a couple of hacks for soup. I rarely, if ever, follow a recipe to make soup. It is usually create as I go and use what I have, which involves finishing up other food items.
Here is a banana hack you will want to know if you don’t already. So many people spend copious amounts of time prepping and freezing their bananas. Some people peel and chop them and put them into plastic ziploc type bags, others mash them and freeze them and I am sure there are numerous others ways.
But the easiest of easiest ways is fast, convenient and enviro friendly.
Just throw your ripe bananas (or not ripe) in your freezer. That’s it. When you are ready to use them, take them out of the freezer and allow to thaw for a bit and you are good to go. I usually pop mine in the microwave for about 30 seconds and then peel them and they are perfect.
They do not lose their color or flavor this way at all and the air does not get to them. I love bananas for having their own jacket or container… fast food to go … or pop in the freezer as they are.
I use frozen bananas in countless ways… in muffin recipes… banana bread… smoothies…. chopped fruit concoctions that I make on the stove so that they are warm and gooey… example: The banana you see in this picture was used today in a pan on the stove with blueberries and chopped cantaloupe cooked slowly till it was warm and delicious. Total nutrition there. My husband just popped home mid afternoon and had some for a snack and my daughter finished off what was left after school….. kid friendly to boot!
The perfect frozen banana to use in whatever recipe
With most of us trying to eat healthier any hack helps. I hope you enJOYed this one today. 🙂
