Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cups white sugar
1/4 cups butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed, ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cups plain, low-fat yogurt
3 Tbs apple juice (or rum flavoring, to taste)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cups flaked, sweetened coconut
1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 Tbs fresh lime or lemon juice

1. Whisk or sift together baking soda, and salt.
2. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat until well-blended (about one minute).
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add banana, yogurt, apple juice, and vanilla; beat until just blended.
5. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist.
6. Stir in coconut.
7. Spoon batter into a 9x5 loaf pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 T coconut.
8. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
9. Cool for 10 minutes in pan, then remove onto a cooling rack.
10. Combine powdered sugar and juice; drizzle over warm bread.

Reese's Peanut Butter Pie

2 Oreo or chocolate pie crusts

Mix together:
1 c creamy peanut butter
1/2 c powdered sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar

Then heat up in microwave to easily pour into the pie crusts.

Make 1 large instant pudding using the pie recipe, which uses less milk.

Layer half of the pudding onto each peanut butter layer in the pies.

Chill until pudding is firm.

Top each pie with half a tub of cool whip, then add broken-up or crumbled Reese's.

Refrigerate and serve or freeze for later.

Pancit Bihon (Filipino Rice Noodles)

Intro: This dish was influenced by Chinese settlers in the Philippines. The vegetable ingredients mentioned in this post can be customized to whatever you want!

Ingredients:

• 1 8 oz. pack pancit bihon noodles (available in oriental stores)
  

• 1 cooked chicken breast, shredded

• 2 cups of chicken broth or 2 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 2 cups of water

• 1/4 cabbage, sliced into strips

• 1 onion, pealed and sliced

• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced

• 1/3 cup scallions, cut into pieces

• 1 carrot, sliced into strips

• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil

• 3/4 cup diced celery

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Cooking Instructions:

• Soak the pancit bihon noodles to soften for 10 minutes

• Grease a large pan or wok with oil. Sauté garlic and onions.

• Add the chicken broth, the shredded chicken breast and all the vegetables until cooked.

• Mix in the pancit bihon noodles and add the soy sauce, cook for about 5 minutes or until the noodles are soft.

• Salt and pepper to taste.

Bananas Foster (alcohol-free, tropical version)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar - add more if you like
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup orange juice or mango nectar
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon - add more if you like
1 banana, peeled, sliced - add more if you like
1 scoop vanilla ice cream - add more if you like

Over medium heat, melt butter, add brown sugar. When sugar is dissolved, add the orange juice or mango nectar. Mix them together, then add the cornstarch solution (prepare the cornstarch by dissolving it in the water beforehand). This will help thicken the syrup. You can now add the cinnamon. Then, keep stirring until the sauce thickens. You can add more heat if you want to speed up the thickening process. Before it thickens too much, add the sliced bananas. Turn the heat off when the bananas are cooked (you just want them soft not soggy).

Serve over vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Mango or orange juice in bananas foster is a good tropical substitute for dark rum or banana liqueur used in fancy restaurants.