chocolate banana muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

5 overripe bananas (I'm talking BROWN)

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 tablespoons wheat germ

1 cup Hershey's chocolate chips

vegetable oil

***

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease/oil two 12-muffin pans.

2. Cream the shortening and sugar in a mixing bowl (using an electric mixer is great), and then blend the eggs and bananas until thoroughly mashed.

3. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, salt, and baking soda, and stir in the wheat germ and chocolate chips. 

4. Add the dry ingredients to the banana/sugar medley, and blend until just mixed.

5. Divide the batter into the two pans, making it as even as possible. Once done, put the pans in the oven for approximately 25-30 minutes. I go by sight and by poking the muffins with a toothpick. You want them to be soft, but when poked, no batter should stick to the toothpick.

6. Once the muffins are done, serve and enjoy!

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salmon with creole sauce

Ingredients:

2" wide salmon filets

renee's creole sauce (can be found at metro, etc)

handful of green beans

6-8 mini potatoes

herb de provence

lemon juice

butter

***

1. Bring a medium-sized pot of water to boil. Add about a tablespoon on lemon juice to the water. Get a smaller pot of water boiling as well (this smaller one will be for the potatoes).

2. While waiting for the water to boil, wash and cut the ends off of the beans. Put the beans into a deep glass dish, adding about 1/4 cup of butter, and a dash of lemon juice. Cover the top in plastic wrap, and place it in the microwave. On high, cook the beans for about 2-3 minutes, or until soft but crunchy. Once done, add a tiny amount of salt and pepper, and a bit more lemon juice.

3. Once the medium-sized pot of water has boiled, place the skinless salmon filets into the water. It will take about 7-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon. Keep an eye on it, and if unsure, use a knife to peek in the centre of the thickest part to see if it's cooked.

4. In the smaller pot of boiling water, add the mini potatoes. Cook until they slide easily off of a knife when poked. When cooked, drain the water, and in the pot, cut the potatoes in half. Add a dollop of butter, and 1-2 tablespoons of herb de provence, and mix thoroughly. The heat of the potatoes should melt the butter, allowing the herb de provence to coat them nicely.

5. Once the salmon is cooked, remove them from the water, and place on plates. Pour some creole sauce on top, and serve with the green beans and potatoes!

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