Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: banana

Showing posts with label banana. Show all posts

Sunday, April 20, 2025

Please Welcome Guest Daryl Wood Gerber! #Giveaway

Peg: I am thrilled to welcome my good friend Daryl Wood Gerber (AKA Avery Aames) to the blog today. At one time, Daryl was a founding member of Mystery Lovers Kitchen and I'm thrilled to see her back again today with a delicious recipe for a green smoothie.

DARYL: I’ve been busy the past year. A TWINKLE OF TROUBLE, the 5^th in the Fairy Garden Mysteries, came out in the spring. Then MURDER ON THE PAGE, the 1st in the LITERARY DINING MYSTERIES came out in October. And now, in March, the 1^st in the AROMA WELLNESS MYSTERIES came out! Lots of writing. Lots of editing. Lots of fun.

In ESSENCE OF FOUL PLAY, Emma Brennan is opening a day spa along with a gift shop and café. It’s located in a charming courtyard in Carmel-by-the-Sea. At the spa, customers will enjoy massages, facials, mindful meditations, and more. In the shop, customers can browse geodes, gemstones, and wind chimes, as well as aromatic candles and meditative guides. In the café, the chef creates “good-for-you” treats. Anything from protein bars and healthy muffins to chewy cookies made with honey and power-packed smoothies. The whole vibe is supposed to bring calm to not only the spa’s customers, but to you, the reader, as well. Yes, a murder might be in the mix, but relax. All’s well that ends well.

You might not think this smoothie is for you, particularly because it’s a “green” drink. Also, it’s made with kale, and kale can be quite bitter on its own. But fret not! The green is a minty green—quite pretty! AND You won’t taste any bitterness. The pineapple, banana, and honey make sure of that. This smoothie keeps me going all day long. I hope you’ll give it a try.

Big hint: I purchased a Ninja blender which is a perfect size for making single or double smoothies. It’s super powerful and easy to clean.

Enjoy.

Kale-Banana Protein Smoothie

(Yield: 1)

1/2 cup chopped ice

2 cups kale, chopped, no stems

3/4 cups milk

1 medium-sized banana chopped

1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt

¼ cup pineapple chunks

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon protein powder (coconut protein powder is great!)

1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter, if desired

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Easy peasy.

Emma Brennan may have her head in a cloud of eucalyptus, but her feet are firmly planted on the ground in breathtaking Carmel, California, as she prepares to open her new spa business, Aroma Wellness. But all the reiki, shiatsu, and massage in the world can’t help her relax when she’s accused of murder . . .

Everything is going smoothly as Emma prepares for the grand opening of the spa. The sales shop and café are stocked with meditative and delicious goodies, from essential oils to avocado masks and pricky pear massages. In fact, there isn’t a whiff of trouble until that morning when Emma is shocked to learn that a rival spa owner has been bludgeoned . . . with an item from the goodwill basket Emma gave her. Worse, a witness is pointing the finger at Emma . . .

With the police treating Emma like she’s the only suspect,

she’s left with no choice but to conduct her own investigation. Incensed by the accusation, but empowered by her cousin, her nana, and her trusted Birman cat, Vivi, Emma reviews the potpourri of possible suspects, determined to uncover the essence of foul play—before she’s cold-pressed for murder

BIO:

Daryl Wood Gerber is the Agatha Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of the Literary Dining Mysteries, Aroma Wellness Mysteries, Fairy Garden Mysteries and Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense novels, including the well-received The Son’s Secret, Girl on the Run, and the popular Aspen Adams trilogy. Daryl has published a standalone Christmas romance, Hope for the Holidays, and her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies. Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, garden, read, and walk her frisky Goldendoodle. Also she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. You can learn more on her website: https://darylwoodgerber.com

GIVEAWAY

A choice of A TWINKLE OF TROUBLE, MURDER ON THE PAGE, or ESSENCE OF FOUL PLAY, paper or e-book to one commenter.

LINKS:

WEBSITE: https://darylwoodgerber.com

FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/darylwoodgerber

BOOKBUB: https://bookbub.com/authors/daryl-wood-gerber

YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/woodgerb1

INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/darylwoodgerber

GOODREADS: https://goodreads.com/darylwoodgerber

BLUE SKY: @darylwoodgerber.bsky.social

AMAZON: amazon: https://bit.ly/Daryl_Wood_Gerber_page

https://bit.ly/3SenzVy

NEWSLETTER: https://darylwoodgerber.com/contact-media/

Saturday, February 3, 2024

Banana Cake in a Mug #Recipe Peg Cochran/Margaret Loudon

First--the mug. Some very nice mugs came with our set of dishes (French Provincial in case you're interested) but hubby didn't like them. He said they were too small and they weren't well balanced (translation: he knocked one over and spilled coffee all over his desk.) I was aimlessly strolling through Home Goods (you never need a reason to go to Home Goods, right?) when I came upon this mug. It was perfect--large capacity and really solid. I bought it for hubby for Christmas and he loved it. Another time I was aimlessly strolling through Home Goods (my favorite place to stroll aimlessly) when I found two more mugs just like it with "Hubby" and "His" on the front. How could I pass them up? So hubby now has his own set of mugs.

This banana cake in a mug took no time at all to whip up. It can be customized by adding chocolate chips, nuts, etc. You can even sprinkle some on top. It was a lifesaver because my granddaughter just got a palate expander prior to getting braces and was having trouble eating anything that wasn't soft. She devoured this! I will for sure be making it again! (Recipe compliments of Jessica in the Kitchen)

1/3 cup mashed bananas, approximately one very ripe banana. (who doesn’t have rotting bananas in their freezer?)

1 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon milk.

1 tablespoon brown sugar or regular white sugar (I used regular white sugar)

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour. (Can sub gluten-free flour mix)

Pinch of sea salt

Pinch of ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Optional: 1 tablespoon chopped nuts and/or chocolate chips

Retrieve a (very) ripe banana from the fruit basket or freezer and mash well. Measure out 1/3 cup.

In a mug, add the mashed banana, oil, milk and sugar.

Whisk together until thoroughly combined.

Add in the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Whisk thoroughly.

Stir in chocolate chips or nuts if using.

Microwave for 80 seconds. Do not overcook!

Let cool for several minutes then enjoy!

The Open Book Series

When murder taints writer-in-residence Penelope Parish’s charming British bookshop, she must follow the clues to catch a killer before tempers boil over.

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

Family fireworks lead to murder in the new Cranberry Cove Mystery from USA Today bestselling author Peg Cochran!

The Fourth of July always means endless celebrations in Cranberry Cove, and this year Monica and Greg have the added pleasure of spending it with Monica’s college roommate, Kelly Cargill. When they join Kelly and her family to watch the fireworks, it’s all very exciting—until the elderly matriarch of the family dies on the spot. Then evidence comes to light that she was poisoned, and Monica promises to do what she can to catch the culprit.

Just about everyone in Kelly’s family wanted to get their hands on what was sure to be a sizable inheritance. But Monica also discovers that one of them was trying to hide a messy love affair the older woman had discovered, and that the victim’s caretaker may have wanted revenge for enduring years of mistreatment. And just as more secrets surface and the clues begin to fall into place, Monica realizes that as she’s closing in on the killer, the killer is closing in on her . . .

Includes a mouthwatering cookie recipe!

Cranberry Cove #10 coming Summer 2024!

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

My article on the Enduring Appeal of Cozy Mysteries

Find me on:

Facebook
My web site

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

My Coffeehouse Banana Split with Easy Microwave Magic Shell Chocolate by @CleoCoyle for #NationalBananaSplitDay

From Cleo Coyle: Because this Friday is National Banana Split Day (I kid you not), I'm sharing my "Coffeehouse" take on this classic American dessert. This is a fast, fun way to fancy up ye olde soda fountain sundae for the adult dinner table, and my recipe includes tips for making your own magic shell chocolate using your microwave.

Now let's have some foodie fun...

Cleo Coyle writes two

bestselling mystery
series with her husband.
To learn more, click here.

☕ A Note from Cleo

The origin of the banana split dates back more than a century to 1904 Latrobe, Pennsylvania, where a 23-year-old apprentice pharmacist (who enjoyed inventing ice cream treats at the pharmacy soda fountain) first came up with the banana-based, triple scoop sundae.

While in my youth I had no problem polishing off a banana split, these days that three-scoop boat is way too large for me to sink in one sitting, especially after a full meal. If you think so, too, then voila!

Below is my grown-up "Coffeehouse" version of the classic banana split. Scroll down for my tips and tricks on putting it all together, including how to make your own magic shell chocolate using a few ingredients and your microwave.

🍌

To download a free PDF of
this recipe that you can print,
save, or share, click here, or on
the image below...

Click for free recipe PDF.

Easy Microwave Magic Shell Chocolate

Although many versions of this basic recipe are posted all over the Inter-web, the original source appears to be award-winning Chef Thomas Keller. Years ago, I adapted his version, using a microwave and chocolate chips.

The secret to this recipe is the extra virgin, cold pressed coconut oil, which liquefies around a modest 76 degrees F. yet firms up fast when taken below that temperature. That's why you'll see a chocolate shell form quickly if you drizzle it over scoops of ice cream.

Likewise, for my "Coffeehouse" Banana Split recipe, once the fruit is chilled and dipped, you can place it in the fridge and watch a shell form very quickly.

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

14 ounces (2-1/4 cups + 2 Tablespoons) chocolate chips*

1/4 cup extra virgin, cold pressed coconut oil**

*Chocolate chips can be milk chocolate, semi-sweet, or dark (bittersweet). In my photos, you see milk chocolate chips.

**For the best quality coconut oil look for "extra virgin, cold pressed" on the label.

Directions: In a microwave-safe container, stir together chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave for 15 to 20 seconds and then stop and stir the chips. Chocolate burns very easily so be sure to heat the mixture in short intervals. Return the container to the microwave for another 15 to 20 seconds. Stir again until chocolate is melted and smooth.

This mixture is now ready to use in the above recipe or you can drizzle it over very cold ice cream or well-chilled fruit and the "magic" shell will quickly form. The chocolate should stay in its liquid form unless chilled. If the mixture begins to solidify, return it to the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds and stir until melted and smooth once again.

Keep reading for tips and tricks in making my "Coffeehouse" Banana Split.

Tips for Making Cleo's

Coffeehouse Banana Split

(1) Splash your favorite ice cream syrup (chocolate, caramel, or strawberry) into an empty espresso cup. For a fun, grown-up version, add a bit of Kahlúa or try Baileys Irish Cream or a chocolate liqueur.

(2) Next comes a modest little scoop of gelato (or ice cream). In my photos, you see vanilla bean gelato.

(3) Finally comes a whole strawberry and piece of banana, skewered by a Popsicle stick, chilled and covered in magic shell chocolate and dipped in nuts. Below are my directions and troubleshooting tips for putting it all together.

Cleo Coyle's
Coffeehouse Banana Split

Ingredients

13 ripe strawberries (try to select uniform sizes close to 1-inch)

3 medium bananas (ripe but still firm)

1 cup magic shell chocolate (recipe precedes this one)

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, or peanuts, your choice)

13 wooden Popsicle sticks

(Makes 13 little fruit skewers, which can be stored in the freezer for two to three weeks.)

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1 - Prep and chill fruit: Remove the green stems from the strawberries and gently hull them. (For a quick lesson on how to hull strawberries, click here.) Cut bananas into 1-inch pieces with flat ends. (Do not use pointy banana tips.) Place all of your prepared fruit pieces into the freezer for at least 30 minutes, but no more than an hour. This will help prevent the fruit pieces from splitting in the next step.

Step 2 - Make your fruit skewers: With a paring knife, cut a shallow slit on the bottom (pointy) end of a chilled strawberry. With a firm grip on the berry, gently push the end of one Popsicle stick through it and into (but not completely through) a piece of banana. The little fruit skewer should now be able to stand upright on your plate (as in my photos).

Troubleshooting tip: If you can't get it to stand up, you probably have too much of the Popsicle stick pushing through the banana. Adjust the fruit along the stick so the flat of the banana is on the plate and not the end of the Popsicle stick.

Step 3 - Re-chill: Once all the fruit skewers are finished, return them to the freezer for another 15 - 20 minutes to chill them up again. For instructions on making magic chocolate, scroll back up to the top of this post or click here to download the recipe in PDF form.

Step 4 - Prep plate: Cover a plate with plastic, wax paper, or aluminum foil. If you don't, the chocolate may stick to the plate.

Step 5 - Dip, sprinkle, and chill: Gently dip the fruit skewers into the warm magic chocolate. As you pull it out, allow the excess chocolate to drip off. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and stand it on the prepared plate.

When you've finished preparing all the skewers, place them in the refrigerator or freezer for 10 minutes to set.

STORE: You can keep the finished skewers in the fridge for many hours before dinner or even the day before. Or you can wrap them gently in plastic or foil and keep in the freezer for two to three weeks.