Banana Bran Muffins

yes, I am into Bran Muffins right now and I have been trying out a bunch of recipes and "Maryizing" them as mom would put it. These have all been tried and past the kid approved test with flying colors.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 bananas, mashed
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat bran
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar together until fluffy. Add bananas, milk, vanilla and eggs; mix well. Stir in flour, bran, baking powder, soda and salt; blend just until moistened. Stir in walnuts. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in the cups for 5 minutes, then remove muffins and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Filled Bran Muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup bran cereal (not flakes)
3/4 cup raisins or chopped dates, optional
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup 1% buttermilk
1 egg, partially beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup bran flakes
Filling (see below)

Method:
Preheat oven to 4000 F. Prepare filling (below) and set aside. Grease, or line standard muffin tin with cupcake papers.
Pour boiling water over bran cereal and optional raisin/dates; and allow to stand 5 minutes.
Stir in melted butter, buttermilk, egg, and sugar; mix well. Stir in flour, soda, and salt. Add bran flakes and stir just until combined. Place approximately 1 tablespoon batter in bottom of prepared muffin tins; gently spread batter over bottom of cup. Spoon in approximately 2 teaspoons prepared filling. Cover filling with additional muffin batter to fill cup approximately 3/4 full. Bake 20 minutes or until done. Makes 12-15 muffins

Filling

Ingredients:

1 package (8 oz) low-fat cream cheese
2 T sugar
1 egg

Method:
Soften cream cheese; add sugar and egg. Beat together until smooth and creamy.
NOTE: If desired, soften 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, add 1 teaspoon milk and stir until smooth. Divide into small bowls; add a drop of food color to each bowl, and stir. Spread cream cheese over muffins. Use different the colored cream cheese in pastry tubes to create fun designs.

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

Not the best pictures, Sorry!

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 quart buttermilk
2 cups boiling water
5 cups unsifted flour
4 cups 100% bran cereal, blended
2 cups bran flakes cereal
5 tsp. baking soda

Instructions:

Add soda to hot water; cool. Cream sugar and shortening. Add beaten eggs. Mix in large Tupperware. Stir in buttermilk, water, bran, flour. Pour in greased muffin pan and sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar and bake at 400 degrees for 20 min. Store in fridge for up to six weeks with tight lid.

Crock Pot Lasagna

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 box of mini lasagna noodles, cooked (I use bow tie, I can’t find mini lasagna noodles anymore)

Sauce:
1 lb. hamburger
½ lb. ground sausage
1 cup onions

Brown meat and onion together, add:
1 20oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cans tomato paste
1 can tomato sauce
1 tsp. seasoned salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed or 1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
¼ tsp pepper

Simmer 10 minutes

In a bowl combine:
16 oz cottage cheese
1 egg
1 T. dried parsley
½ tsp. salt
4 cups of cheese (half cheddar/half mozzarella)

Layer sauce, noodles, and cheese mixture in 5 qt. crock pot. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and cook on high 3 hours or low 5-6 hours. This makes a ton!