I decided to go back in time because a lot of new folks have never seen my first ever post relating to Super Star Toast.  Over time I have had many variations on this slice but when I think back…. this piece of toast really goes above and beyond. Last night was a fend for yourself supper and I was craving toast.  I went back to old faithful and I was not disappointed.

Tell me what you think of this piece of toast and drop a comment if you have a favorite combination of toppings on your toast.  Or maybe you are a single topping kind of person.

So I had some kaiser rolls left over from the weekend and since I really despise wasting food, I decided to pop them in the toaster oven.  Originally I was just going to go with some plain old butter, a glass of apple juice along with some granola and banana. Then a light went on and I thought that maybe I could kick this toast up a little bit. What you are about to see is, in my mind, a true kicked up piece of toast.

For me this was amazing! I loved the flavor combination and the texture. It was a true treat and something I would definitely eat again!

Ingredients

• 1 Kaiser ( Toasted )
• 1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter
• 1 Tbsp. Nutella
• 1 Banana ( Mashed )
• 1 Tbsp. Granola
• Drizzle of Honey

Method

1. Toast Kaiser
2. Spread Peanut Butter
3. Top with Nutella
4. Add mashed banana, then top with granola
5. Drizzle with Honey
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: If you are having more than one piece, my recommendation would be to prepare one piece at a time to prevent it from going soggy.  Also it is a good way to use up over ripe bananas.

Well this is it!  I hope you have a great weekend!

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Yes I know… cereal toppings (not that exciting but in actual fact you see them everywhere). People love putting things on top of their cereal whether it’s hot or cold.  I want to share some of my favorites and create a list in the comments section. Lets see if we can get to 100 different toppings and then create a super cereal.

For me, I have a wide variety of add ins for both hot and cold cereals.

I am a huge fan of fresh berries (of any kind, I am in love with nuts and raisins).  I also like to add seeds if I have them kicking around.  What I have been using often recently is dried fruit which is pretty fun as well.  Now for hot cereal I do love both brown sugar and peanut butter. Please note that I do not include MILK as one of my toppings.

Zesty’s Top 10 Cereal Toppings

1. Strawberries
2. Blueberries
3. Almonds
4. Bananas
5. Peanut Butter
6. Brown Sugar
7. Raisins
8. Raspberries
9. Flax Seed
10. Butterscotch Chips

So there you have it!  I am excited to hear your favorite cereal toppings whether they are for hot or cold – I want to hear them all!  I hope you have a great day.  The weather in the DC area is fabulous.  I am having a lot of meetings but I can’t complain.

Things are going well and I hear the house is moving along as I was speaking with the builder today.  Prepping for the roof  – so be prepared for yet another house update in the near future.

Have a great Thursday.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Hi Zesty readers, Megan here from Megan’s Munchies here to share with you another great sweet treat.

While Zesty is off sunning in beautiful Jamaica, I thought I would share one of my favorite cookie recipes with you. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches were a big favorite of mine when I was younger. These peanut butter and banana chocolate chip cookies remind me of the comforting taste of those sandwiches with a little extra chocolate kick.

Everything is better with a little chocolate…right? This recipe is adaptable to several diets. For those with dietary allergies, these cookies have no dairy if you use dairy free chocolate chips from Enjoy Life. For those allergic to peanuts, soy nut butter can be used. I use oat flour when I make these, and they come out very soft and chewy.

If you want a crisper cookie you can use all purpose flour. These cookies are amazing when eaten warm! Enjoy!

Ingredients

• ¼ Cup maple syrup or agave nectar
• ¼ Cup brown sugar
• ¼ Cup canola oil
• ¼ Cup mashed bananas
• ½ Cup peanut butter or soy butter
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt
• 1 Cup oat flour
• ¼ Cup mini chocolate chips

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together maple syrup/agave nectar, brown sugar, canola oil, peanut butter/soy butter, mashed bananas, and vanilla.
3. Add the flour and salt. Mix to combine.
4. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Roll dough into teaspoon sized balls and place on baking pan.
6. Press down on the balls of dough with a fork.
7. Bake for 15- 20 minutes.
8. Makes 2 dozen cookies.



9. ENJOY!

If you enjoyed this recipe pay Megan a visit over at her blog.  If you like desserts, you will find tons of great dessert and cookie recipes for all your cravings!  Thanks again Megan for a great post.

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Happy Easter to you! I hope you had a great weekend. For our family, the Easter egg hunt was a lot of fun and the food was great as well.  Easter morning is a nice relaxing time to spend with the family.  We like to enjoy a slow pace breakfast then hunt for Easter eggs that the Easter bunny dropped off!

Today, I thought I would share with you a couple of new renditions of the super star toast that I posted a little while ago.

This concoction is a great way to play around with toast combinations and add variety to the everyday breakfast.

Ingredients

• 2 slices Whole wheat bread( Toasted )
• 1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter
• 1 Banana ( sliced )
• Drizzle of Honey
• Blueberries/ Raspberry Jam
• Sprinkle of Flax seeds

Method

1. Toast Bread
2. Spread Peanut Butter
3. Add banana, blueberries/ raspberry jam, then drizzle with honey
4. Add Flax seeds



5. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When creating this combination, I like to put the honey on top of the banana so  that it will create a glue like adherence for the blueberries.

Easter Dinner Recap

I would like to say that I had a fabulous Easter dinner compliments of my Mom and Dad.  The food was amazing as I just showed up in time to cook the beef, help with the gravy and do a few side jobs with the salad and such.  I did bring the camera but I was a bit disappointed with the quality of the photos but I will share with you some of them.

On the Menu

Main Course

• Glazed Ham with Mustard and Corn Syrup ( topped with pineapple)
• Prime Rib
• Mashed Potatoes
• Carrots
• Turnip
• Peas/Corn
• Crunchy  Coleslaw
• Garden Salad
• Homemade Mustard Pickles
• Beets

Dessert

• Lemon Pie
• Raisin Pie
• Apple Pie
• Skor Bar Trifle

The meat, so tender, moist and delicious.  The ham had such a nice flavor with the pineapple and the mustard glaze.  The prime rib was so tender and flavorful.  By searing the outside you guarantee to lock in the juices and ensure a tender moist piece of meat.  It was a huge hit.

With all the vegetable trimmings, one of my favorites is the homemade mustard pickles.  It was simply great.  And to feel spring like, the crunchy coleslaw and garden salad made a nice addition to the meal.  As you can see by the delicious dessert list, I intentionally only had one heaping plate of dinner to make room.  The desserts were amazing.  If you like pies then you have to try my Mom’s pie crust.  It is so flaky and melts in your mouth.

I hope you have a great Monday but before you go, don’t forget to enter in the clothing line giveaway .  If you have  a few extra dollars, order your favorite zesty wear and support the food bank (100% of the profits are donated).  Talk to you tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

It’s Tuesday and I’m spending it in Antigua!  Lets just say it is a whole new world over here, simply gorgeous.  It is hard to believe how time flies when you are busy and having fun.  I just landed here yesterday and I will be gone again tomorrow… but oh well.  It is a nice place to visit and enjoy the views.  I am staying at the Buccaneer Beach Club which is very nice to say the least.  I have my own little villa which you can see below and I am about 17 steps to the beach.  That is tough to beat.  I posted some pics at the end of the post for you to see… now on to some great cookies.

As with yesterday’s fatayer I wanted to focus on baked goods this week.  With that being said, I have a fun simple cookie that you will love – a versatile peanut butter cookie.  Whether you want a crunch, a soft chewy texture, chocolate or butterscotch chips, this cookie can handle it.  Next time you are in the mood for a homemade cookie, I suggest you try these.

To compliment the salty flavor from the peanut butter, you can try adding a handful or two of chocolate in any form or even butterscotch.  Let me know what you think of these peanut butter cookies.

Ingredients

• 3/4 Cup peanut butter
• 1/2 Cup shortening (chilled)
• 1 1/4 Cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 Egg
• 3 Tbsp.  milk
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 1 3/4 Cups white all purpose flour
• 3/4 Tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 Tsp. salt

Method

1. Preheat Oven to 375 F.
2. Cream peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, egg, milk and vanilla in a large bowl at medium speed until smooth and creamy.
3. Combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Add to creamed mixture above slowly and beat at low speed until mixed thoroughly.
4. Drop from a spoon onto non greased baking sheets.
5. I pushed down with a fork to ensure the crispy texture.
6. Bake at 375 F for 8 minutes until set and lightly brown.  These are very similar to the chewy chocolate chip cookies for me as I take them out when they just start to brown as I don’t want them to dry out and become crumby.
7. Cool slightly and set on cooling rack.



8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: If you want your cookies to have a crunch, push them down with a fork like these ones.  They will firm up quicker and offer the great texture you come to expect in a homemade peanut butter cookie.  If you want them softer and chewier, drop them from a spoon, use creamy peanut butter but forget pressing them down.

Since we’re finished with the recipe, I figure that you might be curious about my trip to Antigua.  I’ve included some pictures below.

Zesty in Antigua

A view to die for

Does it get any better than this?

The walkway to my Villa and down to the beach

Outside the Villa

Outside the Villa... Again

Inside the Villa

Question of the day? What is your favorite drink with a fresh baked homemade cookie?  Is it milk?  or tea?

Have a great day today and I hope this lightened your day and made you smile.

Take care

Zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Happy Tuesday everybody!  Quite a title for this post… isn’t it?  Well I am hoping to have an interactive post about toppings for your toast.  Now of course there is plain butter but I thought I would share with you some of my all-time favorite toppings for toast.  In return, I would love for each and every reader to post their favorite topping in the comments section.  I think this will be fun!

Let’s keep in mind that the options are endless and it’s very difficult to narrow it down to just ten.  It just so happens that I have a couple of different loaves of bread on hand so here are some of my favorites and a couple pictures.

Top Ten Toast Toppings

1. Apple Sauce (homemade), Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Dash of Brown Sugar – A simple dessert like toast that can be enjoyed anytime of the day.
2. Peanut Butter, Nutella (or any chocolate spread) and Banana – This stick to your ribs favorite will get you going in the morning.
3. Butter, Strawberry Jam, Sharp Cheddar Cheese - Possibly one of my all time favorite…. i love the combination of cheese and homemade jam from Mom.
4. Bacon, Tomato, Cheddar Cheese - A quick BLT without the lettuce… you can add lettuce if you want but I prefer without.
5. Almond Butter, Honey and Granola - The sweet goodness really fills you up in the morning. great combination of flavors here.
6. Butter, Garlic, Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese - The old fashion garlic bread… can you really beat it. Serve this up with a big dish of Spaghetti
7. Tuna Salad, Celery, Havarti Cheese - A simple lunch that really fits the bill and is so delicious on a thick slice of multigrain bread in the toaster oven.
8. Butter and Poached Egg - The breakfast classic and oh so good with a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice or even a berry smoothie



9. Brie, Cranberry Sauce and Bacon – Killer snack and even great for parties on mini toasts.
10. Chicken Salad, Walnuts and Diced Granny Smith Apple - One of my favorite open faced sandwiches.

Zesty Tip: When cooking toast, always try and add the topping as soon as the toast is popped and at it’s hottest point.  Also if you are adding a fairly heavy topping, I like to brown the toast a little darker than normal to avoid the bread getting soggy.

So there you have it, my top ten toast toppings!  I am sure that there are hundreds of combinations out there, so let’s hear them.  This is a great opportunity for you to share your crazy toast toppings.  You just may realize that it is not that crazy after all.  Have a great Tuesday everybody.  Keep Smiling.

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Saturday past was slated as family day in the orchard! We had a blast. The weather was really nice, sun shining, birds chirping and apples a plenty. I don’t often attend the apple orchard events but I must say that I was impressed. The focus at this particular orchard were Cortland and McIntosh Apples. It was somewhat crowded in the parking aisles but the orchard was so big – it felt like you were picking by yourselves.  The following days will likely contain many more apple baked goodness and I may even try the apple crisp version from a while ago.

A quick shot in the orchard…

Just getting a closer look at all the apples in the tree… Can you tell that I don’t come to the orchard very often?

Checking out the Cortland up close…

The finished product… Not too mention we had 47 lb. in total we just threw some in a basket to make the picture look good!

When we got home from the orchard I wanted to whip up a quick snack for everyone and test out these apples (even though I knew they were tasty because i inhaled two at the orchard). I came up with some of my favorite ways to eat an apple besides the old fashion way of washing it off and chomping in.

Below are three quick ways to prepare apples that are usually fan favorites with the younger crowd:

1. Apple Peanut Butter

2. Apple Brown Sugar

3. Apple Chocolate

Thank you so much for reading about my apple orchard day.  Now because I am super curious about almost everything.  I want to know what everyone loves on their apples?

Happy Thanksgiving to all fellow Canadians!!  Enjoy the turkey!

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Yes you read the headline correct!

Ever since I was a little guy I have been making triple decker peanut butter sandwiches. Then I thought… well why don’t i share this love with all of you? So here I am… writing about my triple decker classic. Now I have adjusted the toppings over the years, flipping from jam, jelly, sliced fruit etc but then I came up with this combination that I just had to share.

Just like any good sandwich – it starts with the quality of the bread. I chose a homemade loaf of 100% whole wheat bread (thick sliced) from my favorite local bakery. I took out three slices of this floury goodness and proceeded to lay them in a row. Below is a list of what you will need to make this happen.

Ingredients

• Peanut Butter (I prefer smooth)
• Nutella
• 1 Granny Smith Apple
• 1 Banana

Method

Now as for the method… it is pretty straight forward.  The only thing i like to do is thinly slice the apple as well as the banana.  I also like to group the nutella and apple as well as the peanut butter and banana.  But I also add peanut butter to the middle piece as well.  An optional ingredient that I sometimes add as well is a drizzle of honey over the banana (for the extra sweet tooths out there).

Peanut Butter is a very versatile and popular ingredient in our house but I also have to let everyone know that if you want to know more about peanut butter and some excellent, creative and wild recipes you have to check the work out of Peanut Butter Boy.  This blog is amazing and is all about peanut butter.  He would be more than happy to see you.

I hope you enjoy the sandwich and I can’t wait to hear everyone’s feedback on other combinations that they have tried in the past.

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty