I was looking for a simple dessert recipe for a friend that has been under the weather and I came across this simple cookie recipe on Pinterest. This recipe makes about two dozen very tasty cookies. I sent some over to my friend and brought the rest to our daughter the next day and she and Steve (her better half) really enjoyed them! We enjoyed these so much that I am making another batch later today!
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon corn starch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 ripe banana’s, peeled
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
DIRECTIONS
Whisk together flour, baking soda, corn starch, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Cream together butter, bananas and sugars until light and fluffy. Add vanilla to the butter mixture and combine. Slowly stir in the flour mixture a little at a time. Add the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips and stir to combine.
Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray two baking sheets and using a cookie scoop or a spoon, dollop a couple tablespoons of dough onto the cookie sheets and bake 8 – 10 minutes until lightly golden brown on the bottom. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple minutes on the baking sheet. Remove cookies to a cooling rack and let cool. Or serve warm with a cold glass of milk!
Enjoy!
For all of my local friends, have you tried the new restaurant in the mill building (where Kelly’s Row used to be )The Falls Grill & Tavern? It has been open for a few months now and Jim and I finally had some time to check it out!
Jim and I went in on a Saturday afternoon for a late lunch although we were not super hungry we were looking for a solid snack to hold us over for the afternoon and this seemed like the perfect time to try! When we arrived there were about a dozen or so people enjoying their lunch, we were greeted and seated promptly with menus in hand.
The menu has a wide array of choices. From your typical bar food to some more healthy choices so that was great to see. They also have a children’s menu if you’re downtown with the kiddo’s!
I chose the small Teriyaki Chicken Salad ($7.99) with Teriyaki chicken, greens, oranges, carrots, green peppers and crunchy chow mein noodles. This comes with Sesame Ginger dressing. Jim ordered the Fenway Wrap ($8.99) and a side salad. The wrap was made with charbroiled chicken, lettuce, tomato, bacon, cheddar and ranch on a flour tortilla.
My salad was very good and just what I had expected. Although I ordered the small I was still not able to finish it, as the portion size is clearly “pretty big”! I really enjoyed this salad with all of the fruit and veggies. I’m also a sucker for those crispy chow mien noodles. I should also mention the salad greens were crisp and fresh! Excellent !
Jim also enjoyed his wrap. There was no skimping with ingredients here, plenty of chicken and veggies! This was a very well proportioned wrap with fresh ingredients and one that Jim would order again!
The service and food were both terrific and will definitely bring us back, but next time we go I will make sure to be hungry and also ready for a dessert! I have to tell you alot more about their specials and menu as there is so much to tell! The Falls Grill & Tavern is also open daily with a jazz breakfast on Sunday’s! I know I would love to check that out and when I do I will let you know! Although much of their menu is pub fare they specialize in Atlantic seafood and choice hand cut steaks.
Their appetizers range in price from $6.00 to $11.00 with lots of choices including a hummus and veggie plate, I mentioned healthier choices right?! They also have your typical nacho’s, chicken wings, potato skins and something a little different like their Oriental Spring Rolls served with a spicy sweet and sour dipping sauce.
I told you about my salad but how about a Spinach Beet Salad or a Southern Fried Chicken Salad. You can also make your own salad or have a Caesar or Greek salad! Salads range in price from $5.00-$12.00. Maybe you would like a soup with that salad? Maybe a Clam Chowder or a French Onion soup?
Jim’s wrap was terrific but they have a large variety of panini’s, sandwiches and wraps to choose from. Everything from a Cuban sandwich, philly steak, turkey florentine or maybe you would like a Ruben? If those don’t excite you maybe a Turkey Avocado BLT is what your looking for? Fried haddock, fish taco’s and veggie wraps can also be had!
I also have to mention the wide variety of sides! So many to choose from with prices ranging from $2.80 to $6.99. They have your typical fries and sweet potato fries, but I love the option of crispy onion straws! IF you want a healthy alternative you can also get grilled veggie skewers! I am loving the choices but there are a couple sides that you might not expect like the Cajun Corn or the Curry Fries with Peanut Sauce.
One of Jim’s favorite things to order is a burger, so anywhere we go we always check out the burger choices. If Jim orders one or not, today was no different! I have to say I really enjoyed the variety here too. Not only can you order a beef or chicken burger but you can also get a homemade vegan black bean burger too! Lots of great toppings and specials here too! I should also mention Tuesday night is $5.00 burger night. I am sure we will be stopping by on a Tuesday sooner than later!
I mentioned that they specialize in Atlantic seafood (price ranges $13.99 to $21.99) well again, great choices with sea scallops, haddock, salmon and shrimp to just name a few choices. They have fried dinner as well as a captains platter if you’re really hungry!
And because they also specialize in steak, I must mention that their steaks come from the midwest and are grain fed, then flame grilled and served with two sides just for you! Steaks range in price. From $10.99 to $21.99, everything from a barrel cut filet mignon, rib eye to a prime rib!
If you’re still hungry after all that they have dessert too! They have one of my all time favorite desserts a Brownie Sundae, along with an Apple Streusel Pie and a Creme Brûlee.
There is sooo much to choose from here and from the small glimpse we had at lunch I am sure you will not be disappointed with anything you get here! Great food and service will bring us back! Check out their website at https://thefallsgrillandtavern.com/ for daily specials and LIKE them on Facebook !
Enjoy!
I don’t cook a lot of fish as that is something I usually order for dinner out. After spending two weeks in the Florida Keys and eating the most incredible seafood, I knew it was time for me to cook a little more with it, not to mention it is very good for you as well! This was a great recipe to start with as it is very simple and has a nice flavor and a great crisp from the Panko.
If you are new to cooking fish this is a great recipe to start with!
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds cod (haddock would be good as well)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup panko crumbs
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the fillets into serving size pieces. Melt butter in a saucepan or in the microwave, add the lemon juice to the melted butter. In another medium bowl combine flour, panko, salt and Pepper. Dip each piece of fish into the lemon butter, mix then into the panko mix coating each piece of fish on both sides. Place coated fish into an untreated baking dish, drizzle with remaining butter mix and bake uncovered 25-30 minutes. Fish should flake easily with a fork when done. Drizzle with a wedge of lemon and serve warm.
Enjoy!
Spring has arrived and so are all of the fresh vegetables! Vegetables may not be my most favorite thing to eat but when they are roasted and have some Parmesan cheese they fall right into my favorite category! These may not be your crispy fried green beans but they are very tasty even your kids will be munching on these! Jim and I both found ourselves eating these right from the pan as they came out of the oven!
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced Garlic
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
12 ounces fresh green beans
1/2 cup grated Parmesean Cheese
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl whisk the oil, garlic, egg and salt together. Toss the green beans in and mix well coating all of the beans. Sprinkle the green beans with the cheese and gently toss making sure you have a nice coating of cheese. Place beans on a greased baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Stir and turn the oven to broil and broil for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally and let the beans turn slightly brown and the cheese lightly crisp!
Remove from oven and serve warm.
Enjoy!
This recipe has been slightly adapted from www.sugerfreemom.com
This is another Florida Keys restaurant review and one that you don’t want to miss if you are in the area or plan to visit the area in the future! Marker 88 is located at 88000 Overseas Highway in Islamorada, Florida. We went here when we were staying in Key Largo. Marker 88 is open for lunch and dinner and I know anytime you go you will enjoy it. I would highly recommend making reservations in the evening during the sunset time.
Marker 88 is located on the water with an amazing outside dining area with a dock area that is perfect to view the amazing sunsets. They have some really fun seating near the water that is basically a large four person covered picnic table and benches…but they are on a rocker! Not only are you next to the water but sitting there would make you feel like you are on the water! We were not seated there, we were actually directly next to the water with the most awesome sunset view I could possibly imagine. Did I mention they also have live music as well? Yup! Within the first couple of minutes I was in awe at the atmosphere and the beauty of this place. It is just incredible!
We were greeted and seated very quickly and had a plate of assorted warm bread and an oil and herb mixture for dipping. This was really good. The herb mixture had a ton of flavor, lots of fresh herbs and garlic! Great way to start! We decided on the crispy crab roll ($14.00) for an appetizer. This was not totally what I was expecting. It was definitely a little outside of the box as it was a seaweed roll with rice,crab and avocado with a sweet and spicy sauce! This was really good, crispy outside, full of rice, and the sweet crab on the inside with a bit of creamy avocado. My friend Rosalie and I both agreed this was excellent and we would both order this again!
For dinner I had one of the specials of the night, Bacon Encrusted Scallops with Mashed Potatoes. Rosalie ordered the Key Lime Seafood Penne. And, as these were not enough we also ordered a side of Thai green beans!
Rosalie’s dish was just amazing. Penne pasta with lobster, shrimp, and blue crab sautéed in key lime tobacco butter with tomatoes and scallions! ($36.00) This dish was delicious and one of the best seafood dishes I have ever had. The key lime tobasco butter was a little spicy but filled with the sweetest most tender seafood you can imagine…then fresh sweet tomatoes! Absolutely delicious. The portion size was huge!
My bacon encrusted scallops were cooked to perfection! The bacon was crispy and the scallops were so juicy and tender. Sweet and salty all in one bite. Another amazing dish. This came with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. The potatoes were also done to just right, creamy and full of garlic flavor!
I mentioned we ordered the Thai Green Beans ($5.00), this was a terrific side dish, the green beans were fresh,crispy and lots of flavor with the Thai sauce on top! And the portion size for each dish? The portions were big, much more than either Rosalie or I could eat at one time. We of course did not mind that one bit as we both knew what our lunch the next day was going to be! And in case your wondering it was all delicious the second time around!!
Marker 88 has a great variety of menu items. All of them are loaded with flavor. Certainly lots of seafood items as you would expect but plenty for the burger, steak eaters too!
Their appetizers range in price from $12.00 to $17.00 dollars but with choices like the Blue Crab Dip, Oyster’s Rockefeller, Lobster Mango Guacamole or a Tomato Goat Cheese Flat Bread. Knowing the portion sizes I think it is well worth it!
If you’re looking for something a little smaller or lighter they have soups and salads to choose from as well. Including a Conch Chowder and Lobster Bisque or how about an Alligator Reef Salad, a Sesame Seared Tuna Salad or an Island Tropical Salad with Tropical Fruits, Walnuts and Toasted Coconut ! They also have a house and Caesar salad as well! Salads range in price from $6.00 to $18.00
Plenty of sandwiches and burgers to pick from. How about a Cheeseburger in Paradise? This is the place for that! Maybe a Cuban Sandwich or a Grilled Chicken Avocado Club and of course a Crab Cake Sandwich. All of these options range in price from $13.00 to $19.00.
The entree’s are certainly a little more expensive but for the amount and the quality you are getting it is well worth the cost! I have told you about what our entrees were but they also have much more to pick from. They have a Captain’s Platter with Lobster, Mahi Mahi and Shrimp, Filet Mignon, Double Cut Pork Chops or maybe a Mangrove Honey and Chipotle Bone in Ribeye! The entrees range from $26.00 to market price on the seafood items.
Are you still hungry? They have desserts too! They have the Key Lime Baked Alaska, Molten Chocolate Cake or how about a White Chocolate Creme Brûlée? We were so stuffed we did not try the dessert but I have no doubt that the desserts are just as good as everything else they offer!
This restaurant was hands down the best restaurant I have ever been to. The location, service, and the quality of food was just the best EVER! This restaurant is the whole package! The night we went the weather was just perfect, the sunset was brilliant and each course we were served was better and better. The service was prompt, not only by our server but by the management as well. If you find yourself in the keys, do yourself a favor and go to Marker 88. I am looking forward to another trip to Key Largo!
Enjoy!
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