If you are like me you buy bananas and never quite get around to eating them all. I always have great intentions, but to be honest, when I notice the first brown spots starting to appear I throw the whole banana, peel and all, into the freezer for a future banana bread.
Recently I pulled open my freezer drawer and I found about 10 nicely brown frozen bananas inside. Since it is the middle of summer in AZ, baking was not really an option. So what else could I do with bananas? The reason I went into the freezer in the first place was to pull out a Popsicle for me and a "Frosty Treat" for my dog, Oliver. Did you know they make Popsicle-like treats for dogs? They do and Oliver loves them! Unfortunately they cost about $5 for four. Definitely a treat we don't buy all the time.
So it got me thinking - maybe I could make my own "Frosty Treats" for Oliver? After spending time on the Internet looking to see what types of base ingredients would be dog friendly I came up with this recipe. Then I had to be creative - what would I put his new treats in so he wouldn't make a big mess on the floor while he devoured them? I looked at my empty Greek Yyogurt container in the sink waiting it's daily washing and deliverance to the recycle bin and thought what a perfect size for frosty treats. I have found silicon cupcake liners are the perfect size as well. If you have a smaller dog, ice cube trays or small Styrofoam cups work well too!
1 large container yogurt, plain or vanilla
2-3 very ripe bananas (if frozen, thaw 1st)
2 T. peanut butter
2 T. honeyPlace all ingredients in a blender and mix well.
Arrange containers on cookie sheets and pour mixture into the container of choice based on the size of your dog. Freeze several hours.
Once frozen transfer to a Ziploc bag. When you want a treat for your dog, a healthy one is ready and waiting. As you can see, Oliver loves them!
Fortunately, Oliver is not a "plastics" chewer and leaves the container behind so I can reuse again. If your dog chews, you might want to pop the treat out and put in a separate dish. Oliver thought I should share his last batch of treats so I took one to my sister's dog, Bear. Bear wasn't too interested in the treat right away but her kitties loved the treat!
Bountiful Baskets
I went early this morning to pick up my pre-ordered organic Bountiful Basket, have you heard of them? This is what was in my basket this week.....
9 Bananas, 6 Peaches, 6 Red Plums, container of Strawberries, 1 Cantaloupe, 6 Roma Tomatoes, 3 small heads of Broccoli, Bunch of Kale, Bunch of Romaine Lettuce, 6 Ears of Corn and a container of mushrooms. If you don't have Bountiful Baskets in your area, check for local co-ops. It's a great and affordable way to incorporate fresh fruits and veggies into your diet. You typically have a choice of regular or organic produce. Here's the link to see if you have a site in your area Bountiful Baskets.
I will be eating well this week! What ideas do you have to use up bananas?
No comments:
Post a Comment