Banana Sour Cream Bread

Story:

When I went to my friend Jamie T's house to get my hair done a few months ago, she said that she and her family had made some bread to share with my family. (Wasn't that such a sweet Jamie-like thing to do?) Well, I loved the bread. It was super good. So, you guessed it, I asked her for the recipe. She complied. She got it off of allrecipes.com - click here for the recipe off their site.

I never got around to making it until this week. You see, we've had a zillion snow days this winter here in Kentucky. Well, nine to be exact. But it's just funny, because if it snows at all, they call it a snow day and no school. Just like that. I'm not complaining. I get to sleep in and I get to spend a few more hours with my most loved ones... but it's just funny. Anyway, I had a LOAD of bananas, so I made a double batch of this yummy bread. **Note: unless you have a REALLY big bowl, do not attempt a double batch!** But I did, and I ended up with 6 (8"x4") loaves. One of the loaves made its way to our wonderful neighbors Greg and Judy. Greg and Judy's son, daughter-in-law, and new granddaughter are currently visiting them... The reason I tell you that, is because I got this email from Judy today:

Dear Colleen - there was nearly an all-out, old fashioned rumble at my house this morning over your banana bread. It's the best anyone of us has ever eaten. I had it hidden from Greg for a day, but he managed to smell it out and devour most of the rest and blame it on the dogs!!!!! Imagine that.

Anyway, at your leisure please share that recipe with me.

Thanks again, j

I laughed and laughed... and then decided to post the recipe here for the neighbors, as well as for my future reference.

Ingredients:

1/4 C white sugar

1 t ground cinnamon

3/4 C butter

3 C white sugar

3 eggs

6 very ripe bananas

1 (16 oz) container of sour cream

2 t vanilla

2 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t salt

3 t baking soda

4 1/2 C flour

(1C chopped walnuts - optional - I don't use)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Grease four 7x3 inch loaf pans.

In a small bowl, stir together the 1/4 C white sugar and 1 t cinnamon.

Dust the pans lightly with the cinnamon & sugar mixture.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and 3 C sugar. Mix in the eggs, the mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Mix in the salt, baking soda, and flour.

(Then stir in the nuts if you're using them.)

Divide into the prepared pans.

Bake for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

*Note: I used 3 8x4 inch pans and it had to bake longer...

Enjoy!

Skillet Lasagna

Story:

I'm in a "dinner group" with a few of my neighbors. There are 6 families all together. Each week 3 of the women prepare a meal (sometimes cooked, sometimes just all the ingredients for a specific recipe) for the other 5 families. The next week, the other 3 women prepare for all the families. We meet at a specified time every Tuesday to swap out. So every other week, I prepare a dinner for a total of 6 families (mine + the other 5), and I get 5 additional meals from my friends during those two weeks. Get it? It's really not as confusing as it sounds...

Anyway, this Skillet Lasagna recipe was the recipe that my friend Amy gave the ingredients for this week. It was super easy and really good. Megan loved it! I thought I'd post the recipe here, so I could refer to it again...

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (or Italian sausage)

1 jar spaghetti sauce (26 oz)

3 C (uncooked) pasta - Amy used a macaroni type

2 C mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions.

Cook ground beef in a big skillet until crumbled and cooked through. Drain off fat.

Pour the spaghetti sauce in with the meat in the skillet. Simmer 5 minutes.

Stir in the cooked noodles and 1 C of the cheese.

Then top with the remaining cheese. Cover and simmer for 5 more minutes, or until it is heated through and the cheese on top is melted.

Remove from heat and let stand for a minute or so before serving.

Easy as that! Enjoy!

Good Morning Oatmeal

Story:

No real story. I found this one somewhere when I was looking for crock pot breakfast recipes. Yes, I said crock pot breakfasts. You see, I grew up with healthy and substantial breakfasts. And while I love the idea of making a hearty breakfast for my kids, I am simply too tired and too muddle-headed in the mornings to do a very good job at it. So I went looking online for things I could do the night before...

I made this last night and Ben liked it so much that he found himself bragging about it to one of his patients at work today. He told her it was on the blog, which it wasn't, but, well, now it is. So here you go, Miss Patient-Whose-Name-I-Know-Not-Because-of-Confidentiality-Laws! Hope you like it too!!

Ingredients:

4 C milk

1/2 C brown sugar (maybe a little less, it was pretty sweet)

2 T butter, melted

1/2 t salt

1 t cinnamon

2 C regular oats

2 apples, diced

1 C raisins

Directions:

Spray nonstick cooking spray in the bottom of your slow cooker.

Then combine all ingredients and mix well.

Cook on low overnight (8-9 hours).

Stir before serving.

(Makes quite a bit... but Ben likes a big breakfast...)

EDIT:
I still like this... but it seems to burn in my crock pot every time and then I have to spend time scrubbing it out... Hmmm...

Rochelle's Pumpkin Cookies

Story:

Last week I sent out another one of those recipe exchange e-mails. I don't always do those... really. But I guess I was just in the mood that day. (Besides, I take the really easy way out and just send a link to this blog as "my recipe." ha!) Anyway, this is what my sister Rochelle writes back to me:

Hey Cokes,

I sent a recipe to [your friend], but I’m not forwarding to 20 of my friends. I just don’t do chain emails. ;-) Here’s the recipe… it’s yummy! Put it on your blog so I never lose it. ;-) I had to send it to Dale’s sister Sina recently, as she said she’s tried other Pumpkin Cookie recipes, but they’re never as good.

Love you!

-Ro

So... I haven't officially tried this recipe yet. And this is not showing any disrespect to the Pumpkin Cookies I have already posted on this blog. (I still love your pumpkin cookies, Kate!) But just because my sister asked me to, this recipe for "THE BEST PUMPKIN COOKIES EVER" is going here... just so Rochelle never loses it.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
Cream butter and sugar, then add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and mix well.
Mix in flour, cinnamon, baking powder and soda, and salt.
Bake 8-10 min at 350 degrees.

Vitamina

Story:

In his younger years, my dad served a mission in Brazil. Missions were 2 1/2 years then, so he had a lot of time to live, love, and serve there. He brought home with him lots of experiences to be shared throughout the rest of his life. One such "experience" was that of the VITAMINA. Since bananas and avocados grew in plenty in Brazil, he and his companions would make drinks that they would call "vitaminas." Bananas, avocados, ice cubes... whatever was in their apartment. In turn, I grew up on these. Growing up in San Diego, avocados were plentiful and fruit abounds.

Directions:

While I don't have a specific recipe to give you here, I want you to rest assured, that children don't mind green smoothies. In this vitamina, I think I used an avocado, a couple of bananas, ice, water, and some vanilla. Easy-peasy and so healthy-good. Sometimes I put in sugar or honey to sweeten. You can add whatever fruit is around, and we throw in yogurt all the time as well. But remember the avocado. They are so good for you.. and the fats help you to not get so hungry-so quickly after eating it...

Ciao!

Anniversary Chicken (or Teriyaki-Ranch Chicken)

Story:

My friend Erin L. is in a dinner group with a few other families. One day she was raving about some chicken that our friend Heather D. had made for the other families. So, you know me, I called Heather to get the recipe and this is what she gave me...

Ben asked me why this dish was called "Anniversary Chicken" ... I told him I didn't know, that's just what Heather called it. So he told me I should just call it Teriyaki-Ranch Chicken. Call it what you will, it tastes great!

Ingredients:

Chicken tenders (however many for your fam)

2/3 C teriyaki sauce

2/3 C ranch dressing

3 oz. crumbled bacon

1 1/3 C grated sharp cheddar cheese

4 green onions

Directions:

Brown and season the chicken tenders in a pan.

Put in a 9x13 baking dish.

Mix the sauces together and pour over the chicken.

Top with the cheese, bacon, and onions.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Notes:

Heather recommended using the jarred ranch dressing in the refrigerator section of the produce section. So that's what I've used to make it. I haven't tried the good ol' Hidden Valley kind yet, but I assume it would be just fine.

Veggie Ideas

I got a tip from a woman in my ward in South Ogden. She said that when she started making dinner, her teenagers would clamor in and start complaining of how hungry they were. So she started having a tray of fresh veggies in her fridge. And every evening, before she even started cooking, she would put the tray out on the kitchen table. If anyone went into the kitchen to snack or nibble, she had veggies there for them. Good idea, eh? I mean, I don't care how many vegetables my kids eat before dinner! Fresh veggies don't really count as "spoiling your dinner," y'know?

Anyway, I loved that advice. And I combined it with this little idea that I thought was cute... to put the veggies in a cupcake tin. (I think it was in Family Fun magazine a few years ago.) I tried it yesterday... I just left out a little veggie "display" on the counter and every time the kids (or I) would wander to the kitchen looking for a snack, we'd pick up a cucumber... or some sugar snap peas... or some carrots. It was kind of fun.

Just an idea for the day.

White Chili

Story:

A friend in South Ogden, Jessica H., gave me this recipe years ago. I found it in my binder and tried it just recently. It was super good! I made it again last night and it was even better than I remembered. My kids don't love the butter beans, but they didn't really complain about 'em either. Ben and I loved it.

Ingredients:

1 T vegetable oil

1 C chopped onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 C chicken broth

2 T chopped fresh cilantro OR 1/2 t ground coriander

2 T lime juice

1/2 t dried oregano

1/4 t red pepper sauce

1/4 t salt

1 can (11 oz) white shoepeg corn, drained

1 can (15-16 oz) great northern beans, drained

1 can (15-16 oz) butter beans, drained

2 C chicken breast, cooked & chopped

And garnishes: (whichever of these look good to you...)

crushed tortilla chips,

shredded cheese,

diced tomatoes,

chopped green onions,

sliced avocados,

chopped cilantro

& sour cream.

Directions:

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.

Cook onions and garlic, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender.

Stir in remaining ingredients, except the chicken.

Heat to boiling, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

Stir in chicken. Simmer until hot.

Serve with:

crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, chopped green onions, sliced avocados, chopped cilantro, & sour cream.

Notes:

It tastes great without the garnishes, but they make it a lot better. I didn't use the cilantro or sour cream last night, and it was still good. My top picks for garnishes, though, would be the chips, the cheese and the tomatoes.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Story:

I don't know. I think one day I had some bananas going bad and I just went online to find a good recipe for banana muffins. This one works beautifully every time. Now Megan is even mastering them and she can make them (pretty much) all on her own! And you know that's a nice day for mom!

Ingredients:

4 large bananas, mashed

½ C sugar

1 egg, beaten

1/3 C melted butter (or margarine)

1 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

½ t salt

1 ½ C flour

¾ C chocolate chips

Directions:

Mix the mashed bananas, sugar, egg, and butter together. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients together.

Pour into greased/lined muffin tins.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Makes 12-16 muffins. (We usually get 15.)

Kari's Quiche

Story:

My friend Kari invited me over for a little lunch with our friend Kristine. Kari always serves up tasty things, which she always claims are "so easy." She made this quiche which I loved... and because she said it was "so easy," I had to get the recipe and give it a try. She was right, it wasn't too hard, though you have to plan ahead a little because it bakes for about 40 minutes. I made this when I was kind of in a cooking slump, and I especially liked having something different than my good old standbys.

Ingredients:

1 C sour cream

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 t onion salt

1 pkg frozen veggies (chopped broccoli, spinach, etc.) - thawed & drained

1 C cooked and chopped ham or bacon

1/2 C green onions

1 1/2 C cheddar cheese

1 1/2 C swiss or jack cheese

[1 pie shell - or make your own]

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Make a pie shell (or just use a pre-made one).

Prick the bottom and bake about 5-8 minutes.

Mix all the ingredients together and pour into the pie shell.

Top with nuts, if desired.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until brown.

Let set for 5 minutes before cutting.

Notes:

It looks like there are lots of ways to vary it... I've only tried spinach and ham so far, and that was pretty good. Kids didn't love it the first time, but for some reason, they did the second time! Ben and I especially loved it with salsa! Yum.