Banana Bread good and simple

Don’t you love banana bread? And a simple delicious recipe makes it that much more tasty! I made this for my sister recuperating from her second knee replacement surgery so she can have a slice with a slather of cream cheese smeared on it for her breakfast or snack or whenever she has a hankering! This recipe is easily adaptive to flavors you would like to add for your tastes! Let us know what you put in your banana bread and inspire us all!

Banana Bread
1/2 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs. Lightly beaten
4 ripe bananas, mushed
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (I use kosher)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Cream butter and sugar until blended. Add eggs and crushed bananas and combine. In a separate bowl blend the flour, baking soda and salt, stirring to combine and add to the banana mixture; add vanilla and combine. Pour in a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
This recipe keeps well in the refrigerator.

Try adding chopped walnuts or pecans, a pinch of cinnamon, or some flaked coconut or a combination of any of these! Even a bit of crushed pineapple would be good but I would drain it.
Happy baking!

Breakfast or for snack- just make it

Oh my – this bread. This wonderful delightful bread. Peanut Butter Bread. Toast it and slather it with more peanut butter – or Nuttella spread – or more peanut butter! Or plain, good old jelly or jam! It’s like eating a PBJ piece of toast! It is good just by itself. Trust me on this …. it is why I am getting it out of the house!!

Peanut Butter Bread
1 cup milk (any kind will work – fat free, regular, 2%)
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter (I used creamy not the kind with nuts)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 3/4 cups plain flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put milk, eggs, sugar and peanut butter in a mixer bowl (or you can use your blender if you have a good one for this) and mix until blended (if using a blender put on “batters” setting-since mine is 30+ years old I am sure mine does not have a “batters” setting!).

In another bowl, stir flour, baking powder and salt together. Add to mixing bowl with peanut butter mixture (or blender if using it) and mix until combined. (on blender, pulse a few times until combined).

Pour batter (will be somewhat thick) into a prepared 9×5 inch loaf pan.

Look how pretty that batter is! And the smell is so incredible – even before baking.

Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Mine took exactly 50 minutes.

I just can’t tell you how good this is. Hope you try it soon.

Biscuit Bliss

Well I made more biscuits this weekend – and they turned out oh so good.   More on that recipe comes later.

This recipe has been seen all over pinterest, other blogs, just about everywhere.   If you haven’t made them, you need to because once you do, you may never turn back to any other biscuit recipe again.   Just make a pan and see what I mean.

 

7-up Biscuits

2 cups Bisquick Mix

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup 7-up

1/4 cup melted butter (salted or unsalted – doesn’t matter)

 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Pour melted butter in a 9″ square pan. Cut sour cream into bisquick mix.  Add 7-Up and stir to combine.  Dough will be a soft, sticky dough.  Sprinkle counter with Bisquick and dump dough on to counter.  Sprinkle top of dough with small amount of mix in order to knead dough.  Pat out dough to 3/4 inch thick and cut with biscuit cutter or cut into squares and place in pan with melted butter.   Place in oven and bake approx. 15 minutes or until golden.

 Makes about 9 – this recipe easily doubles if you need to make more.

 

These fluff up so pretty and are so incredibly good.  So if you have made them, let me know how you like them.  If you haven’t, make some and come back and tell us how yours turned out.   Have a great week!

 

I can’t believe you ate the whole pack!

If you make these – they will eat the whole pack…and if they don’t, you will.   Man, these were good.   Hubby especially liked these for some reason.   I can;t make these too often, as I believe he would eat the whole pan right by himself.   I hope those of you who live up north have Sister Schubert Rolls, and if not, find some that are close to these.     

These Italian seasoned garlic buttered tops  with sprinkled on Parmesan cheese were so good – and by slicing the rolls with a knife in half ( just take a small knife and go around the pan and slice the rolls in half – you want to be able to just pinch off a piece of a roll – like monkey bread) you get a “sliva” of a piece of heaven.  Yep – that good.  But if you want, just leave them like they are for a larger portion.  We liked the smaller “bite size” portions, though.  

Go get you some Sister Schubert Rolls – and make my take on these –

Italian Seasoned Parmesan pull apart rolls

 1 package of Sister Schubert Rolls, thawed

1 stick butter, softened

2 tsp Italian seasoning (or any combination or brand of Italian seasoning mix you prefer-or blend your own)

1/2 to 1 tsp garlic powder (your preference as to how much – some like more than others)

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (I used the kind you find on the Italian aisle as that is the kind I had – the kind you sprinkle on pizza-but you can use fresh grated if you want)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Blend softened butter, Italian seasoning blend garlic powder and pinch of salt in small bowl.   Spread this delicious mixture over top of rolls, making sure to cover all.   Sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.   Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the rolls are golden around the outside.  

Enjoy!

Mini-Cinnis or Cinni-Minis – Good no matter what you call them

A tradition started by our oldest grandson’s graduation from high school, our family gathers sometime in May to celebrate the graduating senior’s accomplishments and wish him/her well as he/she departs into their next grown-up (or almost grown-up) steps of life – wherever it is taking them.

This year Grandchild #4 graduates high school and as tradition has it, we are gathering again.  This time, we are changing up a bit and having a Graduation Brunch for the family!  What fun, and what food!   We also hope it accommodates one graduating senior with her work schedule! HA! Got to make that money!

One item we will be serving is quite simple and quite delicious – these cini minis – or mini-cinis, whichever you prefer to call them.  And when they use refrigerated crescent rolls, you can’t get any easier than that.  Make some at your house and they will vanish – just like they will at our shindig.

Now the recipe is certainly a guide – add-subtract on any of the amounts below – make this your recipe with more or less of the flavors you like!  I have asked one of the kiddos to bring this for me to the shindig and she will certainly make the recipe how she sees fit!  And it will be awesome.

Cinni-Minis (or Mini-Cinnis) – you pick the name!

(double for a crowd!)

2 (8-ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

¼ cup chopped pecans

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp milk or half and half

¼ teaspoon almond or vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Unroll crescent rolls and at this point you can either keep it in one long roll and pinch seams together, or if you work better with smaller portions, separate into 4 rectangles and press diagonal perforations to seal.  

Stir together butter and next 4 ingredients; spread evenly over 1 side of each rectangle.  Roll up jellyroll fashion, starting at long end.  Gently cut eachlog into 1-inch thick slices (makes about 6) using a serrated knife.   Place rolls, ¼ inch apart, into 2 (8-9nch) greased cake pans.  Bake at 375 degrees preheated oven, for 5-18 minutes or until golden.  Stir together the powdered sugar and remaining ingredients.  Once the rolls have cooled for about 5 to 10 minutes, drizzle over warm rolls.   – If you like more icing, just make more and coat those babies!   Eat and enjoy!

Brian’s Bread

Hey Brian….wherever you are.   

Brian was a dear friend of one of our girls.  He, surprisingly, shared some awesome recipes.  While in high school.  And are we glad he did.   Man, oh, man, the number of times we have made Brian’s Bread.   And man, oh, man, the number of times I have made it at work.  (in case you haven’t noticed, we eat at work a lot!) 

For those of you who may have this recipe, this will be a great reminder to pull your recipe out and make it again.  It may have been a while since you have done so.   And for those poor souls who have not ever made, or have never had, Brian’s Bread, rush to the store, get the ingredients, and make it.   Serve it with steak.  Serve it with chicken.  Serve it when you grill outside.   Serve it with bbq.  Eat it all by itself!  Just give it a try.   And it will soon become a favorite of yours, too.

Brian’s Bread – (shared knowing Brian would be proud to know so many are liking his recipe!)

2 loaves of French/Italian bread 

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

2/3 cup chopped black olives

6 green onions, chopped fine

1 Tsp garlic powder

Mix all ingredients. Spread on two loaves of French/Italian Bread.  Bake at 400 degrees for approx. 15 minutes.

(my notes: Slice your french/italian bread long way in half – divide mix in half between the two loaves and place in loaves, spreading evenly over loaf.  We like to go ahead and slice our loaf then almost all the way through in slices – and then we like to wrap each loaf in foil – then place in oven – YUM)

Variation:  Stuff hard rolls with about 3 rounded teaspoonfuls and place in pan covered with aluminum foil.  

 

On another note:   Look for a Thursday Flash Giveaway!   In other words, some cute little items I saw, of all places, in our Family Christian Book Store…for the kitchen! Ain’t that precious?  And you will like them!  Thursday Flash will go quick!  Sign up Thursday – they are gone and won Friday!  

 

Guess what day it is?????   Hump Day! woot woot!   Half way through the week!  Have a great rest of the week!

 

 

 

Can you stand one more biscuit recipe?

I had to try this biscuit recipe from my favorite cookbook—– it contains two of my favorite ingredients-crushed red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese.  And we were not disappointed.   They were so good, and so flakey.The said it would be good with country ham.  Since I don’t eat country ham, I served it with a big bowl of soup.   What a great substitute for crackers!   Make these and see what you think.

Cheese Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable shortening (the Crisco kind – yes, I know……enough said)

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I actually added more for more heat-I mean, 1/4 tsp just wasn’t enough for me!!!) 

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan (I like to grease mine by just melting about 2 -3 tbsp butter in the pan).  In a large bowl, sift the flour, salt, and baking powder.   Cut in the shortening just until the mixture resembles small peas.  Stir in the cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.   Add the milk, stirring well to make a soft dough.  Knead slightly.  Roll or pat the dough to 1/2 inch thickness (I may pat mine to 3/4 inch next time) and cut with biscuit cutter or just cut into square biscuit shapes (like I did) and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.   I did let mine bake for about 14 minutes.  I think it will depend on your oven.

How good do these look?    I hope you will try these and like them as well as we did.   I may even play around with the recipe and exchange the red pepper flakes for ground cayenne pepper.  Yum!

Fried Cornbread and Blenders….huh???

I made fried cornbread two nights ago to go with our homemade vegetable beef soup (mine had turkey!).  Man was it good.   I also found out that I think my blender is going out on me.  I have only had it like, 20-25 years.  You think it would last longer than that. GEEZ! Don’t they make anything to last anymore?   The blender issue has nothing to do with the fried cornbread.  Anyone have a favorite blender they like?   I am on the hunt!!!!!!

Now…..for this fried cornbread.  I have always made mine with two ingredients.   Self-rising cornmeal and very hot water from the faucet.  That is all.   I have seen so many recipes using boiling water and tried it a while back and don’t like it as well. The consistency is different.  So this time, back to my regular, good old, recipe.  But this time, I added one more thingy….some chopped jalapeno peppers – the kind from the jar.   Man, did it kick it to another level!   YUM-O!

AND….. I sliced off a “pat of buttah” and added to the skillet with each new batch – I think it gave them a great crispiness and added another level of flavor……(sorry – the lighting above my stove is not the best…if I would remember to turn the overhead light on it may help….)

what do you think???  You can see those jalapenos in there!   Sure was good with that homemade soup(s).

 

NOW – back to the blender – I will be looking at getting one in the next few months – do you have a new, spiffy updated one? Or are you in need of one, also?    Let me know what you think a good one is…as you can see, I have not shopped for a blender in quite some time.  Have a good day!

Pecan pie in a muffin

No, i didn’t take a picture of these either……. I know, I must get better.  I really did mean to take a picture but as soon as they cooled, hubby had snapped them up and put them in containers….I think he had divided them out as to how he wanted to eat them each morning! HA!   Mainly because I made a little switcherooo in these and used the Splenda Brown Sugar instead of regular brown sugar so he could have them.

I don’t know why I worry about that because lately he has been sitting cupcake mixes on the counter and said, “here make these and leave off the icing…I like them for breakfast”.  So I have tried to help the cause by making healthy!  And you know what, these were just as good, just as decadent and you couldn’t tell the difference.    Splenda Brown sugar rocks!

These only make 8 really nice sized muffins, but I will tell you that using Splenda Brown Sugar does not allow the muffins to “rise” in the middle and get that little “Poof” to the center.   You know what I’m talking about.   But it won’t matter cause even the small “poof” you get is just fine.   The flavor, oh, the flavor……. just make them!  I have seen several variations, and this, by far, is the easiest, least ingredients, and so dadgum good.

Pecan Pie Muffins

1 cup Packed light Brown Sugar (remember – I used Splenda Brown Sugar – same quantity)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped pecans

2/3 cup softened butter

2 whole eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease your muffin pan. In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour, and pecans.   In a separate bowl, beat the butter and eggs together until smooth.  Stir into the dry ingredients just until combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.  They will be about 2/3 to 3/4 full.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven.  Cool on wire racks when done.

And if you want something really good, when they come out of the oven, slice off a “pat of buttuh” and place on top of one of them and eat it warm!  Oh, my.   Change this up  – use walnuts instead of pecans, or toasted almonds.   I just may add some mini chocolate chips next time!  Just for me!  

Enjoy!

Sausage & Cheese Bread – mmmm mmmmm good

We ate in our Sunday School Class room this past Sunday.  Who would have thunk it??? Especially so close after Thanksgiving!  But we combined our November and December birthdays and had a party!  We old-timers know how to party.  And since I had seen this floating around on the net I wanted to try it.  But I kicked mine up a notch….you know, get us old geezers going….no Geritol for our class….just make a recipe and substitute with some hot sausage and you got it made!

this is so much easier than making individual sausage balls, and to me, is so much more moister.  Try it and see what you think.  Serve with your favorite soup, Make it for Breakfast,  Eat it for tailgating or a brunch. Or have it with a spot of tea. The possibilities are endless.  Our Sunday School teacher was pulling people out of the hallways to come and get a taste! He’s a character, anyway!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and also hope you will give this a try!

Sausage & Cheese Bread

1 lb pork sausage (I bought the hot sausage – the class loved it!)

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (use the grated kind in the cheese section – or grate fresh – so much better)

1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon Texas Pete Hot sauce (I still used this for flavor in mine even though I used hot sausage)

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash of red pepper flakes (I left this out with the hot sausage for this class – I would use it if I use regular sausage, though)

2 cups Bisquick baking mix

2/3 cup milk

1/4 cup mayonnaise (I know some don’t care for mayonnaise but you can’t tell it is in here – it is for moisture – use it – you won’t be able to tell it’s in the recipe – I promise!)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Coat a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. (I actually used two small loaf pans and have frozen one of my loafs! yea me!)

Crumble sausage into a skillet of choice and cook with chopped onions until brown.  Drain on paper towels and cool.

In a large bowl, combine egg, cheeses, hot sauce, salt and red pepper flakes;  mix well.  

Add baking mix, milk, and mayonnaise.   Stir.

To the mixture, add the sausage and onions.  Mix just until combined.  

Pour into loaf pan(s) and bake for 45 to 50 minutes (may take only about 40 minutes if you use smaller loaf pans).

Let rest in pan for 10 minutes.  Turn out to plate, slice and serve.

 

Let me know how you enjoy! And, oh, by the way……..watch the blog as there will be some quick give-a-ways for Christmas.  Get ready!