Banana Nut Bread

Banana Nut Bread

Vary the bread by the nuts used.  Pecans, walnuts, or macadamias complement bananas.

 



Macadamia-Banana Nut Bread


2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas mashed
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup nuts

Stir together dry ingredients.  Flour, baking soda and salt.
Beat eggs.
Mix together wet ingredients. Eggs, sugar, melted butter, mashed bananas, buttermilk and vanilla.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
Beat until smooth.
Stir in nuts.
Turn into a well-greased 8 1/2" by 4 1/2" by 2 1/2"  loaf pan.
Bake in moderate oven at 350 degrees about 70 minutes.
Cool bread before slicing.

Printable Recipe

 

Country Sausage Breakfast Patties

Country Sausage

• 2 1/2 pounds Boston butt pork roast
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup ice water

Cut pork into cubes.
Grind with coarse disk of meat grinder
Mix seasonings together.
Mix seasonings into ground pork with the ice water.
Grind with fine disk of meat grinder.

Tips:
Select roast with the most fat on it.
Keep the pork very cold while making the sausage. Work in batches, keeping the cubed pork in the freezer. 
The water helps to distribute the seasoning throughout the sausage.
Fry a small patty after mixing to check seasoning.

Printable Recipe

 

Work in small batch.  Grind pork with coarse disk.

Mix seasonings together.

Mix ground pork with seasonings and ice water.

Grind sausage with fine disk.

 

Second grind mixes seasonings and gives sausage the perfect texture.

Store in refrigerator or freeze for up to 3 months.

No Bake Cheesecake

No Bake Cheesecake

 

A light airy pie, you can make with little effort.

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•  8 ounce container of Cool Whip
• 1 graham cracker crust

Beat the cream cheese until smooth.
Gradually beat in sugar.
Blend in vanilla extract and sour cream.
Fold in Cool Whip.
Pour filling in graham cracker crust.
Chill at least 4 hours

Slice and top with favorite canned pie filling

Printable Recipe

Coconut Joys

Quick and easy confections.

 

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
• 3 cups flaked coconut
• 1/3 cup milk chocolate morsels

Mix melted butter, sugar, and coconut together.
Shape into 1 inch balls.
Chill until firm.
Melt chocolate.
Drizzle chilled coconut balls with chocolate.
Store in refrigerator.
Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

Printable Recipe

What you will need:

Confectioner's sugar, coconut, butter, and chocolate morsels.

 

 

Mix sugar, coconut, and butter together until well blended.

 

 

Roll in 1 inch balls.

 

 

Melt chocolate in zip-top bag in hot water.

 

 

 

Drizzle chocolate over candy.

 

 

Store in refrigerator.

 

 

 

 

 



Pepperidge Swiss Chicken Breasts

Pepperidge Swiss Chicken Breasts

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 4 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups Pepperidge Farm Cornbread Stuffing

Place chicken in baking dish.

Spread cream of chicken soup on chicken.

Sprinkle on shredded Swiss cheese.

Toss melted butter with stuffing.

Top casserole with buttered stuffing.

Cover and bake in pre-heated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Uncover and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes.

Printable Recipe

What you will need:

Chicken, cream of chicken soup, Swiss cheese, butter, and Pepperidge Farm Stuffing.

Layer chicken, soup, and shredded cheese.

Toss melted butter with stuffing.

Top with buttered stuffing.

I first had this dish at a friend's home.  Donna was  gracious enough to share the recipe with me.

Mississippi Mud Cake

Mississippi Mud Cake

A classic Southern sheet cake. It is a decadent dessert yet simple to make.

• 2 sticks butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 bag miniature marshmallows
• 1 recipe chocolate frosting

Melt butter and cocoa over medium heat.
Remove from heat and stir in sugar.
Add eggs and mix well.
Add flour, salt and vanilla, stirring well.
Pour into a greased and floured 13"x 9"x 2" pan.
Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
Test after 30 minutes for doneness.
As soon as cake is removed from oven, sprinkle top with marshmallows.
Spread with chocolate frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 pound confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 stick butter or margarine, soften
• 1/2 cup milk

Mix all ingredients together until smooth.

Printable Recipe

 

Top cake with marshmallows directly out of the oven.

 

 

Spread frosting over marshmallows.  Cool completely before serving.

 

 

 

Luscious chocolate, crunchy pecan, and gooey marshmallows

 

Spiced Pear Paste

Pear paste is ideal for adding to cheese platters. A great counterpoint to any cheese with a touch of acidity.  It is very refreshing and flavorful.

 

4 pounds pears
4 granny smith apples
1/2 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
2 lemons
5 cups sugar
1 box of powdered pectin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peel and core pears and apples.
Cook peels and cores in 1/2 cup of water until mushy.
Put in food mill and extract pulp.  Return to pot.
Place pears and apples in sauce pot with the pulp, Simmer until soft.
Place this mixture through food mill.  Return to pot.
Add the zest and juice of lemons.
Mix pectin and fruit and bring to rolling boil.  Boil 1 minute.
Add sugar all at one time, bring to rolling boil.  Boil 1 minute.
Pour fruit mixture into a heated crock pot.
Add cinnamon stick.
Cook on high 6 hours, stirring  every 30 minutes.
Stir in vanilla and remove cinnamon stick.
Ladle paste into sterile 4 ounce jelly jars.
Top with lids and bands and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Printable Recipe

What you will need:

Pears, apples, lemons, pectin, sugar, cinnamon stick, and vanilla

 

Use a food mill to extract pulp.  Do not use a food processor or blender.  It will breakdown the natural pectin in the fruit.

 

 

 

Warm crock pot before you pour the fruit into it.  Heat on high with water in it.   

 

Pears are a low pectin fruit.  Additional pectin is required to make them jell  Pear paste is a concentrated jam.  By using a crock pot it eliminates constant watching and stirring. Yield is about 6 pints.