Banana Bread

I took some actions shots last night in the rain! These girls are unreal! you would really enjoy watching them play! I am loving my camera! I was across the field and had the best shots! Thanks you Husband for the perfect anniversary gift!!! I love you!!!







I have some extra bananas in the freezer I plan to pull out and make this bread! It is so good in the mornings with a cup of coffee!!! ENJOY!

SIMPLE Banana Bread
2 tsp. butter
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 ripe bananas, mashed
½ tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. milk
Confectioner’s sugar (for dusting)
Preheat oven to 350°. Stir flour, soda, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside. Combine oil and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in eggs, banana, vanilla, and milk. Add flour mixture and blend until just combined. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake until toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry – about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes and transfer to wire rack. Wrap with plastic wrap and/or foil and refrigerate or freeze. May dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

Slow Cooking Thursday

Check out this site for more Slow Cooking Thursday recipes!

Slow-Cooker Barbecue Beef Sandwiches
This is a favorite from Southern Living Magazine!!!
15 minutes to prepare and 7 hours to cook.
I serve with Marzetti coleslaw.
Freeze any leftover meat for up to 1 month.

Ingredients
1 (3 1/2-pound) eye-of-round roast, cut in half vertically
2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (10-ounce) can condensed beef broth
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons steak sauce
1 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
12 Kaiser rolls or sandwich buns
Dill pickle slices

Preparation
Sprinkle beef evenly with 1 teaspoon salt.
Stir together remaining 1 teaspoon salt, garlic, and next 7 ingredients. Pour half of mixture into a 5 1/2-quart slow cooker. Place beef in slow cooker, and pour remaining mixture over beef.

Cover and cook on HIGH 7 hours.
Shred beef in slow cooker with two forks.
Serve in rolls or buns with dill pickles and slaw!
Makes 12 servings

EASY Breakfast Casserole

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup croutons
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
4 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup cooked ham, cubed
DIRECTIONS
Melt butter in an 8x8 inch glass baking dish or small casserole dish. Add croutons and toss to coat. Sprinkle cheese on top of croutons. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk and dry mustard. Pour egg mixture over croutons and cheese. Sprinkle on cubed ham. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Let casserole stand at room temperature while oven heats.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, until eggs are set. Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting. Can also be frozen and microwaved later.

Fugi Salad

Did you ever think you would see Ramen noodles again after college??? This is a wonderful salad! I get rave reviews everytime I serve it!

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup blanched slivered almonds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 medium head cabbage, chopped
8 green onion, chopped
2 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt

DIRECTIONS
In a skillet over low heat, melt the butter or margarine; add the almonds and sesame seeds. Cook until lightly toasted.
In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, onions, almonds, sesame seeds and broken uncooked ramen noodles.
Wisk together the oil, sugar, vinegar, pepper and salt. Pour over salad, toss, and serve immediately.
If you are taking this to a party do not pour the dressing until you are about to serve it! It will get soggy.

Dinner Tonight

Today is the first morning it has felt like Fall here in the South! I woke up wanting something good for dinner tonight! We have a book report and academic team to study for tonight and I thought of the perfect recipe! I thought I'd share...

5 1/2 lb. beef chuck roast**, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 oz. bacon, cut into small dice
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 carrots, peeled and cut
1/2 lb. new potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Cup cooking wine
2 cups beef stock or 1 can beef consume
Buttered parsleyed noodles

Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes per batch. Transfer the beef to a large bowl.

Reduce the heat to medium and warm the olive oil. Add the onions and carrots and sauté until almost softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and bay leaves and sauté for about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook until lightly colored, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Add the stock, and the reserved bacon and bring to a simmer. Return beef and veggie and broth to crock pot. Simmer until the meat is tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Remove the bay leaves and discard. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the stew over buttered parsleyed noodles. Serves 8 to 10.

**Beef chuck, from the shoulder, because of its marbling of intra-muscular fat, is the choice for any type of stew. If you can't find chuck cubed for stew in your meat department, buy a thick chuck steak and cut it into 2-inch cubes

Delicious Grape Salad

I have been walking in the mornings after I drop the children off at school with Apple Dumplin' and Saggy Boobs. They call me Chunky Butt and that's okay since I am very competitive and goal-oriented. This clearly defines my target areas!
Having said that, I thought I would share this sinfully delicious recipe with you! My other MIL made this the other Sunday when we went over there for lunch!!!!

GRAPE SALAD
4 lbs green and red seedless grapes spread into a 9x13 dish. You can cut them, but she served them whole.
Dressing:
8 oz. cream cheese softened
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Topping:
1 c. sugar in the raw (you can use brown sugar or brownulated sugar)
1 c. chopped nuts; pecans or walnuts are best.
Mix all of the dressing ingredients until smooth and spread over grapes. You can have as many layers as you want. Sprinkle topping ingredients over all. Very easy and very, very good.


{photo from flickr}

Southern Favorite - Poppyseed Chicken

It always blows my mind when people have never heard of this recipe. This is a staple at our house. I use low fat soup and sour cream, but then I add the butter...go figure?!?!?! I have never been to a church pot luck or sick in bed and not seen this great casserole. I hope you'll try it if you never have! Let me know what you think.

Ingredients
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 (16-oz.) container sour cream
3 teaspoons poppy seeds
31 round buttery crackers, crushed
1/4 cup butter, melted


Preparation
1. Combine first 4 ingredients. Spoon mixture into lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish.
2. Stir together cracker crumbs and melted butter; sprinkle evenly over casserole.

3. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.


{photo from flickr}

Easy Chicken Salad

Ingredients
1/2 cup light or regular mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Lawry's Season Salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds skinned and boned chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
3 cups red or white seedless grapes, halved

Preparation
Stir together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, chopped chicken and grapes in a large bowl. Tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.



{photo from flickr}

Baked Potato Soup

This is PERFECT for Fall!!!

To bake potatoes in the microwave, prick each several times with a fork. Microwave 1 inch apart on paper towels at HIGH 14 minutes or until done, turning and rearranging after 5 minutes. Let cool.


Ingredients
5 large baking potatoes, baked
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart half-and-half
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 tsp basil
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
8 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Preparation
Peel potatoes, and coarsely mash with a fork.
Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, and sauté until tender. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Stir in potatoes, half-and-half, and next 3 ingredients; cook over low heat until thoroughly heated. Do not Boil.
Top each serving with cheese and bacon.

Yield
Makes 12 cups



{photo from flickr}

Favorite Chicken Sandwich

My Families favorite Sandwich recipe is not an original to our clan! But this is an all time favorite and will be for years to come!
My first blog I ever read was The PioneerWoman. She is so funny, loves to take photos and loves to cook! I am posting her actual site so you can see her photos and cooking techniques.
Let me know if you enjoy the sandwich! Scroll down once you get to the site!!!!!