Banana Nut Bread

I noticed Mom was using this recipe and it reminded me that this is the PERFECT banana bread.  It cooks evenly all the way through, there is a fun nut topping, it looks pretty.  I put it in the second Sisters Cookbook (page 11).  This is the only way I'll eat a banana.  (Bleh.  They make my tongue tingle if I try to eat them straight up.)  This makes two loaves, one for you, one for everyone else to share.

In a small bowl, mix together (for the topping):

1/2 c. chopped nuts (I always use walnuts)

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

In a large bowl (or mixer) combine the following until it is mostly smooth:

1/2 c. unsalted, softened butter

1/2 c. sour cream

1 c. sugar

1 c. mashed bananas

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. flour

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Divide the dough into two loaf pans.  Sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon/nut mixture evenly over both loaves.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.  Transfer the loaves to tin foil immediately and wrap them up.  (This preserves the moisture and helps the topping stay on.)

Glossy Frosting

This fluffy frosting works so well on angelfood cakes, but is also good on 9x13 cakes. It doesn't require powdered sugar or butter, and uses a comparatively small amount of sugar. Zola Hancock gave me the recipe many years ago as an alternative to buttercream when the price of sugar went up sharply.

Glossy Frosting
3/4 C. granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons light Karo syrup
6 Tablespoons water
scant 1/2 tsp. cream of tarter

For 9x13 cake:
1/2 C. granulated sugar
1/4 C. light Karo syrup
1/4 C. water
1/4 tsp. cream of tarter
For either amount - bring ingredients to a boil and cook til it barely begins to make a thread in cold water. This just takes a few minutes. Meanwhile, beat stiffly 3 egg whites for larger cake or 2 egg whites for smaller cake. Pour syrup over beaten egg whites while beating and beat until cool. Add 1 tsp. desired flavoring (I prefer vanilla, but almond is a good flavor also.) May add food coloring if you want to. Frost cake in fluffy swirls.

Granola

I love granola for many reasons, but this one is especially nice because there is no sugar in it and you can store all the ingredients in your food storage. I like things like that. I also make this about 3 times a week and eat nearly the whole thing by myself. It is most excellent with fresh blueberries.

Granola is so easily adapted to what is in your pantry that day, so you can spice things up a different way until you find your favorite combinations.

Mix together

3 cups oats (I've used both Quaker and the quick oats from the #10 cans of food storage. I like the consistency the quick oats give it, but they're both good.)

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup chopped nuts (chopped so they are undetectable to little people, in my case) (slivered almonds, pecans, & walnuts are excellent choices)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 to 1 cup dehydrated apple slices, crushed slightly

I also like to throw in 1 Tbsp of ground flax seeds

Combine

1/4 cup canola oil

3 Tbsp maple syrup

3 Tbsp honey

Pour over dry ingredients and mix well.

Heat oven to 250 and spread granola evenly onto a baking sheet. Cook for 1 hour 15 min, stirring half way through. It smells amazing. Enjoy!

Mexican-Style Sweet Shredded Pork

Katy with Anya in Allyn's Kitchen.  (The Mexican Pork is in the crock pot on the island beside Katy. Ha!)

 We made this at Allyn's when Katy and I visited her last October to throw her a HERO PARTY.  I don't have any photos of it, but let's face it, a picture of a crock pot full of pork isn't that pretty.  It is fantastic to eat, though.  We used it in quesadillas, enchiladas, nachos, tacos. The recipe is from Our Best Bites.

Ingredients:

4 lbs. boneless pork shoulder roast (no substitutes!)

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 - 2 T. vegetable oil

2 (10-ounce) cans enchilada sauce

1 c. brown sugar, divided

1/2 c. salsa

1/2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 c. apple juice (I've used whatever juice was handy if I didn't have apple and it's still great)

Directions:

Trim the visible fat from the roast and sprinkle with salt, pepper, chili powder, and onion powder.  Use your hands (do it, Katy!) to massage the spices over all sides of the meat.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Sear the pork roast for about 1 minute on all sides or until the meat surface is golden brown.

While meat is searing, combine the enchilada sauce, 2/3 cup brown sugar, salsa, Worcestershire sauce, and apple juice in a slow cooker.  Add the pork, cover, and cook for 7 hours on low with the lid on the entire time.

Remove pork and shred, discarding any pieces of fat.  Add the additional 1/3 cup brown sugar to slow cooker and turn heat to high.  Add shredded meat.  Simmer with lid off for 30 minutes.

Holiday Cookies

I've made these enough times now that I know they are fool-proof.  For all you fools out there.  These cookies are the perfect texture and taste and they're easy to frost.  LOVE. I like to freeze one of the two discs of dough.  Bridget and I made cookies twice this month.  Double our pleasure. :)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. superfine sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

16 T. unsalted butter, cut into sixteen 1/2-inch pieces and softened

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 T. cream cheese, softened

Directions:

1.  In a mixer with a paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined.  With mixer running on low, add butter one piece at a time; continue to mix until mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet.  Add vanilla and cream cheese and mix on low until dough just begins to form large clumps.

2.  Remove bowl from mixer; knead dough by hand in bowl for two or three turns to form a large ball.  Turn dough onto counter top and divide in half, pat into two 4-inch discs, wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is firm but malleable, about 30 minutes.  (Don't skip the refrigeration!  Very important.)

3.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  roll out one dough disc to an even 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut out with cookie cutters and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Cool and frost.

Sweet Potato Stew

I have to admit that when this was cooking I really had my doubts.  Who puts allspice and cloves in beef stew?  I was skeptical that my children would even eat it, so I gave everyone small portions in order to avoid having to throw out 5 full bowls of soup.  I cooked it a while back and froze it, then it spent the day today in the crock-pot, smelling up our house.  Then a Christmas Miracle!  They all loved it.  They asked for more!  They cleaned their bowls.  Amazing!  So now I must share it with you.


1 lb trimmed stew meat
1/2 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2/3 cup sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/2 cup green string beans
1/4 cup carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced


1.  Coat pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat.  Sear all sides of stew meat, then reduce heat to low.  Add beef broth, onions, Worcestershire sauce and all spices.  Stir gently to coat.  Cover pan and let simmer for 90 minutes.
2.  Thinly slice celery and carrots; cut beans into bite-size pieces; peel and cube sweet potato.
3.  Stir in all veggies, then cover and let cook on medium-low (simmer) for an additional 40 minutes.
4.  If desired, thicken stew by adding a tablespoon of whole-wheat flour with a small amount of water.

Sorry I don't have a picture.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Remember several years ago when every person you knew claimed to have THEE recipe for Neiman Marcus cookies.  Someone was super sneaky and got it through some black ops something.  Every time I see a recipe for the Neiman Marcus cookies it's different from the last one I saw.  These are supposedly Neiman Marcus cookies, but since I added black and white chocolate chips and walnuts, I decided to call them Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies.  They're my new favorite breakfast food and dessert!

1 c. unsalted butter, softened

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. flour

2 1/2 c. oats, blended into a powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 pkg. white chocolate chips

1/2 pkg. milk chocolate chips

1 c. chopped walnuts

Combine all dry ingredients (flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt) and set aside.  In a mixing bowl, combine butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla.  Slowly add dry ingredients to the mixing bowl.  Mix in chocolate chips and nuts with dough hooks (if you're using a free standing mixer).  Bake for 10 minutes in a 375 degree oven.