A few weeks ago Pillsbury contacted me and asked if I wanted to try some of their product for the blog.  I have never been one to turn down free food, right, so I said sure.

They sent me instant potatoes and eagle brand milk.

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I need my life to slow down..even as I am rapidly hammering away at the keys Kyrie is asking me to tie something…Nick is cranky about putting on a new shirt (touch sensitivity) and I need to leave the house in 5 minutes to pick up Matt at Driver’s Ed. Read more

About two weeks ago I attended a special party and I needed to bring something…Hmmm…I was in a rush, as always…what to bring?

SCONES! Read more

Decided to make banana bread this morning and I wanted to try a few different things. The bananas were ripe but not over-ripe and I wanted to compensate for the flavor loss in that.  I also wanted something really moist.

This came out very moist, very banana-y, very good. The flavor is a little different than regular banana bread -but in a good way.  I baked it in a ring mold pan because I wanted it to look a little different than normal.

I did add chocolate chips to this because Erin is here and that is her favorite..but I much prefer the banana chocolate chip recipe posted here 

All in all I liked it. Give it a try if you didn’t like the other one..Oh…I used organic, extra virgin coconut oil along with the butter in this. You can substitute all butter if you like..I am using coconut oil more to see if I feel like the health benefits are worth the 10 bucks per pint cost… :/

Banana Bread

2 c flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c extra virgin coconut oil

1/4 c unsalted butter

1 c sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp frontier natural banana extract

1 c mashed banana

1/2 c chopped pecans, walnuts, peanut butter chips, or chocolate chips

Grease and flour a tube pan.

Melt coconut oil and butter together. Whisk sugar, eggs, vanilla, and banana flavor in until blended. Add mashed banana.  Add dry ingredients and nuts and spoon into pan.

Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan

Top with a confectioners sugar glaze if desired.

This Banana Chocolate Chip Bread recipe is my eldest daughter’s favorite. I usually give her a loaf of this along with a container of Russian Tea Mix ( you know, the kind with orange, clove, red hots, and tea?) and she is blissfully happy. Always a good thing.

It is a particularly moist and delicious bread, and unusual enough to make a gift that is different from what other people are doing. I swear one year I am going to try it with macadamias and white chocolate chips but so far I haven’t done so.

If you are giving it as a gift then make it in mini loaves and wrap in colored cellophane. Nestle several in a basket and add some coffee or tea. Toss in some Hershey’s Kisses and you have a really pretty basket. Another way I like to present gifts like this is arranged on a vintage plate. You can find beautiful vintage china for not much money and it does make for a special gift.

This bread freezes well, although it does not keep at room temperature long due to the moistness.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas
1 c chocolate chunks
1 c chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 .

Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.

In a separate bowl, cream together butter, vanilla, and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir in nuts and chocolate chunks.

Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.

Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

1 loaf

This egg nog quick bread recipe is a wonderful hostess gift or as part of a Christmas gift basket with some homemade jams and preserves. Generally when I do a gift basket I like to use three different loaves, two bags of coffee beans, some tea, and a couple of small jars of preserves. Add a couple of vintage teacups and it really is a wonderful gift.
You can make this eggnog bread in large or in small loaves. Just make sure that you make the glaze after the bread has come out of the oven or it will not work. You can sprinkle some sliced almonds over the top to make it look more finished if you like.
If you have leftovers (and you probably will not) it makes a great french toast or bread pudding.

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More blueberries? Yeah. I had just about 3/4 cup left after last night’s blueberry extravaganza and I knew that one of the kids would sneakily find them in the freezer and the next time I looked there would be one lone blueberry in the bottom left hand corner of the bag. Yep, better to dispense with the frustration.

1 1/2 c flour
1 c bran
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c oil or melted butter
1 egg
3/4 c buttermilk
1 c blueberries
1/2 c chopped pecans
confectioners sugar for dusting

Mix dry ingredients together. Stir in blueberries and pecans so they are coated with the flour mixture.
Mix oil, egg, and buttermilk beating well to make sure the egg is well incorporated.
Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture gently. Do not overmix.
Spoon into muffin liners. (I use the silpat ones from wilton..they are awesome! and you can microwave them too!)
Bake at 400 for 20 minutes
Makes about 16

 Our weekend is a little different than most. Since Marc works retail he works on Saturday and then has Sunday and Monday off. Sunday is really not a day off because there is church a good portion of the day.  Monday is our more leisurely day, although I don’t know if leisurely is a word that can be applied to ANY day around here.

  This morning I decided to treat everyone to doughnuts. I used my normal recipe with some adjustments and these were really good. The kids said they tasted like that candy, Circus Peanuts, but I don’t think so. :P   Do you spell it donut or doughnut? Both are correct but I am seeing the first spelling more and more! Donut,doughnut…as long as they taste great who cares?

  The only trick to making really good doughnuts is a clean oil, temp 375F, and a dough that is so soft it is nearly, but not quite, impossible to work. Oh! And cut straight through the dough, twisting deflates it some even though it is not yeast risen.

 Banana Cake Doughnuts

      about 3 dozen plus doughnut holes (or donut holes if you are making donuts)

4 eggs beaten

2/3 c sugar

1/3 c buttermilk

1/3 c butter-melted

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp banana flavor (Frontier does a good one)

3 1/2 c flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg (FRESHLY GRATED!!!)

Combine eggs and sugar, beat until smooth and light. Add  buttermilk, cooled butter, vanilla, and banana flavor.  Sift dry ingredients. Add egg mixture and beat until smooth. Chill ( don’t chill the dough…it does make it MUCH easier to work. I just never have time)

  Roll out about 1/3 inch thick. cut with floured cutter. Let stand about 10 minutes.

   While waiting make icing:

1 c confectioners

1/4 c butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp banana

mix thoroughly and ad a little buttermilk to thin if needed or add more confectioners to thicken.

Drop doughnuts in 375 oil. Fry only a couple at a time. I have a large fryer and I do 4-5 at a time.  Turn when one side is golden.  Fry until done. Drain and place on absorbant surface (this is how I recycle my brown paper bags..) Glaze while still warm.

The day I discovered homemade saltine crackers I was hooked on them…No more Zesta or Nabisco for me!

  Crackers have a long and fascinating history…If you will recall the Israelites had matzah as they set out for their journey from Egypt…they had been instructed by God  to make bread without leavening…In 1801 Josioah Bent of Massachusetts apparently got busy and distracted and over baked biscuits, turning them into crispy breads which he named crackers due to the crackling sound that they made.   The first crackers as we know them were made in Vermont in 1828..and I guess they have just gained popularity from there..Can you imnagine tomato soup without crackers? Yeah, that’s what I am saying!

  But over the years the commercialization of all foods has brought crackers from a delicious treat to an insipid starch. Unless, of course you make them yourself.

Try these crackers with different flours, different fats, different seasonings…Sprinkle with sea salt, or cracked pepper, or chipotle…or….

 Saltines

4 cups flour

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1/4 c butter

1 1/3 c milk

Mix together the flour, baking powder, and butter . If you are adding seasonings mix those in with the dry ingredients. Cut butter into flour mixture until it forms coarse crumbs. Add the milk and knead to form a ball. Divide in 4 parts and roll out paper thin on a floured surface. Cut the dough into squares (a pizza wheel works great for that!) Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and prick with fork…Sprinkle with salt (or cracked pepper ..or..)Bake at 325 until golden brown..about 20 minutes.

  Mmmmm. Yummy.

 You can also cut these saltine crackers into animal or fish shapes with small cookie cutters, and you might try adding dried cheese powder with your dry ingredients for homemade Goldfish…