Light Banana Bread

I'm always looking for a good banana bread recipe. I found this one on Cooking Light. It is really good and a little healthier than some recipes.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Strawberries & Cream

6 oz cream cheese (softened
1 tsp Vanilla
Beat Together
2/3 C Heavy Whipping Cream
6 TBSP Sugar

Chill 1 hour.

Cut an X in the tip of the strawberries (about 2/3 of the way down the strawberry). Pry it open a little (like a tulip) and fill with the cream. Does about 40-50 strawberries - they are delicious and easy!

It also makes a great fruit dip with other fruits!

Fruit Flavored Popcorn

• 10 cups popped popcorn
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 package fruit-flavored Jello (3 ounce size)
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease two 9 x 13 baking dishes and distribute popcorn evenly over both. Place baking pans in the oven to warm the popcorn.
3. Melt the butter in a large, heavy saucepan. Add sugar, Jello, corn syrup, and water. Cook, stirring often, over medium heat until the mixture reaches about 260 degrees Fahrenheit - about 4 minutes after it comes to a boil.
4. Add baking soda and stir well to combine. Remove popcorn from the oven.
5. Pour Jello mixture evenly over the popcorn and mix well to coat evenly. Bake the popcorn in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. Popcorn may take additional baking time to dry and become crisp, but watch it carefully to prevent burning.
6. Remove popcorn from baking pans and transfer to wax paper to cool. Break the popcorn up into small clusters.
7. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container.

Rice Pudding with Leftover Rice

2 c. cooked white rice

3 c. milk

1/2 c. sugar

dash salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

dash of nutmeg (optional)

raisins (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil while stirring to prevent burning or sticking to the bottom. Bring it down to a simmer and cook until most of the milk is absorbed. (30-45 minutes depending on how absorbent your rice is.) When it is simmering you don't have to stir the entire time. Just every once in a while to prevent burning or sticking. Serve warm or cold.

Nothing Bundt Cake

I make this cake all the time and it's always a big hit! (Especially at work :)

1 pkg. Devils Food cake mix
1 pkg. instant choc. pudding (the small one)
1 C Sour Cream
4 Large eggs
1/2 C Water
1/2 C Oil
1 1/2 C Mini Chocolate Chips

Mix first six ingredients together with a beater. Add chocolate chips. Pour into a greased bundt cake pan (spray well with cooking spray).

Cook in oven at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool. (I usually take it out of the pan right away and it works fine, but you might want to let it cool).

Frosting - (I only make 1/2 this recipe and it's plenty!)

2 8 oz pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1/2 C Butter, softened
3-4 C Powdered Sugar
2 Tsp. Vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the powdered sugar. (Start with 2 cups then keep adding more until it is nice and thick. ENJOY!

P.S. You can make any kind of cake - I've done White, Yellow, Butter Pecan - anything goes! Just use a complimentary pudding flavor and you're set!

Moist Cinnamon Streusel Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
1 cup sour cream
4 whole eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk

Blend cake mix and pudding. Add rest of ingredients. Beat all together until smooth.

Streusel

3/4 c. brown sugar packed

1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

3 tbsp. butter cut into pieces

dash of salt

Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add butter. Pinch together with fingers until it forms a crumble. Spread half of the batter in a greased angel food pan (I used a 9x13 baking pan.) Sprinkle half of the streusel on the batter; add remaining batter and sprinkle with the remaining streusel. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out almost clean.

Bake at 350 degrees

Karen's Delicious Yellow Cake

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 2/3 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Cream butter and sugar in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time; mix in vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured square baking pans, 9x1 3/4 inches. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool in pans 15 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack before frosting. You can also use a 9 x 13 pan also works well.

Enjoy!!

Cream Cheese Cake

Crust:
1 yellow cake mix
1 cube butter
1egg
Mix and pat in a 9x13 pan that has been greased and floured

Filling:
1 16oz. Pkg. Powdered sugar
1 8 oz. Cream cheese
3 eggs

Mix well and pour over crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes or when it begins to brown on top.
Cut into squares and top with fresh mixed berries and fresh whipped cream.
Enjoy!

Muriel's Coconut Bars

2 c. graham cracker crumbs

1/2 c. butter melted

2 c. shredded coconut

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 king sized chocolate bar (I used one bag of milk chocolate chips)

2 tbsp. peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350. Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

Mix coconut and sweetened condensed milk. Spread GENTLY over graham cracker mixture. Bake 15 minutes.

Melt chocolate bar or chocolate chips with 2 tbsp peanut butter. (I used chocolate chips. I put them and the peanut butter in the microwave for 1 minute and stirred every 30 seconds.) Spread melted chocolate over coconut. Refrigerate and cool completely. Cut into squares and enjoy.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

Wow, an actual picture of one of the recipes. I found this recipe on pioneer woman's Tasty Kitchen website. (That is where the picture is from.) It is a fun, easy and delicious recipe.

•4 pieces (squares) Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate
•½ cups Butter
•1 cup Powdered Sugar
•2 whole Eggs
•2 whole Egg Yolks
•6 Tablespoons Flour
•2 cups Real Whipping Cream (seriously It's So Much Better!!!)
•2 Tablespoons Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Spray 4 custard cups with Pam and place on cookie sheet.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for about 1 minute, until butter is melted. whisk until chocolate is also melted.

Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour.

Divide between cups.

Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand 1 minute. *I cooked mine for 15 minutes because I wasn't sure how soft the middle was supposed to be. The middles were still plenty soft.*

Combine sugar and heavy cream and whip until stiff.

Invert cakes on dishes and top with whipped cream.

Rachael's Lime Pound Cake

Rachael's Lime Pound Cake

Cake:
3 1/4 cup cake four (sold in a box by regular flour)
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
18 TBS. butter (at room temp) that is right, 18
8 oz. cream cheese (at room temp)
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 TBS. fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
2 tsp. lime zest

Glaze:
1/4 cup lime juice
3/4 cup sugar

Raspberry Sauce:
12 oz. frozen raspberries
2 tsp. lemon juice
3 TBS. sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 and position oven rack to lower one third of oven.
2. Thoroughly grease bundt pan
3. Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside
4. In a large bowl cream butter and cream cheese until smooth
5. Gradually add sugar to butter mixture and mix until light and fluffy
6. Add eggs one at a time and beat on medium high between each egg.
7. Beat in vanilla and lime juice
8. In low speed add dry ingredients and mix.
9. Fold in zest
10. Spoon batter into greased pan, making sides about 1" higher than center.
11. Bake about 1 hour 10 minutes until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.
12. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan.
13. Brush hot cake with glaze
14. To make raspberry sauce, combine ingredients in blender and blend. You can serve this cold or at room temperature on the side or drizzled over the cake.
Enjoy!

Frozen Lemonade Pie

This is an easy and refreshing dessert!

6 oz. limeade or lemonade concentrate
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 plastic tub of whipped topping
1 pre-made graham cracker crust

Thaw a bit the concentrate and ice cream. In a large bowl, pour in the concentrate. Mix well with an electric mixer until pretty smooth, like the consistency of a slurpee. Add the two cups of ice cream, one cup at a time. Mix well with electric mixer until creamy smooth (taste here required, yum). Then add the whole tub of whip topping, again mixing well with electric mixer. When all lumps are gone, spoon fluffy goodness into the pie crust. You might have a little bit extra filling, which is perfect for eating straight from the bowl. Freeze pie at least 4 hours or over night. Enjoy!

Cowboy Cake

¼ cup vegetable oil
1 beaten egg
½ cup milk
1 ½ cups sifted flour
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp salt

Combine oil, egg and milk. Sift dry ingredients, add to milk mixture. Pour into 9x9 inch pan. Sprinkle with spice mixture and cook @375 for 25 minutes.

Spice Mixture
Combine ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 T flour, 1 T ground cinnamon and 1 T melted butter.

Christmas Morning Sticky Buns

20 frozen white Rhodes rolls
1-3 oz. package of non-instant butterscotch pudding
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup margarine
1 teaspoon cinnamon


The night before spray bundt pan with Pam really well, add nuts if desired. Then layer 20 Rhodes frozen rolls on top of nuts. Next, sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls. Melt margarine and mix in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Pour over rolls. Cover with towel and set on counter overnight to thaw and rise.

Christmas morning, bake 30 minutes @ 350 degrees. Cut and enjoy

*Rick likes his sticky buns really gooey so I double the butterscotch mixture. This is a very easy breakfast for Christmas morning.

Soda Cracker Candy

This is a super easy and cheap recipe that is great for neighbor/visiting teaching gifts.

saltine crackers
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 cups chocolate chips
chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 400. Lay saltine crackers out on a foil covered cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick stuff. Bring to a boil sugar and butter for 2 minutes. Pour over saltines and put in oven for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 cups chocolate chips. When they are melted spread out evenly and sprinkle with nuts.

The BEST Pie Crust... You can almost NEVER Mess UP!!

I Got this pie crust Recipe from my older sister who got it from her mother-in-law. Her MIL is famous for her pies!!!

2 Cups Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
3/4 Cup Shortening (I use the white kind the butter flavor makes it turn out kinda weird)
1/2 Cup COLD water,milk, or 7up

Mix Together flour, salt, and shortening
Add water
Shape Dough into pie pans and bake
makes 2 crusts

Here are some Pie Recipes from her Mother In Law as well

Coconut Cream Pie/Banana Cream Pie
BY: Kathy Bailey

1 Large package vanilla pudding (Made with 2 & 1/4 Cup milk

4oz Cream Cheese

1 1/2 Cup slightly sweetened whipped cream (Buy the cream in the cartons and beat with mixer for approx. 3-4 min. Sweeten with powdered sugar.)

Coconut or Bananas

Beat cream cheese until smooth
Add 1/2 of the pudding and beat again until smooth
Stir in remaining pudding and whipped cream.
DO NOT OVER STIR!
Add Coconut or pour over sliced bananas.
Chill Before Serving
These Pies are AMAZING :)

White Cake with Pineapple Topping

This was my favorite cake that Grandma Frank used to make. I'm making it today for a funeral. I love it. It's low fat too!

White Cake With Pineapple Topping

Cake:
1 pkg white cake mix (no water)
3 egg whites
1 can mandarin oranges and juice
(oranges will break up during blending)

Topping:
1 8 oz. tub cool whip
1 15 oz. crushed pineapple and juice
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
coconut (optional)

Preheat oven according to cake package directions. Grease and flour 9x13 pan. Blend cake mix, egg whites and mandarin oranges/juice. Bake as directed. Let cake cool completely before adding topping. For topping mix all ingredients together and frost on cake. (I have never used coconut, but I'm sure it would be good.)

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Frozen Hot Chocolate

3/4 C. Favorite hot chocolate mix
1 C. Milk
3 C. Ice

*Mix in blender (1 cup of ice at a time)

ENJOY!!!!