Pumpkin Butter

This year we plan to put as much of our pumpkin to use as possible.  We will be toasting the seeds like usual. Some new additions this year will be putting those guts (the stringy innards) to use.  You can even make pumpkin bread by taking your favorite zucchini bread recipe and swapping the shredded zucchini for chopped pumpkin guts.  

PUMPKIN BUTTER:

• 3 1/2 cups pumpkin guts, pureed
• 3/4 cup apple juice
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Toss all the ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the mixture has thickened, making sure to stir frequently.

Put thickened mixture in a container and chill until you're ready to serve.

Pumpkin butter is not safe for preserving.  Just like Apple Butter it never lasts long enough in our house to need preserving though.   

Crock pot Chicken Parmesan

This recipe is delicious and easy to make.  It is a big hit with everyone of all ages in our household.  Since you use your choice of spaghetti sauce it's easy to be an instant hit with your family too.

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan

4-6 chicken breasts
2 eggs (well blended)
Bread crumbs
Italian seasoning
Granulated garlic
Parmesan cheese(fresh shred is best but the can stuff works in a pinch.)
Sliced mozzarella (soft buffalo is best)
Jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce.

Oil the bottom of crock pot.
In a large bowl mix breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, granulated garlic, and Parmesan cheese.

Dip chicken in egg, coat well with bread crumb mixture.
Use a Wet Hand/Dry hand technique to keep hand from getting too messy. Keep one hand in each ingredient not crossing the wet hand into dry ingredients.  Once you place the chicken in the bread crumbs cover with bread crumbs and press.  It keeps both hands fairly clean.

Place each coated chicken breast in bottom of the crockpot.  (Lots of chicken for my huge family)

Add slices of mozzarella cheese to the top of each breast. (I love the fresh mozzarella, it holds the cheese in a layer and doesn't scorch)

Pour spaghetti sauce over the top coating everything. 

Cover and cook on high 3 hours or low 6. 

Cook pasta to be served with it. Remove chicken breasts from Crockpot and toss cooked pasta in the sauce and cheese mixture to coat well. 

There will be enough sauce to cover the pasta after you remove the chicken. Penne pasta is a favorite to serve with this meal in our house.

Sorry if the pictures aren't very pretty. I'm trying to work on improving my photography.  Plus this is too delicious to stop and get a picture of before eating.  (Took me 3 time cooking this before I finally got the pictures)

Homemade Waffle, Shortcake, Biscuit Mix Recipe

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,164,151188-248197,00.html

This waffle recipe is a kid approved recipe. It was a huge hit with all 5 of my kids.  We added a dash of cinnamon to the waffle mix.  I'm sure once I stock up on this mix. (in my deep freezer) The kids will tire of waffles but then I can make biscuits!  Mom wins!!

Slow Cook Easy Shredded Pork

This recipe was deliciously easy. I cannot believe I didn't make this years ago.

This recipe is also the first time I was able to use my brand new beautiful Cusinart Multicooker.

My wonderful husband bought be this beautiful appliance after our last crock pot finally gave up after years of heavy use.  Instead of getting me just a new crock pot  I got this beauty. You can turn it to slow cook on high for 5 hours. Don't show up in time to get it off high?  The machine kicks in to warming mode instead.  Saving dinner from scorching!


1 (2 pound) pork roast
1 can Root Beer

Seriously that's it.  I don't add BBQ sauce to this list like other recipes do as this shredded pork is for more than just BBQ sandwiches.  (Pork Tamales... yes, please)

Place your pork roast into the crock pot and add the root beer.

Then let cook on low for 6 hours. Then drain away the juices.

Shred meat and either toss with BBQ and add between a bun or save for other delicious shredded pork meals.

Easy Peasy Cornbread

This is my Easy Peasy Cornbread recipe.  If you can find an easier version you are a Saint.  My kid's love this with the little niblets of corn.  I love the sweetness without being too sweet.  I prefer to bake mine in cupcake tins, it makes for a delicious crunchy exterior and a moist interior.


Ingredients:
1 Box of Jiffy Cornbread
1/2 Can of Creamed Corn
Seriously that's it

1. Preheat oven according to box.  
2. Mix ingredients together in a bowl.  
3. Prepare pans to prevent sticking. I prefer Baker's Ease cooking spray. ~~~>
4. Pour batter into prepared pans. 
5. Bake according to directions on box.  (baking times may vary) Remove when it springs back at your touch.

I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

May love and laughter light your days,

and warm your heart and home.

May good and faithful friends be yours, 

wherever you may roam.

May peace and plenty bless your world

with joy that long endures.

May all life's passing seasons

bring the best to you and yours.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Today I am spending it with my family as I do most weekends.  The difference this weekend we will be doing green crafts.  On the roster for today is Green cookies, homemade shamrock shakes, nail painting and some other crafts pulled from my obsession Pinterest.

To make your own shamrock shake

In your blender add 3 scoops vanilla ice cream, cover with milk, add 1 tsp mint extract and finally add desired amount of green food coloring.  Blend well and enjoy.  You can adjust the amounts to your personal taste.  More milk for thinner shakes, add more ice cream if you mix it too thin.  You can also substitute some of the ice cream for yogurt for a healthier version.

As a kid I love McDonald's Shamrock shake.  As an adult.. I must have gotten some horrible batches.  The mint is so overpowering it gags me.  The shake is more of a nasty milky runny drink.  Yet another thing the wisdom that comes with age has ruined.  I know what  real milk shake is supposed to taste like and the Franken shakes at McD's is so far off it's scary. 

Ham and Beans

Christmas is over and now there is a fridge full of leftovers. What do you do with your ham bone and that big chunk of meat left on it unsliced?

One of my family's favorite meals comes from those leftovers.    My husband actually asked for it on Easter instead of the spiral sliced ham.  With a pregnant wife and 4 kids craving slow cooked spiral sliced ham, loaded baked potatoes, and steamed asparagus, corn and baby carrots he quickly backed down.

Ham and Beans

Left over Ham on bone from a spiral sliced ham
3 40oz cans of Pinto beans
1 Large yellow Onion small diced
Water

1. Start by adding the Ham with bone into a large pot.  
2. Drain the pinto beans and add to the pot.  
3. Add enough water to cover the ham and beans well.  
4. Add the diced onion into the pot as well. 
5. Put mixture onto medium heat let simmer until remaining meat falls off the ham bone.  
6. Remove the ham bone and chop up any large chunks of ham to large bite size pieces, returning the meat to the bean mixture.  
7. Turn heat to Medium high to thicken the liquids.  

You can use Lima beans, Great Northern,  or black eyed peas. Which ever bean your family prefers. 

Happy Birthday to ME! Incredibly Easy Cake

Happy Birthday to ME!! 


Yes, even though I'm 30-something-ish ::mumbles:: I still celebrate my birthday with great enjoyment.  This recipe is one of a few others in the running that I might make with my kid's for my birthday. I'll share the cake with them , but they don't get any of my birthday cheesecake.    


This recipe was originally brought to my attention by the Disheveled Mommy.  I fell in love while pregnant and craving all things baked with pumpkin.  Sadly my store shelves were lacking canned pumpkin and even fresh whole pumpkins until recently.   I instead settled for the Applesauce and Cake mix version. (delicious but did not satisfy my craving at the time)  Here is that original cake.


The Cake Mix and Canned Pumpkin Recipe originally from the Hungry Girl

Seriously, that's all the ingredients!

Ingredients: 
18.25 oz box Moist-Style cake mix. (I used carrot cake since my store had no spice cake.. shh don't tell the kids)
One 15 oz. can pumpkin puree (not the pumpkin pie mix..)
One Can of Frosting






Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Prepare a pan with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Combine the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.  (batter will be thick like brownie batter)



Thick Batter (you can add 1/2 cup water, but cake will be less dense)

4. Smooth batter into prepared pan and bake in the oven according to the direction on the box.

Ready to bake

Pull up a chair and watch it bake like my son does. or I guess you can go wash the dishes...

I like topping the cake with a little bit of the cream cheese frosting while still slightly warm so the frosting melts into the cake making it extra delicious.

  Then let it cool and finish frosting it. 

And finally the best part!

The first slice.. mmm

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I always make a HUGE batch of this and keep it in the fridge to make sandwiches from quickly and easily.  With a toddler and a baby at home big batches of my favorite simple recipes is how I survive with my sanity intact most days.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients:

5 lbs Chicken Breasts (boneless skinless)
1 bunch of celery cleaned and small diced
4 TB Mayonnaise
4 tsp Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
3/4 cup water

Directions:

1. In a large pan simmer the Chicken breasts with the water and half the garlic powder.
2. When chicken is fully cooked remove from heat and medium dice. (about 1/2 inch pieces)
3. In a large bowl mix the chicken, celery, mayonnaise, and remaining garlic powder.  Add Salt and Pepper to your personal taste.  (start with a tsp of each)

If the chicken salad mixture is too wet crumble up a few crackers and mix well. The crackers will absorb the extra moisture. This is also very delicious stuffed inside a hollowed out tomato. (That tip is thanks to a certain toddler tornado that was in a no bread phase but would sneak off with whole tomatoes and hide while she ate them.)

Toasted Pumpkin seeds

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds are a Favorite Fall treat in our house

This is the method I use every year to toast our pumpkin seeds that come from the carnage of carving our Jack o lanterns. If you have ever carved 5 pumpkins at one time you would completely understand the carnage comment. We seriously had a mound of pumpkin innards over a foot tall. These seeds rarely make it into November. (even with hiding them.) I make different flavors but they all start out the same.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

• Clean pumpkin seeds (no pumpkin innards just seeds)
• Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil (any cooking oil works)
• Choice of seasoning (my family prefers cinnamon and sugar)

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400°
2. Toss seeds in oil to even coat. (It prevents them from drying out too much and will help the flavor coating stick better.)
3. Cook for 10 minutes and remove from oven. Checking to make sure they are not browning. You only want them to start turning golden brown.
4. In a bowl place your seasoning. Toss your seeds in the bowl to evenly coat in seasoning.
5. Place seeds back into the oven for 5-8 more minutes. Watching closely so they do not over brown.

Seasoning

Cinnamon and sugar ~ 1 cup sugar and 1TB cinnamon

Spicy~ Toss seeds in your favorite hot sauce

Salty ~ Crack sea salt on the seeds before baking the second time. Sea salt tastes better to me than table salt on seeds, but you can use table salt.

I still have another batch of seeds to make. Any suggestions on a flavor to try?

Everyone have a safe and Happy Halloween.

White Distilled Vinegar

Did you know word vinegar comes from the french word “vinaigre” meaning sour wine?  Which makes you wonder was vinegar discovered by some happy accident thousands of years ago when a cask of wine spoiled?  During winemaking the natural sugars ferment into alcohol.  Bacteria from exposure to the air changes the alcohol into an acetic acid.  The acetic acid is what gives the “sour wine” its taste.

I've never realized just how many uses around the house for white distilled vinegar .  I could go on forever about vinegar and it's multitude of uses.  Ask my poor husband, he's tolerated my constant vinegar praises.  Instead of a dissertation here are a few household uses that I tried and have worked for me.  I've tried more but these are my favorites.

Toilet Cleaner / Deodorizer

Put 1/4 cup of vinegar into your toilet bowl and let sit for about 20 minutes.  Clean with standard toilet brush.  Not only does it clean the toilet but it prevents the toilet ring from building up as soon.

Burned Water / Scorched Pan

Even I have burned a pan after boiling away water.  (shhh, don't tell my chef friends)  After the incident I was left with a horrible scorching on my pan.  I found that to remove the scorching just add 1/2 cup baking soda and some white vinegar. You will get a bubbling mass just like the old volcano science project as a child.  Let the mixture sit in the pan for a few hours.  Pour out and it will need very little if any scrubbing.

Laundry

Add 1/2 cup to the wash water before adding clothing.  Vinegar will break down fresh stains.  It will even prevent clothes from getting mildewed if forgotten in the wash too long.

Shower doors

To clean the soap and water buildup on shower doors you can use white vinegar as well. First using the scrub side of a sponge lightly scrub baby oil on the glass shower doors.  Wipe doors with the sponge soaked in vinegar.  Rinse off the doors with clean water.  This will even prevents future buildup.



The biggest complaint most people have with using vinegar is the odor.  The smell when cleaning with vinegar only lasts a few hours before it dissipates.  If you still want to try cleaning with vinegar but the smell is still holding you back here is a recipe for an All-Purpose cleaner using vinegar.  Be sure to add the essential oils and it covers the vinegar odor. (citrus does the best)

All Purpose Vinegar Cleaner

• 1 cup distilled water
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
• 15 drops or so of essential oil (optional)

Mix all the ingredients in a good quality, clean spray bottle.

Do not use on Marble. Vinegar is acidic and will damage the marble.

Related Articles

• Ah, vinegar. I love you. (enviromom.com)

Caramel Popcorn Balls

Most the day on Friday I spent busily putting away my overly large collection of kitchen glassware and gadgets into this china hutch I recently received. It used to belong to my sister but she is moving out-of-state so I bought it from her. It needs some new hardware, but that will be an easy fix. I really needed the extra storage. My kitchen storage was bursting at the seams, all due to my addiction for all things cool looking and cooking related.

I'm excited by just how much counter top I freed up by storing my occasional use appliances in the bottom of the hutch. I can't wait to make a Lattice-top Apple pie in my kitchen now. Or maybe some Italian Pastry cookies. Oh, the ideas I have for my kitchen this upcoming holiday season. I even grabbed my rolling-pin and mimed rolling out some dough.

With all the ideas of baking possibilities swirling through my mind it really got me into the spirit of fall so, I made some Popcorn balls for a special treat. They were surprisingly easy to make. More importantly the kids loved them.

Caramel Popcorn Balls

Yields about 6 popcorn balls

Ingredients
2 quarts popped popcorn or 1/3 cup popcorn kernels

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup dark corn syrup

1/4 cup butter (no substitutes)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Pop the 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels using your preferred method. Put the popcorn in a large bowl and set aside.
2. In a heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, water, corn syrup, butter and salt. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
3. Continue cooking, without stirring , until a candy thermometer reads 270 degrees F (soft-crack stage).
4. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Pour over popcorn; stir until the popcorn is evenly coated. When cool enough to handle, quickly shape into balls.
5. Let cool at room temperature.

Variation

This recipe also makes a great popcorn munch. To make this recipe as a popcorn munch reduce the amount of popped popcorn you use and add 1 cup of your favorite nuts. To cool, spread on waxed paper at room temperature. You can also drizzle with melted chocolate.

Fall is here... finally

It's fall according to the calendar but someone hasn't gotten that memo to the weather.

I miss experiencing the changing of the seasons. There is no change of seasons living in Las Vegas, just hot and dry or colder and windy. It has me looking back fondly on the years we lived in Tennessee. I spent hours raking the leaves to the curb for collection by the city that's turned into mulching. Raking was a mindless and repetitive chore, but I loved every second of it. I loved watching as my scenery changed daily, breathing the crisp fresh air, and watching the squirrels hurriedly store their nuts. With all the enjoyment I got out of raking there still was no leaping with wild abandon into piles of leaves for me, the fear of some random creepy creature hidden beneath the crunchy layers restrained me. That very fear of creepy creatures was born from being chased by a snake while mowing the lawn one summer. It was a harmless snake but I still shudder just looking at pictures of snakes.

This will be yet another year when my kids will have to omit portions of their full Halloween costumes due to the oppressive heat. I remember growing up in Utah and having to plan our costumes around whether we could fit our winter coat under it or not. You were no longer just a fairy princess but a fairy princess with a glandular disorder. I recall longing to wear the costume without the extra multiple layers for warmth. Looks like I got my wish, in my usual over active overachiever style. Which is really better though, being so hot that you can't wear the adorable full body zip up fuzzy costumes or so cold that you need mittens or risk your first fall cold? Just another instance of the grass being greener.

One thing I am very grateful for this year is that there will be a VERY long weekend around Halloween for both my kids and husband. We may have to tolerate the ridiculous heat 9 months out of the year but at least we get October 30th off from school and work all thanks to Nevada Day. This year the kids will get a long 5 day weekend to recover from their Halloween antics. It wont be a break for me because I will be the one sleeping with one eye open to guard the candy stash. If left unguarded they will slowly sneak off with it into their own secret stash that ends up being the cause of their sudden lack of appetite before dinner is even cooked or cause of their complaints about tummy aches. Let's hope our 4-year-old learned a lesson about sneaking too much candy after she experienced chocolate puke episodes. I doubt she did learn anything from it, which is why I get to become the candy warden.

Even with the craziness of Halloween, candy thieves, bake sales, fall festivals, catalog fundraisers. (does my 5th grader really need to sell Tupperware?) Autumn is still my favorite season. With the start of fall comes my favorite scent filling the stores, apples and cinnamon. These scents combined sends me into a baker's frenzy. Just one whiff and I want to bake cinnamon rolls, pies, turnovers, crumbles, baked apples and so much more. I could go on for hours about the baked goods that dance through my head with the slightest hint of these smells.

If you enjoy the cinnamon scent as much as I do you should try this simple way to fill your house with its wonderful aroma. With the cooler weather comes the use of home heating that in turn dries out the air, which can lead to many problems including dry skin, sinus problems, and much more. This simple air-freshener restores the humidity to the air while making your home smell wonderful.

Simmering Potpourri

Just add a tablespoon or more of ground cinnamon in a pan of simmering water and keep adding water as it boils away. Or use a small crock pot with the lid off.

Make sure not to let the mixture run dry.

Some variations include: 1 cup of apple cider or orange juice added to the water, and ground cloves instead of or in addition to the ground cinnamon and even adding a sliced apple.

Finger Painting Recipe

One of the most messy but still very fun crafts I've done with my children at any age is finger painting, or even footprints with the baby.

Finger paint

Ingredients

1/2 cup cornstarch
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups cold water
food coloring

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together in a medium saucepan. (leaving out the food coloring until later)
2. Cook the mixture over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep stirring until the mixture is smooth and thick. Once the mixture has thickened remove the pan from the heat and let cool completely.
3. After it's cooled, divide the finger paint into storage containers depending on how many colors you would like.
4. Add a few drops of food coloring to each container. Mix the coloring in very well. Your paint is ready for play!
5. Cover tightly when storing.

Tip

I use old baby food jars to store the paint in. Your children can help mix the food coloring in by shaking the tightly closed jars.  It was very easy to clean up and only left the slightest tint on the baby's foot, but not the hands. (weird, I know) Nothing that a good bath time wont get rid of.

The Ultimate Chocolate Sauce

I was playing around with a recipe in my kitchen and came up with delicious chocolate sauce. I will never be buying another chocolate sauce from the store ever again. This was too cheap and easy to make to not use it.  Depending on how long you cook the recipe will decide what type of sauce you make.  I just may give this recipe in squeeze bottles and or little jars as part of a Christmas gift.

Ultimate Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 1/4 cups water

1 2/3 cups sugar

2 TBS corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine cocoa sugar and water.
2. Bring to a full boil and let boil (for 5 min to make your own version of Hershey's squeeze bottle chocolate)  (for 15 minutes  to make hot fudge ice cream topping) Stir constantly.
3. Remove from heat and stir in Vanilla.
4. Let sauce cool to thicken.
5. Store in the refrigerator.

Adding to the Joy of Baking

There are many things I can't live without bake without. The one thing most important to me for baking is my can of Baker's Joy cooking spray.  I can't say enough about how much I love that baking spray.  Even some of the stickiest and most troublesome recipes will always slide right out of the pan when using Baker's Joy.  Unlike when you oil then flour dust a pan separately, when using Baker's joy it uses only a fine mist of oil and flour.  Leaving much less chance for a simple mistake like too much or too little ruin your sweet treat.

My all time favorite packaged brownie mix is easily the Ghirardelli triple chocolate brownie. I buy mine in bulk at Sam's Club. 4 batches of this gooey brownie come in one box.  When we eat the last batch it is truly a bittersweet day.

My favorite use for brownies if they make it beyond the warm gooey treat fresh from the oven is turning them into hot fudge brownie sundaes.  Even with a lactose intolerant husband I can't live without my standard french vanilla ice cream to dress up with yummy treats like these brownies or even a favorite cookie.  It is the one ice cream you can always count on in my freezer.  Dress it up or mix something in, vanilla ice cream is a good base to start many delicious treats.  French vanilla is even more yummy with its vanilla bean speckles and custard-like base.

Here is a delicious hot fudge sauce recipe.

Hot Fudge Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 3 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 - 13 ounce can evaporated milk

Directions

1. In top of a double boiler over hot water, melt butter and chocolate.
2. Gradually add sugar and half the milk alternately.
3. Stir well after each addition
4. Add remaining milk, stirring constantly.
5. Cook until mixture is thick and sugar dissolves.

Notes

May store in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

This is a delicious version of an old favorite of mine.  I came up with this yummy variation one day before a party for Lauryn's class at school.  These cookies ended up being an irresistible craving all throughout my pregnancy with Maxx.

You can make these cookies using any of your favorite recipes for peanut butter cookies and adding a thumb print of jelly before cooking.  When they are done baking and given a chance to cool the sweet jelly turns into a sticky gooey center.  I prefer using strawberry jelly, being a purest myself.  Feel free to use any type of fruit jelly you like. The fun in baking is in the experimenting.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup Peanut butter (creamy)
• 1/2 cup Vegetable shortening
• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3 TB milk
• 1 TB vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cups All-Purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• Strawberry Jelly

Directions

1. Heat oven to 370 °
2. In a large bowl cream together the Peanut Butter, shortening and brown sugar.  Mix in the Milk and Vanilla, beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Beat egg into mixture until just blended.
3. Combine the All-Purpose flour, salt and baking soda.  Add it to the creamed mixture at low-speed.  Mix until just blended.
4. Make 1 inch balls of dough. Flatten them in your hand, using your thumb to leave an indent in the top. Be sure not to crack the sides.
5. Place the cookies on the cookie sheet.  Using a spoon drop a spoonful of Jelly onto the center of the indent.
6. Bake at 370° for 10 to 12 minutes or until just beginning to brown.  Cool for 2 min on the baking sheet.  Remove cookies to foil surface to cool completely.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread ~ Bread Machine

I know not everyone owns a bread machine. Or two if you are like me and are addicted to kitchen gadgets.  I just can't say no when someone wants to give me gadgets.  First a good friend gave me one machine and then my parents gave me another for Christmas.  I tried giving one to my little sister but she's not the "Susie homemaker" type.  This is a wonderful and sweet bread.   I look forward tasting it as the smell fills the house.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread using a Bread Machine

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups warm water -- (110 degrees)

2 TB butter or margarine -- softened

3 1/4 cups bread flour

1/4 cup white sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

3/4 cup raisins

Directions

1. Place ingredients in order suggested by your machine's manufacturer.
2. Select the sweet bread and light crust settings.
3. Add raisins when indicated by your manufacturer.

This recipe yields a 1 1/2 pound loaf.

Variations

Omit the raisins for just a good plain cinnamon bread.

Real Banana Pudding

This is one of my favorite desserts to make and eat.   With summer in full swing I try to avoid using the oven as much as possible. This delicious dessert makes another sweet summer memory without baking the whole house.

Real Banana Pudding ~ Not instant pudding mix

Ingredients
1/3 cup sugar
3 TB cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1 TB butter
1-2 bananas, sliced
Vanilla wafers
Directions

1. In a medium saucepan (not over heat yet) combine the  sugar, cornstarch and salt.
2. Slowly whisk milk into cornstarch mixture until well blended.
3. Cook mixture in saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until pudding thickens enough to coat a metal spoon.
4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter.
5. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
6. When ready to serve, line the bottom of 4 bowls with vanilla wafers. Top the wafers with banana slices and then pour the pudding on top, dividing evenly between 4 bowls.

Variations
If you plan on serving this in one large bowl slice banana's and mix in a small amount of lemon juice and water to prevent browning.  (not too much lemon or banana's will be very tart)
I enjoy layering my banana pudding with whipped cream sometimes mixing a small amount of pudding into a portion of the whipped cream to give it a light fluffy texture but still have the same flavor and add it as a new layer.

Peanut Butter Noodle Cookies (No Bake)

This caramel like cookie was very quick and easy to make. It was a huge hit with my kids as well. Before even finishing her first cookie my 4 yr old worriedly asked me if I had made more. When I told her we do have more and we can even make another batch this weekend. She jumped into the air like a little happy leprechaun. Then she sweetly adds, " I love you mom.. you are the best mom ever. " I'd have to say this cookie was a success.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Noodle Cookies


Ingredients

• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 1/2 cups chow mein noodles

Directions

1. Bring sugar and syrup to a full boil in a heavy pan. Stirring occasionally. Remove from heat at once.
2. Stir in the peanut butter and mix well. Turn the chow mein noodles into the peanut butter mixture. Mix thoroughly to coat the noodles.
3. Drop rounded spoonfuls onto waxed paper or a greased cookie sheet.
4. Let the cookies set for at least 15 minutes.

Variations

You can add more noodles 1/2 cup at a time for a more crunchy cookie. Stirring well to coat all noodles between additions. Substitute the creamy peanut butter for a crunchy type for even more crunch.

What are other additions would you add to this cookie?