mike's favorite banana nut cake

Mike loves his Grandma... even more when she made him his favorite cake. Traditionally it's in a jelly roll pan (big oversized cookie sheet), with sliced bananas on top with whipped cream over that. Here is Grandma's Banana Nut Cake (or otherwise known as "Mike's Favorite Banana Nut Cake").

Ingredients:

2 c mashed bananas (4-5 bananas)
1 c buttermilk
1 c margarine
2 c sugar
3 tsp vanilla
3 eggs, separated
2 1/4 c sifted flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 c chopped nuts

Sift flour 4 times, then measure. sift all other dry ingredients 4 times (except sugar). Cream sugar & margarine. Add egg yolk then sifted flour. Mix, add milk, mix, add bananas & nuts. Add rest of dry ingredients. Fold in stiffly beatened egg whites. Bake in greased & floured deep cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Put in refrigerator after cool. When ready to eat, slice bananas and place on top. Whip real cream w/ 1/2 c sugar & place on top.

Amy's Note:
The first time I made this recipe, it took me FOREVER! So, I decided that the next time I made it, I wasn't going to sift my flour, and it still turned out great. I'm going to make it today in a bundt pan, but I'm not going to stiffen my egg whites either. I'll let you know if it turns out or not. :)

ETA: OK, Mike refused to touch it in a bundt pan. ::GRR:: I guess he wanted to put his sliced bananas & whipped cream on top, and doing it in a bundt pan didn't allow him that freedom. However, it was very delisious. I kept it in the fridge!

{amy's chocolate chip cookie}

This is actually the recipe from the back of Nestle's Tollhouse cookie recipe. This is literally the ONLY recipe that I can make a darn good chocolate chip cookie. I don't know why, but it's the only one. My trick is to use half shortening, and half butter (that is left at room temperature!). Oh, and I watch the timer, and pull the cookie sheet out when the cookies are just starting to turn a little bit brown, but not quite. They still remain very movable after they cool when I do that. Love these cookies!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 c butter (1/2 c shortening 1/2 c butter)

3/4 c sugar

3/4 c brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 pkg chocolate chips

Combine flour, soda & salt. Put aside. Beat butter that is at room temperature (DO NOT MELT!!) & shortening with sugars, eggs & vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake for 9-11 minutes at 375 degrees. Let cool and eat!

Amy's Notes:

**My mom introduced me to parchment paper. Now I never do any baking without this. My cookies literally slide off my cookie sheet and are baked PERFECTLY with this stuff!

**I never combine my flour, soda & salt and set aside. I do it all in one pan, but just start w/ the butter/eggs/sugar first, then add the flour, soda & salt. I'm too lazy to dirty up more dishes, I guess...

{red beans & rice}

I've made this a couple times in my married life. It's a huge dish, but it's very delicious!! It's a little spicy, but not too bad.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 c brown or white rice

1 c canned tomatoes (1 can)

1 c grated cheese

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 c cooked red beans (1 can), drained

2 1/2 c water

Heat oil, add onion & garlic, cook over medium heat until soft. Add rice and stir to coat. Add tomatoes, break them up with a spoon. Add chili powder, sugar, salt & cayenne pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add beans & water. (use liquid from tomatoes, if they were canned!). Add cheese. Transfer to an 8 cup casserole and bake @ 350 degrees for 1 hour.

{black beans & corn salsa}

My mom gave me this recipe. I love it. You can make it as mild as you like, to as hot & spicy as you'd like. I like mild. I want to be able to eat. :)

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can corn, drained

1 red pepper, diced

1/2 c diced red onion

Dressing:

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt & pepper, each

4-6 tbsp lime juice

**can add 1/4 c cilantro

**can add pickled jalapeno slices

Mix & let flavors mingle overnight, if possible. At least 4 hours if you can't let it sit overnight. You can also add green peppers, tomatoes, chopped parsley, garlic, etc... if you want to add some different types of veggies, flavors, colors, etc. Just remember to keep the proportions the same as above.

Serve with tortilla chips, or on salads!

Amy's Notes:

**I always start with 4 tbsp of the lime juice and adjust my taste to the dressing.

{cheesy asparagus}

Last week I was thumbing through my huge stack of magazines that are piling up on me. I found this recipe that looked pretty yummy & simple. I love simple. Anything that is few ingredients, I'm going to try. I made this for the first time yesterday for Easter dinner, and it was a winner.

Ingredients:

1 lb trimmed asparagus

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp each salt & pepper

1/3 c grated parmesan cheese

lemon zest

Toss 1 bunch (1 lb) trimmed asparagus in 1 tbsp olive oil with 1/4 tsp each salt & pepper. Spread in an even layer on a baking pan. Sprinkle with 1/3 c grated parmesan cheese (not the stuff you put on spaghetti... the real stuff!). Roast at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with lemon zest.

Amy's Notes:

*I could do without the lemon zest. It was good with it on ... but it also made me think "uhh.. I can also do without as well". The family loved this recipe! Even my picky Katie ate seconds on it, so it for SURE is a winner!

*Leave the asparagus in a long stem. Just trim the bottom portion of the vegetable.

{potato casserole}

This yummy recipe is always made on holidays for my family. Why only the holidays? Because it's loaded with tons of fat (sour cream, butter, cheese, etc), and frankly because it costs so much money to make! We love it so much though.... I think I need to start making it more often and just freeze half of it in the freezer (9x9 pans). This dish generally goes by Holiday Potatoes, Funeral Potatoes, but I just call it potato casserole.

Ingredients:

3 - 12 oz pkg shredded hash browns, thawed

1/2 c melted butter

1/2 c diced onion

salt, pepper

1 can cream of chicken soup

12 oz sour cream

10 oz cheddar cheese, grated

Mix together, bake at 45 minutes at 350 degrees in a greased 9x13 pan.

Amy's Notes:

*After several years of getting tired of biting into onions that still tasted a bit strong, I started sauteeing them a bit before I added them to the recipe. It takes out the strong onion taste, but still adds to the recipe!

{coca cola ham}

This is more of a reminder to myself of what TO do the next time I bake a ham. Considering it was the first time I've ever made ham...... ever, it turned out REALLY awesome. I'm typing it up so I don't forget how I made it. It's going to look a little juvenile the way I type it, but oh well..

I had a spiral cut ham (bone-in). It came w/ a packet of honey glaze that I had to add water & heat up on the stove.

I poured a can of Coke on the bottom of my huge roasting pan, and dumped the ham face down (tiny part of the ham was sticking up). Covered it all with foil. Then, I didn't baste it. Couldn't find my baster thing. I was supposed to, but it turned out delicious without basting it.

I baked it for 1 hour at 350 (it was cooked already), then took it out, place it on my roaster flat (skinny part of the ham was laying sideways now), separated some of the slices, and spread the glaze over it. Then baked it for another 10 minutes at 425.

It was so delicious.....

{creamy parmesan mashed potatoes}

(picture is not mine... it's Kraft's)

I love my Kraft Food & Family magazine. It's free, and comes out every quarter. I have tried numerous recipes from them, and they ALL are delicious. This recipe came from my new magazine. We tried it tonight, and it is most definitely a WINNER (and a keeper!). It isn't very calorie friendly, but I think if you use low-fat (or even fat free) cream cheese & sour cream, it could be a little friendlier to your hips.

Ingredients:

2 lb. red potatoes (about 8), cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 oz of Philadelphia's 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese, cubed
1/2 cup Light Sour Cream
3 Tbsp KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

PLACE potatoes in large saucepan. Add broth; cover. Bring to boil on high heat; simmer on medium heat 15 min., stirring after 8 min. Uncover; stir potatoes. Simmmer, uncovered, 5 to 6 min. or until potatoes are tender and most of broth is absorbed.

ADD cream cheese. Reduce heat to low. Mash potatoes slightly until cream cheese is melted. Add sour cream and Parmesan; mash until potatoes are smooth and heated through.

Amy's Notes:

**I thought "uhh... 1 cup of broth isn't enough!" well, it is, and I drained part of my entire can of chicken broth out of my pan to make it about 1 cup of broth. Just make sure you follow the directions CLOSELY!! It really does resemble the mashed potatoes you might find at Applebee's or Chili's!

{crumb top for pies}

My sister in law Tiffany gave me this recipe, and hands down it's one of my favorite crumb recipes ever! I used this recipe to teach a "how to make an apple pie" class at our church's women's group years ago. It was "ooh'd" and "ahh'd" over & over. I think this would work well on peach pies, apple pies... anything! And, it saves me time from having to make a double pie crust (which I dislike very much!)

Ingredients:

2/3 c brown sugar

1/2 c flour

1/2 c oats

1/3 c softened butter

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients with a pastry blender or a fork. Sprinkle over the top of any kind of fruit pie (apple, peach, etc) or a crisp. Bake as directed with your pie.

Amy's Notes:

*If you forgot to pull your stick of butter out of the fridge or freezer to soften, pull it out, slice it through and lay it out in a circle. It will soften within minutes.

*Adding coconut is an option as well.....

{single pie crust}

My grandma makes the best pies. Her pies are always so flaky. I'm not a big fan of pies, since it takes FOREVER to make one. But, I always get so many compliments on my pies every single time I make it, so it makes it worthwhile..... sometimes. :)

Ingredients:

1 1/3 c sifted regular flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c Crisco

3 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift flour before measuring, combine salt & flour. With a pastry blender, cut in Crisco until uniform; mixture should be fairly course. Sprinkle with water. Work dough into a firm ball with hands. Press dough into a flat circle with smooth edges (make sure flour is under your dough!!).

Amy's Notes:

*I have the hardest time transferring my pie crust over. Just wrap it around your rolling pin and transfer it over.

*I didn't add the baking time to bake this (sorry!), if you're making a cream pie. Most of my pies are apple or pumpkin, so it needs to be a raw dough when you add in the filling. If you do bake it by itself, then use a fork and punch holes throughout the pie so it doesn't bubble up, Then watch it carefully.

*One fun memory I have when my grandma or even my mom made pies. They would always use the leftover dough to make cinnamon crisps for us. LOVE it! So if you have leftovers, sprinkle cinnamon sugar on it and put it in the oven for your kids. :)

{lasagna}

This is my mom's recipe. I had to have her come over one day after I was married to show me how to make it. It turned into an all day event. ::rolling eyes:: But, I have it down to a pat now, it DOESN'T take me all day, just an hour or less. :) Serve with a delicious salad & garlic bread.

Ingredients:

16 oz box lasagna noodles

1 egg

1 container cottage cheese (large)

2 tbsp parsley

parmesan cheese (1/4 cup in & on top)

2 - 8 oz mozzarella cheese

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 lb hamburger

1 onion, chopped

2 jars spaghetti sauce

Boil lasagna (see my notes!). Brown hamburger with onions in it. Drain the cottage cheese. Mix egg, cottage cheese, parsley, 1/4 c parmesan cheese, 1 package of mozzarella cheese & garlic powder. Mix spaghetti sauce with hamburger after it is browned & drained of fat. Spread a little sauce on bottom of 9x13 pan, layer with noodles, then add a little cheese mixture, then sauce. Do it again with noodles, cheese mixture then sauce, etc. Keep going until you get to the top or you run out of cheese mixture & sauce. Add another package of mozzarella cheese on the top, and sprinkle with 1/4 c of parmesan cheese. Bake for 40 minutes - 1 hour at 350. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Amy's Notes:

*I no longer boil my noodles. Some people prefer to boil the noodles, but now I save myself even more time and buy the "no boil" noodles. SO easy!

*I buy the cheap spaghetti sauce (like the 99 cents in a tin can kind). I can't taste a difference anyways, so why not go cheap? Especially with all the ingredients it can get a little expensive, cut corners on brand names whenever possible!

*Make SURE you let it sit for a bit before serving! Otherwise your beautiful lasagna will turn into a soup if you serve it immediately after pulling it out of the oven!

{green chili chicken enchiladas}

This is the ONLY recipe I know by heart. Sad, isn't it?! It's not spicy at all, and only one kid will eat it (Katie refuses to eat anything Mexican, it seems... except burritos). This is made kind of in layers, so it's more of a casserole type of enchiladas than a rolled enchilada.

Ingredients:

1 can cream of mushroom

1 can cream of chicken

1 can diced green chili

1 c diced onion

1 big can of chicken

corn tortillas

tons of grated cheese (1-2 bags)

OK... here is where it gets kind of tricky. If you want to make a full 9x13 pan, then double the chicken, green chilis, onion (but keep the cream of soups the same). I usually do a 9x9 pan, or a pan that is still rectangle but slightly smaller than 9x13.

Combine all the soups, chicken, onion (NOTE! I usually saute my onions a little first so it gets the strong "oniony" taste out a bit!!). Layer a thin spread of soup mix on bottom of dish. Layer with tortillas, soup mix, then cheese. Repeat layers, ending with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Amy's Notes:

*Sometimes I make this and freeze it, so I have a fast meal on hand.

*I don't always use just cheddar cheese. Sometimes I've used a mixture of mozzarella cheese & cheddar (which is fantastic!), and also the Kraft brand "Mexican" mixture of cheese. That adds a little bit of zing to the taste, I think!!

*and I mentioned the onion. I saute my onions from now on b/c some onions I buy are just SO strong! When I saute them, it takes out the taste a bit.

*I'm too lazy to boil my chicken, then shred it. So, I just get out a can of chicken from my food storage/pantry and cut it open. Easy!

{fettuccini alfredo}

I found this recipe on topsecretrecipes.com.... it's a knock off recipe from Olive Garden's Fettuccini Alfredo, and SO yummy (and very much high calorie... SORRY!!)! Sometimes I top it with grilled chicken, sometimes I don't. Serve it with a salad & long rolls, and it's perfecto!

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 c heavy whipping cream

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

pinch salt

1/2 c parmesan cheese

Melt butter in saucepan over medium/low heat. Add garlic, cream, salt & pepper and bring mixture to simmer. Turn head down if it reaches a rapid boil. Add cheese & continue to simmer for 8 minutes.

Amy's Notes:

*Make sure the water for the fettuccini is boiling when you start this, and dump the pasta in the water. This alfredo sauce will take awhile to cook (maybe 20 minutes?)....

*This sauce would also be good on a pizza with chicken on it!!

{peanut butter easter eggs}

I found this on allrecipes.com, and I'm hoping to make this for this upcoming weekend!! There were too many "it's fantastic" reviews for it NOT to be bad, which is why I'm adding it before I'm even trying it!

Ingredients

1 (16 oz) package confectioners' sugar

1 c creamy peanut butter

1/4 c butter

1 tbsp milk

8 (1 oz) squares semi-sweet chocolate

1 tbsp shortening

In a mixing bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter & milk (if needed for moisture) until blended. Shape mixture into two 1/2 pound eggs or make a bunch of smaller eggs. Freeze eggs for 1 hour.

While the eggs are freezing, cut semi-sweet chocolate into small pieces & place in top of double broiler w/ shortening. Melt over medium heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Stick a long-tined ford in top of each peanut butter egg, dip it in melted chocolate to cover then drain on waxed paper. When the eggs are cooled & set, decorate the eggs to suit your fancy.

Amy's notes:

*Use more milk if needed to bring it together (not so crumbly)

*Use milk chocolate chips for dipping

*some people liked using half chunky peanut butter & half creamy peanut butter

*lessen the amount of sugar if it is too sweet

*can use a heart shape for Valentine's Day, etc

{monkey bread}

this recipe is from my friend Jenni back in Kansas... she made these one day just as an after school snack. I was amazed ANY woman would make anything w/ yeast & bread just for an afterschool snack!

Monkey Bread
Cream together:
2 T butter

2 T sugar
1 egg
1 t salt
1-2 T yeast

Add alternatively:
3-3 1/2 c flour
1 cup water

Let rise 20-25 minutes, then roll into a rectangle, and cut into 1 1/2 - 2 inch squares (I used a pizza cutter), dip it in 1/3 c melted butter. I put these in a bundt pan (you'll lay these sporadically all over the pan) and let rise again. Bake 20-25 minutes at 350.

-----------------------------------------------------

I'm so inexperienced when it comes to letting dough rise, and I didn't use the type of yeast that doesn't need proofing, so if this turned out great, then I know this is a dummy's guide for great dinner rolls! Thankfully, the Texas heat really does a great job at letting dough rise (if I set it on the grill outside and NOT on the ground, it rises!!).

I have seen monkey bread also made where you cut them in circles, and line them up in a bundt pan standing up (circles standing up), then you can just pull them off.

Course, one friend used to dip hers in butterscotch pudding (the dry mix) then line them up circle wise. You can also dip these in butter, then dip again in cinnamon sugar, for a yummy breakfast treat!

{homemade banana ice cream}

Using my family's basic recipe for homemade ice cream, we tweaked it a little one night and instead of making butterfinger ice cream (which is Mike's favorite of all), we made banana ice cream (I had 6 small bananas that needed to be disposed of, and fast!)

It was OUT OF THIS WORLD! and worthy of its own post. :)

Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Banana Ice Cream

2 cups sugar

6 eggs

6 bananas (we froze for an hour)

1 tsp of vanilla (or a little more if you like vanilla)

2 quarts of half & half

a little bit of milk if needed to fill the canister (which we didn't)

We took a blender and blended up 3 eggs, 3 bananas, 1 c sugar and some half & half then poured it in the ice cream maker container. Then we did it again w/ the rest of the ingredients. Freeze as directed according to your ice cream maker. FANTABULOUS!!

When we make butterfinger ice cream, we use 6 butterfinger bars, crushed, and lessen the sugar to 1 3/4 cup.

{knock off manwich}

Knock Off Manwich

one 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1/4 tsp dry mustard
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp Worchestire sauce (or however you spell it)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Let simmer for about 5 minutes or so, and it's DONE! The mixture is enough for a pound of hamburger, so double accordingly if you have a huge family. I love this moreso than Manwich itself, which is almost too sweet in a way. This was a little sweet, but not overbearingly sweet.

Definitely a LOT cheaper than buying Manwich!

{broccoli cheese soup}

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 c chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups chicken broth

1 (16 oz) pkg broccoli florets

2 ½ c milk1/3 c flour¼ tsp pepper

8 oz Velveeta

Heat large saucepan coated w/ cooking spray over medium high heat. Add onion & garlic, saute for 3 minutes or until tender. Add broth and broccoli. Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Combine milk & flour, stirring until well blended. Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in pepper. Remove from heat, add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Place 1/3 of soup in a blender or food processor (or hand blender) and blend until smooth.

Yield: 6 servings (1 1/3 cup each).

Both of my girls eat this…. and one of them HATES vegetables (Katie). VERY yummy with fresh bread or rolls on the side.

{strawberry mozzarella salad}

My favorite salad in this entire world.... I tried this at my friend Mandi's house last year, and I slightly changed it a bit, but it's become my favorite salad hands down. I made this for our church's Christmas party, and it's been a hit since. I know the recipe has been passed too & from all parts of the US!

Add lettuce (the above was butter lettuce, which I'm not sure what that is, but I guess any kind of nice green lettuce will work), slice up some strawberries.

We had bought the small mozzarella balls and sliced those up, but I think those mozzarella sticks will work good too.

Then, crush up some candied pecans (we loved the glazed Pecan Pie flavored Pecans). Add those three ingredients to the lettuce.

Then, mix up these ingredients for the poppy seed dressing:
1/3 c red wine vinegar
1 tsp yellow mustard
3/4 c oil
1/3 c sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp poppy seeds

Normally, one could add 1 tsp finely chopped red onion, but I had forgotten it, and it was still delicious! I did not pour all of the dressing over it, maybe about 1/4 cup. I saved the rest in one of my new "oh so cute" mason jars. I have managed to make this salad a few more times, and every time I eat it, I just am "mmmmm-ing" all over again!

{sweet 'n spicy pulled pork}

So easy, only 3 ingredients. Eat your hearts out!

Sweet 'n Spicy Pulled Pork
1 1/2 c salsa (I used Pace Picante, medium)
1 1/2 c brown sugar
3-4 lbs pork roast

Mix the salsa & brown sugar together. Sit the pork roast in a crockpot, pour mixture over top of roast. Cook on high for 6-7 hours. It will shred by itself. I helped it along by shredding some more and pulling all the fat out at the end. No need to add water as the water will come out of the pork roast.

This recipe is so yummy, so moist, and yet sweet but a little spicy! I took those mini rolls from Sam's so we ate it like a sandwich. Mike wants me to add a habanera pepper next time. Yikes!

{golden sweet cornbread}

Golden Sweet Cornbread
1 c flour
1 c yellow cornmeal
2/3 c white sugar
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 c milk
1/3 c vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x9 pan w/ Pam. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeals, sugar, salt & baking powder. Stir in egg, milk & oil until well combined. Pour batter in pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

This is fantastic with butter & honey (or honeybutter!).

{chicken tortilla soup

I have been dying to try my friend Calli's recipe of Chicken Tortilla Soup. I finally gathered all the ingredients for this soup, and after serving it to my family, it is a WINNER! Enjoy this recipe that will for sure keep you warm! Couple it up with my recipe for sweet cornbread, and you'll be in heaven!

Cindy's Famous Tortilla Soup

2 Chicken Breasts

5 Cloves of Garlic

1 Large Can (I think I used 3 normal sized cans) of Green Enchilada Sauce

3 (8oz) Cans of Tomato Sauce (I used 2-15 oz cans)

2 Cans of Corn (drained)

2 Cans of Sliced Olives (drained)

1/2 Teaspoon of Cumin

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

Cook the chicken breasts in enough water to cover along with the garlic, cumin, and salt. Take breasts out, cool, and shred. To the chicken water, add all the other ingredients. Bring to a slight boil, then turn down to medium and add chicken. Cook on med-low for about 10 minutes, or until chicken has had a chance to reheat. Put in a bowl and serve with cheese, sour cream, and shredded tortilla chips. I also didn't use sliced olives... I used chopped olives, but it still turned out very yummy!

{meatloaf}

MEATLOAF

2 lbs ground beef

2 eggs, beaten
1 c oats
1/2 c ketchup
1/2 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped green pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp basil

Mix all together by hand and place in a loaf pan. Cook for 1 hour at 350 degrees, or until done.

{texas sized cinnamon rolls}

OK... these probably aren't "Texas sized", but they were the largest cinnamon rolls I've made so far. My friend Lisa has 11 kids: 9 boys & 2 girls ~ surely she can make good rolls, right? I had her cinnamon rolls a few months ago, and I truly thought she bought them from the store. Imagine my surprise to see her super large pan filled w/ this amazing treat. Yes, she made them! From scratch! (I sometimes make my cinnamon rolls from frozen bread). So, I told her the next time she made the rolls, to let me know.

Sure enough, one Friday afternoon comes around and she's calling me on the phone! "Amy!! I'm making my rolls!" I said "OK, be there in 5 minutes!". So away I went, w/ a huge bowl in my hand, to learn all the secrets of cinnamon roll making (and I learned a lot!).

Cinnamon Rolls
makes 4 dozen
2 c milk + 1 stick butter
melt in the microwave, let cool a bit
Mix:
2 pkg yeast (that's under 1 tbsp x 2, so under 2 tbsp)
3 1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
salt (1/2 tsp - 2 tsp)... says recipe calls for 2 tsp but she likes sweeter rolls,
so she uses about 1/2 tsp
Mix milk & flour stuff
Add 1 egg & beat
Add about 3 cups more flour

Knead for 10 minutes & rise for 1 hour or double in size (punch)

Roll out into rectable, and sprinkle cinnamon, sugar, brown sugar, etc.

Do all that extra stuff you love, and let rise again, bake at 350 for about 14 minutes or until done.
Now, we did not use a mixer, we used our HANDS (and a whisk & wooden spoon)! Let me tell you, I am very grateful for my Kitchenaid mixer.... but I did learn that we can use our own hands for this, and it turns out just fine! I did also learn that when we roll it out, it should NOT stick to our rolling pin! Mine was always sticking.

Thanks Lisa for the great tuturial! My first batch (I had to bake them all in 3 pans) was undercooked (ugh), but my 2nd pan was a little overdone. One of these days I'll get it. Why does everyone else's rolls always turn out better than mine? After you pull them out of the oven, drizzle the frosting over it immediately.

Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla (or almond extract)

{banana bread}

One of my fastest & easiest banana bread recipes. This only makes one loaf, but it's incredibly moist & yummy! Sometimes I add in a handful of chocolate chips, and one can add nuts in it, but since I'm not partial to nuts in my food... I keep them out. :D

Ingredients:

1 c sugar

2 c flour

2 eggs

1/2 c oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 mashed bananas

Mix all well together. Bake at least 1 hour or until done at 350 degrees.

{easy raspberry lemonade}

This recipe is perfect for a shower of any sort. Just add a few raspberries & mint leaves to a tray of ice cubes, cover with water & freeze. My family LOVES this recipe!!

Ingredients:

1 12 oz can frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate

3 c water

3/4 tsp lime juice

1 12 oz can lemon lime pop

1 c fresh raspberries, garnish (optional)

1 c crushed ice

1 c fresh mint, garnish (optional)

In a large punch bowl, combine raspberry lemonade concentrate, water & lime juice. Stir in lemon lime soda & crushed ice. Serve immediately.

{death by chocolate}

This is an amazing 4 layer cake created by my friend Leisa. I am a chocoholic lover by nature, and I can't even get through a single slice of this b/c it's so yummy & rich!!

Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker Devil’s Chocolate cake mix
1 box 3.9 oz chocolate pudding
4 eggs
½ c vegetable oil (or canola)
¼ c water
8 oz sour cream
1 c chocolate chip (milk chocolate)
1 tsp vanilla

Use two cheesecake pans (so you don’t have to worry if it’ll all come out!). Spray with Pam that has the flour in it.

Take out 1 tbsp of the dry cake mix, place it in a bowl. Pour the 1 cup of chocolate chips in to coat it so it doesn’t sink to the bottom of the pan when baking.

Mix all ingredients above, adding the coated chocolate chips very last. Mix for 30 seconds slow, then 2 minutes on medium speed. Add chocolate chips, mix briefly. Pour equally into both cheesecake pans, and bake at 350 for approximately 32 minutes. This time may vary, so pay attention to your cake! Use a toothpick to check if it’s done. Let sit for 10 minutes to cool.

Frosting Ingredients:
1 ½ cans of Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate Frosting
1 ½ cans of Betty Crocker Cream Cheese Frosting
¼ tsp orange extract
1 large Hershey bar, chopped up finely

Open one can of the milk chocolate frosting. Pour the orange extract inside, and let sit. You can also use any other flavoring extract (raspberry, etc) if you’d rather have something different.

By now, the cake will be cooled. You will need to take the cheesecake pan off (the bottom of the pan will be holding the cake still). There is an adjustable cake leveler that you can find at Walmart for around $2-3.00. It is level, so you drag it across the counter, and it slices it in half according to where you want it. Slice both cakes in half. Take one part of the cake, and place it on the platter. Add some cream cheese frosting over it, and sprinkle some chopped chocolate pieces over it. Do this w/ all the layers, but when you get to the top layer, you will spread the chocolate w/ orange over the top & on the sides.

Now, to do the chocolate curls: buy 2 big bars of the Symphony Milk Chocolate (you may not use it all). Put it in the cooling oven (it’ll still be a little warm). You will want it a little flexible. Open it up, and on the side (where it’s thin), take a vegetable peeler, and slide it away from you, creating a long piece of chocolate. You will have to create the curls with your fingers. Place it on the top of the cake & arrange. This is the most time consuming part of the entire cake! When it isn’t curling well anymore, place the bar back in the oven to become a little more flexible. You may do this every 10 curls!!