Yay! The Kids Are Back - For A Visit!

These pictures are for you, Gramma Barb and Grandpa Mike!

Banana Banana Bread

Ready to go, but the mini chips kept falling off.

This recipe for banana bread is from another treat that I made for the ladies get-together last week. I have several recipes for banana that are tried and true, but for some crazy reason, I went on a search for a new recipe! Why do I do that? I don't know! We are suppose to learn from our mistakes! Sometimes I learn nothing! Why, oh, why I do not know! I usually write the month and year on the recipes I use, so that I know when I made them, and most importantly, I write notes on what worked and what to do different next time. I also write who I made it for, which helps so I don't always make the same thing for the same people. You would think I would take advantage of that info. But no, not me, I'm always looking to add a little extra stress to the situation by using a recipe I know nothing about. 

Wrapped and ready

I found a recipe at food.com and made a few changes. The recipe went together very easy, but unfortunately, I over baked it, which is the worst thing you can do with quick bread, next to over mixing! I have written my notes on this recipe now and I will try hard to keep my banana bread moist next time! Because I realized before I left the house, at 7:40 a.m. that the bread was dry, I whipped up some spread as a topping. I mixed about 5 ounces of fat free cream cheese, about 1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter, about 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar, a touch of vanilla and a little milk. I whipped it until it was very fluffy and spread easily. Peanut butter and bananas, what's not to love? I guess I forgot to try it, but it passed the dear hubby test and everyone that tried the spread said it was really good. I will probably make it again, now that I have all my notes written on what not to do!



Enjoy!

Brown Butter Streusel Mini Crumb Cakes

Did I ever mention that I have a thing for baking pans? When I saw a mini crumb cake pan at Williams-Sonoma several years ago, I knew I had to have it! It is a really cool pan with removable bottoms which makes removing the little cakes very easy. The recipe makes a dozen so I don't make them very often. This past week I made treats for a ladies fellowship group and I jumped at the chance to use my special pan. 


The browned butter makes these crumb cakes extra special. I brown the butter first so that it can cool completely before starting the recipe. I decided to make the cinnamon apple variation printed on the back of the box. I was happy that they turned out good, but next time I will increase the apple quantity to 1-1/2 cups. The one cup of apples gives you just a hint of apple. I think they could be a lot better with more apple pieces. To make this work, I will add a little less batter, add the apples and pat them down into the batter a little more. I will also add the crumb topping just to the top of the rim, which will probably leave some unused crumbs. As you can see from the photo below, when the cake rises, it pushes the crumb out and over the rim. It's not really a problem, but if part of it falls off, you have a lopsided crumb cake.

The outer cakes brown more than the inside cakes

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

If you like pumpkin, you should make these muffins. You can have them mixed up in no time. In fact, your oven might take longer to heat up than it takes to make these muffins! All you need is a can of pumpkin, a yellow cake mix and a few spices. You could add any spices that strike your fancy. My spices are just a suggestion. You will end up with super moist and tasty muffins! If you have a cake mix, you should try them. If you don't, buy a cake mix and then you can try it. While you are at the store, you should buy a can of pumpkin, unless you have one in the cupboard. Just try it!
Enjoy!

Happy Friday!

We must be waiting for the flower fairy to arrive

Have a great weekend!

Raw Apple Cake - Vintage Recipe

This one's for you, Lori!

You gave me this recipe for Raw Apple Cake in the mid 70's! That's well over 30 years ago! How is it possible that we can be that old? How did we become the grandma's that bake cakes? After our conversation on Tuesday, I wanted to make sure I got this recipe back to you in printable form so you can add it to your recipe file.

I remember you made this cake for a baby shower you held at your house. I liked it so much I asked you for your recipe. Although I didn't end up making this cake on Tuesday like I had planned, I have made this cake many times through these 30+ years and it always turns out perfect! Very moist! I would like to make it again soon, and when I do, I will post a picture.

Enjoy!

Kale and White Bean Soup with Sausage

I am so happy I found the recipe for this soup. This is the soup that you want for lunch or dinner on a cold fall or winter day. This soup was so good! I had noticed that Trader Joe's now carries bags of washed and cut kale, so I bought a bag and went on a search for the best sounding bean, kale and sausage soup. I liked everything about this recipe that I found on food.com. Here is your link for Mediteranean Kale White Bean Soup with Sausage.

Mediterranean Kale and White Bean Soup with Sausage

I did make one change to this recipe. I used half Trader Joe's Italian Sweet Sausage and half Spicy Hot sausage. I bought the hot sausage at Trader Joe's also. It didn't have their name on it, but it was the brand they sell. I don't remember the name, but it is probably a different brand in every area. When you read the recipe you may wonder about the fresh lemon juice and the grated zest and might be tempted to omit it, but make sure you don't leave it out. It adds the most amazing flavor and takes it to another level! You will be a very happy soup eater! Other than that, you can have dinner on the table in an hour. My kale took at least 20 minutes to cook to the tenderness we prefer. I would suggest poking the kale with a fork to see if it is your desired tenderness.

Easy Focaccia

I made a focaccia to go with our soup. It was really good dunked in the broth. It was easy to make and it was ready to eat within an hour also. I was in an adventurous mood so I sprinkled fennel seeds on top, but I don't think I will do that again. The flavor was really good, but they became extra crunchy due to the 475 degree oven. I might experiment by soaking them in water for a little while first to see what if that makes any difference.


Enjoy!