What's cooking on Tuesday?

It's a beautiful fall day here. I have the doors open wide for a delicious crisp breeze. 

I am catching up on some basics I didn't get to last weekend because everyone was sick. My son has been on a burrito kick so he went through all my refried beans. I brought a big pot of beans and water to a boil last night. After it boiled a minute, I drained and rinsed the beans. Throw them in the crock pot on low overnight and voila! fresh cooked beans. I used the beans in this recipe today to put up in freezer containers.

Refried Beans

3 cups cooked beans ( I used an assortment of reds)
4 TB butter
1/2 C water or milk
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp black pepper

Melt butter in a large pot. Add in beans, spices, and water.
Mix well and simmer on medium low heat for 15 minutes or so.
You can run a hand mixer, immersion blender, or old fashioned potato masher to smooth it out if you don't want so many chunks. This recipe is a bit spicy, add less seasonings the first time or experiment to taste.
Pour into pint freezer containers and freeze after they cool completely.

I saw this recipe on The Prairie Homestead and was impressed by their site. I swear we are cooking from all the same recipes! 

I am going to serve these beans with homemade flatbreads, corn on the cob, and apple crisp tonight.
Although a brownie recipe is calling my name.............

Banana Snack Cake

Got a pile of ripe brown smooshy bananas on the counter? Those are the best kind! As they ripen the flavor develops and they get sweeter. I have several recipes I pull out but here is todays recipe for an lickity split snack cake for those after school munchies.

Banana Snack Cake

1 stick butter or margarine (room temperature)
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed bananas( about 3 medium)
2.25 cups white flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
.25 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
pinch cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 11x7 brownie pan. You could use a 9x13, just adjust your baking time down accordingly.

Using a hand mixer or a whisk and some elbow grease cream together butter and sugar. Add in eggs and mix until creamy. Next stir in the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.
Lastly whisk in the bananas, sour cream and vanilla. 

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes  before cutting.

I serve it plain but we have done frosting and sprinkles, ice cream and maple syrup, as well as peanut butter for toppings. Let the kids pick for a yummy afternnon treat.

To dress this up a bit you could add in a 1/2 cup of pecans, mini chocolate chips, or rum soaked raisins as well.