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.

Easy Grilled Flatbread

It is 95 degrees out and I have no intention of starting my stove today. Not even the toaster if I can avoid it. A big pile of salad greens and veggies will be the star on my dinner table tonight.  Need a side dish to make it a heartier meal? I will be grilling a couple chicken breasts as well as a flatbread for the carnivores.

Super easy and fast. Once you have made these they will be a summer favorite.

Grilled Flatbread

1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
3 cups AP flour
2 teaspoons butter or margarine


First I'll tell you how I make it, then give you an alternative.

Put warm water in bowl of food processor. Mix in sugar and yeast. Add flour and butter. Process until dough comes together into a nice springy ball, about 2 minutes.  Place dough in greased bowl to rise. Let it sit while the grill heats up. I cheat and use an electric grill.

Divide dough into 4 pieces. I use a rolling pin to roll each piece out into a rectangle. If you are feeling brave pull and stretch into shape.

Carefully place dough rectangle onto hot grill and cook for 5 minutes each side. Slather with butter and parmesan cheese for bread sticks or munch  plain.

Note:    Don't have a food  processor or even a grill? No problem. Mix the ingredients for the bread in the same order in a large bowl. Knead about 5 minutes until you have a smooth elastic dough. Sometimes I can talk my kids into doing this while I prepare the rest of supper. After a 20 minute rest, roll out the dough as described above. You can bake in the preheated oven or toaster oven at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes.

I make all 4 flatbreads and use the extra for pizza shells. Yum!

Baking Your Own Bread, Part 2

While looking for those fabulous build your own bed plans I came across this post from the same author.

I read it through twice and was shaking my head in disbelief. No kneading? Little rising? what kind of blasphemy is this? I tried it, fully expecting a horrible loaf that at best would be passable for croutons.

Crispy brown crust and light flaky bread reminiscent of those delicious artisan French bread loaves after a couple of hours! That big bucket of dough made a ridiculously easy pizza dough, a ciabatta for some toasted sandwiches, and a few crusty loaves to serve with salads.

My son even expressed an interest in making it and was so proud of his first loaf. We left a bit of dough in the bucket for the next batch and got a beautiful sourdough flavor. I am thinking about getting that book the next time I have found money burning a hole in my pocket.

Aeray, seriously, why did you have to be already married.............

Basic Bread and French Toast Sticks

My local bakery thrift store closed on Wednesday. It saddens me for a few reasons and even makes me angry to see the employees I have known for many years lose their jobs a few weeks before Christmas and the day before Thanksgiving.

I'm digging out some bread recipes to try to keep my budget from being totally destroyed. Here's a couple basics that are tried and true in my house.


White Sandwich Bread

3 cups AP flour
2 Tsp active dry yeast
2 Tb sugar
pinch salt
2 Tb butter
1 1/4 hot water


Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the hot water and let sit while you get the rest together.
Put flour and salt into large mixing bowl. Add butter, which you have cut into little pieces. Dump in the yeast mixture. Stir until a dough forms.

Sprinkle some flour on a counter or table top. Knead the bread dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. On humid days I find the dough a little sticky, just knead in a bit more flour until its workable.

Shape into your preferred loaf shape and place in a pan( I make a traditional egg shape and put on a flat 1/4 sheet pan).You can use a standard loaf pan if you prefer.

Let rise until doubled.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes for a nice crusty outside.

Let cool on a cooling rack before slicing or you will have a mess. I use an electric knife for easy even slices.
Makes 1 standard sandwich loaf, about 1 1/2 lb

Note: for electric breadmakers put your ingredients in your maker in the order specified by the manufacturer. For my maker its the water mixture followed by the flour and salt topped with the butter.


French Toast

3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
6 slices slightly stale bread
optional: maple syrup, jelly, whipped cream and berries

Whisk together all ingredients but the bread and optional ingredients.  I cut my bread pieces into thirds to make french toast sticks for the kids. Soak bread in the milk mixture for a few minutes while your griddle or frying pan heats up. I put the bread in a ziptop bag and pour the egg  mixture over it. Close the bag and let it sit on the counter. Turn it over after a minute or two.

I use a pat of butter or a dollop of canola oil to grease my pan which I have heated to medium high. Fry your bread slices until nice and golden on both sides.

I heat up a bit of strawberry jam on the stove until its melted then use that for syrup usually. Maple syrup is awesome also, though very pricey here. Be creative!

Easy Peasy Bread!

I was complaining to a friend about my lack of time lately. I had to buy a bunch of bread at the grocery store and my family was disgusted. She said" hey..I have a recipe for you. It's food processor bread!"

What? No kneading? I was skeptical but I humored her and said "Sure. I'll try it."

The next evening I was looking at my yeast jar on the counter and figured"why not?"

It took 5 minutes to throw together and process. I put the loaf pan in the fridge overnight to slow rise. The next morning when I got up I threw it in the oven and , I'll be darned, after it cooled the bread was really good. The texture was very similar to the potato bread I make for sandwiches. SO....no more excuses! This is the easiest homemade bread recipe EVER!

2 cups white AP flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tb white sugar
1 Pkg rapid rise yeast
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tb butter
1 egg
3/4 cup warm water

Add dry ingredients to food processor bowl. Pulse 10 seconds to combine. Add butter and egg.
Start processor and pour warm water through chute until dough forms(about 15 seconds)
 Process dough for 60 seconds more to knead dough.
Remove dough to floured board and let rest 10 minutes.
Form into a loaf and place in greased 8 x 4 loaf pan.
Refrigerate overnight. Dough should be doubled by morning.
Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Yay! Fresh bread!!!

Soda Bread and Potato Bread

I take for granted the fresh homemade bread we eat everyday. It's never been a problem for me to find the time, an hour or so , to keep my family in this economical comfort food. Someone asked for the recipe so here is my two favorites. An insanely easy Irish Soda Bread I make in mini loaf tins to serve with dinner or toast for breakfast. I fill half the tins with plain, adding raisins to the second half to accommodate the non raisin eaters. The second is a light fluffy potato bread dough. It can be made into rolls for the last rising or left as loaves if you prefer

IRISH SODA BREAD
  INGREDIENTS
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan or 4 mini loaf pans.
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda.
Blend egg and buttermilk together, and add all at once to the flour mixture.
Mix just until moistened. Stir in butter. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack. Wrap in foil for several hours, or overnight, for best flavor. Freezes well, too.

Favorite Potato Bread

 INGREDIENTS
1 cup milk
1/3 cup margarine
1/3 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons salt
3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 cup dry potato flakes
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
10 cups all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS
Heat milk in a large saucepan over low heat until it bubbles; stir in butter or margarine, sugar and salt, then cool until lukewarm.
Add warm water and potatoes and sprinkle in yeast until it dissolves.
Stir in 6 cups of the flour and mix all together.
Add the remaining 4 to 5 cups of flour and mix. Let rest 15 minutes.
Turn dough out on a floured surface and knead softly until dough is elastic and smooth.( I use the knead attachment on my stand mixer for about 6 minutes)
Lightly oil a large mixing bowl; add dough and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise 1 hour or until dough has doubled in volume.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
Punch down dough and divide into 3 to 4 sections. Shape into loaves and let rise, covered, until volume is nearly doubled.
Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Enjoy!!!!