No Fail Banana Bread

What makes a recipe quick and easy for you?

For me, it's a recipe that requires minimal measuring, doesn't dirty every dish to prepare it and that comes out beautiful everytime.

Tip: Always have bananas on hand. Freeze over ripe bananas individually so they thaw quickly.

5 ripe bananas
1 yellow cake mix
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 5 x 9 bread pan.

Mash bananas well. Add remaining ingredients and beat 2 minutes on medium.

Pour into pan and bake 1 hour or until firm in middle. (It takes my oven 1 hour and 10 minutes)  Cool in pan on wire rack. 

I have some awesome reviews and giveaways coming up that I can't wait to share with you!  Be on the lookout for them.

No Lard - No Shortening Flour Tortilla Shells

It's easy to make your own flour tortillas! And this recipe uses no lard or shortening! It makes the best tortillas I've tried to make.

Texas Flour Tortillas

Ingredients:
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
3/4 cups of warm milk

Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
Stir in oil.
Slowly add warm milk.
Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.

Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.
Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes and let rest.

Divide into eight sections, rolling them into balls. Place on a plate (make sure they aren’t touching) and cover with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes.

One at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. Don’t over work the dough, or it’ll be stiff.
Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.

In a dry iron skillet or griddle, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.

Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.

Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, on griddle or in the oven wrapped in foil.

Store in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.

Makes eight tortillas.

If you would like more insight on this recipe, visit Home Sick Texan.

From Canning to Baking!~Cupcakes, Bread and Cinnamon Rolls

I've been baking up a storm the last few days!

First I baked Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes with Mocha Butter Frosting. They turned out great and we all loved the taste!






Then I baked Onion Soup Bread. I was totally surprised my kiddo loved this bread. He doesn't eat onions, although he likes onion flavor. It has something to do with the texture of onions. I guess the soup didn't have enough to bother him and what little it does have, they are crunchy. He told me it was so good I should make a bunch of loaves and sell them! lol



Today it was rainy here again and damp. I decided to make some home made cinnamon rolls. I used my bread machine on the dough cycle and I don't think it made it any quicker! But they turned out lovely.



Look at that gooey yumminess!



The weather is getting cooler here as well as the days getting shorter. I shouldn't rush fall or winter, it will be long enough on it's own. But I do miss the type of cooking I do during these months.

How about you? What have you been baking?

FINALLY! I did it... Edible Biscuits

After many many many attempts, I finally made some {edible} excellent biscuits today.

I feel I had some help from my late aunt, using her sifter and biscuit cutter. :)

Hubby and boy wonder thought they were "excellent" also. Take a look at these pics. What do you think?

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder {BE SURE YOUR BAKING POWDER ISN'T EXPIRED}
2/3 cup milk {ICE COLD}
1/3 cup vegetable shortening {PLACE MEASURED SHORTENING INTO FREEZER FOR APPROX. 20 MINUTES}

Preheat oven to 425ºF.
Sift together flour, salt, sugar and baking powder into mixing bowl.
Make a well in the flour mix and add the milk.
Chip hard shortening into flour & milk; cut in using a knife and fork the until thoroughly mixed. Mix will be sticky.
Turn onto floured board, and knead gently 6 to 8 times.
Pat dough to 1/2-inch thickness. MAKE SURE IT IS 1/2"
Cut into biscuits. DO NOT TWIST CUTTER!
Place on baking sheet and brown in oven 10-13 minutes.
Makes about 9 biscuits.

To view the original recipe go to:
© 2009 Recipezaar. All Rights Reserved. http://www.recipezaar.com

Type 85057 in the Search box at the top of Recipezaar, to get back to this recipe easily.

Pizza Sticks

I had a Chef Boyardee Cheese Pizza Kit in the pantry that I needed to get used before it expired. I was looking on the box to see what I needed to prepare the crust and found their Pizza Snack Sticks recipe.

It was very simple. I dumped everything into my kitchen aide bowl, mixed it up, rolled it out, cut into strips, and baked them for 15 minutes. I served them with some extra pizza sauce and parmesan cheese for dipping.

A simple quick after school snack for kiddo, and hubby and I even liked them.

Thanks Chef Boyardee!

Egg Bread Bread Machine Recipe

Egg Bread
1 1/2 pound loaf

2/3 cup milk (90`-100` F)
2 eggs, large
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons butter/margarine
2 tsp. active dry yeast OR 1 1/2 tsp. bread machine fast rise yeast.

Add ingredients in order listed.
Bake in bread machine using Basic setting and your choice of color.
I always bake it on light since this is smaller than 2 lb loaf.

The eggs add a special flavor to this bread and it's a very tender
bread due to using both eggs and milk.

It is NOT recommended to use this recipe with your delay on your
bread machine due to the eggs and milk in it.

TIP: When using a bread machine, to get fluffier bread, add the warm water and yeast first. Let that sit for 5 minutes before adding the remaining ingredients.

Quick Dinner Rolls For Working Moms

1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/4 cup margarine
4-5 cups all purpose flour
3 T sugar
1 tsp salt
2 pkgs. active dry yeast

Combine milk, water and butter in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until warm to the touch.

In mixer bowl, place 3 cups of the flour and remaining dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until well blended. Gradually add the warm milk mixture. Mix until well blended.

Gradually begin adding the remaining 1 to 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is firm, clings to the hook, and cleans the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto counter top and knead a few times.

Place in a large greased bowl and allow to rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. Turn out, and divide into rolls or loaves. Place bread in a warm place and allow to rise for another 20-30 minutes.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with butter while still warm to produce a nice soft crust.

Grandmother's Fabulous Dough

1 cup milk
3/4 cup butter or shortening
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt

2 eggs
4 cups flour (measure lightly)

1 pkg dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/8 tsp sugar

Heat milk, butter, 1/4 cup sugar and salt until butter melts, cool to lukewarm.

While milk & butter are heating, dissolve yeast into water and sprinkle with sugar.

Beat milk mix into yeast. Add 2 cups flour and beat for 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, then add 1 cup flour and beat 2 minutes. Beat (or use spoon) remaining flour in a little at a time until mixed well.

Turn into a greased bowl, grease top of ball of dough, cover loosely with plastic wrap, but seal the edge and place in warm area to rise. About 2 hours.

Punch down, form bread (either into loafs or rolls), place in appropriate pans, cover once again and let rise 1 hour.

Bake rolls at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Check frequently! Brush with butter to make a nice soft crust.
Bake loaves 25-30 minutes.

Pumpkin-chocolate loaf

This recipe appeared in the Kansas City Star, November 23, 2008. Monday I baked a loaf and it was so yummmy. Hubby and boy wonder loved it also and fought over the last piece.

As I was typing the recipe out, I noticed I screwed up when I made it. I put a WHOLE 15 ounce can of pumpkin in it. This may be why it took over an hour to bake and was still VERY VERY moist, to the point where when I sliced it, it would fall apart. Although I had no trouble when removing the loaf from the pan, it remained one piece. When I make this again, I will plan on making two loaves and just split the 15 ounce can in half. If you only want to make one loaf, split the can in half and freeze the other half for later use. I hope the loaf is as moist using only the half a can as it was using a whole can.


1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (recipe to make your own)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 by 5 by 3 inch nonstick loaf pan.

In a medium mixing bowl combine and whisk together the first 5 ingredients.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until well blended. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla, then add the flour mixture beating just until well blended.

Heat the chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 - 2 minutes, until completely melted and smooth.

Spoon half the batter into the loaf pan. Spoon half of the melted chocolate on top of the batter and swirl into the batter with a wooden skewer. Repeat with remaining batter and chocolate, making sure to swirl the chocolate into the batter well.

Bake the loaf about 1 hour, or until a metal skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack. To remove from pan, run a knife around the edges and invert onto the rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into slices.

Saturday Cake Mix Special- Banana Nut Muffins

Saturday was a busy day hounding all those deals at Wal-Mart and preparing for company on Sunday. So here is the Saturday Cake Mix Special a little late. I love all the different things you can do with cake mixes. I usually have a good supply on hand that I've bought on sale and had a coupon for making them free or almost free.

1 banana or spice cake mix
2 eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 medium banana, mashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners. Mix together cake mix, eggs, water, nuts, oil and banana in a large bowl until well blended. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter. Bake 20-25 minutes.