Banana Bread

Do you have some bananas in the kitchen turning brown?  Thinking about tossing them out?   

Well, let me tell you ... this is when bananas are in their prime.   So, "carefully" pull the peelings off and make ...

Banana Bread

                                                                
Buttermilk Banana Bread with Vanilla-Almond Glaze

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3 average sized bananas, mashed. (extra ripened for more banana flavor)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract  (I used homemade vanilla extract)
1- 1/2 cup self-rising flour


Cream butter and sugar together.  Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Mix well.  Slowly add flour to banana mixture.  Mix until well combined.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 1.5 qt loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50 - 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.


*pan size I used; 5.25 x 9 x 2.75 *




*Tip:   Pour the glaze recipe over a warm bread, not hot.  Very Important!*


For the Vanilla - Almond Glaze

Combine in a small bowl:

1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 - to 1/4 tsp. almond extract


Whisk together and pour over your scrumptious banana loaf.
 
Enjoy!


Recipe adapted from:  Melskitchencafe

Egg Muffins

Good Morning to all!  Would anyone like an egg muffin?

Egg Muffin with Canadian Bacon

English Muffins
Butter
Canadian Bacon
Eggs
Cheese Slices

Split muffins and place on a sheet pan, spread with butter and broil until butter is melted.  Meanwhile; fry Canadian bacon until heated through and browned a bit.  Poach your eggs.  I cook mine in the microwave for about 50 seconds.  Assemble your muffins and top with cheese.

Enjoy!

Fried Squash

Crookneck Yellow Squash  -  Fresh from the garden.

Fried Squash

Oil, for frying
7 fresh squash, sliced
Approx. 1 cup of cornmeal
1 onion, diced
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Few shakes of onion powder

I always fry squash in an electric skillet.  Preheat skillet to 350 degrees add oil, just enough to lightly cover the bottom.  Combine squash, cornmeal and onions in a zip-lock bag and shake.  Carefully put squash/onion mixture into skillet.  Cover with lid.  Turn squash when browned - at this point you may need to add more oil.  (just a little, as needed)  While cooking; you will also need to tilt your lid to let the steam escape.

Right before squash is done sprinkle with salt, pepper and onion powder.

My Veggie Box

Bibb Lettuce

My Roma Tomatoes

Oh... I have babies ...Roma Babies

Oh, it's a baby dill plant.  How I LOVE DILL! :)  Dill, Dill, Dill!  I really don't know why I love this herb so much. Is it because, I love dill pickles.  I would love to live where there were fields of dill.  Ok, that's getting a little deep, I know.  Moving on...


 

Oh look.  It's a pickle ... I mean a cucumber!  :)

My summer favorite - cucumbers!  Dill PICKLES

Wow!  Just a little 4x8 box will grow quite a lot.  And, I didn't even mention my basil. (lower right side of picture)

Nutter Butter Banana Pudding

Nutter Butter Banana Pudding

1   -   5.1 oz  Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
1   -   20 oz   can crushed pineapple, drained
3   -   large bananas, sliced
1/2  box Nutter Butter Cookies, broken in half
1   -   8 oz   extra creamy cool whip
Cherries to garnish, optional


Put pudding mix in a medium size bowl; set aside.  

In another bowl - drain pineapples, and reserve liquid.  

Combine the juice of the pineapple with two cups milk, pour over pudding mix.  (you should get 1-cup of pineapple juice from the can)  added with milk to make three cups of liquid.   

Whisk pudding mix. If the pudding mix doesn't set up rather quickly, put it in the freezer for just a little while.
Add the drained pineapple, and sliced bananas to your pudding; stir to combine.


In a 2-1/2 quart bowl add: a layer of broken nutter butters, then  1/2 of pudding mixture, then 1/2 of the cool whip.  Continue layering and top with cool whip, garnish with cherries.

Refrigerate overnight. 



*The next time I make this I'm going to add some almond extract or vanilla extract - or maybe both.*


recipe adapted from: Southern Living
 

Fried Green Tomatoes

Our first green tomatoes of the season ...

bet you can't tell what I'm going to do with them ...

 

First, dredge in cornmeal ...  yes, just cornmeal, no flour.

And fry.  I use olive oil - or sometimes canola oil - or both.

You guessed it ...   :)



Fried Green Tomatoes

Fry until golden brown - serve hot.  Season with salt & pepper, of course!

That's as simple as it gets.

Hope you enjoy these tart, garden gems.

Fried Green Tomatoes
Printable Recipe

Oil, for frying
2 - medium green tomatoes, sliced
1/2 to 3/4  cup cornmeal
salt & pepper to taste

In a non-stick pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Meanwhile;  Dredge sliced green tomatoes in cornmeal and fry until golden brown on both sides; drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.  Serve hot.

Lemonade

 What is more refreshing than ice cold lemonade on a hot summer day?

For an added touch; freeze some berries and grapes in ice cube trays.  Just put berries in your trays add water and freeze.  These ice cubes are really pretty in a lot of drinks.

Lemonade

• six lemons
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 cups cold water

Juice the lemons - you'll get more juice out of your lemons by first rolling them between your hand and the counter top before cutting in half and juicing.

In a pitcher combine lemon juice, sugar and cold water.  Stir until sugar is dissolved.