{someones in the kitchen}

Here you go Lora. What I made the other day. Nothing super exciting, but all yummy.

Banana Bread- I always nonchalantly say, Oh, It's Emerils recipe, when sharing this bread. Cause me & E are tight like that, you didn't know? Now, I leave out the baking soda (cause I never have any usually) and cause I use all purpose flour and thought you didn't need it in that case. Either way, it works. I don't add walnuts cause I don't really like them and have started adding raisins lately. Now, because I'm all about keeping it simple...I don't read his recipe anymore. He uses fancy chef words where as I make it easy. Here goes:

• 10 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups cake flour
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts

Mix wet stuff. Mix dry stuff. Combine. Bake in greased bread pan for 1 hour 10 minutes at 350.

See? Much easier my way. Byron loves this & would be happiest if I kept in the house on a constant basis.

Next was Pineapple Carrot bread. I love carrot bread and could live on pineapple, so this is one of my favorites. This recipe came from my brothers girlfriends mother.

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinamon
3 beaten eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups grated carrots (about 1/2 lb)
1 can 20ounce crushed pineapple (drain off juice)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Again with the easy... Mix together wet stuff. Mix dry stuff. Combine. Bake @ 350 for about an hour. This makes 2 loaves.

The beer in the photo was not for me. :) I had a bag mix of Tastefully Simple Beer Bread sitting around for the past year & figured I'd finally make it. I love their products, so easy & so good.

Other than that I made some no bake cookies that came out like crud. Emma made some red/green sugar cookies. We recycled the foam trays that veggies come in & wrapped up cookies & bread to take to my dad's family last night and it went over well.

Right now I have one loaf of banana bread & one loaf of pineapple carrot bread left. There's a bunch of bananas in the fridge still though, so I'm sure I'll be making more soon.

There ya go Lora. :) Not exciting, sorry... but if you make any of it, let me know!


OH... and while I'm sharing recipes, I made this last week for dinner. It was awesome!

1 pkg. (14 oz.) sausage, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

2 cans (15 oz. each) black beans, drained, rinsed

2 cans (14-1/2 oz. each) diced tomatoes with garlic and onions, drained

2 medium green peppers, chopped

2 tsp. Cajun seasoning

1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)

6 sheets (12x18 inch) aluminum foil

Combine sausage, beans, tomatoes, green pepper and seasonings.
Spoon some of the sausage mixture onto center of each sheet of foil. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. (You will have 6 packets.) Place on grate of grill; cover with lid.
Cook 12 to 14 min. or until sausage mixture is heated through.

We don't have access to a gril, so I put them in the oven for about 18 minutes at 450.