Apple Butter- Banana Bread

I have this recipe I have been wanting to try that is an applesauce, cinnamon bread. So I was going to make that when I thought...golly..I have these bananas that need to be used and I have this apple butter that needs to be used..I wonder if I can find a recipe for those ingredients...so I go to Google. You know, Google knows EVERYTHING!

Of course I find a bunch of recipes. I went to one of my favorite recipe sites and found a recipe. Then I read the comments and found out that "they" all liked the Better Homes and Gardens version better, so I went there and found their recipe and used it. So, here is the recipe I used.

Apple Butter-Banana Bread

Better Homes and Gardens Version

 Ingredients

 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

 1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

 2 slightly beaten eggs

 3/4 cup sugar

 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (2 small)

 1/2 cup apple butter

 1/4 cup canola or cooking oil

Directions

1. Grease and flour the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of the flour mixture; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl combine eggs, sugar, banana, apple butter, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Spoon batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake in a 350 degree oven about 45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing. Makes 1 loaf (16 servings).

 

Gathered all the ingredients

to make sure I had everything.

 

Made a well in the dry ingredients

 I used the mini muffin pans instead

of the 1 large loaf pan so I would have

loaves to freeze and a loaf to share.

I was surprised it only made 3 mini.

 

 

 I would not use flour to coat the pans next time. I would use powdered sugar. I made this recipe late at night and wasn't thinking. haha When I took the bread out of the pans it had a little bit of flour on the outside of the bread which I could taste and didn't like. The powdered sugar would have tasted better and still helped the bread slide out of the pan.

 

 

This bread was very good. You could taste the Apple Butter and still taste the bananas. Doris, a friend at work that says she is my "Official Taster" said it was very good too. I will definitely make this recipe again.

 

 

Just for fun

My son sometimes works for the same company that I work for as I have mentioned in another blog. This week he is working at the same location as me so I am driving him to work. It is 5 am and we are trying to get out the door. I turn around and notice that the dog has no food and I am standing right next to the food bin so I scoop some out and pass the scoop to Jonathan who is 2 steps away from the dog dish. He takes the scoop and I swear, it takes him 10 minutes to walk to the dish and back to hand me the scoop. Ok, maybe that is exaggerated a little but when you are trying to get out the door on time seconds seem like lots of minutes....Anyway, I say "Walk with purpose, Jonathan..walk with purpose!" He says " I am, but my purpose hurts" hahaha...love that kid!

 

Isn't he handsome?

 This picture was back in 2011. He is all decked out to go to prom.

 

 

2013 At a wedding in Ohio

Wedding Anniversary

This past week hubby and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary. Yep..can you believe it??? Me either. Time has FLOWN by!

Twenty five years ago my Grandfather (my Mothers' Father) performed the ceremony, outside, at The Peaks of Otter.  I really need to get my old photo's scanned!  (UPDATE: Hubby read my blog and scanned a couple pictures for me..yeah!)

The Peaks of Otter.

 

Left to right...my sister, my cousin, Bobby's sister, me and Bobby, Bobby's father and 2 of his friends in the front are 2 sisters and then 2 brothers that I babysat when I was in college.


My Grandfather had been battling Cancer for many years but was feeling well enough to make the trip from Sevierville, Tennessee to Virginia. (about 6 hour drive) Bobby and my wedding was to be the last wedding he preformed. He went to be with Jesus that same November. Bobby and I are so honored that he was able to marry us!

My young cousin was one of my Bridesmaids along with my sister and my husbands sister. My cousin also sang a beautiful song during the ceremony. This is the song..not my cousin singing...one day I will have that on CD too! I told Rachelle to pick out the song she wanted to sing and she happened to choose my husbands favorite song! It really touched him that she choose that song. He kept asking me how I knew...I told him I had no idea! Of course this is "our song" now!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2y7woasr_s

Our first night we spent at a Hilton and then we flew out, early the next morning and went to Orlando, FL. Bobby and I thought it would be neat this year to stay at what used to be the Hilton and now is a Kirkley Hotel for one night on our 25th anniversary but he found out the rooms were running around $100 to $150 FOR ONE NIGHT!!! I told Bobby no way..for that we could go to Pigeon Forge and go to dinner and a show and come back the next day. He suggested Williamsburg (closer) and then he went ahead and made the reservations and got tickets to Busch Gardens as a surprise. Yeah!! He also took me out to our favorite Steak Restaurant on our actual anniversary and we had a lovely dinner.

I worked all day first so I have funky hair going on....

So, we just got back from a great weekend and had a lovely time at the Amusement park. The weather was very overcast which made it not too hot. We did everything we wanted to do at the park and didn't get sunburned! On our Honeymoon I didn't get the right sunscreen and we got FRIED. I mean we were like red lobsters and all we could say was "nooo don't touch me" HAHAHA Twenty five years later I did take the right sunscreen (older and wiser?) but we didn't even need it.

I'm just learning the art of Self Portraits!

 

2013

25th Anniversary celebration at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA

My Mother's Day and Breakfast Pizza or Casserole

Most of my loyal readers know that I have a great son. Just a warning..this post will be me bragging about Jonathan.  He is 20 now but he lives at home while he is going to college. He is the best son a mother could ask for.  He doesn't have a drivers licence yet so I take him to school every morning and pick him up every day after work. This gives us at least 2 hours a day in the car to talk. We talk about everything and nothing. Sometimes one of us will say something and the whole rest of the way home we are giggling about nonsense.

 Some days, I will have to admit, something goes wrong and I will "lecture" him all the way home. I HATE it when I do that but sometimes I can't stop myself. It is important to me that he be the best he can be and he has SOOOO stinkin much potential and I HATE for him to fritter his life away...ok..no..I'm not going to lecture here!! I want to brag about all his wonderful characteristics but unfortunately I will probably forget to mention half of them.

Let's see...he is smart and witty..LOVE the witty part..well...and the smart part too...he is So full of unusual trivia. Sometimes he works with me for the catering part of the company and we will be driving home after working 18 hours together and he is so tired but he starts spewing unusual facts..for instance...

Ajax dish detergent..is named after Ajax a Trojan Warrior known for his strength and the Ajax dish soap's slogan is "Stronger than grease" (Greece..see it's a pun). 

The human liver will grow back even if 2/3rds of it is missing. 

Aphrodite is the only Greek God not related to any of the other ones...

During WW2 in order to combat the German tanks, the allies tried to develop sticky grenades but had to give it up because not only did the grenades stick to the tanks, they stuck to the solder trying to throw the grenade. He said "that there is what you call a sticky situation"..you see, very educational.

Anyway, he is extremely helpful here at home (when he wants to) He helps with the cooking when I have long days at work.  He also has regular responsibilities around the house. He helps me with the computer too. I'll be sitting with the laptop and accidentally hit a button and I can't fix it..I don't know what I did..so I call Jonathan out of his room and he says..just hit this and see all fixed..yeah! A computer whiz right here..he learned some of that from his father. Bobby is a computer whiz too.

Of course we have pictures!

 

This was the day he graduated from High School.

2011

2012

 This was taken on my Birthday last year.

 

He indulges me with the constant picture taking!

This was taken last year at Universal Studios.

2012

 

This is Jonathan and I in front of our hotel in Florida...teehee..

Nooo that is the Harry Potter Hogwarts School at Universal Studios

 

2013

He has fun with his Aunt too. She bought one of these candy pacifier looking things for each of them. One for the Aunt, one for her 9 year old son and of course one for Jonathan. He never said a word of no I won't put that in my mouth for a picture! He just took it..unwrapped it and was ready for the pictures!

And of course we had to push our luck by

adding the pink bunny ears to the outfit!
 

The weekend of Mothers Day, Jonathan had a friend over so they could play video games but on Sunday Jonathan got up early and made me breakfast. He planned on making me corned beef hash and an omelet but I didn't know that and we ate the Hash on Saturday. Oops. So, Jonathan and I worked on this Breakfast Casserole together. He did most of it I mainly took the pictures.
 

Here's the recipe:
 

Breakfast Pizza from Cooks.com
 

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,165,146188-233200,00.html

 

Sorry, they have the site protected or something and I can print but I can't copy and paste the recipe like I usually do. All you have to do is click on the link and it will take you right to the actual recipe.
 

                                                Breakfast Pizza

ingredients..eggs, crescent rolls, frozen hash brown potatoes (not the shredded kind), cheese (I use a combination of sharp cheddar and Monterrey jack), Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire Sauce and sausage.(or real bacon pieces or ham or a combination of all three)

 Here's my boy happy to make me breakfast!

He is cooking the sausage

We make this in a 13x9 dish instead of the pizza pan like the recipe says. Spray the pan with cooking spray then lay the crescent rolls down and seal the seams. Top it with the one pound cooked and drained sausage, then the 1 cup of potatoes (Jonathan browned the potatoes in the sausage grease cause the recipe says to thaw the potatoes and I never have before. Then sprinkle the 1 cup of Cheddar Cheese on top. In a separate bowl whisk the 5 eggs, 1/2 tsp salt,1/8 tsp  pepper 1/4 cup Milk and a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce together.

 Pour this mixture over the sausage and cheese then sprinkle the 2 Tablespoons of Parmesan on the top. (To be honest we don't measure the cheeses we just add what we want.) Put this in the oven at 375 for 25 to 30 min.

Gratuitous cute dog picture!
 

This is always a hit!

We love this any day but it is quick and easy

for Christmas morning or when company is visiting too!

 

Then...not done yet! Then..Jonathan got the boneless Pork ribs out of the refrigerator and put them in the Crock pot with salt, pepper, garlic powder and Sweet Baby Rays Barbecue sauce and let them cook all day on low for our dinner that night and proceeded to do all the dishes before he went back to playing games with his friend.

 

Yeah me! No cooking on Mothers Day!!

 

 

Mothers Day

Jonathan and me

2013

 

Pineapple Mandarin Cake or Pig Eating Cake or PIG PICKING CAKE (BECAUSE YOU CAN'T STOP EATING)

Today's recipe was on my Facebook page again so I'm not sure where it originated but it looked good so I thought I would try it.

Pineapple Mandarin Cake

"Pig Eating Cake or PIG PICKING CAKE (BECAUSE YOU CAN'T STOP EATING)"

 1 box Yellow Cake Mix

 1 stick Margarine, Softened

 4 eggs

 1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained (SAVE THE JUICE and a few slices for garnish)

 

FROSTING:

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, in juice (drain the pineapple but save the juice)

1 pkg. (4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding (I used banana cream cause it's what I had on hand)

2 cup Cool Whip

 

 Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with baking spray (or just grease and flour it the way our grandmothers always did it.)

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the cake, combine cake mix, margarine, 1/2 cup juice from the mandarin oranges, eggs. Beat for four minutes on medium-high. Add drained oranges and beat again until pieces are broken up and small. Pour batter into greased and floured (I just sprayed mine with Pam spray no flour) 9 x 13 inch baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and set. Remove from oven and cool completely. If desired, turn out cake onto a large platter.

 Once cake is cool, blend juice from drained pineapples with the vanilla pudding mix. then mix in whipped topping. Stir in drained pineapple. Spread on cooled cake and refrigerate..

To serve, cut cake into squares and top each square with a mandarin orange slice.

 

 

Gather the ingredients to make sure you have everything you need. Oops, I didn't have any vanilla pudding so I used Banana Cream.

 

I would recommend a stand mixer if you have one

 as 4 minutes is a long time to hold a hand mixer

but that is what I used. The batter kept "crawling"

 up the beaters since it was so fluffy.

 

The middle wouldn't get done so I cooked

 it longer than the recommended time.

 

 

Let cool completely. The frosting was so easy to make!

 

Wow! This was GOOD! Very moist with good flavor.

Mostly I tasted the pineapple and the banana though so next time I will try it with the vanilla pudding to see if I taste the Mandarin Oranges more. 

Not sure if I would call it "Pig eating" but it did taste "more ish"

Get it? Tasted like more?

Happy Mother's Day MOM!

Happy Mother's Day to the best Mother I could have ever asked for.

 

 My Mother has lived her life as an example for what I should be.

 

 

My Mother has shown me through the years how to be a good wife and Mother by her example. Yes, she cooks and cleans but she also stands right beside my Father in everything they do.

 

 

 My parents have lead by example in their total devotion to each other. They don't always agree but my sister and I ALWAYS know that they love each other. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary a couple years ago and they even still LIKE each other!

 

 

 My Mother has always been there for me. I have not always done the right thing in my life...in fact I have done some things that were definitely NOT in my best interest but she has always been there to help me pick up the pieces and move on. She has always had a forgiving heart even when I did things that I'm sure were hard for her to forgive. Thank you MOM for always supporting me and sharing just the right advice. Thank you for always loving me and thank you most of all for always praying for me and my family.

              Sometimes my parents come to Virginia ( they live in Ohio)
                                      to spend Thanksgiving with us.
                                 We LOVE to go Black Friday shopping!!

                          This is the most recent picture of our family.
                                         Taken in March 2013

I love you Mom,

thank you for your laughter
thank you for all the good times
thank you for believing in me
thank you for all the advice,
thank you for always being there for me my whole life
thank you for cheering me up when I was down
thank you for all the love
thank you for all the prayers over the years!

Apple Praline Bread

Oooo you are in for a treat today! This bread recipe appeared on my Facebook wall and it looked so good in the picture I just HAD to try it and let me tell you what..it did not disappoint! Let's get right to the recipe.

 

Apple Praline Bread

1 cup sour cream

1 cup brown sugar

 2 eggs

 2 tsp vanilla

 2 cups flour

 2 tsp baking powder

 1/2 tsp baking soda

 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and finely chopped

 1 cup nuts (walnut or pecan or a combo), divided

 For the praline sauce:

 ¼ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat together the sour cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla on low speed for a couple of minutes until well blended. Stop the mixer and then add in the flour, leavening agents and salt. Continue to beat on low until well combined.

 Fold in the apples and half the nuts into the batter. Transfer the batter into the greased loaf pan. Sprinkle the rest of the nuts on top and then press them lightly into the batter. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

 Cool in the loaf pan for about 20-30 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. So it doesn't get too dark, I suggest using a light colored loaf pan.

 For the praline sauce:

 In a small sauce pan, place the butter and brown sugar. Using medium heat, bring to a boil. Lower the heat and then simmer lightly for about one minute, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and then drizzle over the bread. Cool completely.

This is who posted the recipe.

 http://www.instylefashion1.com/2013/03/apple-praline-bread.html

 

 

We gather the ingredients...

 

I used the apple corer and carrot shredder in this recipe.

 It says to dice the apple small so I thought I would shred it. Next time I think I will dice them. Maybe it will have little pieces in the bread.

 

After mixing the ingredients

then you fold in the apples and the walnuts.

                                   I baked the bread in 4 mini loaf pans
                         instead of in one loaf pan. They baked for 45 min.
                        When the toothpick came out clean they were done.
                    I let them cool all night since I started kind of late at night.
                 Then I made the topping which only took 2 or 3 minutes.

 

This was SO good! The next day I took

 some to work

and it was a big hit. We heated it up

 for 10 seconds and the topping melted

into the bread and was even better!

 

Please try recipe you won't be disappointed!

 

 

 

Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken .. Copycat recipe

This recipe has been on my to do list for a long time as a crockpot recipe and then the other day I found it as a bake it in the oven recipe so I was excited to try it. Nothing wrong with the crockpot as you know, I love mine! I left the mushrooms out also since Jonathan doesn't like them. If Bobby had been home  I would have used mushrooms on ours and just left them off of Jonathans.  Since it was just the 2 of us I cut the recipe in half.

 

Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken ..

Recipe:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness

Lowry's Seasoning Salt

 6 bacon slices

1/4 cup regular mustard

 1/3 cup honey

2 Tbsp. Mayonnaise

2 teaspoons dried onion flakes

 1 cup sliced fresh mushroom (I omitted because my family does not like mushrooms)

 2 cup shredded Colby/Jack cheese

 First, Sprinkle and rub the chicken breasts with seasoning salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 While the chicken is in the refrigerator, cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside. ***Do not discard grease.***

 Saute chicken in the bacon grease for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned. Place chicken in a 9" × 13" casserole dish or pan.

 To make the Honey Mustard: In a small bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayonnaise and dried onion flakes.

Spread some of the Honey Mustard over each piece of chicken, then layer with mushrooms, crumbled bacon, and shredded cheese. Saving some of the sauce to serve with the cooked chicken

 Bake in a 350° oven for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and chicken is done.

 Serve with the left over Honey Mustard Sauce that you made.

 http://debrapate.blogspot.com/2012/01/outback-steakhouse-alice-springs.html

Let's get started..

Ingredients..
 

 

 

Flatten the chicken so the toppings won't fall off and it cooks more even

 

Rub the Season Salt in on both sides

                                                                         Fry up the Bacon
                                           We like the thick cut bacon so that is what I had on hand
                                                                 SAVE THE BACON GREASE

 

Mix up the mustard, Honey, Mayo and dry onion flakes

 

Brown the chicken in the bacon fat..don't cook it all the way through

 

 

                                           Top the chicken with the honey mustard sauce you made
                                                           reserving some sauce for later,

 

Crumble the bacon on top of the sauce and then top with the cheese.

Use a lot of cheese. Next time I will add the bacon and the cheese about 10 min. before I take it out of the oven since the cheese was a little over done for my taste.

 

Bake in the oven until chicken temperature reaches 165 degrees

Serve the chicken with the reserved sauce

 

                                                                         WOW this was good!

I will definitely be making this recipe again.  Jonathan and I both really liked it and it is fairly easy to make. It has a few more steps but is still pretty quick and it is definitely easy!

                                           Whatcha doin??

                                     Gratuitus cat picture for your enjoyment..teehee