Easy Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 crushed bananas (i actually put in 4- 5 and i just tear off peices and let the stand mixer kinda cush em down)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and beat lightly. add bananas into the mixer while it is beating the eggs and butter/sugar mix beat until well mixed. add in flour baking soda and salt and mix well.
pour into greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350'F for about 1 hour

Crock Pot Chocolate Cake

ok im still tinkering with this one it came out alright hubby and the lil one ate it all up so thought id share. The batter will be a bugger to spread along the bottom of the crock pot just to give a bit of warning it will seem really dry. but the hot water poured over it before starting to cook helps.

1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
2 taablespoons of cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

For "sauce" 1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 3/4 cup hot water

Directions:

1. melt butter

2. sift the 1 cup brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder, flour baking powder, and salt into a large bowl

3.  whisk in the milk, melted butter and vanilla

4. spread this batter evenly over the bottom of the crock pot-it will be a thin layer but that  is ok if it rises up.

5. mix together the "extra cocoa powder and the brown sugar, sprinkl this ontop of the batter

6. pour the hot water over the top ***DO NOT STIR***

7. cook on high for 2 hours (needs to be on high heat to work) Ceck it at about  1 1/2 hours if your slow cooker runs hot

8. to check if cooked do the toothpick/skewer test poking it into the middle  of the cake about an inch down and if it comes out clean its done.

Scoop out with a spoon and be sure to get some of the sticky sauce on the bottom.

Caramel Popcorn

1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 quarts  popped popcorn

1. preheat oven to 250'F place popcorn in a very large bowl

2. in a medium saucepan over medium heat melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and slat. bring to a boil stirring constantly. Boil without stiring for 4minutes. remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour in thin stream over popcorn stiring to coat.

3.pace in 2 large shallow aking dishes and bake in preheated oven, stirring every 15 mins for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces

PB Sandwich Cookies

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanutbutter
1/4 cup shortning
1/4 cup softened butter
1 egg
1 1/4 cps all purpose flour
3/4 cup baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 container of Choc frosting

In a large bowl beat sugars peanut butter shortening butter and egg with an electric mixer (or inthe stand mixer) on med speed. Stire in flour baking soda baking powder and salt. Cover nd refridgerate for about 3 hours or until firm

2. heat toven to 375'F. SHape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. on ungreased cookie sheet place balls about 3 inches apart. flatten slightly  in criss cross pattern with fork dipped in flour

3. bake 9-10 minutes or until light brown. Cool 2 minutes remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. cool completely about 30 minutes. Spread choc frosting between bottomes of paris of cookies. (Nutella would prob be really good in this as well instead of icing)

Irish Soda Bread

3 1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar divided
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter
1 1/3 cups of buttermilk
1/2 cup raisins (i omit this since i am not a raisin fan)

1. preheat oven to 350'F

2. Mix Lfour, 1/3 cup of sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a lrge bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastery blender or 2 knives until mixture looks like course crumbs. (i use my stand mixer ) add buttermilk and raisins mix just until moistened

3. place dough on floured surface kneed 10times. shape into a round loaf 2 1/2 inches thick. place on greased baking sheet. Cut deep 1/2 inch "X" in the top of dough. Sprinkle remaining 1 tbsp of sugar on top.

4. bake for 1 hour or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack and srve (makes 16 wedges cut)

School Bus Cake

My boys are in love with school buses. They started Kindergarten this year and the only thing they were looking forward to was riding that "big kid's school bus". So to fuel the excitement, I attempted a school bus cake I found on the Family Fun's website.  It was a BIG hit and a favorite request in our house. For a novice cake decorator, this was simple, affordable and fun to create!

You'll have no trouble getting your kids on board when it comes to decorating and devouring this back-to-school dessert.

Ingredients

• 2 loaf cakes (pound cake or banana bread works well)
• 2 cups white frosting
• Yellow food coloring
• White chocolate chips
• 4 mini chocolate-covered doughnuts

• Round cookie wafers
• Black decorating gel
• Small red gumdrops
• Red Hots (I used red M&M's instead)

Instructions

1. Trim the top and sides of one cake to straighten them, if needed. Spread a bit of frosting onto the center of a serving plate and set the trimmed cake upside down on top of it (to keep the cake from sliding).
2. Trim the sides and top of the second cake to straighten them. Then slice off a 1 1/2-inch-thick piece from one end and use the remaining portion for the top of the bus, frosting the bottom and setting it atop the first cake.
3. Spread a thin layer of white frosting over the whole cake to seal in any crumbs and let it set for about 15 minutes. Spread more white frosting on the sides of the top layer (the windows of the bus). Reserve about a teaspoon of white frosting, then tint the rest yellow and use it to frost the rest of the cake.
4. For tires, use dabs of frosting to attach white chocolate chip hubcaps (tips down) to the centers of the mini doughnuts and then to stick the tires onto the bus.
5. Transform cookie wafers into people using white frosting and black gel to create eyes. Trim some red gumdrops for smiles, then press the cookie faces onto the cake.
6. Finally, add details such as black gel lettering, Red Hots for caution lights, and white chocolate chip headlights.

Babka ~ Easter Bread

I was in the store today and did a double take ...there's Easter stuff springing up all over. For us here in the great Northeast this is our light at the end of the horrible, frozen tunnel we call winter. I remembered this recipe that was shared with me two years ago when I made my first Easter dinner after my Mom died. It came out really well considering this is my first time making it from scratch. The inside was so moist! 

 I hope you like it and enjoy making it. This is  truly a family effort. If you have children, they'll love decorating & placing those eggs =)

1 cup warm water
2 packages active dry yeast
7 cups flour
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs (1 is divided)
lemon (grated and 2 Tbs juiced)
olive oil
5 or 6 eggs (dyed, but not cooked)
1 tablespoon milk
colored sugar

1. Pour warm water into large bowl, sprinkle on yeast, stirring until dissolved. Add 1 1/2 cups flour; with wooden spoon, stir until smooth. Cover with dish towel; let sit in a warm place for 1 hour. (I sit it on top of the oven and turn the oven on to 200 to keep it warm).

2. About 20 minutes before dough is ready, in large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat shortening until creamy, then gradually add sugar and salt, beating until smooth and fluffy. Beat in 2 eggs and egg white until smooth and fluffy. Stir in yeast mixture, lemon peel and juice, then add 5 1/4 cups flour gradually. Take dough out of mixer and work with hands.

3. Place dough in large, oiled bowl, brush top with olive oil, cover bowl with towel, let rice in warm place until doubled in bulk (1 hour and 45 minutes).

4. When doubled, turn dough onto floured board, knead until smooth. Divide dough into 4 equal parts, with your hands roll each piece into a rope about 36 inches long. Then gently twist 2 ropes together, forming a strand, repeat with other 2 ropes. Grease large cookie sheet, then on it connect the two strands into a ring, leaving holes for 5 or 6 eggs. Insert colored uncooked eggs. Cover ring with towel and allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 350. Brush ring with mixture of egg yolk and milk. Sprinkle with colored sugar. Bake 30 to 40 minutes.

6. Serve plain or with butter. Eggs will be hard cooked and edible.

*To color eggs if you don't have a coloring kit - combine 1/2 hot cup water, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 20 drops food coloring

Apple Oatmeal Cookies

oiginal recipie is from http://www.allrecipies.com/ type apple oatmeal cookies 1 into search
Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour                                                3/4 cup white  sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder                                          2 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon                                       1 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt                                                         1 cup diced apple i leave a small bit of peel on
1/2 cup shortning

1. Perheat oven to 350'F (175'C)
2. In a large bowl cream together the shortning and sugar. Beat in eggs until well blended. In a seperate bowl combine your flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt(you can also add 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg into this recipie if you like i leave it out); stir into the sugar mixture until well blended. fold in oats and apples.
Drop dough by spoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 12to 15mins in preheated oven. let cool and enjoy

I use silicone baking mats i love them and have not had any problems with them at all

Snicker Bar Cookies

SNICKER BAR COOKIES

got from http://www.cooks.com/ Snicker Bar cookies

1 cup sugar                                          1 cup brown sugar
1cup softened butter                             1 cup peanut butter
2 tsp Vanilla                                          2 eggs(room temp) beaten
1 tsp baking powder                              1 tsp baking soda
3 cups flour                                            1- 16oz pkg of mini snickers bars

Cream together sugar, brown sugar butter and peanut butter. Add Vanilla and beaten eggs and mix.
In seperate bowl combine your baking powder , baking soda, and flour mix well then mx into your mixer(that has the sugars, eggs etc)  mix well until fully combined and dough is formed.

Flatten some dough in your hand and place snicker bar in the middle of the dough and wrap dough around the bar and roll into a ball. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Cookies will flatten some as they bake with the candy bar as center fillin.

Bake at 350'F for 12-18mins or until light golden brown.

Coca Brownies

Courtesy of Food Networks Alton Brown

cook time 1hour Level: easy    makes 16 brownies

ingredients

we use pam's baking spray for when we bake instead of butter you will also need some flour for dusting your pan

4 large eggs
1 cup sugar sifted
1 cup brown sugar, sifted
8 ounces melted butter
1 1/4 cups cocoa, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour sifted
1/2 teapoon kosher salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300'F. butter and flour an 8 inch square pan

in a mixer fitted with a whisk attatchment beat the eggs  at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars. add remaining  ingredients and mix to combine

pour the batter into a greased and floured 8 inch square pan and make for 45 mins. Check for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the middle of a pan the tothpick should come out clean .

Let cool most of the way before you cut into it and serve

Racetrack Cake

RACETRACK CAKE

I found this cake idea on Family Fun Magazine's Website. This site is my go to site for all kid related fun! Now if you're like me, I enjoy short cuts. With 5yr old twins running afoot, short cuts help to keep the force stable :)  When researching possible birthday cake options for their party this summer I came across this nifty race car cake (or as my Husband would say .... "you gonna make that for the Daytona 500 this weekend?" ... yeah...that's it Honey! lol).

The cake itself can either be a homemade version or my go to stand by .... Betty Crocker! After following the directions to bake them in two rounds and they've cooled ... the fun really begins!

Here is what you need:

Ingredients

• 2 baked 9" round cakes
• 3 cups white icing
• 1 to 2 cups finely crushed chocolate cookie crumbs
• 1 to 2 cups green sprinkles

• White Good & Plenty candies
• Checkered paper or ribbon
• 2 toothpicks and tape
• New toy cars, washed with soap and water

Here is what you do:

1. Cut a small semicircular notch from one cake, then position the cakes as shown and cover them with the white icing.
2. Place a small bowl in the center of each cake and sprinkle cookie crumbs around it to create the track.
3. Remove the bowls and sprinkle sprinkles onto each icing circle, then press the remaining sprinkles onto the sides of the cake for grass.
4. Lay a white Good & Plenty dotted line along the track and use a pastry bag to pipe a white icing border around the edge of the cake.
5. Create racing flags by taping small squares of the paper or ribbon to the toothpicks and place them on the track along with the race cars.

Enjoy!  If you give this a shot I'd LOVE to hear and see how it went, please comment below :)  I plan to try this out for their Birthday. My one Son LOVES Trains so I'm going to attempt a train version while giving my other Son this track theme with school buses & ambulances (his favorites).  Wish me luck!

4th of July Cherry Pie

We did something fun since 4th of July is just around the corner. We used pie shells, cherry pie filling and a star shaped cookie cutter to stamp out stars for the top. The kids had a lot of fun doing it. We rolled up the extra into balls to go in between the stars and then reinforced the edges.  It came out pretty festive!

Zucchini Bread

• 3 Eggs
• 2 C Sugar
• 1 C Oil
• 2 C Grated Zucchini
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 3 C Flour
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1. Stir first 5 ingredients together in one bowl (wet) and mix until blended
2. In a second bowl combine the rest of the ingredients (dry)
3. Slowly add dry ingredients from second bowl into the first bowl (wet ingredients) and mix well. 
4. Pour into two loaf or one 13x9 pan
5. Bake for an hour at 325 degrees (may need a bit less depending on ovens)