Banana Pudding. Never Too Rich.

People in my circle often say certain desserts are "too rich". As in, "Oh my" (pushing 1/2 of their yummy dessert away), "I can't eat all of it. It's just too rich!"

Hmmm. I wonder what's wrong with me?

Truth is, I lick my "too rich" dessert plate clean and secretly would like to have another helping.

Got up this morning and created this masterpiece for a little "Hey, it's Saturday and we're eating banana pudding" treat. Can't wait to lick my plate clean (then walk another lap around the park).

Creamy Banana Pudding

Serves: 12

1 can Eagle Brand
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 small instant vanilla pudding
2 cups whipped cream (I don't measure. Put the whole tub in.)
36 vanilla wafers
3 medium bananas sliced
ReaLemon lemon juice

In large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and water.  Add pudding mix; beat well.  Chill 5 minutes.  Fold in whipped cream.  Spoon 1 cup banana mixture into 2 1/2 quart glass serving bowl.  Top with one third each of the wafers, bananas and pudding.  Repeat layering twice, ending with pudding.  Chill.  Garnish as desired.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Grandmother's Cake: A Family Favorite

When I want to connect with my family.
When it's a holiday.
When it's time for a Parker visit.
When I just want to be proud of something yummy I made.
I make cake.
Not just any cake.
Grandmother Romberg's Cake.
The recipe calls it "Mrs. Dowell's 5-Flavor Cake", but we don't know who she is or was.
Although I'm sure we'd love her, it's Grandmother's Cake.
And I made it.
Reason this time (although, is there really a need for a reason to make cake?):
It's Father's Day weekend and Vaughn loves it.
Something tells me Grandmother would have made it this weekend too, if she was here.
Let's have some.

Mrs. Dowell's 5-Flavor Cake 
Serves: 10 or more

2 sticks margarine
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups sugar
5 well-beaten eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 teaspoon butter extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon butter extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract

Cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs which have been beaten until lemon colored.  Combine flour and baking powder and add to creamed mixture alternately with milk.  Stir in flavorings.  Spoon mixture into prepared 10 inch tube pan and bake at 325 for 1 1/2 hours or until cake tests done.  Add glaze if desired.  Cool in pan 10 minutes before turning out.

For glaze, combine ingredients in heavy saucepan.  Bring to boil, stir until sugar is melted; pour over hot cake in pan.

Hearty Potato Soup: Come and Get It!

Hearty Potato Soup

I usually double this recipe (sometimes triple).
Serves: 4

3 cups diced potatoes (about 3 medium)
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Bring potatoes, water and salt to boil in medium-size saucepan.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Without draining them, mash potatoes until the size of peas.  Meanwhile in large saucepan cook onion in margarine 3 minutes until translucent.  Sprinkle with flour; cook and stir 1 minute.  Gradually stir in milk and cook, stirring frequently, 5 to 7 minutes until simmering and thickened.  Stir in potato mixture and remaining ingredients.

Pasta Salad Saturday

We're going to a picnic today!

And pasta salad it is.

Love this recipe. I left out the chicken for some sweet vegetarians I know who'll be picnicking with us.

And I didn't have asparagus today, so I put in a little extra broccoli.

It works because I've already sampled it. And...yummo!


• 1 - 16 ounce package bow tie pasta
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 8 ounces fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and chopped
• 8 ounces diced cooked chicken breast meat
• 1 - 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained
• 1 - 4 ounce can sliced black olives, drained
• 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese (low-fat feta can also be used if available)
• 1 cup fat-free Italian salad dressing, or to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add broccoli florets and asparagus to the boiling water during the last 5 minutes. Drain, and run under cold water to cool.
In a large serving bowl, stir together the diced chicken, kidney beans, black olives, green pepper, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and Italian dressing. Stir in the pasta, broccoli and asparagus. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I like it pretty heavy on the pepper. This salad is best if chilled for a couple of hours before serving.

Favorite Summer Salad

Summer tomatoes are here.

Mom and Dad brought these to me this morning, plus green beans and cucumbers.

Okay. Get ready. This recipe is easy. And yummy.

chopped fresh tomatoes
chopped cucumbers
chopped onions
mayonnaise
salt/pepper

Cut up the veggies and put a dollop of mayonnaise on it. Stir.

Happy Weekend!

P. S. I like to use the small cucumbers and leave the peel on. If you get bigger ones, just peel them and remove some of the seeds.

P. S. S. This is so fresh and yummy and fairly low in calories if you use light mayo.

Cookie Baking Time in Chicago

22 month old Cora enjoyed mixing the Christmas sugar cookies. She pushed a dining room chair right up to the counter (her mom lets her help a lot). Offey was there to make sure she didn't fall.

After we mixed the dough, the dishes had to be done, so Cora was right on that as well. She washed, rinsed, dried, then put away all the dishes, all while the dough was chilling.

When I put her down from her chair, she wasn't happy.

She's a natural in the kitchen. Something tells me she's going to like her Christmas Eve present from Gram and Offey.

Debi's Sugar Cookie recipe is special. I have been baking those yummy, soft sugar cookies since I was about 14 years old. A friend (Debi) and I would bake, bag and deliver them to our friends at William Chrisman High School in Independence, Missouri. (Our friends loved us.)

Now my sister, Becky, has become a specialist at making Debi's cookies. She makes them for almost every holiday and they are always devoured.

Debi's Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Icing:
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Food coloring

Mix shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla together.  Stir dry ingredients and mix in.  Refrigerate dough 2 hours.  Knead 10 times and roll out to cut cookies.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 6-8 minutes at 400.  Frost when cool.

I think Cora has a little sprinkle between her teeth in this picture.

Cora loved decorating and sampling time.
Gram too!