Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

So many times I have bananas that begin to get a little ripe for eating.  You know the kind I'm talking about, slightly mushy but perfect for baking.  I hate to throw them away, so I just put them in the freezer, peel and all.  It's the best way to preserve them. The peel protects the bananas from freezer burn.  The peel will turn black in the freezer, don't let that fool you, the insides are perfect.  When you are ready to bake with them you just thaw in the refrigerator, cut the end off and squeeze out the banana.  

Finally the day comes when I open the freezer and think, I need to do something with the bananas. They are beginning to take over one of the shelves.  I grab a few and put them in the refrigerator to thaw as I look for a recipe.  More often than not I make Banana Bread, but since we were having Debbie and Glen over for dinner I decided to make a Banana Cake.  This isn't just any ole cake.   This is a very dense cake which I prefer.  So if you are like my husband and would choose a lighter fluffier cake, this is not for you.   The best part is it's loaded with toasted walnuts mashed into the cream cheese frosting on the side of the cake, yum.   Serve it with vanilla ice-cream, seriously oh yeah!!!

 Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield: 3 (8") round layers

Cake Ingredients: 

3 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/2 cups mashed banana's (the riper they are the sweeter).

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 1/8 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup whole buttermilk

Cake Frosting:

1 (8 ounce) Philadelphia Cream Cheese

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

chopped walnuts

Cake Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 275.  I know this is weird, but that what the recipe says.  It does take a long time to bake at this temp.  

2.  Line 3 (8") round baking pans with parchment paper.  Then spray with baking spray.

3.  In a bowl, sift flour, salt and baking soda, set aside.

4.  In another bowl, add mashed banana's with lemon juice, set aside.

5.  In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

6.  One at a time, add eggs.  Then add vanilla.

7.  Beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk.

8.  Now add the banana mixture, stirring lightly.

9.  Scoop the batter into the prepared pans and bake in the oven that has been preheated for 1 1/2 hrs.       or until cake tester inserted and comes out clean.  I bake my cake on the third row.  

10.  Let cake cool completely, and frost.  
11.  Toast walnuts in a 350' oven for 5 minutes, let cool and place on sides of cake.
I store this cake in the refrigerator, it tastes really good cold, just sayin.

Recipe From: http://www.food.com/recipe/best-ever-banana-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting-67256

What I do is freeze cooled layers that I have wrapped individually in foil up to 2-3 weeks.  When ready to frost, do not thaw.  Frost cake while it is frozen and it will hold in the moisture.  I also like to frost the cake the day before you are going to serve it.  The flavors meld really well when it has set overnight in the fridge.  

Hello Old Friend

I have know this couple Raydean and Terry since 1981 while living in a small town in Texas called Uvalde.  We were lucky enough to be neighbors not once, but twice during our time there.  While each of us have four children, I have three daughters and one son, and Raydean has three sons and one daughter.  You can imagine our culdesac with just the two of us having a total of eight children.  Actually Raydean had her youngest after we moved.   Our oldest was best friends during their younger years prior to our moving away.  

Uvalde is part of a region that is usually considered the southern limit of the Texas Hill Country or as some would call it, the most northernly part of South Texas so I would had never thought that we would had received a foot of snow, but we did.  I believe this was sometime around 1985 or so.  This is one of the many memories I have of my time there.

This is for all my cooking friends who ask me about my pie crust recipe. Raydean is the one who gave it to me so many years ago.  It is the only recipe I use for my pie crust.

Raydean's Pie Crust

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/8 cup granulated sugar

pinch of salt

1 cup crisco

1/2 cup hot tap water

Instructions:

1.  In a mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, salt and mix.  

2.  Add crisco, using a pastry blender mix until it looks like peas.  

3.  Add hot tap water and lightly mix using a spatula until all incorporated.  

4.  Refrigerate overnight. 

Raydean-Terry-Stone-Me

Stone and I  have met up with Raydean and Terry through-out the years. Once we were lucky enough that some of the kids had joined us when we both had  daughters graduating from the same college.  On the most part it's just us and we always enjoy catching up.  On this particular trip we did an overnighter with them.  They showed us their stomping ground of Wimberley, Texas.  While Terry was at work, Raydean played tour guide showing us around town.  Honestly, next time we will stay longer since it wasn't enough time to see and do everything and our visiting time just wasn't enough.  Below are some pictures of our tour around town.

 Cypress Creek

Wine Tasting

 Big ol' tree along the Cypress Creek

Scary tree along the Cypress Creek

Local chainsaw artist Craig Johnson created these carvings from dead trees.

Check out this picnic table behind Ino'z Brew & Chew.  I thought I was in Bedrock.  I kept looking for the Flintstones.

Sangria Margarita's at Ino'z Brew & Chew

Bootiful Wimberley

There are fifty boots that were painted by local artists, located though-out Wimberley.

Hostess Gift

Pineapple-Chocolate Wine Bottle

Supplies:

1 bottle of wine

4 (5.3 oz.) packages Ferrero Rocher Chocolates

Ribbon of your choice

2 sheets Green Scrap-Booking Paper
Glue Gun

Glad Press and Seal

Instructions:

1.  With a hot glue gun, attach each chocolate to the bottle of wine.   

2.  Using the Glad Press and Seal, wrap around the chocolates tightly without mashing candies and tuck under the bottle. This will hold the candies in place and keep them from falling off.  

3.  Fold each sheet of  scrap-booking paper in half and cut.  Next cut about inch wide slits, not all the way.  Cut ends to make a point.  Curl strips like you would curling ribbon.  I used a knife.

4.  Wrap around neck of bottle, gluing as you go.  

5.  Lastly tie ribbon around the bottle.
Ta-da, it's the perfect hostess gift...

It's Only A Game Until You Loose

Mexican Chicken and Rice Salad

Serves: 6

Salad Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

2 Chicken Breast, cut into small pieces

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 cup cherry tomatoes, each cut in half

1 cup frozen corn
1 green bell pepper, cut into small pieces

1 cup black beans, that have been drained

6 green onions, chopped

1 cup queso euro, shredded or any kind of cheese you prefer.

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (I used half a bunch)

1 package (about 3 Tablespoons) taco seasoning

avocado (optional)

Dressing Ingredients:

Juice from 1 lemon (about 1/4 c.)

Juice from 1 lime (about 1/4 c.)

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

salt and pepper to taste

Salad Directions:

1.  Place chicken and taco seasoning in a plastic bag and shake until completely covered. 

2.  Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat.   

3.  Add chicken to skillet and cook for about 10 minutes until cooked through and starts to slightly brown.  Remove chicken from skillet.

4.  To the same skillet, add the corn and cook over high heat just until it starts to char a little bit, no more that 2 minutes.

5.  Add all of salad ingredients to a large bowl, season with salt and pepper.  Mix up the dressing by shaking all but the salt and pepper together and pour over salad and mix well.  

6.  Store in refrigerator until ready to eat.  Good for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.  Recipe adapted from: http://www.jocooks.com/salads/mexican-chicken-and-rice-salad/

If you use avocado I would put it on each persons salad when you are ready to eat since they tend to turn brown.

This is really good served with Hint Of Lime Tostitos

Dinner And Mahjong At The Pool

 If you've had a good time playing the game, you're even a winner if you loose.  ~ Malcolm Forbes

Hmmm, that means we all where winners!

Helen-Mary-Lori-Me

Fresh Blueberry Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie

Pie Ingredients:

4 cups (2 pints) fresh blueberry 

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind (about 1 lemon)

1/4 teaspoons ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 Tablespoons butter 

milk or cream

sanding sugar

1 double crust pie pastry

Pie Instructions:

1. Wash blueberries; drain well; place in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with sugar, flour, salt, lemon rind, cloves, cinnamon; toss to mix.  Preheat oven to 425'.

2.  Roll out half the pastry to a 13" round; fit into a 9" pie plate.  Spoon blueberry mixture into bottom crust; top with butter.  Roll remaining pastry to a 12-inch round; cut slits in top for steam to escape.  Cover pie; trim overhang to 1-inch.  Pinch edges together; flute to make a stand-up edge.  Brush crust with milk or cream; sprinkle with sanding sugar.

3. Bake in a preheated hot oven (425') for 15 minutes on the lowest rack on top of a baking stone if you have one; lower heat to moderate (350') move pie to the 4th rack; If edges for browning to much place a foil collar on it.  Continue baking 35 minutes or until pastry is golden and juices bubble.  Cool at least 1 hour on wire rack.

I assemble these pies ahead and freeze.  To bake I place the frozen pie on a baking rack on the lowest oven rack in a preheated 425' oven for 15 minutes.  Then I move the pie along with the baking rack up to the 4 th rack, lower the temp to 350' and bake for 1hr. & 30 minutes.