Old Fashioned Banana Bread

Old-fashioned banana bread is a versatile quick bread that has been around for years, served for breakfast and as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee, or as a dessert. Simply Moist Banana Bread When it comes to making simply moist Banana Bread, three rules of thumb come to mind.  To make the best moist banana bread, use blackened ripe bananas, use oil instead of butter, and avoid overbaking.   Growing up in the 60s, my mother made my favorite after-school snack, Banana Bread. It seemed to taste even better after a few days of baking. Don't get me wrong, I love a slice with butter slathered on it, fresh out of the oven.   Here are a few fun facts about Banana Bread.  Banana Bread is the most searched bread recipe on the internet.  It was the first tropical fruit imported to the United States, specifically New Orleans, in the 1800s.    But as bananas gained popularity throughout the South, banana bread began appearing during the Gr...

Easy Peach Sweet Rolls

Easy Peach Sweet Rolls are a delicious peach twist on a cinnamon roll, made with a simple, soft, homemade dough filled with peach preserves, brown sugar, and vanilla, and iced with rich vanilla icing. Bakery Style Peach Sweet Rolls Peach Sweet Rolls elevate the breakfast sweet roll to a new level. They have all the indulgence of a bakery-style texture, right down to the creamy vanilla icing.  My Cinnamon Rolls and Sweet Rolls are a favorite wherever I take them. This past weekend, I had a brunch meeting at the church and signed up to bring cinnamon rolls.   The only difference between the cinnamon roll and the sweet rolls is that I use vanilla instead of cinnamon in the sweet rolls. I had been wanting to make a peach sweet roll for some time, so I thought this was the perfect time.   I decided to make the sweet roll version using the soft dough recipe I use for my cinnamon rolls. To keep them simple, I used peach preserves, brown sugar, and vanilla in the filli...

Cherry Cordial Brownies

Cherry Cordial Brownies are rich, fudgy, and decadent, bursting with cherry cordials.  These are perfect for any Christmas cookie tray. Chocolate Cherry Cordial Bars If you are a fan of cherry cordial candy around the holidays, then you are going to love these brownies.  Especially since they only take three ingredients.   I am a big fan of the cherry and chocolate combination, so I decided to make some chocolate cherry brownies.    For the recipe, I used my favorite box brownie mix  and a box of the popular  Queen Anne Cordial Cherries .  Then, to make it rich and decadent, I poured a  chocolate ganache  over the top. Don't worry that these brownies are so easy to make and use few ingredients, that these Cherry Cordial Brownies are less than exciting.    They are the ultimate decadent brownie recipe, capturing the flavors of a classic chocolate-and-cherry dessert, the Black Forest Cake, with all the richness of chocolate ...

Simplest and Best Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Roasted Brussels sprouts are the best of two worlds, giving a perfect balance of salty and sweet. Ina Garten's Balsamic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts This Brussels sprouts recipe comes together in 30 minutes and is the perfect side dish for your Thanksgiving meal, oven-roasted with panchetta and drizzled with a thick balsamic glaze   Brussels sprouts have become a favorite side dish for our Thanksgiving meal.  One thing we like most about this recipe is the simple method of preparation. Most of the time, it's the prep work that takes so much time, and then you have to cook them.  With this recipe, after the prep, all that's left is roasting them in the oven, which allows you to have time for other dishes. Some of our family members enjoy the balsamic drizzle, while others prefer not to have it.  You can serve it on the side when this happens, or serve it in two dishes separately.

One Pot Tortellini, Cabbage and Kielbasa

  One-pot tortellini with cabbage and kielbasa is one of our favorite recipes. You only need one pot and a few simple ingredients to create layers of flavor for a delicious weeknight dinner. Tortellini, Cabbage, and Kielbasa Skillet If you're searching for the easiest, fastest comfort meal, you'll love this recipe. My family enjoys it not just on weeknights but on any night of the week. The recipe for Tortellini Cabbage and Kielbasa was created while I was preparing the classic fried cabbage and onions for my college-aged grandson.  I had some tortellini in the refrigerator from SAM's and thought that adding it to the fried cabbage would make the dish more filling and comforting.   Boy, was I right.  So much so that it has become a favorite meal around our house, often. You start creating layers of flavor by caramelizing the onions and cabbage, then adding the chopped kielbasa and the tortellini.  The key is to add the tortellini last so they are tender yet...

Homemade Apple Pie Filling Makes The Best Apple Pie

This homemade apple pie is one of my favorites. It is made entirely from scratch.  Juicy apples are gently simmered in a buttery, sugary cinnamon sauce, then transformed into a delicious filling, and baked to perfection in a flaky, homemade double crust. Apple Pie with Old Fashioned Homemade Apple Pie Filling No worries if you have never made an apple pie from scratch, or if you have and it comes out with a soggy crust or runny juices.  My recipe is straightforward and simple to follow.   Apple pie is the perfect all-around American Dessert, and everyone enjoys it any time of the year.   Around our house, Apple pie is a favorite in the fall months, starting with Labor Day and continuing through Thanksgiving.  We tend to eat cream pies and no-bake pies from Easter on into the summer months.   Over the years, I have been looking for tips to improve my recipes. Whether to cook the apples or not, to use a variety of baking apples, or to stick wit...

Sweet Spiced Figs Recipe

These Sweet  Spiced Figs are an excellent addition to any charcuterie board, or you can serve them as an appetizer with cheese.   Sweet Pickled Figs The original recipe was called Sweet Pickled Figs, but we now refer to them as Spiced Sweet Figs to better enhance the true flavor profile.  These have a unique taste and will surprise you.  They have become one of the recipes we so look forward to making every year.   Jim's Mother had the fig tree, and as soon as the figs were ready to be picked, we would gather 3 quarts to make sweet spiced figs.    Since then, Jim's mother has passed away.  However, we still enjoy fresh figs from my daughter, Jennifer's growing fig tree.   This past week, we picked enough plump figs to make several jars of sweet, spiced figs. The recipe is simple with few ingredients. You start off by cooking them with vinegar, sugar, and pickling spice for 10 minutes, three consecutive days.   These ...

Perfect Green Beans

Perfect Green Beans have to be fresh, crisp in texture, and seasoned perfectly.  These Green Beans have all of the above, making them perfect. How To Cook Green Beans Perfectly My recipe for these sauteed green beans is easy to make with only four ingredients, and it cooks in under 10 minutes, so you can whip them up just before serving.   My foolproof recipe for cooking fresh green beans perfectly begins with a hot skillet and two tablespoons of olive oil. Season them with salt and pepper, and toss them often to coat with the oil as they release their juices.   Next, reduce the heat to medium-high, cover them with a lid, and toss occasionally until tender.   Just before serving, add a couple of tablespoons of butter, and season with the perfect seasoning,  Grill Mate Montreal Steak Seasoning . Green beans are a reasonably inexpensive vegetable and make a great side dish.  They were a great accompaniment to my Stuffed Bell Peppers ...

Blackberry Dumplings Cobbler

Blackberry Dumplings Cobbler  features luscious, juicy blackberries layered between three layers of buttery, flaky crust, with a rich syrup of butter, sugar, vanilla, and water poured over the entire cobbler. Old Fashioned Blackberry Cobbler Blackberry Cobbler is a timeless, old-fashioned dessert inspired by my mother's recipe.  She liked to layer pie crust between layers of blackberries.  This is where all the magic happens when the dough in the center forms pillows of tender dumplings. I know you're thinking, 'Why am I posting a recipe for blackberries, a summer berry?'  Well, we love blackberries and eat them throughout the year.  I missed the window for posting the recipe this summer and thought, why not?   When I was young and newly married, blackberries were only in the grocery stores and, better yet, on the vines during blackberry season in the summer.  The produce these days has changed so much.  We now see blackberries all yea...

Chicken Terrific With A Surprise Twist

For an easy family meal, try cooking this delicious chicken casserole.  The surprising ingredients make it truly terrific. Chicken Spectacular Casserole   The Chicken Casserole is sometimes called Chicken Spectacular, featuring wild rice, water chestnuts, and French-style green beans, giving it a twist on a classic chicken and rice casserole.  It is generously topped with buttery herb stuffing. My daughter introduced me to this recipe several years ago.  Chicken Terrific is a favorite casserole on her dinner table and has become a favorite of mine as well.   The dish makes a lot, and with five growing boys, she wants a dish that gives leftovers.  Now that her family has grown, she makes two.  This is not your typical casserole.   The ingredients might surprise you, including wild rice, water chestnuts, French-style green beans, and a buttery herb stuffing that elevates it to the next level. In fact, it's even better the next day when al...