Banana Cake

Symonie gave me the Silver Palate Cookbook several years ago for Christmas and I love so many recipes in it. This is one of our families favorites. Cord especially loves it the next day chilled.

INGREDIENTS
2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 tsp baking soda
5 Tbs buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
cream cheese frosting
1 1/2 to 2 firm but ripe bananas
1 1/2 cup walnuts chopped

PREPARATION
Grease & flour two 9" layer cake pans and preheat oven to 350°.

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add mashed bananas and mix thoroughly.

Sift dry ingredients and add to butter/egg mixture. Stir until flour is incorporated. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Mix for one minute.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on rack for 10 minutes, unmold and cool on rack for 2 hours.

When cooled frost the bottom layer with cream cheese frosting. If desired arrange slices of banana over the frosting and place the second layer on top (I usually just put the bananas on top of the slice as it is served so I don't have brown bananas in the left over cake). Frost the rest of the cake

Cover the sides of the cake with chopped nuts, holding nuts in palm and pressing firmly to sides of cake. Dust top with powdered sugar.

ENJOY!

Sautéd Spaghetti Squash

INGREDIENTS
1 spaghetti squash
3 Tbs. butter
1/2 of a medium yellow onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, diced
salt & pepper to taste

PREPARATION
Cut the spaghetti squash in half and rub a little olive oil on the edges. Place the squash face down on a cookie sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350.

Scrape out the inside of the squash and set aside.

In a sauté pan cook the onion & garlic until soft. I like to caramelize the onion and if you do this you may need to add a little oil because the butter will burn.

Add the reserved squash to the pan and sauté. Add salt & pepper to taste. Sometimes we add a pinch of cinnamon to give it a different flavor.

Martha's Mac & Cheese

I love this recipe for mac & cheese, I got it out of Martha Stewart Living many years ago. The nutmeg gives it such a great flavor but I usually leave out the cayenne pepper because my kids don't like it. I also use what cheese I have on hand most times. One thing I never leave out is the breadcrumbs -- sooooo good!

Serves 12 (can be cut in half easily)

INGREDIENTS
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces) or 1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 5 ounces)
1 pound elbow macaroni

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.

2. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.

3. While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

4. Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup Pecorino Romano; set cheese sauce aside.

5. Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

6. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

Quick Chicken & Dumpling Soup

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
2 celery ribs, sliced thin
2 potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2" cubes
8 cups chicken broth
1 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded into bite size pieces (about 3 cups)
2 1/4 cup Bisquick
2/3 cup milk

PREPARATION
1. Melt butter in pot over medium-high. Cook onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, chicken, salt & pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer.

2. Mix Bisquick with milk and drop by teaspoon into pot. Simmer for 10 minutes, then put lid on and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Teriyaki Chicken Lo Mein

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup soy sauce*
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
4 packages ramen noodles, broken into large pieces, seasoning packets discarded
1 16-oz. bag coleslaw mix
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into 1/4" thick slices
1 Tbsp. olive oil

*I used a mixture of regular soy sauce & the very thick sweet soy sauce you can get at Asian supermarkets

PREPARATION
Simmer soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, sugar, and cornstarch in large saucepan over medium high heat, whisking often, until thick, 2-3 minutes. Take out half the soy sauce mixture & put in a bowl. Add water to saucepan with remaining soy sauce mixture and return to a bowl. Add ramen and cook about 4 minutes. Off heat, stir in coleslaw mix, cover and keep warm. Then heat oil in a skillet and cook chicken, then add soy sauce mixture from bowl. Transfer noodles to platter and top with chicken. Serve!

Orange Cream Poppyseed Cake

This cake was served at our Chinese New Year/Family birthday party this month. It was the first time I had made it, but it was super easy and turned out very moist. We loved it! The chocolate sticks poking out of it are called "pocky" and are found in the Chinese section of the grocery store—they were used for decoration only.

INGREDIENTS
1 package yellow cake mix
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
2 T. poppyseeds
1 cup orange juice (made from concentrate)
1/2 oil
4 eggs
zest of one orange

Orange Glaze:
juice of one orange
powdered sugar
pinch salt
zest of one orange

PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix, pudding mix and poppyseeds. Make a well in the center and pour in orange juice, oil, and eggs. Beat on low speed until blended. 3. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
5. Whisk glaze ingredients together and drizzle orange glaze over the top and sides.

Our Version of a Stuffed Quesadilla

I made these last night and they disappeared in a flash. Everyone loved them. The ingredients can all be varied to your liking or what is in your pantry. This made enough to feed my family of 7 so feel free to change the quantities for your family.

INGREDIENTS
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup salsa (or more if desired)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup frozen corn
1 can black beans
1/2 of a red pepper chopped
10 flour tortillas
2 cups grated cheese
salt & pepper to taste
avocado & sour cream (if your kids will eat it)

PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 350. In a sauté pan brown the chicken breasts in the salsa. Sprinkle the cumin and garlic powder on top of the chicken while cooking. Cook the chicken completely then remove from pan.

2. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Return the chicken to the pan and add the corn, beans and red pepper. Cook until the corn and beans are warmed through.

3. Fill the tortillas with the chicken mixture.

4. Sprinkle cheese on top of the chicken mixture and place them on a cookie sheet.

5. Bake the "quesadillas" in the oven for about 15 - 20 minutes or until crisp.

6. Just look at the yummy goodness. Now just top them with avocado, sour cream, green onions or whatever your heart desires.

Our Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Will is sneaking a taste

Lily says she is a Udall girl and wants to post too. So these are from her. Alli and I have this recipe memorized…that's how often we make these!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour (we add 1/4 cup more because of altitude)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips (we love the milk chocolate ones)
chopped walnuts (optional -- we love adding them from our trees)

PREPARATION
Cream sugars & butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs & vanilla and mix well. Combine dry ingredients and add them to the batter. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Bake @ 350° on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Best Blueberry Muffins

Some months ago, Nina saw a picture of these muffins in a magazine and said, "I want to make these!" Matt agreed and took her up to the kitchen where they whipped up a batch. They're tasty!

(intro and recipe by Ann Hodgman)

These are the only blueberry muffins you should make from now on. Besides, they have oatmeal in them, so they almost count as two breakfast foods in one. They freeze beautifully and can even be refrozen. If you're in the mood, substitute a cup of raspberries for 1 cup of the blueberries. Makes 24.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
16 ounces sour cream
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups blueberries (if frozen, do not thaw)
2 tablespoons sugar

PREPARATION
Heat oven to 375. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with muffin-cup liners. This recipe won't work without them.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs with sour cream until thoroughly combined. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt together butter and brown sugar, about 3 minutes. Cool slightly, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, then beat this mixture into egg mixture. Stir in oats.

Fold in flour mixture and then — very gently — fold in berries. Fill muffin cups about three-quarters full. Sprinkle a pinch of sugar onto the top of each muffin.

Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until edges are medium brown and tops are firm.

Cool for 5 minutes, then remove muffins (in their papers) and finish cooling on rack.

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

My kids love anything with syrup, so in an attempt to offer more healthy fare, this is the pancake recipe I've turned to of late. Nina loves these. (I actually made them this morning, but did not take a photo to post ... didn't even think of it actually. I'm not a true blogger yet.)

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup wheat germ
1/3 cup oats
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 ripe banana, peeled and mashed
3 Tbs maple syrup
1Tbs canola oil, plus more for the skillet

PREPARATION
1. In a large bowl, stir flour, wheat germ, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. (I also add a couple of scoops of flaxseed.)

2. In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add milk, mashed banana, maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon canola oil and whisk thoroughly.

3. Pour milk mixture over flour mixture and stir until combined.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lightly grease with canola oil. Pour 1/4 cup or so of batter per pancake. Flip with spatula when tops bubble and edges look slightly dry. Cook until the other side is golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Emily Miller's Pear Kuchen

This is another dish I brought to the Christmas Eve party. Who knows who Emily Miller is, but I figure I should give her credit for this different-but-delicious dessert. It's not difficult to make, and the flavor is perfect for fall and winter.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 c. butter, softened (not melted)
1 pkg. white or yellow cake mix
1/2 c. shredded coconut
1 29-oz can pear halves, drained
1/2 c. sugar
1 T. cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
2 c. sour cream
2 eggs

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350°. Mix together the butter, cake mix, and coconut until well blended (will be crumbly). Press mixture into a greased 9x13 pan, and bring up sides a bit. Bake 10 minutes.

While crust is baking, slice pears lengthwise (6-8 slices per pear half) and set aside. Combine sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small dish and set aside. Using a whisk, slightly beat the two eggs, then add in sour cream and blend until creamy.

Remove crust from oven (but leave oven on). Arrange pear slices over the crust in an even layer, slightly overlapping if needed. Sprinkle sugar mix over the top to cover pears. Now pour creamy mixture over everything and return the pan to the oven.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350°. Cool slightly, then cut into bars. Can be served warm or chilled.

White Chicken Chili

This is the soup I brought to the Christmas Eve party at Sym's. It was well-liked, even by the kiddos. I first saw the recipe HERE (there are other dishes on this site I want to try...let me know if you give any of 'em a whirl!)

INGREDIENTS
1 c. diced onion
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 14-oz. can chicken broth
2–4 chicken breasts, cooked, with broth to equal 14 oz.
1 4-oz. can diced green chiles, undrained
2 cans great northern beans, white, drained
2 11-oz. cans shoepeg corn, undrained (look for Green Giant)
3 T. lime juice
1 t. lemon juice
1 t. cumin seed (I didn't put this in because I didn't have it)
1 t. ground cumin

PREPARATION
Saute onion and garlic in a little oil. Add other ingredients and simmer to blend flavors. When served, garnish with grated cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream, green onion and avocado. Add slightly crushed tortilla chips if desired.

Camie's Kale Salad

Camie made this when I was home after Christmas. We really enjoyed it, especially Ame. She wanted to have a plate of it every time Camie ate!

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch kale, sliced thin
3/4 c. golden beet, peeled and shredded
6 T. shredded carrots
1/4 bunch green onions, sliced
1/4 red bell pepper, cut up small
1/4 c. raw hemp seed (optional)
alfalfa sprouts (add at end -- optional)

Combine all ingredients and toss to mix well. Drizzle dressing over salad and mix again. Top served portion with sprouts.

DRESSING (Using a blender, mix all ingredients until smooth.)
1/3 c. olive oil
1/2 t. basil
1/2 t. oregano
4 T. apple vinegar cider
2 T. nama shoyu (soy sauce)
2 T. raw tahini
1/2 T. minced garlic

Sausage & Lentil Soup

This is one of those recipes I play with a little. Sometimes I use chicken stock instead of or as part of the water/bullion. Sometimes I just throw in "Italian Seasoning" instead of the other spices. I have also added fresh parsley at the end and I like that too. It tastes really good with crunchy bread and some Romano cheese on top.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb Sweet Italian sausage
1 large onion chopped
1 stalk celery (chopped fine)
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup carrot (chopped fine)
1 16 oz pkg dried lentils
8 cups water
6 tsp chicken bullion
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt -- or to taste
1/2 tsp pepper -- or to taste

PREPARATION
Rinse lentils and set aside.

Brown the sausage in your stock pot -- remove. Add the onion celery and carrot and sauté until tender -- as the veggies "sweat" scrape off the good brown bit of sausage off the bottom.

Add the sausage back into the pot with the water, lentils and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce and simmer for about 45 min.

Serve and enjoy!

Soft Ginger Cookies

A few friends & I went to a boutique where we bought the most delicious cookies. My friend Shauna found this recipe on All Recipes and I added the white chocolate and they taste just like the ones we paid 75 cents for. These are my new favorite cookies. Oh & they taste wonderful without the white chocolate too!

INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar

PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Welcome Udall Sisterwives

We're sitting here enduring some more sporting events (pre-New Years) and decided to make use of our time on our butts!

Sym made the suggestion to create a recipe blog so we took the challenge. So start posting ladies! I need some dinner ideas.

Love Kate & Heidi