Saturday, March 31, 2007

Pineapple Banana Bread

1 cup b utter, softened
2 2/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup honey
3 eggs
1 tbs. vanilla
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 (20oz) can crushed pineapple
4 1/2 cups flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 3 (8 x 5 x 3 inch)large loaf pans.
In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar and honey; beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in banana and pineapple. Stir in flour, walnuts, cinnamon , baking soda and salt until moistened. Pour into prepared loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cook 10 minutes. Remove from psn. Makes 3 loaves.

I got this one from Sept/Oct 2005 isuse of Home Cooking, I went looking through my old mags for some banana recipes being sick of the current recipes I use.I've had a lot of bananas to use up lately so wanted something different and this one looked interesting.

I didn't have a 20 oz can of pineapple so I used a 14 oz and it worked great! I can't imagine how much moister this loaf would be if I used more. It's got great flavor and texture. I of course did not sure the walnuts and it didn't take away from the recipe at all. This is a 5 star recipe in my eyes.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Strawberry-rhubarb Frenchtoast

1 loaf of french bread (cut into 1.5 inche thick pieces)
1 cup frozen rhubarb
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 tbs sugar
5 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Mix frozen fruit together and add sugar.
Cut the bread pieces then cut a 2 inch long pocket into the bottom of bread.
Drain thawed fruit and spoon fruit into the pocket.
Spray a 13 x 9 inch glass dish.
Lay stuffed bread in the dishes.
Mixed up the eggs with cinnamon and vanilla and pour over bread, flipping the bread once.
Let sit for a few hours or overnight in the fridge.
Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes or until a golden brown.
Serve with leftover fruit and whipped cream or maple syrup.

Food meme from Jen.

1. What are your favorite types of food? Are they foods you grew up with? Any specific cultures you tend to cook the most?

We grew up on the standard food, three course meals starch, veggie and meat. One of my favorites to this day is shake and bake pork chops with mashed potatoes and corn or peas. But I use rice now and growing up my dad never ate rice because my gramps never ate it. I love rice myself and have it most nights. I also loved Sunday night roast with gravy, mashed potatoes, peas and yorkshire pudding. Summers when my nana used to visit were filled with sweets. We used to have a bakery two doors down and we get sent often to pick out an after dinner treat. My dad is English to food was pretty plain growing up.

2. Describe your fall-back dish when you don't feel like cooking (no take out!).

Something easy like hamburger hot dish, just fried up hamburger with whatever veggies I feel like mixed with eithe rice or kraft dinner and cream of mushroom soup. Or what we've been doing lately is haveing fish and chips or rice more often.

3. Could you create a foodie Haiku or poem? Would you care to share with us?

I make up many creations in my kitchen.
No one but me is aloud in my kitchen.

From chili to pepper steak, baked goods and stove tops.
I always follow a recipe in my kitchen.

My kitchen aid, my blender, my spoons and cups.
I have many a help in my kitchen.

Measure and pour, measure and pour.
I teach my kids many a thing in my kitchen

Clean up is a big part of cooking or baking.
I don't do it though, I leave it to my husband in my kitchen.


4. What is your favorite holiday food-wise? What do you typically eat during that holiday?

We usually have one big meal during the holidays be it New Years, Easter or Christmas. It's usually a big turkey or ham meal. Lately my parents have been going for prime rib. Christmas morning hubby and I have started a Bruch tradition where we invite his family and mine. It's a big breaksfast of egges, meats, pancakes or french toast, hashbrowns, toast. I also do a lot of baking during the Christmas holidays.

5. If you could find one recipe that would satisfy your palate for the rest of your life, what would it be and why did you choose that one recipe?

The first two things that pop into my head are Sausage, onion and peppers with mashed pototoes and hot chicken salad which has lot's of veggies and protein. Not sure if I can pick just one. Though.