Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting...

Original cake recipe found at The Novice Housewife.

I changed the pan type and cooking time and added frosting.

Ingredients:

● 3 cups  all-purpose flour

● 2 tsp baking soda

● 1/2 tsp salt

●● 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

●● 2 cups sugar

●● 2 large eggs

●● 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups bananas (mashed, I used 5 very ripe bananas)

●● 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

●● 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

● Place flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and whisk together.

●● In a separate bowl, mix butter and sugar until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.  Add bananas and mix until well blended.  Add half of the dry ingredients, mix well; the sour cream and vanilla, mix well; and then the rest of the dry ingredients, and mix well.  Pour into a greased 9” x 13” pan.  Bake in a 350° F oven for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool in the pan.  When completely cool, spread cream cheese frosting over cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese (softened)

½ cup butter (softened)

3 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream butter and cream cheese together well.  Add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix till smooth.

My notes:  I got distracted and left mine in the oven for an hour.  It got a bit overcooked on the bottom, but it tasted fine.

Roast with Drop Dumplings...

Roast (with horseradish), Dumplings, Green Beans

Ingredients:

2 to 3 pound boneless roast

1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix

1 cup water

1 to 2 envelopes of brown gravy mix

water as called for on gravy mix pkg

Ingredients for dumplings:

2 c all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons snipped parsley (opt)

2 beaten egg

½  cup milk

4 Tablespoons cooking oil

Directions:
Sear roast on all sides.  Place in slow cooker.  Sprinkle the Lipton Onion Soup over. the roast.  Add water to slow cooker.  Cook on Low for 8 hours, or High for 4 hours.  (Roast can also be roasted in oven, covered and tightly sealed, at 300 for two to three hours.

When done, remove roast to platter.

Place pan drippings from slow cooker or roaster into a large saucepan (or if you have a slow cooker with stove top setting capabilities leave in slow cooker insert).  Add envelope(s) of brown gravy and water, and whisk until smooth.  Cover and heat to simmer over medium low heat while you make dumpling dough.

Directions for Dumplings:  Combine flour, baking  powder, and salt; stir in parsley.  Combine egg, milk, and oil.  Add to flour mixture, stirring with a fork only till combined.  Drop dough by the tablespoon into simmering roast gravy.  Cover tightly.  Reduce heat, do not lift cover.  Simmer 12 to 15 minutes.   Serve.

These are 'drop' dumplings, not the rolled variety.  I'm not a fan of the rolled variety, too heavy for my liking.  I took the photo below of a dumpling I cut in half to show you how it is cooked and fluffy all the way through.

 I have never had this dumpling recipe fail...dumplings turn out light and fluffy every time.

5/30/17: Slightly alternate version.  Before work I seared roast in my Ninja slow cooker.  Added a bag of baby carrots, and 1 can of Campbell's condensed French onion soup, plus 1/4 to 1/2 cup water and cooked on low for about 11 hours.   After cooking time, I removed roast and added another can of Campbell's condensed French onion soup, and a soup can of water.  I switched from 'low' slow-cooker setting to 'medium' stove-top setting to bring liquid in pot to a low boil while I made dumpling dough.  I dropped dumplings into the broth, covered with lid, and let simmer for 15 minutes.  

Swiss Steak...

Ingredients:
4 to 8 small steaks (portioned round steak, minute steak, or cube steak)
1/3 c flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
3 Tblsp olive oil
1 onion, large chopped
1 green bell pepper, large chopped
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
4 to 8 potatoes, washed and halved or quartered

Directions:
Combine flour, and spices on a plate or pie plate.  Dredge the steaks to cover in flour.  Heat the oil in a pan.  Place the steaks into the hot oil in a single layer, and brown each side (this may have to be done in batches).  When brown, remove the steaks to a plate and set aside.  Place the chopped onion and pepper into the same hot pan, and let cook slightly, stirring and loosening the browned bits from the pan bottom.  If using a pan that can be placed in the oven (like my favorite old cast iron skillet) add the meat back into pan, and fit the potatoes over and/or among, and pour tomato sauce over all (you can place everything in a casserole dish for baking if you'd prefer)*.  Cover and bake at 325° for two hours or so.   

My notes:  You could also place in a slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hrs.  You don't have to cook the potatoes with the meat, but I love the flavors they absorb.

No-Bake Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cookies

No-Bake Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cookies
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about two sleeves)
2 1/3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 10 ounce bags of chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)

Melt butter in a mixing bowl.  Add graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and peanut butter, and stir until mixed thoroughly.  Press the peanut butter mixture into a 9" x 13" pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  

Melt chocolate chips and pour over the peanut butter layer, and spread evenly with the back of a spoon. 

Done!

Allow to set for a couple of hours at room themperature (or in refrigerator for no longer than 30 to 40 minutes) before cutting into squares.  Store covered at room temperature.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash...

Ingredients:

3 lbs Brussels sprouts

1 1/2 lbs butternut squash

4 to 6 Tablespoons olive oil

salt to taste

3 Tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup pecans

1 cup dried cranberries

Wash Brussels sprouts, remove loose or yellow outer leaves.  Trim off end, and then cut each sprout in half.  Place sprouts in a bowl and drizzle with 2 to 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, and add a sprinkle of salt.  Toss to coat sprouts with oil.  Line a baking sheet with foil, and place sprouts on it in a single layer...place as many cut-side-down as you can.

(It's very difficult to peel and cut through a raw butternut squash for me, so I pre-cooked it a little to make it easier.  If you are accustomed to cutting it raw and want to do that, then skip to next paragraph.)  Wash the butternut squash.  Poke all over with a fork.  Place the squash whole on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave on high for about 3 minutes.  Check it after 3 minutes and see if it is warm to the touch and if its appearance is slightly darkened in patches.  If not, place it back in microwave for one minute at a time until it is.  

Cut off the stem end and a little off the base end so it sits flat.  Then cut it in half and remove the seeds and fibrous center.  Peel (I cut each half into about four pieces to make it easier to peel).  Cut into about 1 inch cubes.  Place in bowl, drizzle with 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, add 3 Tablespoons maple syrup, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.  Toss to coat squash.  Line another baking sheet with foil, and place squash on it in a single layer.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Roast sprouts and squash for about 20 to 25 minutes or until just tender and nicely caramelized, turning with spatula about halfway through cooking time.

Place roasted sprouts and squash into a large bowl.  Add dried cranberries and pecans, and toss gently.  

My notes:  Next time I might let each person add pecans to their individual serving.  I don't much like the pecans heated up with the leftovers.  I also think that some crumbled crisp bacon would be a yummy addition.

Salisbury Steak...

Ingredients:
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
1 envelope dry Lipton Onion Soup mix
3 Tablespoons A1 Steak Sauce
2 Tablespoons onion flakes
1 cup beef broth

1 sleeve of Ritz or Club crackers, crushed
2 eggs
2 pounds very lean ground beef
pepper to taste 
(I did not add additional salt as the crackers and gravy ingredients have quite a bit of salt included.  It can be added later if you think it needs more.

1 to 1 1/2 cup additional beef broth

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl stir together first five ingredients...this is the gravy mixture.  Set aside.

In a large bowl crush the crackers.  Add the eggs, ground beef, pepper, and a cup of the gravy mixture from the small bowl.  Mix well, and form into patties.  Brown patties in a non-stick skillet; this may have to be done in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.

Place the browned meat patties in a casserole dish.  Pour the gravy mixture into the non-stick skillet and stir in the additional beef broth.  When the gravy is smooth and heated through, pour it over the meat patties in the casserole dish.  

Bake for 45 minutes.  Serve with mashed potatoes and a vegetable.

Pumpkin Bliss...

Ingredients:
2 boxes Jell-o No Bake Cheesecake
   (plus milk, butter, and sugar as called for on box)
2 boxes Jell-o Pumpkin Spice instant pudding
   (plus milk as called for on box's 'for pie' recipe)
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 8 oz container of Cool Whip, thawed
1/2 cup chopped pecans
cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Directions:
Mix crust of both No Bake Cheesecake mixes with the butter and sugar called for on the packages, and pat into the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan.

Mix the filling of the two No Bake Cheesecake mixes with milk as called for on the package.  To this add 3/4 cup of pumpkin puree, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice and mix well.  Pour over the crust and spread evenly.

Mix the two boxes of Pumpkin Spice instant pudding with milk as directed on package for pie (less milk than is called for than making pudding) and pour over the cheesecake layer.

Spread the container of thawed Cool Whip over the top of the pudding.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Garnish with chopped pecans and a light sprinkle of cinnamon.  Cut into squares, and use a metal spatula to lift each serving onto plates.