Banana Bread

This is my mom's banana bread recipe. It is seriously the BEST banana bread I have ever had.

-1 cup sugar

-1 cup (2 med) mashed bananas

-1/2 cup butter, softened

-1/4 cup of milk

-1 teaspoon vanilla

-2 eggs

-2 cups unbleached or all purpose flour

-1 teaspoon baking soda

-1/2 teaspoon salt

*In large bowl, blend first six ingredients; beat one minute at medium speed

*Stir in remaining ingredients just until dry ingredients are moistened.

*Pour batter into prepared pan

*350 degrees for 50-60 minutes

Obviously you can add in some nuts, but really why would you want to ruin it that way!!!

PS. It totally isn't burnt the lighting was just bad and it looks darker then it is.

Messy Potatoes

This is one of my family's favorite Thanksgiving recipes. The picture looks kinda nasty because I forgot to take one until after everyone attacked it. It's not at all healthy but it is so yummy!!!

- 1 30 oz. bag Ore-Ida Southern Style Hash Browns
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups crushed corn flakes or crackers
- 1/2 a white onions, chopped
- ¼ cup butter or margarine melted

Mix soup, sour cream, salt, pepper, onions and cheese in a large mixing bowl. Add hash browns and stir to combine. Place in greased 13x9 pan. Top with butter and cornflakes mixed together. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly around the edges.

Now if you try this out don't get the store brand hash browns. Believe me it doesn't come out right if you do. Also we like club crackers crushed on top better then the corn flakes.

Thanksgiving Tips

First off this isn't really a recipe, just some tips and tricks that I have learned by making Thanksgiving dinner for the past 7 years.
Cook the turkey in a cooking bag. Seriously, I cooked a 14 pound turkey in 2 and a half hours yesterday and it was perfect. Also, after the turkey is cooked, let it sit for half an hour. If you want the turkey skin crispier just cut open the top of the bag, tuck the sides of the bag around the turkey and throw the turkey back in for about 30 minutes. I personally think that skin is gross so I skip that last step.
Also, mashed potatoes. Well when making them my hubby uses only butter and sour cream. Makes for yummy potatoes but I don't want to know what the calorie count on those are.
Dinner rolls, as I have discovered are a pain in the butt, so my best tip for those is COSTCO!
Everything else I make comes from a can or a box (I have never claimed to be a great cook).
Well, I guess that is it. I will put up actual recipes once I start cooking again.

Hawaiian Haystack

I made Hawaiian Haystack for dinner tonight. I will add a picture later as I did not take a picture of it before I ate it. Thank goodness for leftovers!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breast
3/4 cups rice (raw)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 can pineapple chunks
Shredded cheese
Chow mein noodles

Cook the chicken breasts however you prefer. At my mom's suggestion, I boiled them in water. I added salt to the water, but you can also add garlic salt or chicken boullion to the water. After the chicken is cooked, shred it or cut it into small chunks. Cook the rice in 1 1/2 cups of water. If you boil the chicken, you can use the chicken broth to cook the rice for flavor. While the rice is cooking, combine the can of soup with 1/2 cup of milk and heat it up. Once it is heated, stir in the cooked rice and add the chicken. Serve in a bowl. Top with shredded cheese, pineapple and chow mein noodles if desired. I have had it with tomotoes on top too. It has been a while since I have used tomatoes to top it off, but I remember it being good.

I am a very picky eater and I ate this way back in the day when I was just a little kid. There really isn't anything not to like in it. It is very filling too, so a little goes a long way. It reheats very well too.

Enjoy!

~Lisa