BILL’S FAVORITE BANANA CAKE

2 1/4 cups cake flour (sift before measuring)
1 2/3 cups white sugar
1 1/4 tsps. baking powder
1 1/4 tsps. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (Heidi’s note: I always use at 2 cups or more and if they’ve been frozen and then thawed, they add more moisture to the cake.)
2/3 cups finely chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)-optional

Heat oven to 350'. Grease and flour baking pans: one 13"x9"x2", or two 9"
or three 8" round layer pans.

Measure all ingredients into large mixer bowl. Blend 1/2 minute on low
speed, scraping bowl constantly. Blend 3 minutes on high speed, scraping
bowl occasionally. Pour into pan(s).

Bake oblong 45 to 50 minutes, layers 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick
inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool in pan(s) for 15 minutes, then
turn out on cake rack(s). Frost with vanilla butter icing or cream cheese
icing.

Butter Cream Frosting II

Yields: 24 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure almond extract (optional) 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl (Kitchenaid-type mixer works best to make this truly light and fluffy), cream butter until light and fluffy. Add salt, almond extract (optional), vanilla, confectioners' sugar and milk. Beat on high for at least 5 minutes and it’s just like the frosting they use in bakeries.

**By far the best frosting I’ve ever made. It also freezes well.

CAN’T LEAVE ALONE BARS

1 pkg. white cake mix (18.25 oz.)
2 eggs
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
¼ c. butter, cut into cubes

In a bowl, combine dry cake mix, eggs and oil. With floured hands, press 2/3 of mixture into greased 9 x 13 x 2 baking dish. Set remaining cake mixture aside. Combine condensed milk, butter and chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Uncovered, cook on high for 45 seconds. Stir. Microwave 45-60 seconds longer or until butter and chips are melted. Stir until smooth. Pour over crust. Drop rest of cake mixture by teaspoon full over the top. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Makes 3 dozen.

FRANK’S FAMOUS SALSA

1 can stewed tomatoes
1/8 clove garlic
1 bunch of green onions
1 bell pepper
1 hatch mild pepper
2 Jalapeno peppers
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (I usually put in the entire bunch)
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 tomatoes, finely chopped
chili powder to taste
2-3 tsp salt
1/2 to 1 tsp pepper

Blend above ingredients together in a food processor or a blender.

CHICKEN DIVAN

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups cooked chopped broccoli
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken meat
2 (4.5 ounce) cans mushrooms, drained
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained (optional)
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Arrange cooked broccoli in a lightly greased 3-quart casserole dish. Arrange chicken over broccoli. Add mushrooms and water chestnuts.
In a medium bowl combine the soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder and butter/margarine. Mix together and pour mixture over chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes.

RATATOUILLE

Provencal style—Heidi learned this one serving a mission in the South of France. There are a ton of ratatouille recipes out there and this is the one I fell in love with in Provence. It’s different because you bake it in a piecrust after all the vegetables have been sautéed. It may seem difficult to make at first glance but it’s really quite simple. All measurements are approximate since there’s no hard & fast rule about the proportions of vegetables in this dish.

2 c. eggplant, 1/2 inch cubes
2 c. zucchini, 1/2 inch cubes
1 c. onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 c. green pepper, 1/2 inch pieces
1 c. red pepper, 1/2 inch pieces (optional to use just one pepper or the other)
2-3 c. tomatoes (use fresh or canned diced tomatoes or canned crushed tomatoes)
1 Tbsp. Herbes de Provence (Buy it in the spice section or if you can’t find it then make your own mixture of the following: thyme is most prominent, marjoram, rosemary, basil, crushed bay leaf & lavendar flowers--optional)
2 tsp. Kosher salt
¾ to 1 tsp. pepper
Olive oil
Pie crust for 9 inch pie
1/2 - 2/3 c. Emmental cheese (very expensive in U.S.) or use freshly shredded parmesan – do not substitute with classic American cheeses such as cheddar which is too oily and doesn’t have strong enough flavor

1. Preheat oven to 350. Place piecrust in pie dish.
2. In a very large skillet, sautee the eggplant in olive oil until the pieces have darkened and cooked. Sprinkle some salt & Herbes on while it cooks. Remove from pan.
3. Sautee the zucchini in olive oil until the pieces are cooked and becoming translucent. Sprinkle some salt & Herbes on while it cooks. Remove from pan.
4. Sautee the onion in olive oil until the pieces are translucent and beginning to brown. Leave in the pan.
5. Add the green pepper and red pepper and sautee together in olive oil for a few minutes. Add the garlic & tomatoes. Sprinkle the remainder of the salt & Herbes and add the pepper. Let simmer together for a few minutes to create a nice sauce. Add the eggplant & zucchini to the pan and let it all simmer together for several minutes so flavors mix together.
6. Pour mixture into pie shell and cover with generous amount of cheese.
7. Bake for 45 minutes or until pie crust is golden brown.
8. Can be served with rice as a main dish or as a side.

Lemon Cake

1 pkg lemon cake mix
3 oz pkg lemon jello
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
juice from 2 lemons
2 T margarine

Blend together cake mix, Jello, eggs, oil and water. Beat on medium speed for 5 min. Bake on greased and floured 9x13 pan at 350 for 45 min

Meanwhile, blend sugar, juice, and margarine. Right after the cake comes out of the oven prick with a fork and pour on glaze

Pink Lemonade Lime Dip

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (6oz) can frozen pink lemonade, thawed
1 tsp grated lime rind

Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl until blended. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. Serve with sugar cookies.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

2 boneless skineless chicken breast cut into strips
4 oz linguine, cooked al dente
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons butter
1 thinly sliced green onion
1-2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese


1 Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl and toss to coat

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté chicken in butter until chicken is tender about 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Reduce heat add green onion, heavy cream, tomatoes, basil, salt, garlic powder, pepper and heat through.

4. Pour over hot linguine and toss, with Parmesan cheese
Bon Appétit

Pumpkin Dip

15 oz pumpkin
2 c. cool whip
1 small box cheesecake pudding mix
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Mix well. Serve with cinnamon graham crackers, or cinnamon graham sticks.

Lime Ice Cream

2 cups milk

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1 cup whipping cream

Green food coloring

1. Heat milk and sugar in saucepan until sugar is dissolved and mixture reaches 175 degrees. Let cool to room temperature completely.

2. Add in lime juice and cream and desired amount of food coloring.

3. Mix in ice cream mixer according to directions.

Vegetable Pot Pie (From Barefoot Contessa)

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) 2 cups sliced yellow onions (2 onions) 1 fennel bulb, top and core removed, thinly sliced crosswise 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 1/2 cups good chicken stock 1 tablespoon Pernod Pinch saffron threads 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons heavy cream 1 1/2 cups large-diced potatoes (1/2 pound) 1 1/2 cups asparagus tips 1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4-inch-diced carrots (4 carrots) 1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4-inch-diced butternut squash 1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions (1/2 pound) 1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley For the pastry: 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup vegetable shortening 1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced 1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and fennel and saute until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the flour, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the stock, Pernod, saffron, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the heavy cream and season to taste. The sauce should be highly seasoned. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Lift out with a sieve. Add the asparagus, carrots, and squash to the pot and cook in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Add the potatoes, mixed vegetables, onions, and parsley to the sauce and mix well. For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the sides, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Fresh Peach Pie

1 Baked pie shell
3 large peaches peeled, to slice
2 soft peaches, peeled & mashed
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
½ cup water
1 tsp. almond extract
1 Tbsp. butter

Slice 3 peaches into pie shell. Mash soft peaches and add sugar, cornstarch and water. Bring to boil and boil for one minute. Add almond extract and butter. Pour over peaches in pie shell. Refrigerate until serving. Can be served with whipped cream and slices of fresh peaches on top.