Mom's Banana Nut Bread

Don't throw out those bananas!  Instead, please try this easy and wonderful Banana Nut Bread.

This is probably the best banana nut bread EVAH!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
6 Tblsp. sour milk (who keeps sour milk around)? See below*
1/2 tsp. salt
4 or 5 over-ripe bananas, mashed
1 1/2 cups of chopped pecans
3 cups flour

*For the sour milk, I mix milk and sour cream together. Works like a charm.

Directions:

Cream together:  butter, sugar, eggs.

Add:  soda, sour milk, and salt.

Add: bananas and pecans.

Fold in flour.

Grease two loaf pans and pour mixture in.

Bake at 325 for one hour.

                        

Frozen Cranberry Salad

If you are looking for a new way to incorporate cranberries into your Thanksgiving meal, you should give this a try.

I made this salad for the first time several years ago, and both my mom and mother-in-law, look forward to it every year.  So now, I have to make it it's a regular player on our holiday menu.

Oh, and the kids love it, too!


Here's the ingredients:  Warning....I am NOT a food photographer, or any type of photographer, for that matter.  AND, I am not a recipe post person.  But, here ya go anyway.  And yes, my pineapple can is open.  I had already dumped it in the bowl, when I decided to do this post.  It's the kind of gal I am.

One container Cool Whip
1/2 cup sugar
5 bananas
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce

Combine sugar, cranberry and pineapple.

Next find an assistant to peel the bananas.  If you don't have a sweet assistant like mine, just add a little more sugar to the mix.

Cut the bananas in half, then slice and add to the cranberry mixture.

Add chopped nuts and Cool Whip.

My assistant actually took this picture.  Not bad, Little Man!

Pour mixture in a pan, and freeze.

Remove from freezer thirty minutes before serving.

This salad is pink and pretty.

And yummy. 

And the best part....you can make it ahead.

That way, you can spend more time worrying about your turkey.

Or stuffing.

Or broccoli casserole.

Or whether or not your hot rolls are raising properly.

Or......

Moonshine

Recently, as I was heading out for work, I decided to try a little moonshine. 

Weird, I know, since it was only 6:30 am.

Normally, I save all my moonshine activities for the evening, but this particular morning, I couldn't resist.

Yes, I was late to work. 

Yes, my bonehead brothers gave me the stink eye.  (good thing we are equal partners in the biz)

But...I figure...now that I am, ahem....49, I can do whatever I want to.  Including, enjoying a little moonshine before work.

Burp.

Girls Weekend Get Away

My two best friends and I try to get away several times a year. 

No husbands.

No kids.

No pets.

No worries.

Earlier this year, we flew to Phoenix, and had a blast.  I'll tell you about it sometime.

This past weekend, we made the four hour trip to Denver.

There were mamogram's, annual exams, blood tests...all kinds of fun stuff.

Ok.  Maybe fun, is not the right word.

Necessary stuff.

There.  That's more appropriate wording.

After the flurry of doctor appointments there was a reward.

No not balloons, or suckers.

Or Sponge Bob bandaids.

We had tickets to the Broadway Production of  The Lion King.

THE LION KING!!!

                                                 

                                 Image sources:  http://www.lionking.com/tickets






Oh, my gosh!  It was absolutely wonderful.






The costumes, the actors, the music.  It was amazing.

If the production comes to your area, you really should go.

You can read more about the show here.


Hakuna matada...

I AM IN SERIOUS TROUBLE

Hi.  My name is...uh...what's my name??

As most of you know...ok...all of you know we just had a time change.

I knew that yesterday.

And I knew that all day today.

But, at work, at exactly 4:00 today (Monday), I looked at the clock, and thought to my very intelligent self, "hmm...I guess no one ever changed the clock."

So, I promptly grabbed a stick, and moved the clock to 5:00, gathered up my stuff, told our employee to holler at my bonehead brother if he got busy, and headed home.

You probably know, there is something very, VERY, wrong with this picture.


I arrived at home, poured a glass of wine, and started cooking.

 Poured another glass of wine.

 At 4:30, or what I THOUGHT, was 4:30, Wranglers calls.

Honey, where are you?

Hey, I'm home.

What are you doing home so early?

Uh, it's 5:30.  I'm always home at  5:30.

No, honey.  It's 4:30.

I swear, my life flashed before my eyes.

I had another out of body experience.

Not only had I left work an hour early, I moved the clock.  (Which didn't need to be moved)

IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.

Now, in my defense, I could blame this confusion on the fact that we spent the weekend in Oklahoma, and it is an hour later there. 

And for my little blonde brain, that can be confusing at times.  Couple that with the end of daylight savings time, all in one weekend, and, well....

Or, I could blame it on the fact that on Saturday night, while in Oklahoma, I took a muscle relaxer.

On Sunday, during the trip back to Colorado, I was in some sort of a coma.

And, surely, I am still not normal.

Note to self....when in need of a muscle relaxer, only take one half of the recommended dose.



Somebody, please help me.

                                                                     The End.

A Dog And A....Dove?

This is such a rare sight, I really have no words.

The cat has got my tongue.

I am speechless.

Which according to Wranglers, is much more rare than the photos you are about to see.

                                                                         The End.

Tuesday Tips And Tricks

Time for another round of Tips And Tricks.   I love candles.  But for some reason, I don't burn them much in the summer, however, fall and winter are a different story. 

Here are few candle tricks.

• When the candle is history, freeze the candle holder, and the wax will pop right out.
• Rub out nicks and scratches with panty hose.
• Put a small tealight in the burn well of a pillar to extend the candle's life.
• Store candles in the fridge or freezer to extend burning time.

Another trick I use for adding scent to my house this time of year is:

• Place a few drops of your favorite scented oil in your heater vents.

Okay, one more.  This is for those of you who cook fish or seafood:

• To cut down on the fish odor, boil lemon wedges on the stove while the fish is cooking.