Manic Monday and Banana Pineapple Bread

Thank you Monday for kicking my behind! Dear Parents, if your child needs a back to school note for lunch, bathroom privileges, medication, physicals, or all of the above...PLEASE do not wait until the week that school begins to get these filled out! Thank you kindly, the nurse who has to do this for you! O M G it's been a wild day....can you tell?? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job, but its no fun being swamped at the last minute or having a Mom being angry because you cannot have what she needs done immediately. And how was your Monday???

On a brighter note, had a really nice weekend. Dinner with friends Saturday night and dinner with family last night....and my little man is learning SO much. Last night he learned how to blow a duck call! Its a southern thing...some of you will understand! Now we are working on teaching him to say "WHO DAT"!!!! Speaking of WHO DAT...we enjoyed watching our Saints take the field last night and winning! AND we got to see Drew Brees on the sidelines dancing to "Play that Funky Music" as he munched on sunflower seeds! It was SO classic...L.O.V.E.D. IT!

 

Cannot wait to see what the rest of the season has in store for our Saints!!!

Here is a great recipe for a soft, moist homemade quick bread with banana and pineapple...yes pineapple!
Don't hate until you try it!!

Banana Pineapple Bread

Yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients: 

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
1 cup crushed pineapple
 (with the excess liquid drained; this is almost the amount in a 15-ounce can of pineapple)

Instructions: 

1. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

2. In another mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar. 

Add remaining ingredients, beating until well mixed.

3. Pour wet ingredients into bowl of dry ingredients and stir until moistened. Don't over-beat.

4. Pour batter into two greased and floured loaf pans

 (use smaller loaf pans -- 6x3-inch, or use several mini loaf pans).

 Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until loaves test done.

OLYMPICS - FAB 5 - PEPPER JELLY!

What an awesome night for these young ladies and the
U S A!

 

It brought tears to my eyes, as I am sure it did for thousands!

I am really enjoying watching these Olympics!

O M G is it hot or what? I know we say this every summer but

this summer seems hotter than last summer. My hubby calls me daily to

remind me that he is on his 2nd or 3rd set of clothes and to see

if I am enjoying sitting inside sucking up the AC. And the answer

is always the same.....HECK YEAH!

Stay hydrated out there folks!

Here is something I read the other day and wanted to share with you.

GOD's HEART FOR YOU....

Think of it...

You belong to a God who has no limitations.

He is able to do things for you,

be mighty in you, and bring blessings to you.

His provisions are endless,

His blessings are measureless,

and His generosity is boundless.

All that is in His heart (for you)

flows out in waves of love.

They are sent to touch you, to fill you, and to cover you.

You cannot contain them for they are

more than your mind can imagine,

more than your arms can embrace,

and more than your heart can hold.

Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.
 Amen.
 Jude 1:24-25

Powerful words I'd say!

Speaking of powerful...this peach pepper jelly is sweet and hot!!!

And super easy to make.

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups peeled and diced peaches (about 2 1/2 lb.)
• 1 jalapeño pepper, minced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 (1.75-oz.) package powdered fruit pectin

Preparation

1. Stir together all ingredients in a 4-qt. microwave-safe glass bowl.
2. Microwave at HIGH 8 minutes (mixture will boil). Stir mixture, and microwave at HIGH 8 to 10 minutes or until thickened. (You're going for the viscosity of pancake syrup here. The mixture will thicken to soft-set preserves after it cools and chills.) Cool mixture completely (about 2 hours). Serve immediately, or cover and chill preserves in an airtight container until ready to serve. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

  

Reality TV and Peaches!

Do y'all realize just how many reality shows there are on TV these days? Holy Moly! I will be the first to admit that one of my guilty pleasures is watching Real Housewives....any and all of them but I LOVE New Jersey, Orange County and Beverly Hills! And now my hubby has me hooked on....you will never guess...Deadliest Catch

 

I don't even know what it is about it...but I am hooked (no pun intended). AND the other night he MADE me watch Duck Dynasty...not so impressed but he laughed like a fool watching it. I think I will stick with Theresa and Caroline and Jaqueline and Gretchen and Vicki and Alexis and Tamara and Lisa and Taylor and Kyle...well you get the idea.But I DO have a craving for Alaskan Snow Crabs!!!! Maybe this weekend !

We finally had a slight reprieve from the rain today....but boy was it hot! I guess we are never really satisfied are we? Personally I am ready for some fall temps! Can't come quick enough!!!!

Do you love peaches? I sure do...here is a simple Peach Cobbler Trifle...YUM!

2 sml pkg vanilla instant pudding
1 Cup sour cream
1 1/2 Cup milk
1/2 tsp orange zest
1/2 Cup powdered sugar
2 Cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 loaf pound cake
4 C Diced fresh peaches

CRUMB MIXTURE
1 C graham cracker crumbs
3/4 C sugar
1/4 C quick oats
1 tea cinnamon
1/4 tea nutmeg
dash of clove
6 Tbl melted butter
* stir together well and spread on cookie sheet and bake 350 until lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool.

Cube cake into small bite size squares, set aside.

Whip heavy whipping cream until peaks. In a separate bowl whip milk, pudding and orange zest together until thick, fold in sour cream and once smooth fold in whipping cream.

Wash and slice peaches, stir in 1 Tbl lemon juice and 1+ Tbl sugar to keep them from browning. Set aside.

In Trifle dish layer cake, pudding,crumb mixture, peaches repeating until dish is full. Top with fresh peaches. Chill before serving. Peaches can brown easily so serve within a few hours of chilling.

St. Francisville and Banana Split Icebox Cake

Today I read a blog post from a fellow blogger about how much she loves to visit St Francisville...a quaint little town north of Baton Rouge. It reminded me of our visit there last year for the 4th of July. We had such a good time and today I just wanted to share a few pictures that Addie took while we were there. Hope I don't bore you, but I simply love this place...hope you do too!

This is along the lake that is right behind the cabin we stayed at...

 

The cabin we stayed at...it was SO nice

 

The famous Magnolia Cafe...love the purple and gold pig!

 

One of the many antique shops. This used to be a bank many years ago..

 

an old abandoned high school that was built in 1907

 

Church Office

 

Of course our American Flag...

 

 

 wrought iron fences and brick sidewalks everywhere

 Inside one of the many shops

and the yummy food Addie prepared for us...

If you ever get the chance to visit St. Francisville....you won't be disappointed!

And now for a light, cool and yummy recipe!

Banana Split Icebox Cake

Ingredients

• 1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
• 24 whole graham crackers
• 2 medium bananas, sliced
• Toppings: chocolate syrup, halved fresh strawberries and additional banana slices

Directions

• In a large bowl, mix the whipped topping, sour cream and pudding mix
• until blended; fold in pineapple. Cut a small hole in the corner of
• a pastry or plastic bag; fill with pudding mixture.
• 
  
• On a flat serving plate, arrange four crackers in a rectangle. Pipe
• about 1 cup pudding mixture over crackers; top with about 1/4 cup
• banana slices. Repeat layers five times. Cover and refrigerate
• overnight.
• 
  
• Before serving, top with chocolate syrup, strawberries and banana
• slices. Yield: 10 servings.

 

 

 

19 THINGS WE SHOULD SAY TO CHILDREN AND ICE CREAM CAKE

I read this today on a website and just had to share it with you...

19 THINGS WE SHOULD SAY TO CHILDREN....

1. I love you! There is nothing that will make me stop loving you. Nothing you could do or say or think will ever change that.

2. You are amazing! I look at you with wonder! Not just at what you can do, but who you are. There is no one like you. No one!

3. It’s all right to cry. People cry for all kinds of reasons: when they are hurt, sad, glad, or worried; when they are angry, afraid, or lonely. Big people cry too. I do.

4. You’ve made a mistake. That was wrong. People make mistakes. I do. Is it something we can fix? What can we do? It’s all over. You can start fresh. I know you are sorry. I forgive you.

5. You did the right thing. That was scary or hard. Even though it wasn’t easy, you did it. I am proud of you; you should be too.

6. I’m sorry. Forgive me. I made a mistake.

7. You can change your mind. It’s good to decide, but it is also fine to change.

8. What a great idea! You were really thinking! How did you come up with that? Tell me more. Your mind is clever!

9. That was kind. You did something helpful and thoughtful for that person. That must make you feel good inside. Thank you!

10. I have a surprise for you. It’s not your birthday. It’s for no reason at all. Just a surprise, a little one, but a surprise.

11. I can wait. We have time. You don’t have to hurry this time.

12. What would you like to do? It’s your turn to pick. You have great ideas. It’s important to follow your special interests.

13. Tell me about it. I’d like to hear more. And then what happened? I’ll listen.

14. I’m right here. I won’t leave without saying good-bye. I am watching you. I am listening to you.

15. Please and Thank You. These are important words. If I forget to use them, will you remind me?

16. I missed you. I think about you when we are not together!

17. Just try. A little bit. One taste, one step. You might like it. Let’s see. I’ll help you if you need it. I think you can do it.

18. I’ll help you. I heard you call me, here I am. How can I help you? If we both work together, we can get this done. I know you can do it by yourself, but I’m glad to help since you asked.

19. What do you wish for? Even if it’s not yet time for birthday candles and we don’t have a wishbone, it’s still fun to hear about what you wish for, hope for, and dream about.

Read more at 19 Things we should say to Children

And he has learned how to climb......on everything!

 

And now for a super easy cool summery dessert!

Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

 

Ingredients:

• 16 ice cream sandwiches, softened
• 1 16-ounce container chocolate Cool whip topping
• 1 12-ounce jar chocolate fudge topping
• 2 bags (about 16 ounces M&M candies)
• 1/4 cup chocolate syrup

Directions:

Layer 8 of the sandwiches in a 9×13 baking dish side by side, press down a little to join them. Spread evenly 1/2 of the Cool Whip and 1/2 of the topping. Sprinkle 1/2 of the candy over layer. Repeat with another layer of same. Drizzle with chocolate syrup to finish. Cover and freeze 3 hours or until firm.

 Slice with a serrated knife.

Serves 12

Easy Like Sunday Morning and Pizza Casserole

Rain Rain and more Rain! Welcome to South Louisiana summer! At least it keeps the temps down slightly! The entire weekend has been a wash out with more rain on the way for this week. Not much you can do about the weather can you?  These were the clouds that greeted me on Friday....pretty ominous huh?

 

And today doesn't look much better! 

I saw the cutest idea the other day - on Pinterest of course- If your kiddies love

peanut butter, jelly and banana sandwiches....and you have left over

hot dog buns...why not make this for them...

 

Is that not just too clever????

Heck this would make an awesome nutritious breakfast as well

as afternoon snack! GREAT late night snack for us older folks too! Altho we were always

told not to eat bananas too late...something about digesting them blah blah blah. Never stopped me

and I digested them just fine!

Today I am sharing a simple buy yummy recipe for a

 Pizza Casserole!

ENJOY!

• 1 pound dried rotini pasta
• kosher salt
• 1 pound hot or mild ground Italian sausage
• 1 green bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 cup chopped button mushrooms
• 1/2 cup diced pepperoni
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season liberally with salt, about 1 tablespoon. Cook pasta for 6-7 minutes. Strain. Pasta will be firm.
3. In a large skillet brown Italian sausage, about 5 minutes. Strain.
4. In the same pan you cooked the sausage stir together bell pepper, red onion, mushrooms and pepperoni. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until vegetables soften. Return sausage to pan. Stir to combine. Add in pasta and pizza sauce. Mix well. Remove from heat.
5. To bake pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 glass casserole dish. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese on top.  Bake for 15 minutes. Remove. Top 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or until cheese starts to brown.
6. Serve immediately.

This recipe was borrowed from

http://www.lifesambrosia.com/

Saturday's and Watergate Salad

So after having Joshua here for the last 3 days, I am missing him so much today! It's amazing how a little one can turn your world upside down and bring you so much joy simply by being in the same room! Not to mention all the hugs and kisses he gives...and lets not forget his new word "HI" as he puts that hand up to wave. He says it over and over again...and I never tire of it!

I wish I could retire now and keep him everyday....but that ain't happening! BUT boy if I could, I would! OH and it's true what "they" say...you become really goofy when you become a grandparent! But we love every single minute and would not change one thing! Can ya tell that I am crazy about this kid? Yeah, I thought so! 

The other day I was craving Watergate Salad...y'all remember that green stuff? I'm not quite sure why it's called a salad..its more like a light airy dessert. Did you ever wonder why it's called Watergate Salad? Well I wondered too so I did what millions of others do...I Googled it and here it is....Watergate salad was a concoction thought up by a soux chef at the Watergate Hotel. It was then served at brunch on most weekends. Watergate Salad took off in popularity during and after the presidential scandal which shares the same name . I have not had it for many years and I have no idea what made me crave it. I plan on making some tomorrow and if no one else likes it, oh well...more for me! Here's the recipe....just in case you don't have a clue as to what I am talking about. This reminds me of my dear friend Lorna...she used to make it all the time. Maybe I will share it with her....

ENJOY!

WATERGATE SALAD

Ingredients

• 1 (4 ounce) packages instant pistachio pudding mix
• 1 (20 ounce) cans crushed pineapple with juice, undrained
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 1 3/4 cups non-dairy whipped topping, thawed

Directions

1. Stir pudding mix, pineapple with juice, marshmallows and nuts in a large bowl until well blended.
2. Gently stir in whipped topping.
3. Refrigerate one hour or until ready to serve.