A Taste of Summer - Banana Split Pie

One of the best parts of travel is the new food to try. For this recipe I didn't even have to leave home, just read a travel magazine! Southern Living's Drives and Dives offers many places I'd like to visit as well as several recipes to try.


This spring has been a long cool one, true we appreciate the rain but now we're anxious for warmer weather and the foods that taste special in the summer. This recipe combines many of those tastes in an easy to make dessert that looks rich but tastes light. Using some substitute ingredients such as lite whipped topping and egg substitute help keep the calories lower, but it is still a dessert with sugar and butter, not completely a 'free food'. I made this for a covered dish lunch of our Women's Educational Club and because it was a day of many desserts was able to bring a couple of pieces home for supper. For the lunch I did cut it into 12 smaller pieces because everyone wants to try lots of foods at these gatherings.

Banana Split Pie

1 cup powdered sugar

½ cup butter, softened

¼ cup egg substitute

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 (6-oz) ready-made graham cracker piecrust

2 bananas, sliced

1 (20-oz) can crushed pineapple, drained

2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed

chopped pecans

toppings: maraschino cherries

chocolate sauce

Beat first 4 ingredients (powdered sugar, butter, egg substitute, vanilla extract) with an electric mixer until smooth, spread in piecrust.

Top filling with banana slices, pineapple, and whipped topping, sealing topping to edges.

Sprinkle topping with pecans.

Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Before serving, add toppings (maraschino cherries and chocolate sauce).

Makes 8 servings.

From Southern Living Drives & Dives (summer 2015)

Tip: Be sure to use the egg substitute, as this filling is not cooked! Look for egg substitute in the dairy/cheese/egg section of the grocery store. The carton is equal to 8 eggs or 2 cups. You only need 1/4 cup, equal to 1 egg for this recipe. To save the extra, I poured it into small plastic cups with lids and froze it in 1/4 cup portions. I've frozen it before, but not in portions, and this will be much easier to thaw and use when I need it. 

Easy Lasagna

It was a week of Lasagna! After our Community LinC team tried a new recipe for the group meal and it was a success, it was suggested it could be a funeral dinner menu at the church. So within a week or so I was making Easy Lasagna for 150, then for 75, and in-between a pan at home to check the family size portions and directions.
This recipe is easy and good. Using dried noodles (not lasagna noodles) simplifies the preparation of lasagna for a large quantity. With pasta, tomato sauce, beef and cheeses it is a nutritional and filling dinner.

Easy Lasagna 

for a 9"x13" pan:

6-8  ounces egg noodles

8 ounces cream cheese

1 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 pound ground beef

1 jar (24 ounces) spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook noodles (oil in the water helps keep them from sticking). Layer cooked noodles over the bottom of a greased baking dish.
Brown hamburger, drain fat and mix with sauce.
Mix cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream with parsley, basil and pepper. Pour over noodles.
Put hamburger and sauce mixture on top of cheese mixture .
Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

When we served this in for a large dinner, it worked well to cover the pans with foil and keep them warm in the oven which had been turned off. After a short time to set they were easier to cut into servings.

The steps, from right to left - noodles, cheese mixture,
meat/sauce mixture

Top with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses
and into the oven.

Baked, maybe a bit too long, but still good.

Cut into serving pieces

Our finished plate for the community meal.

Fighting Cancer with Salads

24 Feet of salads!

Health professionals tell us that eating healthy, including salads with lots of fruits and vegetables, will help lower our risks for developing cancer. Last Saturday our local P.E.O. Chapter used a salad luncheon to help raise funds for the Greenwood County Relay for Life, these funds go toward research to help find a cure for cancer.
The array of salads was staggering. Not only did chapter members bring salads, but many other community members as well. Picture 3 tables of 8 foot each laden with salads! Thats 24 feet of salads, and quite a variety was available.
I tried a new recipe for the day. It seemed like a strange combination of foods - apples, pears, onions, and mustard? But turned into a tasty crisp salad, that is healthy also. This recipe is from Taste of Home, but I did a little tweaking. (I reduced the onion and added dried cranberries)

Fresh Apple & Pear Salad       

Fresh and Health salad

4 medium apples, thinly sliced (Granny Smith, Fuji, or Royal Gala)
2 medium pears thinly sliced (green or red Anjou, or Asian)
1 medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup apple cider or juice
1 Tablespoon snipped fresh dill or minced fresh tarragon (I used 1 tsp. dried)
1 Tablespoon olive oil (I used Persian Lime infused olive oil - definitely good!)
1 Tablespoon spicy brown mustard
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl, combine apples, pears, cucumber, dried cranberries and onion. In a small bowl, whisk remaining ingredients until blended. Pour over apple mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving.
I made this the evening before the luncheon and the apple juice kept the fruit from turning brown. But after bringing the left overs home it did turn brown on the second day. We ate the remaining salad, it still tasted good, just wasn't pretty. 

Mix the chopped ingredients with the dressing

Besides the salads, some members were also asked to bring cakes made from the same recipe. The recipe chosen was simple to make and low fat. No oil or butter is used, the juice from the pineapple is the liquid. The cake was good when fresh, but we did have some left over which we refrigerated and served at coffee time at church the next day. By then it had gotten tough (without fat/oil or butter to keep it tender and moist). So, I'd recommend this recipe as a good cake for a dinner when it can be completely served.

Pineapple Sheet Cake                                            

Pineapple sheet cake served the next day

2 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

20 oz. crushed pineapple

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions: Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased and floured 11-inch x 17-inch cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions: Beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla together until creamy. Gradually mix in powdered sugar. Frost cake while still warm. Garnish with additional nuts on top. 

A friend and I decorated this table with
the theme "The Language of Flowers"

A fun table with a Fishing theme

Simple and elegant

We got to model several outfits from
a popular clothing store - and to shop
later! 

Hello again, Jello!

Jello has a long history in the United States, it is one of the first "American Cuisine" foods, but it seems to not be as popular with younger cooks now. When asked for Jello/gelatin salads for community meals, fewer people sign up for that. I personally think making a Jello salad is easier than most of the other options.
Research of history of Jello or gelatin foods finds that congeled salads or foods were made since the 1400's from collagen extracted from boiling bones and other animal products. I'm glad that powdered gelatin was developed and patented in 1845. Our American cooks found it easier to use and in 1897 the name Jell-O was trademarked and several flavors were introduced. But it was still slow to be adopted. In 1930, lime flavor was a favorite and in the 1950's the popularity took off. Savory salads were favorites and there were flavors such as tomato and celery to compliment them. The baby boomer mothers of the 1950-60's especially liked the easy to prepare salads and desserts and many fruit flavors that we know today were marketed. However, in 1986, sales slowed again.
It seems that many of today's cooks didn't grow up with Jello sides for their meals and it isn't something they want to prepare.
But here is a recipe that is easy to prepare and tasty. The applesauce and lemon-lime soda add flavor and texture.

Ready to go to a community meal!

Lime Applesauce Salad

Heat 1 6-oz. package of lime jello with 2 16-oz cans of applesauce over medium heat until jello is dissolved. Set aside to let cool. When cool stir in 1 12-oz can of lemon-lime soda pop.
(recipe can be halved) I also like to make it with other flavors, as this strawberry red one!
This can be made in a mold and holds it shape well, or served with a spoon.

Stirring JellO into applesauce mixture

Breakfast for Supper

On of our favorite light meals for evening is Breakfast. Often I don't take the time to prepare a full breakfast at home, and I'm guessing that's the case for many others. When we serve a breakfast-supper meal for Community LinC it is always a popular one.
Community LinC is our local faith-based non-profit organization that provides meals free of charge twice a month. Meals are served in our Methodist Church and usually to 150 - 225 people with several take-outs to those who can't get to the meal site. Last week's menu was Breakfast Casserole, biscuits with butter and jelly, fruit cocktail and juice, milk, or coffee. Fresh fruit is also available on the table for each meal.
Here's the recipe for the breakfast casserole we used, cut back to family size.

Southern Sausage Egg Casserole

4 cups frozen shredded hash browns

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 pound breakfast sausage, cooked

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk

1/2 - 1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Arrange hash browns in an even layer in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13-inch pan. 

Sprinkle with cheese, sausage and green onion; set aside. 

Combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Blend well. 

Pour over hash brown mixture, cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight (we baked the casseroles soon after preparing)

Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees until the center is set: 40-50 minutes if chilled, 50-60 minutes if refrigerated overnight. 

For our group meal we made 6 pans of double recipes

That meant lots of ingredients - including green onions - to prep

It turned out great!

Kansas Maid for Breakfast

Here in the Flint Hills it is the season for working calves, moving cattle, and burning pastures. Just when I thought things would slow down after calving season and feeding hay two times a day, its just a change of chores. But the days go on and with daughter joining us on the ranch operation that means more help for more work. After a long afternoon and evening of burning pastures everyone was tired, so when rancher-husband asked what the plans were for the next day, new-to-ranching son-in-law said maybe it would be a good day to relax. So, rancher-husband said "Good idea, we'll just move cattle"!



To get the cattle moving day off to a good start, I served a full breakfast of hash brown and egg casserole, fruit with yogurt, and our favorite Kansas Maid braided bread. The bread is one of our local specialities, made in northern Greenwood County and mainly sold as a fund raiser for various youth groups and schools. Luckily the County 4-H Council had just had a fund raiser and my supply in the freezer is good. If it gets low between 4-H sales, I sometimes make a trip to the small grocery store near the production site, the only place that sells the bread retail now.

Kansas Maid bread is a frozen loaf of dough with filling of fruit or cream cheese or cinnamon. Keeps well for months in the freezer, if you don't have occasions to use it, but we like it so well it doesn't last long. To prepare, remove from the freezer and from the plastic package and place on a greased cookie sheet or pan. Let thaw and rise overnight. In the morning, bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes and glaze with the convenient package of frosting that comes with the loaf. How easy is that??!

Celebration Cakes

Shortcut Carrot Cake

One weekend, two cakes for celebrations. Cakes just seem to be 'happy food'. Something I don't make for everyday meals, but enjoy for more special occasions. This weekend, a cousins' gathering and a family dinner after a church  called for two cakes. Both are good recipes that were new to me but will be made again. I like the easy to prepare methods that start with a cake mix but becomes much more than a box-mix-cake.

Boston Cream Poke Cake                                

Boston Cream Poke Cake

I found this recipe on Pintrest, but changed it to 1 preparation of pudding and less frosting than the orginal.

Ingredients: 

1 yellow cake mix

1 box instant French vanilla pudding mix

2 cups milk

1/2 can chocolate frosting

Directions:

Prepare cake. Mix pudding mix and milk.

While cake is warm, poke holes into it with a wooden spoon handle. Pour the pudding over and into the cake. 

Cool cake completely. Microwave the frosting 10-15 seconds until it is pourable. Pour over cake and spread to edges. 

This cake needs to be refrigerated. 

Shortcut Carrot Cake

I missed 3 birthdays earlier in the month when we were taking our turns with the local virus. Having all three adult kids home was a good chance to make a new variety of an always favorite cake. 

Ingredients: 

1 package (2-layer size) spice cake mix

3 large carrots, shredded (about 2 cups)

1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, drained

1 cup chopped pecans, divided

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tub whipped topping, thawed (like Cool Whip)

Directions: 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake pans (for a 2 layer cake use 8-inch round pans or 9-inch square pans) by spraying with cooking spray. (I also find it helpful to line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper)

Prepare cake batter as directed on package; stir in carrots, pineapple and 3/4 cup nuts. Pour into pans. 

Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes and invert onto wire racks; gently remove pans. Cook cakes completely.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until blended. Whisk in whipped topping. 

Stack cake layers on plate, spreading frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle top with remaining nuts. 

This cake also should be refrigerated. I found that the full recipe of frosting was more than I needed, but I'm not sure half would be enough. Guess I'll have to make another cake and hope the cake/frosting turn out even?