This is the recipe that my mom used to make delicious banana bread. I haven’t made it in years but recently found it beneath some other recipes in my very unorganized recipe binder. And the very overripe bananas in my fridge were calling out to be used up. It will certainly make it’s way back into being a frequently baked item in our household now that we’ve rediscovered this recipe.
Ingredients
1/2 cup oil
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3)
3 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup chocolate chips (optional) (I prefer the mini chips)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350′ F
Beat oil and sugar together
Add in eggs and beat well
Add in mashed bananas, milk and vanilla, mixing well
Sift together dry ingredients
Add dry ingredients to liquid ingredients, mixing until just mixed
Optionally gently mix in chocolate chips and nuts
Pour into loaf pan(s)
Bake about 1 hour if using a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Bake less if using 2 smaller pans (e.g., 3.5″ x 7.5″).
Notes
This freezes well. You may want to slice before freezing so you can take out a few pieces at a time.
These are the three cards that we made in my 10:30 online class for Dementia Society today.
I was trying to figure out how to colour in ladybugs and am not yet quite happy with the result. At dinner I consulted with Roland and Kevin. Tomorrow I’m going to try to colour the head in black and perhaps add eyes (and maybe other facial features) with a white marker.
Trying to figure out which colours work best for the flower and ladybug. I really enjoy colouring with these watercolour brush markers. This could potentially be my Picture This Year prompt 105 (brush) photo but I have another idea in mind which I may add to the end of this post tomorrow.A trial card inspired by one of my bee cards. But a few adjustments are necessary. I’m making these for the Arts for All program at Canadian Mental Health Association. It think black dots with red sentiment may be better.Starting to work on my next card (Card 32) for my Altenew Let it Shine course. An adaptation of that ladybug card using the Color Throwdown Challenge 830 colours.Adding some shine to my ladybugs with some Crystal Glaze. I turned one over by mistake.
Tulips on Tuesday
Here I am starting my writing at 9:40; again up past my ideal bedtime. So this will be pretty short. I have a fair bit to say but I think I will at to this tomorrow.
Heidi bought and arranged some tulips for her friend, Hannah, last night. So my theme for today is tulips. It’s a good thing I took the photos last night because Heidi and the tulips were gone before I came downstairs.
It was a busy day; it’s a good thing that the Arts for All class at Canadian Mental Health Association that I had in my calendar should actually not have been there. I spent some time getting ready for that class before my 10:30 online class and was happy when I found out that it’s another day because I really wasn’t as prepared as I should have been. I did some more work on it after class and did some work on my 100DayProject but don’t yet have another finished card to share. I will share the photos of the 3 cards that my 10:30 online class assembled. The nice thing about having uncomplicated cards to assemble is that we get a lot of time to talk together during class rather than mainly focusing on making sure that everyone can follow along with the projects.
I went with Roland mid-afternoon so he could pick up his car after the tire swap. I did some groceries at Costco on the way home then did a baking and cooking spree before Kevin came for 6:00 dinner and I had my 7:00 walk then dropped some baking off at Louise’s for her to take to Collingwood to share with Stefan, Georgia and the rest of the gang over Easter weekend. I also dropped another Lego set at Karen’s to round out her birthday gift since we were about 10 days short of Lego pieces in her daily envelopes. Then it was time to clean up the kitchen when I got home and to put the chili that I made into containers to put in the freezer, get the corn bread into a plastic bag in the freezer, put away our lemon squares and our banana bread (I’ll type up and post that recipe soon). I’ve left my chicken bone broth on simmer for overnight. I usually make a broth after buying a Costco roasted chicken. I’ll make some type of soup with it tomorrow.
I didn’t follow a recipe for my chili today; hopefully it’s good because we have a lot of chili to eat.
My metal pan of chicken turned out darker than Louise’s which she cooked in a glass pan.It was interesting how much lighter Louise’s batch turned out which she cooked in glass rather than metal.It was also interesting how her chicken browned a bit more after it had been sitting. We transferred all of hers to another container and put the sauce in mason jars so she didn’t get sauce sloshed all over her car when she drove home.
Background
This is a recipe that I have refined a bit since it was given it my my cousin Leila about 35 or 40 years ago. The original recipe I jotted down was 3 pounds of chicken wings, ginger, salt, pepper, garlic and soya sauce, 300 degrees, covered. I have since decided to make it using chicken thighs and have specified some quantities and added a few cooking instructions.
Ingredients
1 large (Costco size) tray of chicken thighs (about 25-30 pieces)
grated ginger (a piece about 1-2″)
minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tbsp soya sauce
2 tbsp corn starch
Instructions
Place the chicken thighs reasonably tightly together in a baking pan. I use a 10.5′ x 14.5″ pan for a single batch and a 12″ x 18″ pan for a double batch.
Mix all remaining ingredients together.
Pour the liquid over the chicken and move chicken around gently so that the sauce seeps between all the pieces.
Cover the pan.
Bake at 300-350′ covered, stirring occasionally, about every 30-45 minutes depending on the size of batch you are making and the temperature you bake it at.
I usually move the outer pieces in towards the centre and move some inner pieces out towards the edges of the pan partway through cooking to ensure they are move evenly cooked. I also turn the chicken over for a while to facilitate even cooking.
I usually use an instant read thermometer to test the chicken doneness (165’F / 74’C) to prevent over cooking.
Notes
This freezes and reheats well.
We tend to serve this over instant/ramen noodles (such as Mr. Noodles brand which we just cook without the flavouring package) or spaetzle noodles. And often serve with canned corn.
This is our family’s go-to recipe to drop off as a meal for friends. We make a big batch and divide it into labelled 2-cup cottage cheese / sour cream / yogurt containers. Then we package those freezable containers with some canned corn and instant noodle packages. That way the receiving friend can choose to have some within a day or two and/or to put the chicken into the freezer.
When warming up in the microwave, check it and stir frequently and separate the pieces of chicken as soon as you can to help prevent the chicken pieces at the edges getting overcooked. You can also thaw it out in the fridge beforehand to make it quicker and easier to reheat.
This has long been a family favourite. The recipe came from way back in high school and was in the first cookbook I ever bought which was by Betty Crocker. It’s high time I added the recipe to this blog. I did post it on my other blog way back in 2010. It’s handy to have it available electronically rather than just a paper copy. I do prefer using a paper copy, but I don’t yet have a paper copy of my favourite recipes up here at the cottage. Of course I had to have 2 servings. After I’d already eaten one serving, I decided that I should have a different photo for the featured image for this post than the photo at the top of the page. So, I had to serve up another portion. I figured that since the bowl was dirty I might as well enjoy eating the second serving rather than just putting it back into the bowl.
The featured image is from the original 2010 post. I really love that pie plate. I bought it many years ago when I was downtown on French language training and went with a few of my classmates down to Laura Secord ice cream and chocolate shop for a much needed afternoon break. Exactly why the shop was carrying ceramic pie plates I’m not sure (I guess for a nice fall display), but I came away with a pie plate as well as an ice cream cone that fall afternoon.
Ingredients
4 cups sliced tart apples (about 4 medium)
2/3 – 3/4 cup brown sugar (I use 2/3 cup)
1/2 cup flour (whole wheat is nice)
1/2 cups rolled oats (I use quick cooking)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup butter or margerine, softened
Method
Heat oven to 375′. Arrange apples in baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients (a pastry blender works well to combine the ingredients); sprinkle the ‘crisp’ mixture over the apples. Bake until topping is golden brown and apples are tender, about 30 minutes. Serve warm, optionally with ice-cream or whipping cream.
Notes
I really like using McIntosh apples for this recipe. They soften up very nicely by the time the crisp portion is crisp.
I recently shared links to a few ‘This I Believe’ essays. I recently was reminded that our beliefs are simply our thoughts that we think are true. Our thoughts form our beliefs. And our beliefs form us. Our character. Our personality. Our mood.
I meant to write my 750 words right when I got in from a walk and helping Debbie, a random stranger who was stuck (a story for another day). But my thoughts led me in a different direction. My thoughts steered me towards using up the lemons in the fridge.
The lemons that were bought for me to do some ‘comfort’ baking a while ago, shortly after my mom passed when had the urge to bake some lemon loaf, raisin squares and oatmeal raisin cookies. My mom makes made the most amazing lemon bread and lemon squares. My dad’s loved her oatmeal raisin cookies the most and I have baked them often over the years. Although I loved her raisin squares I had not had them in decades.
A dear friend had dropped by a loaf of banana bread shortly after mom passed. That friend makes amazing banana bread; even better than my mom’s banana bread. It was comforting to eat a piece of that loaf each morning for about a week. Another dear friend had dropped by a loaf of lemon blueberry loaf which comforted me at breakfast for yet another week.
When I got the news that yet another dear friend had unexpectedly lost her husband, I wanted to bring her some comfort. So I dug out some of my favourite recipes that my mom used to bake: raisin squares, raisin oatmeal cookies and lemon loaf. I didn’t actually have my mom’s raisin square recipe, but was thrilled to discover that my sister had a copy of it as well as a copy of mom’s lemon bread recipe. So I ‘comfort’ baked. The baking process brought me comfort. And I believe that the sweet treats we dropped off later that day brought some comfort to my unexpectedly widowed dear friend.
It was actually my son who bought those lemons. I asked for one and he came home with a whole bag of them. So today there were still left over lemons. And they were calling out to me. So I baked. Because the process of baking brings me joy. Baking brings me comfort as well as joy. And I wanted to bring some of my mom’s sweet treats with me to a friend’s house where she’s hosting a luncheon. Because I believe that sharing sweet treats brings comfort as well as joy.
I have been wanting to post a collection of recipes on my blog, starting with my mom’s favourite recipes. For my mom’s Celebration of Life my sister, Diane, baked up a storm. She brought an amazing selection of mom’s favourite treats to share. I’m certain she experienced as much comfort baking those treats as the comfort (and joy) we experience savouring those treats. She brought chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, lemon squares, date squares and chocolate macaroon cookies. So many of my favourite flavours. Flavours that bring me comfort. Flavours that bring me joy. While I love the taste of chocolate, oatmeal, raisins, molasses, dates and coconut, I love lemon the best. At least that’s what’s true for me today.
So, we’ll start with the lemon recipes:
Lemon Bread
1/2 cup shortening 1 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1 tsp lemon juice (or a few drops of lemon extract) 1 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt grated rind of one lemon 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Cream shortning, add sugar gradually and mix well.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one.
Add grated rind of lemon, then sifted dry ingredients alternatively with milk into which you mixed lemon juice/extract.
Bake in medium sized loaf pan for 1 hour at 325 to 350 degrees F.
Pour (or brush) this mixture over the loaves after they come out of the oven:
1/3 cup white sugar (less 1 tbsp.) juice of one lemon
Enjoy.
Lemon Squares
1/2 cup butter 1 cup flour 1/4 cup icing sugar pinch salt 2 eggs 1 cup white sugar 2 1/2 tbsp. flour 3 tbsp. lemon juice 1 lemon’s worth of grated rind
Preheat oven to 350′ F.
Blend together (using pastry blender or fork) until crumbly: butter, flour, icing sugar and salt.
Press into an 8″ x 8″ greased and floured (or parchment paper lined) pan.
Bake for 18-20 minutes.
Beat the eggs. Then beat in white sugar and flour. Then beat in lemon juice and lemon rind. (I just beat them all together at once).
Pour over baked crust (wait 2-5 minutes) (which I don’t bother with).
Creative Treats 