Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

This is a very tasty cake:

Banana Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter
2 1/8 cups white sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, room temp.
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). This is not a typo. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.(Don't use a different sized pan.....it doesn't work) In a small bowl, mix mashed bananas with lemon juice, set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Stir in banana mixture. Now add milk, stir until combined, then add dry ingredients, incorporate. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place directly into freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist. (You don't have to empty your freezer to make room, if you can't fit it in there, skip this step, the cake will still be very moist.) Some ovens are different, so the cooking times may vary. It has to do with altitude, your temperature may be hotter or cooler in your oven. I bake a LOT, so know that sometimes I have to adjust cooking times. I now keep an oven thermometer in my oven and adjust the temperature to be sure it is always right. I've also had the oven professionally adjusted to be sure it is accurage. This has only been necessary once.

4. For the frosting: In a large bowl, cream 1/2 cup butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add confectioners sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high until frosting is smooth. Spread on cooled cake.

This makes a large amount of frosting, if you aren't a big frosting fan don't use it all. I understand this recipe is good as cupcakes but have never made them. My family loves this recipe the way it is, we don't change a thing.

Gerard Depardieu.....on Ridiculist....Anderson Cooper reports

Love this............I got so tickled watching this guy lose it.

Link to Kitchen Aid Giveaway

See it here

Recipe Friday July 29, 2011: Alpo Dip

This recipe was given to me by a friend years ago. It's a family favorite, it's been tweaked to our tastes and morphed into this recipe. Many people are shocked at the name, but after the first bite then are hooked. The flavors are able to 'meld' together if left to sit overnight in the fridge. It's good if you have it the same day you make it, but so much better after it sits, like Chili.



Alpo Dip


• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 pound velveeta, cubed
• Sliced jalapeno peppers, drained, add to taste
Tostitos or any plain corn chip




DIRECTIONS:

1.Place lean ground beef and onion in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Cook until beef is evenly brown and onion is soft. Drain and turn heat to medium low.

2.Pour in condensed cream of mushroom soup. Mix in processed cheese food and desired amount of jalapeno peppers.(I chop them and add, then taste, add some more, etc) Cook and stir until all ingredients are well blended, about 10 minutes.

3.Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Cover and chill in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight.

4.Reheat the mixture in a slow cooker, mixing in about 1 tablespoon of water to thin if necessary, before serving.

5.Serve with plain tostitos.

Recipe Friday: Scotcheroos!

Spent an afternoon with my sister Michelle, she was busily making Scotcheroos to give away to a carnival crew that was working in the park across the street from her. I had not had them before and couldn't believe how EASY they are!

Scotcheroos

6 c. rice Krispie cereal

Pour these in a large bowl. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a saucepan:

1 c. karo Syrup
1 c. white sugard

cook until it's at a full rolling boil. Boil 1 minute, remove from heat and stir in:

1 C. peanut butter

stir until the peanut butter is melted and it is all smooth.

Pour over the rice krispies and stir until the cereal is coated. Pour into the 9x13 pan and press down.

While the bars are cooling, in a microwave safe bowl:

1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. butterscotch chips

Melt on high 1 1/2 minutes, stir, melt again for 1 minute, stir until smooth. Pour over the bars in the pan. Allow to cool, cut into squares. These are pretty rich, so I cut them in small squares.

***Michelle tends to use the whole bag of each chips, they make the bars taste so much better, but if you only have half a bag of each it will work, too.

Happy July 4th!!!

Got up early today, went to get coffee and a drive. Ended up in the city. On our way back we took the back counry roads to see what we'd see. Ended up out by King's Crossing vineyard. We haven't been there for awhile, decided to stop in and taste a couple wines. They have gotten much better since we were there years ago. The dragon's head was on the outside of the patio to greet us. We thought they were so neat. I thought they were cement, turns out they are made of resin from Toscano Designs.

We are back home now resting, whatever virus I ended up with was a real terror. I'm glad it's worked it's way out, now maybe I can get something done.

Recipe Friday: SANGRIA!!!!!

I love sangria, it is good for sipping while sitting on the porch at night relaxing. It is refreshing and cool. There are no real rules to making it, adjust the additional alcohol to suit your tastes, you may use rum, brandy, cognac, contreau, peach schnapps, triple sec, etc. The fruits can be changed around, it can also be red or white wine, play with it until you get it the way you want, then write it down. And share that recipe with me!!

Some recipes call for sugar to be added, I make a simple syrup with equal parts sugar and water (boiled, then left to cool) to avoid the crystals of sugar invading what is otherwise a smooth cocktail. I use anywhere from 1/4-1/2 c. according to my taste.

Some folks put the fruit in a little alcohol first, muddle the fruit (which means kind of chopping it up a little with the end of a spoon, allowing it to sit overnight.

I use this recipe and tweak it a little:

Sangria

1 750ml bottle red wine (merlot)
1/4 C. Triple Sec or peach schnapps (I like schnapps better, it isn't bitter)
1/4 - 1/2 c. rum, brandy, cognac, (your choice)
1 whole orange cut into thin slices
1 whole lemon cut into thin slices
1 small whole apple, seeded and chopped
4-5 strawberries, sliced
1 whole lime, cut into thin slices
1/4-1/2 c. simple syrup, cooled (see note)
1 bottle club soda or lemon lime soda (you'll add to taste)
1 8 oz. container orange juice (add to taste)

Add all of the ingredients to a rather large pitcher, I use a 1/2 gallon to 1 gallon depending on how many bottles of wine I pour into the jar. Allow to sit overnight.

Add orange juice and club soda to taste, serve over ice garnished with orange and lemon slices.

NOTE*****Make a simple syrup with equal parts sugar and water (boiled, then left to cool) to avoid the crystals of sugar invading what is otherwise a smooth cocktail. I use anywhere from 1/4-1/2 c. according to my taste.