BEST EVER BANANA BREAD FOR 100 YEARS

BEST EVER BANANA BREAD FOR 100 YEARS

Fresh from the oven - Banana Bread

"Best Ever" An amazing claim but true! This is such a simple, flavorful bread.  This recipe has been in my family for over 100 years! In my recipe box it is labeled  "Best Ever Banana Bread" and it is.  It is best eaten the second day but most loaves don't last that long.  This simple quick bread is a treat both winter and summer. Some simple rules about quick breads: Unlike muffins, quick bread batters need to be beaten to completely fragment the fruit, fat and flour mixture. Use a hand mixer and even though you can mash up the bananas with a fork, avoid the temptation and break out the hand mixture.

Mixture of Banana, Fat, Egg, Sugar

Quick breads are 'dump' breads. What the heck, you say? Dump recipes do not require special treatment or order for ingredients to be added. You start with the wettest, mix them and then dump in the dry.

Hollow of my hand with 1 tsp of baking soda

Measuring for quick breads is not an exact process. You can use your hand. I always measure this way for recipes that are somewhat forgiving, candies are the exception to the rule. Candies are exact and any deviation will result in a disaster.  The hollow of your hand is 1 tsp. See the example picture. I like this way for salt and baking soda and powder as they tend to have lumps that will spoil the product. In my hand I can crush all lumps and insure the eater will not find a surprise lump of soda.


 If there are components of a quick bread that need to remain whole, like nuts, stir them in last.  A bit of good news is that grocers place ripe and over ripe bananas on sale, often selling them for a pittance. Usually it is the color of the peal and not the ripeness of the banana that sends them to the sale isle. This  bargain and should be scooped up and turned into the tasty treat.  Banana bread freezes well and I always feel elegant when I know there are a few loaves tucked away in the freezer. Be sure to freeze them is freezer bags when the loaves are cold. 


Ready to go, here's what you need.  Oven at 325 degrees and it will bake for 1hour 15 minutes.
3 over ripe bananas (remove only the bad spots)
1C sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla (the vanilla will point up the banana flavor)
1/4 C fat (I use butter and if you are fat averse you can omit it - the loaf will be just a little chewier)
2 C Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Finished batter ready for the bread pan

I put the first 5 ingredients in the bowl and beat it until it is a fine mixture. Then dump in the rest and beat into a batter. It will be somewhat lumpy just make sure all the banana is blended.

The first slice of Banana Bread

This is a somewhat stiff batter. pour into bread pan and bake.  Your home will now be filled with the fragrance of banana bread, let it cool before you dig in. It's hard to wait but it will be worth it.

Variation: if you want to add something special - add the zest of one orange and nuts are always welcome.
For spreads, Nutella is amazing for the chocolate lover - a little sweet for my taste. I like cream cheese,  it is subtle and compliments the bread.

Winter and Soup and the Why of it All

Calico Bean Soup: Ground Beef base, Beans, Barley, Tomato. 

We all love soup, warm and dense winter soups. I am partial to the soups with veggies and grain in them. I'm not as fond of soups with pasta. So Chicken and Rice, Beef Barley,Vegetable Beef, Corn Chowder, and Calico Bean are all at the top of my soup list. These are the soups that have a dark savory multilayered flavor system that make them so very satisfying.

Soups are easy to make. There is a little secret, of course,  to the spices and vegetables that add the multi layers and healthful support to soup. If you remember the song Scarborough Fair, by Simon and Garfunkel, you have most of it. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. Add to that sautéed onions and minced garlic you have the rest. Below I have listed what they bring to the soup. I have also listed the vegetables common to soups and how they fit in the sweet, savory, pungent, and acid of soup.

Parsley -Parsley is a good source of antioxidants, folic acid, vitamin C, and vitamin A. Proclaimed health benefits include anti-inflammatory properties and a boost to the immune system.
Sage - It's uses as an anti-sweating agent, antibiotic, anti-fungal, astringent, antispasmodic, estrogenic, hypoglycemic, and tonic are documented.  In a double blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial, sage was found to be effective in the management of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. See, those ancient folks knew what they were doing. 
Rosemary - Rosemary contains a number of potentially biologically active compounds that are antioxidants. It has been used for centuries to improve memory. 
Thyme -  It has antiseptic and anti fungal properties. Oil of Thyme or Thymol is the active ingredient in Listerine. It also has antibiotic properties and before the advent of modern antibiotics, oil of thyme was used to medicate bandages.
Onion (Leek) - They are known for their anti-inflammatory, anticholesterol, anticancer, and antioxidant properties. For a more delicate and warmer flavor, substitute Leeks for Onions. You will be amazed at the subtle over and under tones. 
Garlic - This is a virtual pharmacopeia. It is an antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal agent. Thought to lower cholesterol and remove plaque to name some of the cardio-vascular healing properties. 

Wow, no wonder soup is a "souper" - healthy food!  And it's so easy to make. So let's get started!

General measurements:
1/2 gallon water (two cups less if you do not use any grain such as rice or barley)
1 lb of meat (do not count bones)
1 C grain
1-4 C vegetables
Base of 1 C diced onions, 1T minced Garlic 1 tsp each of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
Salt and pepper to taste (begin with 1 T salt you will need more. (You can also use 4 bullion cubes instead of salt for a richer flavor)


All soup begins the same way. For every 1/2 gallon of liquid: sauté 1 cup onions, 1T minced garlic in oil (I like Pompeian light olive oil  ) till onions are transparent. Add to liquid along with 2T Parsley, 1tsp each of Sage, Rosemary, Thyme. 

A word about raw and cooked meat.  
Raw
Raw beef needs to be seared on all sides. This greatly improves the flavor of the meat. Soups that start with raw meat will need to cook all day long so they are good crock pot candidates. Raw Chicken: It is best to cut up the chicken or start with cut up chicken. Remove parts that have tiny bones like the back and wing tips. This will save you lots of time fishing them out of your soup. Blanch the chicken before you add it to the soup pot. I like to put my cut up chicken in a colander and pour boiling water over the pieces. That is enough to remove excess blood and fat that will be unattractive in the soup and it will improve the flavor of the chicken. Then add the Chicken to the soup pot and again, cook it all day long. 

Cooked
Add the cooked meat to the soup pot as is. There is not need to do anything other than cut it into chunks.  The time the soup cooks is greatly reduced to an hour. 

Ground
Ground meat is browned and added to the soup pot. Cooking time will be the same as for the Cooked Meat soup. 

Vegetables - 1 cup of each chosen
I like to divide them into two categories: sweet, pungent and neutral. The sweet vegetables for soups are peas, parsnips, carrots and squash. The pungent vegetables are Brussels sprouts, peppers, broccoli, and celery.  The neutral vegetables are corn, green beans, lima beans, spinach, and okra.  Use only one sweet vegetable and pungent vegetable in any soup. You want them to own their flavor layer. 

Grains - 1 cup
Grain adds thickness and personality to soups. My favorites are rice, potatoes and barley. Quinoa and whole oats are two other options. They add texture and chew to the soup. 

Acid - about 2 T do it to taste These are added last, just as the soup is ready to serve as they are the most fragile of all the flavors. 
Yes, a good soup needs a source of acid. Tomatoes, lemon and lime are the three acids I like to use. It is the pairing of the Acid with the meat that makes the soup distinctive. (If you use Tomatoes as your acid source, use one can of chunk fruit.

For a beautiful Chicken Rice soup use 1 C of chopped spinach for your neutral vegetable, diced carrots for your sweet and 1/2 cup of finely chopped celery for the pungent. Use 1 tsp of lime juice with a little lime zest. When you serve it, float a dollop of sour cream with grated ginger . This is a elegant soup and very colorful. It tastes great and is eye candy as well. 

There you have it. The basics for soup. Try it out and mix and match the ingredient lists for soups that are your own. 

Mac and Cheese - Quick, Easy and not from a Box

Comfort food on cold snowy days has to include Macaroni and Cheese. It's so easy to make from scratch.  Here's what you need to keep on hand:
Milk
Kraft Cracker Barrel® Sharp Cheddar Cheese (you can use other sharp cheese)
Creamette® Macaroni
Flour
Salt
Pepper
Butter
Now for the two secret ingrediants
McCormick® Dry Mustard and McCormick® Cayenne Pepper

I must take a minute here to comment on the Cheese. This is important because it is the taste of the dish. Cracker Barrel Cheddar is made down the street in Wisconsin. So what, you say. I know the cheese makers and in conversations I have learned that milk for central Wisconsin produces the finest Cheddar Cheese in the world. We have two Cheese plants in my little town and both, year after year win international cheese competitions. These plants sell their cheese to Kraft. That's why, for the best flavor I recommend Kraft Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar Cheese.

The way I make macaroni and cheese breaks all the rules but it will always be perfect and so easy to make. Notice there are no measurements.  That's how incredibly easy this is.

Here we go.

In a Sauce pan of rapidly boiling water add 1 tablespoon of salt and  2 cups of macaroni noodles.  (see instructions below on cooking macaroni)
While the macaroni is cooking grate about 1 1/2 cup of cheese (or you can buy the pre shredded cheese and then just use one 8 oz package)
When the pasta is cooked, drain and place back in the pan. Turn the heat down just a little.
Now plop in 2 tablespoons or there about of butter followed by 2 tablespoons of flour. Stir to melt the butter and mix the flour with the butter.
Add enough milk to bee seen but not cover the pasta (this is about 2 cups) I just pour it in until I can see the milk. If you don't add enough, you can always add more later. This is a very forgiving process.
Add 1 tsp of Dry Mustard, 1/2 tsp of Cayenne Pepper, 1tsp of salt, and a sprinkle of black pepper.
Stir until the milk thickens to the consistency of gravy. It should pour off the spoon (again if it is too thick add more milk). When the milk mixture has thickened and is bubbling add the cheese and stir to mix. That's it, you're done.

If you want to dress up your Mac and Cheese with a Tex-Mex flair, serve with  a dollop of Ro-Tel® Tomato and Green Chili and a side of Tostitos® Corn Chips. Comfort food at it's best.


If you are new to cooking pasta here's the skinny.
Add 1 tablespoon salt to 3 quarts rapidly boiling water in deep kettle. Drop 2 cups macaroni into the boiling water gradually so water keeps boiling. Cook, uncovered, at fast boil, stirring occasionally with long fork to prevent sticking. Cook just until tender ( see time on package). Test by fishing out on noodle and eating it, if not done cook 1 minute longer.

Bulk freezing of Onions, Celery and other aromatics

 You want a great soup, stew, dinner and you want it quick. If you keep fresh celery and onions always on hand you know you throw most of them away. Their shelf life is limited as they get rusty and limp. Also, who wants to cry every time you make a stew?  If you start your stew, like I do,  in the crock pot in the morning - you don't want to go to work smelling of chopped onions. That's a good way to spend the morning alone.  So here's a solution: your freezer! I chop and freeze 5 to 10 lbs  of onions at a time, less of celery and peppers. One gallon freezer bag will hold 5 lbs. It's easy and will take under 30 minutes to prepare and chop large aromatics like celery and onions, 5 minutes to wash and freeze leafy herbs. The key to this is the oil, it keeps the vegetables from clumping and seals them from freezer burn and taste change.

Having these aromatics on hand at easy reach will change the way you make dinner and save you time and frustration.

Drizzle oil over the top 

I keep bags of chopped celery, peppers, onions, Parsley, Thyme, Basel, and Sage frozen in my freezer. They will keep for 3 to 6 months and are a real timesaver not to mention they taste like fresh. What you need beside your freezer:
Freezer bags ( either Glad® or Ziploc® they have the best seal)
Pompeian Extra virgin olive oil (If you like the buttery taste of olive oil use the dark green oil, if not use the light oil)
Large jellyroll pan or cookie sheet with sides

break up Onions and store in bag

Next step: Onions, Peppers, Celery
Coat the bottom of the pan with a generous amount of oil
Place onions in cold cold water to clean and peal. The cold water will revive the freshness of the onion.
Chop the onions and place on cookie sheet or jellyroll pan.
When all the Onions are chopped, drizzle oil over the top and place the pan in the freezer to freeze overnight. Next day break up and place in freezer bags. That's it.
Follow the same procedure for peppers and celery
The oil will prevent freezing into lumps. To use simply measure and place in your dish.

Leafy herbs freeze as is - remove large stems when frozen

Parsley, Thyme, Basel, Sage or any leafy herb
The procedure is somewhat similar with the exception of the chopping.
Place in very cold water,
Coat the bottom of the pan with oil
take out of the water and pat dry then place on the pan one layer deep.
Do Not add more oil.
Set in freezer overnight
Next morning remove large stems from Thyme and Parsley,  place in freezer bags.
To use, crumble frozen herbs into stews and soups for a fresh herb taste.

Happy cooking

The Freezer is your best friend for quick, great meals

Life is very fast these days, and we are all very busy. In most homes both partners work. Breakfast and dinner are easy meals to opt for fast or convenience foods. So why not make it easy in the morning? Cook all the bacon or sausage and store it in the freezer. It is so easy to pop it in the microwave. Add a scrambled egg, bagel some cheese and a quick breakfast for on the go folks.  Time to prepare this Breakfast is under 2 minutes.

Now to tackle Dinner. When you need to make a little, make a lot. The secret is it takes the same amount of time to make 1 meatloaf or 10. So making multiple dinners at the same time is a no brainer. After dinner package up the multiples and tuck them away in the freezer for future meals. This making multiple meals works well with any casserole dish as well as the following:
Meatloaf
Pot roast
Stew
Pulled Pork
Chicken (Freeze meat off the bone)
Chicken and Dumplings
Spagetti
Lasagna
Enchiladas
All Soups
All Roasts (make sure to slice all the meat)

A Recipe for a Rainy Day - Where did the Oxygen go?

Here is a little bit of kitchen science that will give your little ones a head start on science this year.  Schools usually just draw pictures and tell the kids about oxygen and how much there is of the stuff in the air, but you can give your kids an actual visual representation.  They can watch it happen and see the results.  I always think that doing is better than being told.  So if you have a rainy day and want to smarten up the kids, have a go at this recipe for success and let the kids help. (you will like it too, I promise)

Room air contains about 21% oxygen and an exhaled breath about 16%. This demonstration will provide a visual to support these values in a way that children can understand. Oxygen is a necessary component of any fire. This demonstration also stresses this in a way that small children can understand.


What you need:

1 shallow bowl

1 candle - This can be any type but small birthday candles work best. Attach the candle to the bottom of the bowl using hot wax.

A few drops of food color so we can see the water – blue is the preferred color but any will do.

A clear jar that is tall enough to invert over the candle and has straight sides; you will want make a scale on the side of the jar – I use duct tape. Mark of the jar in tenths


The first experiment will be with room air.


Put some water in the dish (about 1/3 of what the jar can hold) into the dish with the candle and add a few drops of food coloring to make the water more visible. Light the candle and quickly invert the jar over the candle and into the pool of water sealing the air and candle inside the jar. Now watch as the candle flickers and goes out. You will see the water rise inside the jar. It will rise to be near the 2nd mark on the scale or 2 tenths which is 20%. (If you do this over again, make sure to force new room air into the jar as the air from the last burning will be trapped inside and your results will be inconsistent.)


Questions to ask:

Why did the candle go out? . Because there wasn’t enough oxygen in the air in the jar to support a flame any more, and without oxygen you can’t have fire.


How much oxygen was in the air? You should have just about 20% of the jars capacity filled with colored water.


Now do this again with exhaled air.

Refill the dish and light the candle. Have one of the children blow hard into the jar until they run out of breath. Quickly invert the jar over the candle just like you did before. The candle will go out much faster and a water level in the jar will rise to just about 1/10th of the jars capacity or the first mark on your scale.


Questions to ask:

Why did the candle go out so fast? When you exhale air it doesn’t contain very much oxygen because you use it in your body.


How much oxygen was left in the air? About 16% or less.

Have fun with this.

Making Yogurt - Anyone can do it!

Love Yogurt? – It’s not that hard and it’s so good for you!
Web Md has an awesome article on the health benefits - Check it out

I have problems with products that are produced in factories with lots of additives. You know, the million cow hamburger. The quality control in my kitchen is much better and guess what - no additives!  I know I have a fresh product that hasn’t been sitting in a warehouse or been left on the loading dock for hours in the heat. If it's going into my body, I what control of what's in it.

This is so simple and cost effective! I make 32 oz at a time (that’s about 5 containers). The cost to me is 60 cents a batch. My daughters, who have young children, make it by the gallon.  Topped with fresh fruit and crunchy cereal is our favorite way to serve it. Yum!

Here are some of the critical rules:

1. It is best to use whole milk (it’s the fat in the milk that make it creamy). The low fat yogurts on the market use pectin or gelatin to make the product "gel" or hold together.

2. Temperature is critical! Use a thermometer to determine the temperature of the milk.

3. You need live culture. Dannon all Natural will do nicely as will any other yogurt with live culture.

4. Do not add anything other than vanilla to the milk, all the flavorings and sugar are added after the yogurt is made. This is because these additives can interfere with the inoculation and growth of the culture that makes the cheese. Honey and other sweeteners can cause the culture to fail, but once incubated and cooled they may be added.

(note: my daughters add sugar before the milk is cultured and the product turns out a little thin but they like it.)

Equipment you will need

A thermometer that will measure up to 200 degrees and as low as 90 degrees. I use the little cooking thermometer but I have used a meat thermometer too.

Glass jars to hold the yogurt. I use canning jars, but you can use any glass container you can put a lid on. You aren't going to need to seal the lid so any covering, even wax paper and a rubber band will do.

Two quart jars with lids to hold boiling water. I use old mayonnaise jars and canning lids because I don't have to worry if they happen to tip over.

A thermal container to be the incubator for the yogurt. I use grocery thermal bag (I think it cost me a dollar) but you can use anything that will hold heat, even bath towels.

How to do it.

1. Heat the milk to 180 degrees and then take it off the heat.

2. Cool the milk to just under 100 degrees. I also get the jars of hot water ready now (microwave each jar on high for 4 minutes with the top off. When done close the jar)

3. Now stir up the starter yogurt so it is creamy and add it to the cooled milk. Stir until completely mixed into the warm milk.

4. Fill your jar with the yogurt milk and cap with lid. Place in the center of the incubator. Place the hot water jars on either side of the yogurt jar. Make sure the hot jars do not touch the yogurt jar.

5. Close up your incubator and cover with a bath towel if you are using a thermal bag. Set it in a warm place for 4 to 8 hours. The longer it incubates the tangier it will be. When you think it is done, take a look. The yogurt in the jars will be thick and not move when the jar is tipped on it’s side. Chill.

When you get near the bottom of the batch, it’s time to make some more. Just use the remaining yogurt as the starter for the next batch.

Want to make a thinker yogurt or a more calcium rich yogurt? For every quart of milk add 1 cup of powdered milk.  This will produce a thick, calcium rich product.   Happy eating and good health.