I make the worst chicken. ever.
It's an unfortunate cross between something a pioneer mama in a covered wagon might have tied to a string to let her baby teethe on & old shoe leather. NOT "hand crafted in the mountains of Italy" Donald Pliner type of shoe leather- that would be an insult to Donald & WAY better tasting than my chicken. So we've nicknamed every chicken dish i make (with the exception of certain casseroles possibly laden with some kind of cream soup or cheese) "Julie's Chicken Jerky Surprise".
It's based on fear. Fear that my chicken will be undercooked & some kid will contract salmonilla or chickenilla or some kind of -illa & be forced to miss school. It's a shame, really, because chicken is an American dinner staple & as a familial unit, we are not that adventurous to branch out in the direction of , say, pork, fish or soy products on a regular basis. Thank goodness for Chick-fil-a - which we frequent & especially seem to crave on Sundays.
We (used to) eat A LOT of beef. Having a cattle rancher brother-in-law really pays off. We are currently the proud owners of 284 lbs. of completely pure, un-anti-biotic-ed. non-growth hormoned, anti-inoculated beef. Those may not actually be words, but i know she didn't have shots to get big & fat- she did it the old-fashioned way. I would say free-range, but i think that's a chicken term, still i swear I've seen Rich's cows freely grazing out in the pasture. Her name was "White" (she was a Charlais) & I feel guilty knowing she had a name so I (over) cook chicken more than anyone wishes i did. But, we did have to buy another freezer just to hold it all. It's huge. My garage looks like the scratch & dent corner of Sears & Robuck. There isn't even room in there for a chicken wing. Not that i could cook a chicken wing- or EAT a chicken wing. I prefer my chicken all cut up in non-recognizable parts in styrofoam trays. No legs. No wings. I find pieces of chicken with bones reminiscent of things that once flew or ran around a chicken yard to be far too personal for human consumption. Worse yet, they might have gotten all fat from being injected in a yukky chicken coop cage (think the $6 job scene from Napoleon Dynamite & cringe).
Mercifully, all grocery stores now carry lines of organic, hormone- free (unidentifiable) chicken PARTS that have become my poultry mainstay. Granted, it's a little bit pricey & it would be worth every penny IF i could somehow marinate it & possibly even grill it to perfection..........instead, somehow, i consistently manage to produce all manner of chicken dinners that might be better crafted into bowling shoes..........uh, waffle fries or fruit cup with that 8-count nuggets? thank goodness it's not Sunday.
* Joansie's Rice-a-Roni Chicken Salad* (a Brock family staple since 1970 & standard "lake food" growing up)
2 (unrecognizable) chicken breasts -cooked & chopped
1 box chicken rice-a-roni, cooked & cooled
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 small can sliced black slices
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
Mix all this stuff together & chill. It's really, really good! You can eliminate any of the ingredients that don't work for you, but I wouldn't advise it, though my kids like this with JUST the R-a-R & chicken & mayo-especially in their lunches!
- the Snackmom, who has missed blogging A LOT & plans to pick it up on a regular basis now that Ellen is almost in Costa Rica!
August 26, 2013
July 22, 2012
love me some lovelight...
i could be a vegetarian. except i love meat. for 20 years or so, there was a marvelous little bakery & restaurant on campus corner in norman, oklahoma called the lovelight. it was just wonderful. strictly vegetarian, quirky, fresh & best of all, inexpensive. their legendary red beans & rice with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese & a fresh little green salad was $2.85. even a humble teacher with a law student husband & a teeny tiny ($291/month) mortgage could deal with that. remarkably, at the height of my ultra -preppy, ultra- conservative Harold's & laura ashley years, the place made me want to don a crocheted beenie & weave a God's eye. i may have been a wee bit out of place in my pink & green spouting whale pants, but i absolutely loved the hippie vibe...and the sprouts. sadly, the lovelight is gone now, but there IS a "lovelight bakery" facebook page where lovelight affectionados can mourn, share recipes, pictures & happy/hippie memories. recently, the recipe for their VEGETARIAN CHILI was posted. i hope it's legal for me to pass it on. peace out.
*lovelight's vegetarian chili*
3 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cups vegetable stock or water (ju's note: please use stock)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 cup chopped tomatoes or 2 T. tomato paste
4 cups cooked pinto or kidney beans (or a combination)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp salt
saute garlic & onion & green peppers in olive oil... add all remaining ingredients, but reserve 2 cups of the beans to mash & add after chili simmers for 30 minutes, covered....(if desired, adjust seasonings- i like more cumin & chili powder myself......i suppose you could add additional vegetables, say, zucchini & the like, but it was pretty good the way i remember it)
*lovelight's vegetarian chili*
3 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cups vegetable stock or water (ju's note: please use stock)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 cup chopped tomatoes or 2 T. tomato paste
4 cups cooked pinto or kidney beans (or a combination)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp salt
saute garlic & onion & green peppers in olive oil... add all remaining ingredients, but reserve 2 cups of the beans to mash & add after chili simmers for 30 minutes, covered....(if desired, adjust seasonings- i like more cumin & chili powder myself......i suppose you could add additional vegetables, say, zucchini & the like, but it was pretty good the way i remember it)
November 16, 2011
uncle bill's aunt bill's......
confused yet? you see, my wonderful uncle bill used to make "aunt bill's" candy every Christmas.....and by every Christmas, i mean E V E R Y Christmas...... it would always come cut into tiny sqares in a Christmas tin with waxed paper dividing the layers....some uncle bill's /aunt bill's enthusiasts used to say annually "it just wouldn't be Christmas without your special candy"...which made my sisters & me chuckle annually because, of course it would still be Christmas all over the world in every corner of the Earth without it, but it just goes to show how much a part of the whole celebration & time together uncle bill & that tin of candy was.............
it's really rather delicious- uncle bills' was a light colored version that was a little bit sugary & i loved it- which is saying something because i, as well as my entire 27 member immediate family, adore our famous see's candy company chocolate fudge, which we make only at Christmas.....actually, that is a lie, we make it almost as often as we re-watch *ELF* during the year, which is ridiculously regularly.....but somehow it tastes even better at Christmas....THAT, my friends, is a blog entry for another time & you DO NOT want to miss it- it is heavenly- God definitely poured out His favor upon all of humanity when the see's candy company invented that recipe & we have it.... have had it since 1972 & it's been changing lives one piece at a time (the recipe makes a whopping 6 1/2 pounds-lots of pieces).......can't wait to boil up some evaporated milk & sugar in the coming weeks...........stay tuned.
ok, back to uncle bill- sadly, he is gone now, but he was just a wonderful man...wonderful.....gifted on so many levels & a truly charming gentleman- a retired civil engineering professor who had a love of restoring old model -T fords.......one of which was featured in the sally field movie "places in the heart"....the man could tinker.....patience & care & a lot of little tools & parts soaking in solutions of heaven- knows -what & just a few years later a dingy old rusty frame miraculously turned into a shiny motorcar- just like the ones mr. toad drove way too fast in the wind in the willows, i think.....
uncle bill graciously shared his recipe with the world in 1984 in his houston neighborhood's cookbook, A Taste of Briarmeadow, which auntie gave me as a wedding shower gift 25 years ago & it's a treasured part of my rather extensive cookbook collection.
here's the deal -so if you want it to *really* be Christmas around your house this year give it a try....may make some myself for old time's sake.......gotta go dig up a little tin & some waxed paper.
uncle bill's aunt bill's candy (aka: caramel fudge)
1 large can evaporated milk
3 1/3 cups white sugar
3 T. white corn syrup
1/2 square semi-sweet chocloate
cook in a heavy pan for about 30 minutes....then add:
2 heaping spoons of butter (that's what the recipe says- i think i'll take it to mean large spoons:)
2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup chopped nuts, optional
beat vigorously then pour into a buttered 9x13 pan- sets up fast.....(all the better to get it sampled, cut into tiny squares & shared in pretty little tins) miss you, uncle bill! thanks for the memory & the legacy of your candy!
-the snackmom (& snackniece)
it's really rather delicious- uncle bills' was a light colored version that was a little bit sugary & i loved it- which is saying something because i, as well as my entire 27 member immediate family, adore our famous see's candy company chocolate fudge, which we make only at Christmas.....actually, that is a lie, we make it almost as often as we re-watch *ELF* during the year, which is ridiculously regularly.....but somehow it tastes even better at Christmas....THAT, my friends, is a blog entry for another time & you DO NOT want to miss it- it is heavenly- God definitely poured out His favor upon all of humanity when the see's candy company invented that recipe & we have it.... have had it since 1972 & it's been changing lives one piece at a time (the recipe makes a whopping 6 1/2 pounds-lots of pieces).......can't wait to boil up some evaporated milk & sugar in the coming weeks...........stay tuned.
ok, back to uncle bill- sadly, he is gone now, but he was just a wonderful man...wonderful.....gifted on so many levels & a truly charming gentleman- a retired civil engineering professor who had a love of restoring old model -T fords.......one of which was featured in the sally field movie "places in the heart"....the man could tinker.....patience & care & a lot of little tools & parts soaking in solutions of heaven- knows -what & just a few years later a dingy old rusty frame miraculously turned into a shiny motorcar- just like the ones mr. toad drove way too fast in the wind in the willows, i think.....
uncle bill graciously shared his recipe with the world in 1984 in his houston neighborhood's cookbook, A Taste of Briarmeadow, which auntie gave me as a wedding shower gift 25 years ago & it's a treasured part of my rather extensive cookbook collection.
here's the deal -so if you want it to *really* be Christmas around your house this year give it a try....may make some myself for old time's sake.......gotta go dig up a little tin & some waxed paper.
uncle bill's aunt bill's candy (aka: caramel fudge)
1 large can evaporated milk
3 1/3 cups white sugar
3 T. white corn syrup
1/2 square semi-sweet chocloate
cook in a heavy pan for about 30 minutes....then add:
2 heaping spoons of butter (that's what the recipe says- i think i'll take it to mean large spoons:)
2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup chopped nuts, optional
beat vigorously then pour into a buttered 9x13 pan- sets up fast.....(all the better to get it sampled, cut into tiny squares & shared in pretty little tins) miss you, uncle bill! thanks for the memory & the legacy of your candy!
-the snackmom (& snackniece)
September 14, 2011
"willy wonka & the temple of doom"
who ever thought the chocolate fountain was a good idea? i own one. a good one. an expensive one. (it was a gift)
it is consistently synonymous with disaster- every time we use it or loan it.
it all SOUNDS so wonderful. gravity intervening to pull melty chocolatey tiers down into a heavenly pool of milk...or dark....or even white chocolate. yummy little tidbits to skewer or hold under the stream or dip into the stuff- things like: marshmallows & strawberries & angel food cake & bananas & pretzels & cookies & pineapple & brownies & chunks of pound cake & rice krispy treats.....ahhhh, heaven........or maybe purgatory..........no, definitely the "other" place.
there's the problem of the chocolate. we use more than 5 pounds at football parties- that can be big bucks IF you can even find it. you cannot & must not use chocolate chips-unless you know a secret, in which case, you must tell. they do not do well in the fountain. the consistency is all wrong & you don't want to add a bunch of icky oil & you can't add cream or milk....especially with white chocolate chips.... because you get g*l*o*p . ask mitzi. we tried it once for a big teacher event. disaster. we got 2 pounds of white oily glop that burbled out of the fountain like an anemic, sickly mount vesuvius. on occasion, sam's will have these wonderful 2 1/2 lb. bars of ghirardelli candy making chocolate, which is perfect...much better than almond bark (a random & deceiving name for totally hydrogenated cottonseed & palm kernal oil-eeeeew). i tend to buy 4 or 5 whenever they appear. i also tend to hoard food. this i hate to admit for fear that i will find myself in a reality tv show like extreme couponing, but for the less thrifty & far less organized.
the other problem can be the machine itself. a memorable mess that comes to mind & still haunts me in my dreams every now & again is the end-of-the-season/end-of the-era jenks black football party late last fall- yeah, you remember, the buffet night people. the plan was for something extra- special. the tragic reality was something extra-messy, extra-embarrassing & extra-gross. SEVEN & A HALF pounds of perfectly melted ghirardelli chocolate, which was no small task in & of itself.....FIFTEEN pounds of dippers, 300+ skewers & about 65 party-goers all primed for the chocolate event of the century. the machine was plugged in & running smoothly...now came the moment of pouring all that melty goodness into the top & then.......T H E N.......the nightmare began....the machine must have been too cold because it just froze up. the chocolate hardened & jammed the rotator thingy. not one to panic,(ok, i am totally one to panic) i calmly stabbed a skewer down the rotator thingy- fully expecting the rich, delicious chocolatey fabulousness to blurp out of the top & begin cascading gracefully down over the 3 tiers of stainless steel 1/2 domes into the little reservoir of glory. only it didn't go that way . at all. it did , in fact, splurp a little, but hardly a flow & the the running motor sound grew faint & died. it was horrifying- crowds had gathered & people were offering assistance & comfort. only there was nothing we could do. we tried everything. unplugging & replugging. re-skewering. stabbing with knives. well, that was about all we tried, but it was an exercise in futility. the machine had failed us. not ones to take failure laying down, we poured it all into a big green flowery crock-pot & cranked the heat.....we did have 7 1/2 pounds & a banquet table brimming with dippers, but it kinda lost its appeal with all the splattered chocolate mess & unsightly serving piece & a flustered hostess with 3 1/2 oz. of hardening brown gook under her fingernails......thank goodness at just that moment the 400 pound jenks black ice sculpture stole the show & diverted everyone's attention so i could haul the giant gooey apparatus outta there in black trash bags & stash it in the garage......just before Christmas i finally worked up the courage to deal with reheating all that mess & cleaning the whole thing up- it took hours.......you can't buy memories like that...and who would want to? we do fondue now. the chocolate fountain has been banished to the attic- where it awaits final judgement.
"chocolate fountain recipe"
let's not & say we did
-the snackmom
it is consistently synonymous with disaster- every time we use it or loan it.
it all SOUNDS so wonderful. gravity intervening to pull melty chocolatey tiers down into a heavenly pool of milk...or dark....or even white chocolate. yummy little tidbits to skewer or hold under the stream or dip into the stuff- things like: marshmallows & strawberries & angel food cake & bananas & pretzels & cookies & pineapple & brownies & chunks of pound cake & rice krispy treats.....ahhhh, heaven........or maybe purgatory..........no, definitely the "other" place.
there's the problem of the chocolate. we use more than 5 pounds at football parties- that can be big bucks IF you can even find it. you cannot & must not use chocolate chips-unless you know a secret, in which case, you must tell. they do not do well in the fountain. the consistency is all wrong & you don't want to add a bunch of icky oil & you can't add cream or milk....especially with white chocolate chips.... because you get g*l*o*p . ask mitzi. we tried it once for a big teacher event. disaster. we got 2 pounds of white oily glop that burbled out of the fountain like an anemic, sickly mount vesuvius. on occasion, sam's will have these wonderful 2 1/2 lb. bars of ghirardelli candy making chocolate, which is perfect...much better than almond bark (a random & deceiving name for totally hydrogenated cottonseed & palm kernal oil-eeeeew). i tend to buy 4 or 5 whenever they appear. i also tend to hoard food. this i hate to admit for fear that i will find myself in a reality tv show like extreme couponing, but for the less thrifty & far less organized.
the other problem can be the machine itself. a memorable mess that comes to mind & still haunts me in my dreams every now & again is the end-of-the-season/end-of the-era jenks black football party late last fall- yeah, you remember, the buffet night people. the plan was for something extra- special. the tragic reality was something extra-messy, extra-embarrassing & extra-gross. SEVEN & A HALF pounds of perfectly melted ghirardelli chocolate, which was no small task in & of itself.....FIFTEEN pounds of dippers, 300+ skewers & about 65 party-goers all primed for the chocolate event of the century. the machine was plugged in & running smoothly...now came the moment of pouring all that melty goodness into the top & then.......T H E N.......the nightmare began....the machine must have been too cold because it just froze up. the chocolate hardened & jammed the rotator thingy. not one to panic,(ok, i am totally one to panic) i calmly stabbed a skewer down the rotator thingy- fully expecting the rich, delicious chocolatey fabulousness to blurp out of the top & begin cascading gracefully down over the 3 tiers of stainless steel 1/2 domes into the little reservoir of glory. only it didn't go that way . at all. it did , in fact, splurp a little, but hardly a flow & the the running motor sound grew faint & died. it was horrifying- crowds had gathered & people were offering assistance & comfort. only there was nothing we could do. we tried everything. unplugging & replugging. re-skewering. stabbing with knives. well, that was about all we tried, but it was an exercise in futility. the machine had failed us. not ones to take failure laying down, we poured it all into a big green flowery crock-pot & cranked the heat.....we did have 7 1/2 pounds & a banquet table brimming with dippers, but it kinda lost its appeal with all the splattered chocolate mess & unsightly serving piece & a flustered hostess with 3 1/2 oz. of hardening brown gook under her fingernails......thank goodness at just that moment the 400 pound jenks black ice sculpture stole the show & diverted everyone's attention so i could haul the giant gooey apparatus outta there in black trash bags & stash it in the garage......just before Christmas i finally worked up the courage to deal with reheating all that mess & cleaning the whole thing up- it took hours.......you can't buy memories like that...and who would want to? we do fondue now. the chocolate fountain has been banished to the attic- where it awaits final judgement.
"chocolate fountain recipe"
let's not & say we did
-the snackmom
September 10, 2011
"chocolate soup & the FAB 4"
ok, this isn't about the beatles......and it's not actually about soup either.....but it's kind of about soup. chocolate soup. if God had intended us to be thin, He would not have invented these ingredients.....
it's also about ellen & sarah & jennifer & jane & their passion for chocolate & the night we invented chocolate soup.
it was a good & memorable night. chocolate soup is a wonderful thing....at least on a blustery winter night when four 16- year -old -best friends & a LOT of cocoa & bittersweet chocolate & butter & sugar & good vanilla & chocolate chips & cream & imagination are involved. these girls love chocolate- they ADORE chocolate- one of them whose name (jane) i will not mention is fanatical about chocolate. it was a night when brownies or chocolate chip cookies or hot fudge sauce or fondue just would not do- it HAD to be something extra- especially chocolate. something ridiculous. and so, the idea of chocolate soup was invented. now, i have an extensive cookbook collection- maybe numbering in the hundreds....and not one of them had a recipe for chocolate soup, not that we looked or anything, but it was such a good idea-that didn't stop us.......
basically, we made a wonderful buttery, chocolatey baked fudge (we may have added a big handful of bittersweet chocolate pieces- i don't remember due to the chocolate coma which clouded my memory) which we underbaked & then added a criminal amount of hot fudge sauce (recipe will get in the blog soon, i promise) & cream & it was just insane.....insane.
here's the basic deal, if you want to give it a try.......i was reminded of this because i've been meaning to write a new snackmom blog entry for quite some time & the girls are all over at our house tonight so, ellen & i whipped up a big pan of baked fudge a couple of hours ago.....it's almost gone.....lock the door & give me a spoon.
*baked fudge* (aka: chocolate soup)
4 eggs, well beaten
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup melted butter (yes, you read that right- not one, but TWO sticks of butter)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
beat eggs with the dry ingredients until well blended...mix in the butter...stir in the vanilla & pecans & mix thoroughly...pour into a 9x9 inch pan...create a waterbath by setting the pan in another ovenproof dish of boiling water...bake at 325* for 45 minutes-do not overbake- but do try underbaking to get the soup effect.....serve with an arterio-gram.....recipe is based on one taken from "Stir-Ups" , a wonderful cookbook published in 1982 by the junior welfare league of enid, ok....try to find a copy, though it may be out of print..... it's a good one, catchy name, too, for a western oklahoma cookbook:) yeehaw!
-the snackmom
it's also about ellen & sarah & jennifer & jane & their passion for chocolate & the night we invented chocolate soup.
it was a good & memorable night. chocolate soup is a wonderful thing....at least on a blustery winter night when four 16- year -old -best friends & a LOT of cocoa & bittersweet chocolate & butter & sugar & good vanilla & chocolate chips & cream & imagination are involved. these girls love chocolate- they ADORE chocolate- one of them whose name (jane) i will not mention is fanatical about chocolate. it was a night when brownies or chocolate chip cookies or hot fudge sauce or fondue just would not do- it HAD to be something extra- especially chocolate. something ridiculous. and so, the idea of chocolate soup was invented. now, i have an extensive cookbook collection- maybe numbering in the hundreds....and not one of them had a recipe for chocolate soup, not that we looked or anything, but it was such a good idea-that didn't stop us.......
basically, we made a wonderful buttery, chocolatey baked fudge (we may have added a big handful of bittersweet chocolate pieces- i don't remember due to the chocolate coma which clouded my memory) which we underbaked & then added a criminal amount of hot fudge sauce (recipe will get in the blog soon, i promise) & cream & it was just insane.....insane.
here's the basic deal, if you want to give it a try.......i was reminded of this because i've been meaning to write a new snackmom blog entry for quite some time & the girls are all over at our house tonight so, ellen & i whipped up a big pan of baked fudge a couple of hours ago.....it's almost gone.....lock the door & give me a spoon.
*baked fudge* (aka: chocolate soup)
4 eggs, well beaten
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup melted butter (yes, you read that right- not one, but TWO sticks of butter)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
beat eggs with the dry ingredients until well blended...mix in the butter...stir in the vanilla & pecans & mix thoroughly...pour into a 9x9 inch pan...create a waterbath by setting the pan in another ovenproof dish of boiling water...bake at 325* for 45 minutes-do not overbake- but do try underbaking to get the soup effect.....serve with an arterio-gram.....recipe is based on one taken from "Stir-Ups" , a wonderful cookbook published in 1982 by the junior welfare league of enid, ok....try to find a copy, though it may be out of print..... it's a good one, catchy name, too, for a western oklahoma cookbook:) yeehaw!
-the snackmom
June 21, 2011
*b*a*n*a*n*a* *b*r*e*a*d*
the banana bread saga- i've been meaning to get to this for months.
...years & years ago, a wonderful family friend named dalta gave my mom her beloved banana bread recipe. it is delicious. my mother makes it beautifully. it crests on top like a wave in the hawaiian surf-which my mother L O V E S. my sister makes it perfectly. the top rises like mt. fugi- i am not sure if she is a fan of japanese geography, but that's what popped into my mind. mine? mine sinks in the middle like a brown abyss. & it's chewy. & very bad.
i cannot make the recipe, try as i might, & i HAVE been trying- for 26 years. at least. joy, on the other hand, turns out a perfect loaf every single time. she totes it to all family get- togethers & brings it over when someone is sick or has surgery & it appears at all holiday breakfasts & brunches. hers is dark brown & dense & has marvelous flavor as well as coveted height. i've renamed mine "julie's sunken banana- taffy loaf surprise". i've always hated surprises.
gratefully, about 18 years ago, i discovered a fabulous alternative to dalta's impossible banana loaf in our church cookbook & it has become a staple in my kitchen, turns out great whether in a loaf or muffins, & i make it as often as i have extra bananas hanging around- which is not often since my son is part monkey. his potassium levels must be off the charts. further complicating matters is the fact that i discovered a recipe for buttermilk banana cake with banana icing that i tried out on the team one football buffet night last fall that is about the best thing ever made with a banana. it's $ m o n e y $. so, as you can see, i'm justifiably conflicted when it comes to extra bananas.
but for now, i will share this banana bread recipe that i love & can actually make with success. dalta's should probably stay a family secret since joy & mom are the only ones who can make it anyway. & probably jana. she's a fab baker, too, but she has 10 kids & my guess is she TRIPLES the recipe & heaven KNOWS how she scares up 18 over-ripe bananas. though she does have some great wisdom about food & raising Godly children & dating & life & pest-control products & maximizing storage space....my favorite of her nuggets of wisdom concerning such matters as this is: "always prepare all carrot & strawberry & zucchini & banana & even chocolate cakes in LOAF pans, that way you can call them BREAD & eat them for breakfast". i like the way she thinks. even if she can make dalta's banana bread & i can't.
*banana bread*
1/2 c. crisco
1 1/2 c. sugar
4-6 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. bran flakes or oatmeal
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts *if you like nuts baked in your bread, which i do not
cream crisco & sugar. blend in bananas, eggs & vanilla . add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. fold in the nuts. or not. grease & flour (or pam) a big loaf pan or 2 small ones or about 18 paper lined muffin tin cups or even a bundt pan. bake @ 325* for about 40 minutes for a loaf/loaves- less for muffins ...i often double this recipe if i am very crafty & hide enough bananas from john. * this recipe was originally submitted in 1993 by gail n. to give partial credit where credit is due......i added the cinnamon*
-the snackmom
...years & years ago, a wonderful family friend named dalta gave my mom her beloved banana bread recipe. it is delicious. my mother makes it beautifully. it crests on top like a wave in the hawaiian surf-which my mother L O V E S. my sister makes it perfectly. the top rises like mt. fugi- i am not sure if she is a fan of japanese geography, but that's what popped into my mind. mine? mine sinks in the middle like a brown abyss. & it's chewy. & very bad.
i cannot make the recipe, try as i might, & i HAVE been trying- for 26 years. at least. joy, on the other hand, turns out a perfect loaf every single time. she totes it to all family get- togethers & brings it over when someone is sick or has surgery & it appears at all holiday breakfasts & brunches. hers is dark brown & dense & has marvelous flavor as well as coveted height. i've renamed mine "julie's sunken banana- taffy loaf surprise". i've always hated surprises.
gratefully, about 18 years ago, i discovered a fabulous alternative to dalta's impossible banana loaf in our church cookbook & it has become a staple in my kitchen, turns out great whether in a loaf or muffins, & i make it as often as i have extra bananas hanging around- which is not often since my son is part monkey. his potassium levels must be off the charts. further complicating matters is the fact that i discovered a recipe for buttermilk banana cake with banana icing that i tried out on the team one football buffet night last fall that is about the best thing ever made with a banana. it's $ m o n e y $. so, as you can see, i'm justifiably conflicted when it comes to extra bananas.
but for now, i will share this banana bread recipe that i love & can actually make with success. dalta's should probably stay a family secret since joy & mom are the only ones who can make it anyway. & probably jana. she's a fab baker, too, but she has 10 kids & my guess is she TRIPLES the recipe & heaven KNOWS how she scares up 18 over-ripe bananas. though she does have some great wisdom about food & raising Godly children & dating & life & pest-control products & maximizing storage space....my favorite of her nuggets of wisdom concerning such matters as this is: "always prepare all carrot & strawberry & zucchini & banana & even chocolate cakes in LOAF pans, that way you can call them BREAD & eat them for breakfast". i like the way she thinks. even if she can make dalta's banana bread & i can't.
*banana bread*
1/2 c. crisco
1 1/2 c. sugar
4-6 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. bran flakes or oatmeal
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts *if you like nuts baked in your bread, which i do not
cream crisco & sugar. blend in bananas, eggs & vanilla . add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. fold in the nuts. or not. grease & flour (or pam) a big loaf pan or 2 small ones or about 18 paper lined muffin tin cups or even a bundt pan. bake @ 325* for about 40 minutes for a loaf/loaves- less for muffins ...i often double this recipe if i am very crafty & hide enough bananas from john. * this recipe was originally submitted in 1993 by gail n. to give partial credit where credit is due......i added the cinnamon*
-the snackmom
May 27, 2011
feeding the 52 with two cake mixes & a casserole...
jenks black buffet night started with coach thomas. several years ago, he suggested that we, and by "we", i mean "i", do a little buffet on thursday nights after the 3rd- sometimes 4th- football practice of the week. up until that time, i'd occasionally bake up a big batch of banana muffins for after practice or pick up a couple of boxes of little debbie's cosmic brownies, which set me back, say $3 or so, but nothing prepared me for what this would become.
$40. f o r t y d o l l a r s. that was my thursday night buffet night budget. to feed up to 52 whole people. that was the record anyway. once i told the marketing gal at a local restaurant that i fed as many as 52 people for $40 & she said, "you have to be kidding- you can't feed 52 people bologna sandwiches for $40." wanna bet? & don't get me started on bologna. i love a challenge. especially if it relates to food. heck, i love anything that relates to food.
now mind you, buffet nights were by no means haute cuisine, but they got the job done. things like chili, potato soup on cold nights, mostacolli (thank you, marguerite:), Grandma Opal's chicken tetrazzini & build-your-own taco bar provided the thrifty, yet satisfying post-practice buffet night staples that united a team & brought their families a little closer, though after 6 years together, we pretty much knew all of each others secrets anyway.
i LOVED planning for buffet nights- all week long, i would be on the prowl for a great meat special or a new way to glorify a cake mix (you can't beat that $.88 investment with a stick) or a way to stretch a dollar... or maybe a chicken. it was like a game to me & i always won (i'm very competitive when it comes to desserts). approval. smiles. hugs. happy tummies. best- game- ever.
now that we've moved on to school football & there are 3 teams & 70 players & they're much bigger in size & appetite & there's no budget for thursday night buffets- in fact, there are no thursday night practices at all- i will have to get a new game plan- but don't think i'm not working on it, coach barnes. i already have chick-fil-a on the calendar for the team's road trip food-or WILL when we get a calendar...& i will find a way to weave in a few lemon cakes every now & then for old time's sake. i just have to. it's a jenks black all-time favorite. this is for patty-who likes them most of all.
*lemondrop cake*
1 box lemon cake mix (any brand-pudding in the mix is best)
prepared according to pkg. directions...only i use orange juice instead of water & add about 1/2 tsp. of McNess lemon oil extract (available at williams sonoma & well worth the $10 for a 4 oz. bottle since it provides wonderful zesty lemon flavor & lasts for at least 2 football seasons making a lemon cake every week)... bake the cake in a well cooking- sprayed bundt pan or a 9x13 or my personal favorite, a 15x10 1/2 sheet pan, since i have one with a cover. ice with about 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar mixed with fresh or that minute- maid lemon juice that comes frozen- it's wonderful- & a few more drops of lemon oil extract to make a pourable, thin glaze- pour it on the hot cake. never a crumb left- they fight over the crumbs. * you can crush lemon drops on the top for sparkling crunchies*
-the snackmom
who would like to take this opportunity to thank patty's mom, lynn, my sangria buddy, for helping me every thursday night when this whole thing got too big for me to cook up & pack up & set up- as well as the MANY football moms (mitzi, charm- you know who you are:) & dads (jeff, lynn & ken come to mind:) & siblings(chase & the duncans-you're the best!), who bolted out to the "snackmom" truck to unload tables & the tins & boxes & trays & baskets of food & paraphenalia & to all those players & parents & my own kids who stayed around in the dark after the lights went out to throw stuff away & help me take down tables & re-load the car...it was so fun! & thanks coach thomas- best idea ever!
$40. f o r t y d o l l a r s. that was my thursday night buffet night budget. to feed up to 52 whole people. that was the record anyway. once i told the marketing gal at a local restaurant that i fed as many as 52 people for $40 & she said, "you have to be kidding- you can't feed 52 people bologna sandwiches for $40." wanna bet? & don't get me started on bologna. i love a challenge. especially if it relates to food. heck, i love anything that relates to food.
now mind you, buffet nights were by no means haute cuisine, but they got the job done. things like chili, potato soup on cold nights, mostacolli (thank you, marguerite:), Grandma Opal's chicken tetrazzini & build-your-own taco bar provided the thrifty, yet satisfying post-practice buffet night staples that united a team & brought their families a little closer, though after 6 years together, we pretty much knew all of each others secrets anyway.
i LOVED planning for buffet nights- all week long, i would be on the prowl for a great meat special or a new way to glorify a cake mix (you can't beat that $.88 investment with a stick) or a way to stretch a dollar... or maybe a chicken. it was like a game to me & i always won (i'm very competitive when it comes to desserts). approval. smiles. hugs. happy tummies. best- game- ever.
now that we've moved on to school football & there are 3 teams & 70 players & they're much bigger in size & appetite & there's no budget for thursday night buffets- in fact, there are no thursday night practices at all- i will have to get a new game plan- but don't think i'm not working on it, coach barnes. i already have chick-fil-a on the calendar for the team's road trip food-or WILL when we get a calendar...& i will find a way to weave in a few lemon cakes every now & then for old time's sake. i just have to. it's a jenks black all-time favorite. this is for patty-who likes them most of all.
*lemondrop cake*
1 box lemon cake mix (any brand-pudding in the mix is best)
prepared according to pkg. directions...only i use orange juice instead of water & add about 1/2 tsp. of McNess lemon oil extract (available at williams sonoma & well worth the $10 for a 4 oz. bottle since it provides wonderful zesty lemon flavor & lasts for at least 2 football seasons making a lemon cake every week)... bake the cake in a well cooking- sprayed bundt pan or a 9x13 or my personal favorite, a 15x10 1/2 sheet pan, since i have one with a cover. ice with about 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar mixed with fresh or that minute- maid lemon juice that comes frozen- it's wonderful- & a few more drops of lemon oil extract to make a pourable, thin glaze- pour it on the hot cake. never a crumb left- they fight over the crumbs. * you can crush lemon drops on the top for sparkling crunchies*
-the snackmom
who would like to take this opportunity to thank patty's mom, lynn, my sangria buddy, for helping me every thursday night when this whole thing got too big for me to cook up & pack up & set up- as well as the MANY football moms (mitzi, charm- you know who you are:) & dads (jeff, lynn & ken come to mind:) & siblings(chase & the duncans-you're the best!), who bolted out to the "snackmom" truck to unload tables & the tins & boxes & trays & baskets of food & paraphenalia & to all those players & parents & my own kids who stayed around in the dark after the lights went out to throw stuff away & help me take down tables & re-load the car...it was so fun! & thanks coach thomas- best idea ever!
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