Banana Snack Cake

This is a favorite of my oldest son. He likes to eat it plain just as more of a snack cake. I however, would rather smear it with yummy cream cheese.

BANANA SNACK CAKE

2 eggs, separated

2/3 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 mashed bananas

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 cup sour milk

1 tsp. vanilla

handful of walnuts, optional

In mixing bowl, beat egg whites till soft peaks form then set aside.

In large bowl, cream butter & sugar.

Beat in egg yolks.

Add bananas & stir.

Add flour, soda & milk & mix well.

Add vanilla.

Fold in egg whites and nuts.

Pour in a greased 13 X 9 pan & bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

Now you can eat this right out of the pan or you can add frosting.

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Cream Cheese Icing

8 oz. cream cheese

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 stick butter

1/4 cup chopped nuts, optional

Blend all together until smooth.

You could add a little more powdered sugar if you please.

Taste it & see what you think.

Don't eat it all though, you still have to frost the cake!

Snow! Snow! & More Snow!

We have had snow all week long here along with some ice & rain. I love the winter and absolutely love to watch the snow fall however, I am officially ready for Spring! We had a quick burst of heavy snow this morning and I thought it was so pretty. Here are some pictures taken from my second story front porch and then one of the backyard. Take notice of all the electric, telephone & cable wires out front. They don't make it easy to take pictures. Everywhere you turn there is a line running. Oh well, that is why I enjoy so many of your country photos that you all share. I'll just stick to cooking the recipes. **Yes, those are Christmas Lights still hanging. I have had all the decorations down for quite a while but I have to wait for my husband to get a ladder out to take that one last strand of lights down & he just says It's TOO Cold. They can wait for another day!**

A Favorite Poem

Here is a favorite poem of mine that I found several years back while surfing the internet. I would love to one day stitch this and frame it. Not that I ever will but it's on my to-do list.

Cowboy's Cathedral

by Carlene Sleeseman-Daugherty

Lord, I'm a hard workin' cowboy,

spend my life on the range

and some people say I won't get to heaven

if certain things don't change.

See, it's been awhile since I've been in a church

with steeple & bell

But that don't mean I don't know Ya' God,

and know Ya' very well.

I try to live by the commandments

that You set down for man

and I thank Ya' for my blessings

every chance I can.

Now, I don't need those stained glass windows,

the sunset sky suits me fine.

And as for the steeple,

well, there on the hill stands one lone pine.

I don't need a crowded, handcarved, padded pew;

that rock beneath that lone pine is where I worship You.

As for the music, well I don't need to hear a choir;

the birds are singin', the wind is whisperin',

what more could I desire?

My church has no beamed ceiling,

just blue sky up above,

it's carpeted with wildflowers

and overflows with Your love.

So, I don't need a manmade church,

I know with all my heart

that the great outdoors is a cathedral You built

and on it, Your blessings impart!

Fibromyalgia Questions

After a year & a half of not feeling well and hurting all the time my doctor has diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia. She started me on a medication that sounds like I will be taking for the rest of my life and the end results are the pain & stiffness are more tolerable but it does not come without it's share of side effects. I do not take any other medicines and hope to not have to takes these either.

I am going to see a homeopath on Monday and I am truly excited to see whether he can help me to return to the life & person that I once was (pain-free, happy & healthy with no medications to take). I have been reading lots about Fibromyalgia in an attempt to understand all the why's and how's of it all. So my question tonight to all of you gals & guys out there reading this is....

If you or anyone you know has Fibromyalgia then how do you/they cope or try to remedy it?

Do you live on a heating pad or take excessive hot showers like I do?
Do you take any supplements that seem to help?
At this point I am grateful for any advice on this subject. My goal is to learn to cope and/or remedy this problem as natural and drug-free as I can.
Feel free to leave me a comment or if you have a longer story that you would like to share with me then you can email me at the address that I have provided.

Something WAY different for us!!

Let me start by saying that we are definitely a meat & potato family. To top that off my husband thinks any vegetable other than potatoes or corn are meant to be rabbit food. I, on the other hand, do like vegetables but seem to stick to making the same old thing over and over again- corn, green beans and potatoes because that is what pleases him.
(Note: Have you ever realized that all my dinner plates look the same except for the main dish. Well now you know why!)
Anyways, the other night I made homemade egg rolls. Now, I have only had these a few times at a Chinese restuarant that my friend Mendy used to love to take me to when we were out shopping. They were always good as long as I was able to identify what I was eating inside them. So there is a benefit of making your own. You 100% know what you are eating.
Being my first time at making them I went easy with my ingredients. The next time I'll try to add some more ingredients and try my hand a making some sort of dipping sauce for them.
Oh and by the way I also made burritos in case the egg rolls weren't a big hit we would still have something edible to eat. As it turned out my husband liked the egg rolls better- cabbage, carrots and all...I guess men DO grow up a little bit as they age.

Here is my version that I BAKED instead of frying.

BAKED EGG ROLLS

1 roll breakfast sausage

1/2 of an onion, diced

7 oz. prepackaged coleslaw mix with carrots

2 cups shredded hashbrowns

1 pkg. egg roll wrappers

10-12 dashes of soy sauce (more or less to suit your taste)

melted butter

1. Cook sausage with onion till crumbly. Drain the grease.

2. Add the coleslaw mix & hashbrowns.

3. Let cook till cabbage starts to get soft.

4. Add soy sauce and let simmer a bit.

5. Place egg wrappers on flat surface.

6. Place about 2 tbsp. of filling about an inch from one corner.

7.Start to roll the wrapper around filling and then tuck sides in and continue rolling.

8. Dab a little of the melted butter onto the edge to help to seal it.

9. Place on a greased baking sheet.

10. When all rolls are assembled, brush melted butter over the tops & sides of them.

11. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes or till lightly browned.

Simple & Easy Lasagna

Now, I know everyone has their own version of lasagna. Some use all beef, some like a mix of beef with sausage & others prefer vegetables. You can use slices of cheese or shredded cheese and the list goes on. I have tried many different versions but I always go back to the same one that my Mom made when we were growing up. The only thing that I have changed is that I do not pre-cook my noodles and she still does.

** This makes a large pan. Enough to feed my family of 5 for two meals. You could cut this down or even make 2 smaller 8x8 pans and use one for now and freeze one for later.**

SIMPLE & EASY LASAGNA

2 lbs. ground beef

1 onion, diced

lasagna noodles (regular)

16 oz. cottage cheese

16 oz. mozzarella, shredded

3 jars spaghetti sauce

Brown beef & onion: Drain.

Add 3 jars sauce to meat & simmer till warmed through.

In a greased 13x9 or 2- 8x8 pans spoon enough sauce to cover bottom of pan.

Layer the dry noodles over sauce.

Cover noodles with more sauce. Be sure to cover all noodles.

Place about 10 (tsp. sized) dollops of cottage cheese over the meat sauce. (Space these out!)

Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozz. cheese all over.

Repeat layers 2 more times beginning with dry noodles.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Uncover and bake for another 1/2 hour or till cheese browns.

Coconut Pie

Here is a coconut pie recipe that was passed to me about ten years ago. My husband loves it. It's very easy to make. All you need is a blender & a pie pan. Just blend, pour and bake. It makes it's own crust.

COCONUT PIE

2 cups milk

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1/2 cup flour

6 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup coconut

In a blender, combine milk, sugar, eggs, flour, butter, vanilla & salt.

Blend 10 seconds.

Scrape sides and blend 10 more seconds.

Add coconut.

Blend 2 seconds.

Pour into greased 10 inch pie plate.

Bake 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes.

(I cook mine a little longer than this. Just watch so that it doesn't burn.)

Ranch Chicken Fried Steak

I made this the other evening for dinner and it was a nice change from my usual baked steak. A little different flavor and texture. I even got a compliment on it from my brother who HARDLY EVER gives me a thumbs up on my food. ( He just likes to give me a hard time though!)

Ranch Chicken Fried Steak

1 cup flour

1 cup italian seasoned bread crumbs

2 pkgs. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

2 cups milk

1 egg

salt & pepper

3 lbs. round steak

32 oz. beef broth

1. In one bowl, mix flour, bread crumbs, 1 pkg. dressing mix & salt & pepper. Set aside.

2. In second bowl, whisk together milk, egg & second dressing packet. Set aside.

3. Cut & trim round steak.

4. Place 1/4 - 1/2" of olive oil in iron skillet & let it get hot.

5. Dredge meat in flour mix, then in milk mix and back into flour mixture again.

6.Place meat in hot skillet.

7. Brown one side & then the other.

8. When both sides are browned then remove steaks to a greased 9x13 pan.

(Place steaks in a single row. Don't stack on top of each other.)

9.Leave the pan uncovered and bake at 350 degrees.

(I cooked mine about 1 1/2 to 2 hours but I like mine well done and not MOOing at all! :)

10. While that is baking I added the beef broth to the drippings in my iron skillet.

I let this cook down a bit ( too much) so I had to add a little more water.

In the end I sprinkled in a little bit of flour and whisked away while it was hot & bubbly.

I didn't measure the flour at the time, but just start out lightly so that you don't over thicken it.

You can always add more later if it's not thick enough.

11. Let this cook a bit and add salt & pepper to taste.

I served this steak & gravy with mashed potatoes and green beans.

Busy Couple of Days

It's been a busy couple of days around here. School was cancelled on Thursday & Friday due to snow so my oldest was home from school and the two younger ones sure didn't want to miss out on a SNOW DAY, even though they are homeschooled. So we were all home and tucked away trying to stay warm despite the freezing temperatures outside. A few of their friends came over and they stayed busy playing games for the most part. They did go out a few times but didn't stay very long. Just toooo cold!
It's midnight here now and it is still 33 degrees so it's definately warming up. What a difference a day can make. (From -4 to 33 )
This was also the weekend that I do my monthly grocery shopping. I was able to talk my husband into going with me last night to do the bulk of the shopping and then I finished the rest of it up today. It's nice to have a pantry well stocked throughout the month and it seems to save me some money that way but it's a real chore to get everything in. My list that I take to the store is huge and so is our shopping cart or carts. But it's done for the month....YEAH! Just have to make runs for bread and milk every so often.
Anyways I hope to post a couple new recipes within the next few days. I made my husband's favorite Coconut Pie the other day and I have a new recipe using round steak. I haven't decided what to call it yet but I'm leaning towards Ranch Style Country Fried Steak. It was fried and then baked and had a different flavor and texture than my usual baked steak. I just have to sit and write it all down to make sure I didn't leave anything out before I post it. Enough for now, my eyelids are getting heavy so I'm off to bed.

My Very First Blog Award

I have received my very first blog award today thanks to The Wife at

Gizzards and Calf Fries

THANK YOU!

I'll be passing it on to 10 blogs that show Great Attitude and/or Gratitude!

Here's the Deal:

1. You must add the logo to your blog or post.

2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show Great Attitude and/or Gratitude.

3. Link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

5. Share the love and link this post to the person from who you received your award.

And now, for the winners....

1.Life at the Rough String

2.TYLERFARM HOMESTEAD

3. Granny Sue's News & Reviews

4. Country Family

5. Achorn Farm

6. Three Fold Cord

7. Fresh From The Farm

8. Twelve Acres

9. Livin On Love

10. Raising Country Kids

Buttery Sour Cream & Chive Potatoes

My Mother-in-Law used to make these often when I first met my husband and I loved them. I made them the other night and the first thing out of his mouth was.."You used to make these all the time when we first got married." Anyways they are so good! I used dried chives but they would be great with fresh chives.

Buttery, Sour Cream & Chive Potatoes

10-12 potatoes, peeled & diced

1 cup (or more) sour cream

butter

chives

salt & pepper

Place potatoes in pan & cover with water.

Bring to a boil.

Cook till tender but not overdone or they will go to mush.

Drain.

I really hate to say how much butter I use..but here goes!!

I put 1 stick of butter in potatoes and let it melt.

(You could cut way back on the butter if you like!)

Next, add 1 cup of sour cream and 2 tbsp. dried chives.

Fold into potatoes, gently so they don't mash.

Season with salt & pepper and taste.

You be the judge.

Add more sour cream, salt or pepper if needed.

Pineapple Pretzel Fluff Dessert

This is along the lines of the Strawberry Pretzel Dessert except it is made with pineapple and it doesn't contain any Jell-O. Something different & good but I would have to say my favorite is still the Strawberry version. You could also make this and use some Lemon Jell-O with it. I'll have to try it that way next time I make it!

Pineapple Pretzel Fluff Dessert

2 cups crushed pretzels

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup sugar, divided

1 (8oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 (8oz.) Cool Whip

In a bowl, combine pretzels, butter & 1/2 of a cup of the sugar.

Press into a greased 13 X 9 pan.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Cool completely.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese & 1/2 cup of sugar till creamy.

Fold in pineapple and Cool Whip.

Spread onto crust and refrigerate.

Scalloped Corn

There are many recipes for this type of corn casserole but most call for sour cream, eggs and corn muffin mix. I like this recipe though, because it is plain and simple plus I don't have to go to the store to get the ingredients. I almost always have corn, crackers and a nice stash of peppers frozen in the freezer from the our garden.

SCALLOPED CORN

1 1/2 cups crushed saltines

17 oz. can of cream corn

salt & pepper

1/4 cup chopped green pepper (optional)

17 oz. can of corn, drained

1 cup milk

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup butter

Crush crackers & place in the bottom of a greased casserole dish.

Add corn, milk, seasoning, onion, green pepper & mix well.

Dot with butter.

Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Food Pyramid & Daily Food Logs

My third grader is studying the food pyramid, vitamins & nutrients and food labels for Health this month. I say "month" because he is the world's pickiest eater and I think it will take the whole month for me to get it across to him just how important a balanced diet is. The rest of my bunch pretty much eats anything that I serve, but not this lil guy. He has the whole gag reflex thing going on and can ruin any dinner if he carries it out to the fullest extent.

There are so many free printables on the internet so I found quite a few to use with our studies. Pictured are his Health textbook and a Daily Nutrition Log that he is using to plan menus of foods that he will eat or learn to eat based on a balanced diet. Each time he eats I write it down on a seperate piece of paper so that he can see at the end of the day where he falls (or fails) according to the food pyramid for his age group. I truly hope to get through to him this month and greatly improve his diet. Wish me LUCK because I'm gonna need it!

Today is also his birthday so :)

Happy 9th Birthday!

Sausage, Eggs, Tater Tots, Sour Cream & Relish

Sounds weird doesn't it?

That is what I thought the first time my brother-in-law fixed these for us. I had never had them and definitely wouldn't have thought to combine relish and sour cream with these. However, I finally gave in and tried them and I really liked them...sour cream and all!

Breakfast Burritos

1/2 a bag frozen tator tots

1 roll breakfast sausage

1 small onion diced or dried onion flakes

Green or red bell pepper, optional

5-7 eggs, beaten with a little milk

flour tortillas

cheddar cheese

Additional toppings: relish, sour cream, hot sauce etc.

In a large pan cook tater tots with onion & peppers.

Add a little water to the pan so they won't burn plus this makes them crumble up a little quicker. I place a lid on them too!

In another skillet, cook sausage till done and crumbled, drain.

Once the tots are cooked then you can add the sausage to the tater tot pan & give them a stir.

Beat eggs & milk and then pour over sausage/tot mixture.

Stir around and put lid back on.

Stir often and let cook till egg is done.

Warm tortillas.

Spoon mixture on tortillas and top with favorite toppings.

My favorite is cheddar cheese, sour cream & relish.

As I said, it sounds really gross but it's actually good.

Give it a try!

*This is a large recipe that feeds our family of 5 and also gives us some leftovers. You may want to cut it in half if you are feeding just a few.*

A Favorite Worth Sharing

I LOVE to burn these little wax melts in my tart burners. I have purchased many different scents from many brands over the years and these by far are my most favorite.

Yummy, lasting scents that fill my whole house as they burn!

The lady that makes these is extremely nice to deal with. Her name is Carol and she makes these in her Pennsylvania barn and then sells them on Ebay. I believe that is the only place you can find them. Her seller name is candlesbycarol and her store is called Candles from the Keeping Room. She sells a cute little package of about 8 tarts that come wrapped & tied with a bow for just under five dollars. There are so many scents to choose from that it makes it hard to decide which to pick. My personal favorite is the Vanilla Buttercream Crunch! She ships these really quick and always includes a few other samples with your purchase.

When I find something that I really like I try to pass it around. I have given these to my sister-in-laws & close friends and now they are all hooked on them as well. So if your into candles and tart burners you should check her site out on Ebay. I think you will be pleased.

Oven Fried Chicken

Oven Fried Chicken

(Red Chicken)

I refer to this as red chicken because the paprika colors it red. It is really good and easy to make. Not the lowest in fat but worth every calorie.

I don't have a picture of this at the moment but I'll get one the next time I make it and post it.

OVEN FRIED CHICKEN

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup flour

2 tsp. paprika

2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

chicken (4 breasts)

In a bowl mix the oil,flour,paprika,salt and pepper.

Dip chicken in this mixture and then place on a foil lined pan

that has been coated with cooking spray.

I bake mine at 350 degrees for a little over an hour.

However if you like your chicken moist then you will have to adjust the time.