Banana bread first became a standard feature of American cookbooks with the popularization of baking soda and baking powder in the 1930s, appeared in Pillsbury's 1933 Balanced Recipes cookbook, and later gained more acceptance with the release of the original Chiquita Banana's Recipe Book in 1950.The origin of the first banana bread recipe is unknown, though some speculate it was originated in the 18th century by housewives experimenting with pearlash. The home baking revival of the 1960s and the simplicity of its recipe led to an explosion in banana bread's popularity.


1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed (1 cup)
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts


Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the eggs, bananas, oil, buttermilk and vanilla; add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Fold in nuts.
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Pour into a greased or parchment-lined 9x5-in. loaf pan. If desired, sprinkle with additional walnuts. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. Cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Pierogi are one of the most recognizable Polish foods. Pierogi is actually the plural form of the word pieróg, a generic term for filled dumplings. These half circular dumplings are made from unleavened dough and are stuffed with fillings. These fillings can include mashed potatoes, cheese, sauerkraut, cabbage, mushrooms, spinach, ground beef and even grains or legumes. Because of the endless possibilities when it comes to filings, pierogi can be anything from sweet to spicy. Pierogi is Poland’s national dish and enjoyed year around by all ages. As stated earlier, pierogi have been made in Poland since the 13th century.


DOUGH:
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup warm water

POTATO FILLING:
1/2 pound potatoes, peeled, cooked, drained and mashed, about 2 medium
1/4 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

CHEESE FILLING:
1 cup Daisy 4% cottage cheese, drained and patted dry
1 large egg yolk, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted

COOKING LIQUID:
3 chicken bouillon cubes
8 cups water
1 teaspoon canola oil

TOPPING:
1/2 cup butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms

To make dough, mix flour, eggs, sour cream, salt and water (a little at a time). Knead dough until firm and elastic; cover and let rest 10 minutes.

For potato filling, combine ingredients; set aside. For cheese filling, combine ingredients; set aside.

Divide dough into 3 parts. On floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness; cut into 3-in. rounds with cutter, rerolling dough as needed. Place 1 teaspoon filling in center of each round; fold and press edges together firmly to seal.

Dissolve bouillon cubes in water in large saucepan; add oil. Heat to a simmer over medium heat. Working in batches, drop pierogi into simmering water. Do not crowd. Simmer until tender, about 15 minutes, stirring gently with wooden spoon to prevent sticking. Remove with slotted spoon; drain well.
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Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion. Cook until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Place drained pierogi on serving platter. Top evenly with mushroom mixture.

People from Ohio love buckeye candy! Buckeyes are a delicious combination of peanut butter and chocolate, which is exactly what this cookie is. All you need is a box of cake mix, a few common pantry ingredients, and voila—you have a tasty dessert ready for family and friends in under an hour. You can customize it, too, by substituting other mix-ins for the chocolate chips. They serve it warm with ice cream or whipped cream.


1 package chocolate cake mix (regular size)
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
Optional: Hot fudge ice cream topping, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and melted creamy peanut butter


Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs and oil until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Press half the dough into a 10-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet. Combine peanut butter and confectioners' sugar; spread over dough in skillet. Press remaining dough between sheets of parchment into a 10-in. circle; place over filling.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs, 20-25 minutes. Serve warm, with optional ingredients as desired.

This is the meal I have become famous for, and it is so simple. The garlic and apple flavors really complement the pork. It's especially good with steamed fresh asparagus and roasted red potatoes.


1 boneless pork loin roast (3-1/2 to 4 pounds)
1 jar (12 ounces) apple jelly
1/2 cup water
2-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons pepper

Cut the roast in half; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the jelly, water and garlic; pour over roast. Sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper.
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Cover and cook on low until meat is tender, 8-10 hours. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with cooking juices if desired.

Unless you grew up in the Southwest or visit there often, you might be hearing of migas for the first time. Think of them as the best scrambled eggs ever. The secret ingredient: corn tortillas. They're what really make my migas tacos special!


1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped, optional
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 corn tortillas (6 inches), cut into thin strips
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco or shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped seeded tomato
6 flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed
Optional toppings: Refried beans, sliced avocado, sour cream and minced fresh cilantro


In a large skillet, saute onion and jalapeno in oil until tender. Add tortilla strips; cook 3 minutes longer. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, salt and pepper. Add to skillet; cook and stir until almost set. Stir in cheese and tomato.
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Serve in flour tortillas with toppings of your choice.

I used to love going to the local coffee shop and enjoying fresh peach cinnamon rolls, but being a busy mom of two, I don't have the time anymore. To re-create it at home, I developed this no-yeast recipe that's quick and easy! 

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 
  
• DOUGH:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup 2% milk
• 1 can (15 ounces) sliced peaches in juice, undrained
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, butter and cinnamon until crumbly.

Reserve half for topping. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of a 10-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet.

For dough, in a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add milk; stir to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky). Roll into an 18x12-in. rectangle. Sprinkle reserved topping to within 1/2 in. of edges.

Drain peaches, reserving 2 tablespoons juice for glaze. Chop peaches; place over topping. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 slices. Place in prepared skillet, cut side down.

​Bake until lightly browned, 25-30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. For glaze, combine confectioners' sugar and 1-2 tablespoons reserved peach juice to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over warm rolls.

I am always on the lookout for a good Sunday dinner.  That meal is always a special one in our house.  Most recipes include a crock pot recipe so that we can visit family and rekindle our roots and come home to a delicious feast.

• 1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 to 4 pounds)
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup Burgundy wine or beef broth
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup cold water

Cut roast in half. Place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, onion, wine, salt, basil, oregano, garlic and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove meat to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking juices; transfer to a small saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve with meat.

These were quite a delicious surprise and took only a few minutes to put together.  Once placed in the slow cooker all I needed to do was go about my day. 

• 4 bone-in pork loin chops
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 large green pepper, sliced
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) no-salt-added stewed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• Hot cooked rice or mashed potatoes, optional

Place chops in a 3-qt. slow cooker; sprinkle with pepper. Add the onions, celery, green pepper and tomatoes. Combine the ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and bouillon; pour over vegetables. Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours or until meat is tender.
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Mix cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into liquid in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high about 30 minutes or until thickened. If desired, serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

This old-fashioned blueberry coffee cake comes with a darling name and story. In 1954, a 15-year-old girl from Chicago named Renny Powell submitted a blueberry coffee cake recipe to the Pillsbury $100,000 Recipe & Baking Contest (the precursor to today’s Pillsbury Bake-Off). Renny took second place in the junior division for her recipe, cleverly named “Boy Bait” for its habit-forming effect on young men.

Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

Cake:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, lightly coated with flour


Make the streusel topping: Combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Using your fingers, mix until no lumps of brown sugar remain. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until it reaches a crumbly state. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-inch square pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, beating on low speed to combine. Add the berries to the batter and fold gently with a spatula until evenly distributed. Do not over-mix.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until golden brown around the edges and a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a rack for about 20 minutes, then serve right from the pan.

This cake is best served on the day it is made. Leftovers will keep well for a few days wrapped in foil and stored at room temperature.
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Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.

String beans are definitely my favorite vegetable, and this is one of my favorite ways to prepare them. The combination of the almonds, the garlic, and the cheese is really wonderful. I like to use haricot verts, but if you cant find them, use the thinnest green beans available.

1 pound string beans
1/2 cup coarsely chopped, roasted almonds ( place on a  baking sheet in a  350 degree oven for 15 minutes )
1/2 cup coarsely grated fresh Locatelli Romano cheese
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons minced garlic
salt
freshly ground black pepper
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Bring a large saucepan of cold water to a boil. Add the beans, and cook until crisp-tender, 1-2 minutes for haricot vert, 3-4 minutes for green beans. Remove from the heat, drain, and rinse under cold water. Return to the saucepan with the remaining ingredients, and cook over medium heat until the butter is melted, and the ingredients are well blended, 3-4 minutes.