Banana Bread

1/3 c. shortening

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. ( 2 medium) mashed ripe bananas

Place shortening and sugar in mixer bowl. Turn mixer on at high speed and beat for about 1 minute. Stop and scrape bowl. Continue mixing on high about 1 minute longer. Add eggs. Turn on to medium speed and beat for about 30 seconds. Stop and scrape bowl. Turn back on high and beat for 1 1/2 minutes.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in separate bowl. Add half of flour mixture and half of mashed banana to mixer bowl. Turn mixer on low speed and mix about 30 seconds. Add remaining flour and banana. Stop and scrape bowl.

Pour mixture into greased and floured 9x5x3 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pan. Remove pan and cool completely on wire rack.

I got this recipe from my Kitchen Aid recipe book that came with my mixer.

Manicotti

Manicotti is one of my all-time favorite dishes to both make and eat. The funniest thing about it is that no matter how many times I make it, it turns out different. Sometimes it's runny and other times it's a little thicker.

1 boxManicotti pasta shells

1 container cottage cheese

1 1/2 c. cheese ( I prefer cheddar)

your choice of spaghetti sauce - desired amount

Cook the manicotti shells for 7 minutes. Meanwhile, mix cottage cheese and your choice of cheese together. Drain manicotti and lay out to dry on pan. Spread a little amount of spaghetti sauce in bottom of 9x13 inch baking dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stuff manicotti shells with cheese mixture and lay in pan. If there is any of the cheese mixture left over sprinkle over manicotti and top with desired amount of sauce. Cove with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Rigatoni

1 lb. turkey sausage
1 lb. ground turkey
1 pkg. rigatoni noodles
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cans of spaghetti sauce
desired amount of cheese

Desired amount:
Garlic salt or powder
Minced garlic
Oregano
Basil

My husband puts this together and unlike me he just adds whatever he think it needs and doesn't meaure. So hopefully you can make it taste as good as he does.

Brown turkey with minced garlic. Boil noodles. Add sauce to meat, add spices. Mix sauce into noodles. Put in 9x13 inch baking pan and cover with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy.

Potatoes Supreme

8 - 10 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 c. shredded cheese
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. onion, chopped

Cook potatoes. Combine soup, 1 1/2 cups cheese, sour cream, onions and salt and pepper to taste; stir in potatoes. Place in greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

This was the first time that I made this and I think it turned out really great. We will definitely be having it again.

Creamy Chicken and Rice

2 c. uncooked white rice

2 cans cream of chicken soup, condensed
2 c. water

1 envelope onion soup mix, divided

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, combine rice, chicken soup, water, and half the onion soup mix. Spread mixture into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Lay chicken over top. Sprinkle remaining onion soup mix over chicken. Cover and back 2 hours. Makes 4-6 servings.

*Can also be baked at 300 degrees for 3 hours.

I got this recipe from: 101 Things to do with a casserole.

This was the first time I had tried this and it wasn't too bad. I will definitely make it again except for next time I will add the water in the right place. I forgot about adding the water and didn't remember until it had been cooking for over an hour. I also used cream of celery soup instead of cream of chicken but it didn't really make much of a difference. I think this casserole would be good with cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, or cream of celery. Here are some pictures of the final product.

My new Blog

I decided to start this blog because I've been in the process of working on a recipe book to give to family and friends. I do better at putting things in a blog then I am at writing down the recipe. So hopefully I'll be able to keep up with my new recipes. I hope that those of you who read this blog will try these recipes out and leave comments for me. Stay tuned for my first recipe.