Banana Nut Bread

5 tablespoons butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cup mashed ripe bananas
1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup heavy cream
1/3 cup chopped pecans


Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan.

Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add sugar and brown sugar; mix well. Add egg, egg whites, vanilla; beat until well blended. Add mashed bananas. Beat on high for 30 seconds.

Combine flour, soda, salt, powder in medium bowl. Add mixture to butter mixture alternately with cream, ending with flour mixture. Add nuts to batter. Mix well.

Pour batter evenly into prepared loaf pan. Bake until browned and toothpick inserted near center comes our clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Cool bread in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Slice and serve with butter.

Very Smooth Cheesecake

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons margarine, melted

Combine crumbs, sugar, and margarine; press onto bottom of 9 inch spring-form pan. Bake at 325 degrees, 10 minutes. Cool.

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
¼ cup cold water
1 – 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
1 – 10 oz. pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed
Milk
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Soften gelatin in water; stir over low heat until dissolved. Combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended. Drain strawberries, reserving liquid. Add enough milk to liquid to measure 1 cup. Gradually add combined milk mixture and gelatin to cream cheese, mixing until blended. Chill until slightly thickened. Fold in whipped cream and strawberries; pour over crust. Chill until firm. Garnish with additional whipped cream, sliced strawberries, and fresh mint, if desired.

Orange Sherbet Salad

2 – 3 oz. boxes Orange Jello
1 pint orange sherbet
1 container cool whip
1 cup boiling water
1 can mandarin oranges, drained.

Dissolve gelatin in water; add sherbet. Mix well. When partially set, add oranges and fold in whipped cream. Pour into a greased serving bowl and chill.

No-Bake Cookies

Cook, until mixture boils:

2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
½ cup milk
1 stick margarine

Remove from heat. Add:

½ cup peanut butter
3 cups oatmeal
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir well. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

2 cups flour
1 ½ cups sugar
1 – 20 oz. can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
½ cup brown sugar (don’t mix in cake)
1 teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon salt

Topping:

1 cup canned milk
1 cup sugar
1 stick margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla


Mix by hand the flour, sugar, soda, and salt. Add pineapple and mix well. Pour into a buttered 13 x 9 inch pan. Cover with brown sugar and pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Boil topping for 4 to 5 minutes. Pour over cooled cake.

Pie Crust

3 cups flour
3 sticks butter
1 teaspoon salt
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water


Mix well. Enough for two 9” piece or one 2-crust pie.

Homemade Kolaches (Czech Pastry)

2 packages yeast
2 cups warm milk
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
7 ½ cups flour


Dissolve yeast in ½ cup of the milk. Let set til bubbly. Add remaining milk and sugar, salt, butter, and eggs. Mix and add flour gradually. Hand beat, after all flour is added, until dough is smooth. Let rise in warm place until dough doubles. With spoon, dip out a walnut sized amount of dough. With floured hands, roll into a walnut sized ball. Place on a well buttered pan to rise (til double). After rising, make indentation in the center for filling. Fill with any fruit filling you desire. Sprinkle with streusel and let rise again. Bake at 350 approximately 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Do not overbake! Remove from oven and brush with melted butter while still hot in pan. Remove from pan and place on paper towels to cool. Sprinkle with streusel.

Streusel (Popsika)

2 cups flour
¾ cup sugar
1 stick margarine

Mix flour and sugar. Add margarine. Mix well until becomes a fine crumb mix. Sprinkle on top of Kolaches.

Banana Pudding

1 – 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 ½ cup cold water
1 (4 serving size) box instant vanilla pudding
1 pint whipping cream, whipped
Nilla Wafers
4 Bananas


In large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and water. Add pudding mix; beat well. Chill 5 minutes. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon mixture into serving bowl. Top with wafers and bananas. Repeat until finished.