Banana Bread

 

We are planning to visit our twin grandsons Saturday and they love Grandma's banana bread so here is the recipe.  I have baked this it for probably 40 years and don't have a clue where it came from but it is good and they like it so here we go!!

1/2 c Crisco
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c sour milk or buttermilk
1 t soda dissolved in the milk
3 small mashed ripe bananas
2 c flour
1/2 t salt
2 t. vanilla
1/2 c chopped nuts optional

Mix in the order given and bake in a buttered and floured loaf pan 1 - 1 1/2 hour at 350 degree F until a skewer or toothpick is clean when inserted into the center of the loaf.  This will keep really well if you refrigerate it.

The Garden

We love to have a garden but we live in a neighborhood of ancient old trees where it is a job to find a sunny spot to plant a garden.   We have a spot about 15' x15' square and we have planted 10 tomato plants, 5 cabbages, a hill of squash and a hill of cucumbers as well as 2 rows of onions and 3 assorted peppers!!

We also have several containers of herbs, radishes and lettuce.  We are still planting and also plan a sunflower garden should the rain subside.

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches

Really do love to make chocolate chip cookies that are thin and crisp and Carmel flavored with Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate and chopped toasted pecans into ice cream sandwiches!!!! Is that something to wrap your mind around or what!!!!

Yesterday I made the cookies, the recipe is adapted from the one on the Ghirardelli package.

I use Sil-pat liners or parchment paper when making cookies and a heavy pair of half sheet pans.  I do not use a convection oven.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and prepare the pans.

2 1/4 c all purpose flour, I use King Arthur flour
1 t soda
1/2 t salt
1 c softened butter
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c dark brown sugar packed
2 t vanilla
2 large eggs
2 c semi sweet chocolate chips
1 c chopped toasted pecans (toast on a cookie sheet at 200 degrees for about 10 minutes)

Note:  I probably use closer to a cup of packed dark brown sugar and 2 Jumbo eggs to get the thinner crisp cookie for making sandwiches.

Stir flour, soda, and salt together and set aside.  Beat together in a large bowl butter and sugars at medium speed til creamy then add the eggs, one at a time and vanilla.  Mix at low speed incorporating the flour mixture until thick and creamy.  Add the chips and nuts.   Drop by tablespoons onto baking sheets.  Do not butter the cookie sheets if you are not using the parchment or silpats.  Bake 9-11 minutes til golden.  Cool and store in tight canister.



Today I cut the carton off of a half gallon of Bryer's vanilla ice cream and put the block on a cutting board I had covered with waxed paper.  Using a bread knife with a long thin blase I sliced off the first piece of ice cream onto a waiting cookie I had placed atop a piece of cling wrap.





I had selected two cookies close to the same size and shape so they were happily married into an ice cream sandwich.


I yielded 10 yummy treats that will rest in the top of my freezer til needed.  I am now truly ready for summer!

 After they freeze hard I will put them all into a large freezer bad so they will be double sealed for safekeeping.