Bananas may be edible after all

Well as long as there is chocolate involved.
We had some Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie at a friends house last week and I was wanting to make it for Hubby, because he missed out. OK and because it was really really yummy. My friend gave me some basic instructions for it that seemed pretty simple.
She had told me to use vanilla wafers, instant vanilla pudding, banana's and chocolate, easy peasy right?
Well, I had a box of vanilla wafers stashed away and all the other required ingred, or so I thought. So this morning I went to get the goods out to make it and what did I find???
No Vanilla Wafers!!! Somebody ate my cookies, and no it wasn't me I don't eat those things, they have no chocolate in them.
So I had to settle for some chocolate chip cookies instead. I also couldn't find Instant Vanilla pudding mix in my cupboard, I had 3 others odd flavors, go figure.
So I was slowed down temporarily but it didn't stop me, I had just to be a little inventive-

This is why I don't these shots, someone is always missing!
Pretend you see some bananas,and butter in there, k :)
And I don't know why my vanilla pudding- that is what is in the red bowl-looks so odd.
Very Strange.

I missed a step, I am a bad camera person, bad, bad slacker.
Here is after I melted the chocolate chips in the microwave.
The whole pan goes in so you need to use glass, or do it in the oven :)

Look! There are my bananas!

They were MIA for a short time, now they're back and perfect- just barely ripe.

Here I am spreading the cool whip mixture over my perfect bananas :)

Does anyone know how to fix my picture?? I tried everything, then gave up, oh well.

Here are my cookies pre-crumb, it looks fine- just tilt your head to the right :)

Sprinkle the yummy crumbs over top, and make 'er pretty

Black-Bottomed Banana Cream Pie My Way


Ingred;
1 pkg chocolate chip cookies
1 reg sized container cool whip
1 small pkg cook and serve vanilla pudding mix
1c. milk
3T. butter, melted
1c. mini chocolate chips
2 bananas

Prepare the pudding as the box instructs but only use 1c. of milk instead of the 2 it calls for. Chill in the fridge until cooled, fold together with the cool whip, save a little cool whip to decorate with. Place half of the cookies in the food processor and turn into fine crumbs. Spread in the bottom of a 8x8 glass pan. Mix with the melted butter and pat down to make crust. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the crust, place in microwave and heat for 30 sec. to 1 minute. Until the chocolate starts to melt. Slice bananas and place over the chocolate layer, save a few slices. Spread you cool whip mixture over that. Saving out half a cookie, make the rest into fine crumbs and sprinkle over the top. Decorate with the reserved cool whip, banana and crumbled cookie, a few chocolate chips won't hurt either. Chill for at least an hour.

Some great recipe finds

I needed a of couple recipes yesterday so I went on a recipe hunt on AR.
I came across these 2-
Banana Crumb Muffins
Danish Pastry Apple Bars

Both were WONDERFUL, I only tweaked the muffin one and it was a tiny tweak :) :) :)

Danish Pastry Apple Bars
Ingred;
2-1/2c. flour
1c. shortening
1 egg, separated
1/2c. milk
10 apples, peeled, sliced thin
1/2c. brown sugar
1/4c. white sugar
1/2t. cinnamon
1/4t. nutmeg

Heat oven to 375
In a large bowl combine the flour and salt, cut in the shortening.
Beat the egg yolk in a 1 c. measuring cup, add in the milk till mixture reaches 2/3c.
Mix into the flour mixture.
Divide dough in half.
Using wax paper under and on top roll out half of the dough and place on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
Combine the apples, sugars and spices, spread out evenly over the dough.
Roll remaining crust and place on top, seal edges.
Cut slits in the top brush with the beaten egg white.
Bake fore 50 minutes.

Banana Crumb Muffins
Ingred;
1-1/2c. flour
1t. baking soda
1t. baking powder
1/2t. salt
3 banana's mashed
3/4c. white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3c. butter, melted
1T. vanilla
1/2c. brown sugar
1/4c. flour
2T. butter

Oven 375
Mix together the banana's, white sugar, egg, butter and vanilla.
In a separate bowl sift together the flour, salt,baking powder and soda, mix into the banana mixture.
Place into you muffin cups- makes 12 regular- Mix together the remaining ingredients to make your crumb topping and sprinkle on top of the muffins.
Bake for 18-20 minutes.

I also wanted to share with you one of my favorite kitchen tools-



The Apple Peeler Corer Slicer

I got mine from Pampered Chef but I have seen them in other places. This handy dandy tool helped me peel,core and slice 10 apples in under 5 minutes. I have had this for about 8 years I think and it gets a lot of use around here :)

I just got a Letter.....

Actually it was more of a package really, a package full of treasures! When I went out to get my mail today there it was in my box, the girls and I opened it up and look, LOOK at my treasures!

These are from my Sweet big Sister B,
Candied French Violets
Candied Rose Petals
lots of Lavender

I am so excited! I will have to find something special to make with these, any ideas?

I have a recipe that I begged Sister B for all week, it requires the use of these-

aren't they pretty?

Here look again-

They look wonderful, don't they.......
Well, as we all know, looks can be deceiving! These little fuzzy fibbers were half brown on the inside! I was totally disgusted. So instead of making 2 pies we only made one, cause that's all I got out of them.

Aunt B's Vanilla Custard Peach Pie
Ingred;
1 deep dish pie crust
5 med. peaches
8 oz sour cream
3 large egg yolks
1c. sugar
1/4c. flour
2t. vanilla or buttershots

1/4c. butter
1/2c. flour
1/4c. sugar

Peel & slice peaches, arrange in the bottom of pie shell. In medium pan whisk together the next 5 ingredient until smooth & pour over peaches. Bake at 425 for 30 min.
Prepare the remaining ingredient. as a struesal topping, sprinkle over pie and return to the oven at 400 for another 30 min.
Garnish with unpeeled peach slices and a sprig of mint.

Now I couldn't garnish mine because of the peach shortage, so I gave my girls each a piece of the leftover pie dough and they made me some cute leaves to decorate the center.

Thank you Aunt B for the sweet gifts and for a wonderful recipe!

I need a little Chocolate

I have been craving chocolate, it's that time of month when chocolate is a must. And since it's probably not appropriate to do this

Or this

OR THIS

I decided to make something with chocolate in it, this is one of my chocolate quick fixes. For emergencies only!

Chocolate Mousse & Peanut Butter Pie

Ingred.

15 oreos

2T. melted butter

1 pkg peanut butter chips

4 oz softened cream cheese

1/3c. powdered sugar

1/2c. milk

1 pkg unflavored gelatin

3T. cold water

3T. boiling water

1/2c. sugar

1/2c. dark cocoa powder

1c. cold whipping cream

1t. creme de cocoa

Run the oreos through a food processor until finely ground, mix with the melted butter and press into a pie plate. Beat the cream cheese, melt the pb chips (save a few aside to garnish with)in microwave. Add powdered sugar and milk to cream cheese- mix well. Stir in the melted chips. Spread over the crust in the bottom of the pie plate.

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water, stir then add in the boiling water, set aside. In a mixing bowl, stir together the sugar and cocoa powder. Stir in the cream and creme de cocoa. Beat until peaks form, add in the gelatin and beat until there are stiff peaks. Spread over the PB layer.

Sprinkle with the remaining chips and refridgerate, for about 3 hours. Slice and serve, (or just grab a fork and dig in)

I guess this will do, unless anyone has a tub full of chocolate handy???? = )

Rhubarb Rules!

Rhubarb pie is my favorite pie. I like to freeze batches of rhubarb so that I can make it all year round. The recipe for that and for my pie crust come from my Grandma,

Grandma makes the best pies, of course.

Ok. lets get started here is my wonderful Rhubarb

And here it is all ready for pie


This wonderful pie is going to my Father-In-Law for Father's Day, Rhubarb Pie is his favorite also. Of course I made 2 so that I could sample it, we have to make sure it's edible right ;)