Banana Cream Pie

My husband's birthday was this past Friday.  

Every year for his birthday I make him this 

Chocolate Macaroon Tunnel Cake

It's his FAVORITE.

If you have followed my blog for a while, you may have read how we celebrate birthdays here.

The birthday boy/girl gets to choose their dinner and dessert of choice (homemade by Mom)

We had made some weekend plans, happy hour with some good friends on Friday night (then home for cake and presents with the kids) and dinner with some other good friends Saturday night.

That left Sunday for our family dinner celebration.

Might as well make it a whole weekend celebration.

The hubby requested Chicken Parmesan, Garlic Cheese Bread and Salad for dinner.

We had to have dessert!!

He loves Banana Cream Pie, last year I made him this 

Coconut Banana Cream Pie

and it was a hit!

This year I searched and found the recipe for this pie at a blog that I recently discovered called

 A Spicy Perspective.

This pie was so perfect!! It was light and fluffy and bursting with flavor.

I will TOTALLY be making this one again!!

Banana Cream Pie

A Spicy Perspective

Crust:

2 Cups graham cracker crumbs 

6 Tablespoons butter (melted)

1/4 cup sugar

dash of salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons water

Filling:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 - 3.4 ox box of instant vanilla pudding

1 cup milk

8 ozs cream cheese

1 - 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

4 bananas (divided)

1/2 cup coconut (toasted)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  I used my food processor to crumble my crackers.  I took about 14 crackers to get 2 cups.  If you want to be quick, buy the graham cracker crumbs!! ;)

Add to it your salt, sugar and cinnamon.  Combine with a fork.  Add the melted butter and water and continue to combine until the crumbs  are well blended.

Press into sides and bottom of a 9" deep pie pan.

Bake for 10 minutes, set aside to cool.

For filling, combine the pudding mix and cold milk and set aside.

In your mixer whip your cream and sugar and vanilla until its fluffy, set aside.

In your mixer, cream your cream cheese  and slowly add in the sweetened condensed milk.

Add to this the pudding and combine.

Fold in HALF of the whipped cream, reserving the rest.

Spread a small amount of cream mixture over graham cracker crust, and top with 3 sliced bananas.

(I doubled the recipe and made two pies!!)

Spoon the rest of the cream mixture over bananas and  top with whipped cream.

Cover lightly with plastic wrap and chill at least one hour.

Before serving top with one sliced banana and toasted coconut.

Limoncello Martini

Last week I shared my recipe for Homemade Limoncello with you, this week, I think it's time I share this yummy martini you can make with it!!

Limoncello Martini

1 ounce Limoncello 

1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

3 ounces vodka

Place into a martini shaker with ice and shake until chilled.

Pour into a martini glass rimmed with sugar and a lemon.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

I have seen this recipe on Pinterest so many times, and it just sounded too easy and too yummy not to try!!
A couple of weeks ago my husband and I had a group of friends we hang out with over for a pot luck of appetizers.
We had some cocktails and good conversation, and later, we enjoyed this yummy cake!



Pumpkin Dump Cake

cheater cheater pumpkin eater

1 - 15 ounce can pumpkin puree

1 - 12 ounce can of evaporated milk

3 eggs

4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice

1 box spice cake mix

3/4 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cup chpped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease or spray a 9x13  baking dish with non-stick spray.

Combine in a mixing bowl: pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and spice.

Spread into baking dish.

Sprinkle cake mix evenly over the top.

Drizzle with melted butter, top with nuts of desired.

Bake for 1 hour, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool.

Serve topped with whipped cream.

Homemade Limoncello

I love love love... LEMON!!

This Limoncello hits the spot when you need a little sipper of some sweet lemony-goodness!!

Super easy to make, and so many uses.  Drink on it's own, add to dessert recipes or mixed drinks.

After you peel the lemons, you get all kinds of fresh lemon juice for mixing drinks later, or baking breads like this Lemon Raspberry Bread:

Recipe for Lemon Raspberry Bread

Homemade Limoncello

10 lemons

1 - 750 ml bottle of vodka

3 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 1/2 cups water

Peel all of your lemons, taking care to only get the yellow part, not the white pith.

Pour vodka into a glass jar with a lid, I used a quart sized canning jar.

Add the lemon peels.

Place in a cool dry place to ferment for two weeks.

You can give it a little swirl when you think about it.

Boil sugar and water on the stove for about 5 minutes, until sugar is dissolved.

You have made a simple syrup here.

Let cool.

Strain lemon peels from vodka, pour vodka part into a jar or bottle and add simple syrup mix.

Stir.

Chill.

Serve alone as a sipping drink or use in your favorite cocktails.

**NOTE: Don't waste all of those lemons, juice them, place the juice in the fridge in a jar and use for other recipes!!

Swiss Cheese Dip

My friend Gigi likes to bring this dip to parties, and I am lucky enough to have had her bring it 

to some of mine!! 

This stuff is G-O-O-D!!

It would also make a great tail gate munchie!!

Just serve with your favorite crackers...or even some crusty bread.

Swiss Cheese Dip

6 ounces shredded swiss cheese

1/4 cup sliced scallions (green onion tops)

2 cups of mayo (REAL-- not the fat free or light kind)

Combine all of the ingredients, reserving just a few of the green onions to sprinkle on the top of the dip.

Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Lemon Raspberry Bread

I love anything lemon!

Awhile back I made some homemade Limoncello,  and had lots of lemon juice to use for other things.

This bread was top on my list.

I used the basic recipe from Key Ingredient for their Blueberry Lemon Loaf, making a few minor changes.

I love that combination, but I have to say that raspberries are one of my most favorite fruits, and I had some really tasty ones on hand.

It turned out so yummy..and so darn PRETTY!!

 Lemon Raspberry Bread

bread

1 1/2 cups flour 

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup plain yogurt

1/2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

5 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray bottom and sides of a loaf pan (or 4 mini loaf pans) with non-stick cooking spray.

For bread, Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside.

In your stand mixer combine all of the wet ingredients, slowly add the dry ingredients in, combining slowly.

When fully combined, gently fold in the raspberries.

Place in loaf pan(s) to bake.

Small loaves baked in about 35 minutes.

Large loaf will take about 50 minutes.

Use a toothpick test in center to see if bread is done.

For glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice.

.

Drizzle over warm bread.

Yum.

German Apple Dessert

Yesterday I was sitting in the eye doctor with my daughter, and flipping through a local magazine that is in waiting rooms around town.

Lots of times they have good sounding recipes, but I forget about them, and never make them.

But yesterday, this one leaped out at me.

German Apple Dessert

I was making my Little King Salad for dinner that night, per my daughter's request, and thought, 

We're having salad, might as well have dessert??

So I whipped it up when we got home, and we did!!

With a little side of vanilla ice cream!

This got RAVE reviews from my family.

My husband said (with his mouth full) "This is really good" about 6 times!

Great alternative to an apple pie.

German Apple Dessert

via Women's Edition Magazine

Crust:

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

5 Tablespoons cut up cold butter

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg

Combine with fingers until it resembles corn meal, set aside.

4 baking apples, peeled and sliced

I used Granny Smith, the tang was perfect!

Topping:

3 Tablespoons of sugar

3 Tablespoons of melted butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 large egg

Stir sugar and melted butter together, whisk in egg and cinnamon.

Set Aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Press crust mixture into the bottom of the pan.

Top with apples.  

Bake for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven, drizzle topping mixture over apples and spread evenly with the bottom of a spoon.

Return to oven and bake for another 25 minutes.

Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Here's the Little King Salad we had, it's so good!!

RECIPE HERE!