recipes

banana cake with peanut butter icing
sausages with fig sauce
pasta with cream sauce

banana cake

3 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. banana extract
1 tsp. butter flavor
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda (yes, baking soda)
1/4 tsp. salt
6 small bananas (~3 large)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup pecans, chopped

cream sugar, shortening and flavorings. add eggs, one at a time. sift flour, soda and salt together; add to creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk. mix well. mash the bananas; add to batter. add nuts (if you want)and pour into a "pam"ed 9x13 at 350 for about 1hr 40 minutes???? take out when toothpick comes out clean.

peanut butter icing

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (with oil on top!)
3 to 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp vanilla
1/4 cup water or milk - add a little at a time; may need a little more

mix peanut butter with spoon in jar before measuring. mix all ingredients till smooth, ice when cake is cool.

sausages with fig sauce

1 can of figs (grocery store -> canned fruit aisle)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup red wine vinegar (you can make your own... save all your old red wine, mix 50/50 with water. when smells vinegary and has precipitation on top or bottom, it's ready!

1/2 slice of lemon (the amount you would put in a glass of water)

nutmeg, cinnamon, clove

"hot" italian sausage is best (IMHO), amber says vegetarian sausage is good (no meat for her!)

the sauce is best when it is made a day in advance, but it's fine to make it same-day. in a saucepan, put sugar, vinegar, lemon, and shake copious quantities of nutmeg, cinnamon, and/or clove. simmer for 10 min or so, then add drained figs. simmer for 5 min (if you find fresh ones, simmer those for 20 min). put sauce in fridge overnight (if serving same day, keep simmering until sausages are done). next day (or after you throw in the figs), cook the sausages and heat up the sauce. serve together. mmmmm, yum!

pasta with cream sauce

heavy whipping cream
olive oil
diced sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
garlic cloves - sliced thin
salt and pepper - white pepper is best, but use whatever you have
yummy spices - some or all: rosmary (must be fresh), basil, oregano, dill(oh yeah)... anything that makes you hungry for italian food, or follow your instincts
good cheese - parmesan, romano, asiago, whatever you like, but it MUST not be pregrated!!! ew!
1 bag of penne (or whatever you like, but i like penne)

grate at least 1/2 cup of cheese, more if you want. heat up enough olive oil to saute in. saute garlic slices until soft. be careful not to char them! if you have fresh rosemary, add it in after garlic is soft, then wait until they start to turn dark green (15 sec?). add cream (3/4 cup?). heat on low or medium; you want the cream to almost boil, but not boil too much. throw in a bunch of oily sundried tomatoes. add in whatever spices you want, fresh basil is GREAT, i like lots of dill... let simmer while pasta is cooking. cook pasta, drain, and put back in cooking pot on different burner on LOW or warm heat. pour cream sauce over pasta, mix. toss in cheese, mix very well, and serve immediately.

got a recipe? email me and lemme try it out!

emily was here
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