Banana Nut Muffins

Cooking Spray
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
4 Very Ripe Bananas

Muffin Base:

1 Cup All-purpose flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Grated Nutmeg
Pinch Of Salt

1/2 Cup Dark Brown or Dark Brown Muscovado Sugar, packed

1/3 Cup Canola Oil
2 Large Eggs at room temp.
3 Tablespoon Milk
3 Tablespoons Dark Rum or Rum Extract
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray. Place 2 teaspoons of butter and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar in each muffin cup. Bake until the mixture in each cup is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the center rack and let cool for a few minutes. Peel the bananas and cut them on a diagonal into 48 thin slices. In each muffin cup place two bananas slices on the bottom and two banana slices along the sides.

  

To make the muffins, sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt in a medium sized bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, eggs, milk, rum, and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the egg mixture, and stir just until blended. Do not overbeat. Divide evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them as full as possible (be sure to divide them evenly, they will be about 3/4 way full).

Bake until the center of a muffin springs back when pressed gently with your finger, about 18 minutes. Immediately invert and unmold the muffins onto a wire rack. Cool briefly and serve. The muffins are best the day they are made.

Mexican Taco Ring

Ingredients:

• 1- 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 (4 oz.) can sliced olives
• 1 can crescent roll dough
• 1 c. sour cream
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 c. crushed corn chips

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large skillet fry the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain and return to the pan. Add the taco seasoning mix, water and olives. Simmer 5 minutes.
3. Separate the crescent dough into triangles, press out slightly and place in a 9" pie dish, points toward the center of the dish. Press seams together to seal, forming the crust.
4. Sprinkle 1 cup of the crushed corn chips onto the crust. Spoon meat mix over the top of the corn chips, spreading evenly.
5. Stir sour cream until smooth, then spread over meat. Cover with the shredded cheese and the remaining 1 cup crushed corn chips.
6. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
7. Serve with salsa.

Salmon Sandwiches

• 1 Can Salmon
• Light Mayo
• Salt and Pepper
• Spike or Seasoning Salt
• Fat Free Shredded Cheese
• Hot Sauce
• Diet Wheat Bread

Take the salmon and mash them up in a bowl. Add a little mayo and add salt an pepper. Put on sliced wheat bread. Put in oven on 350  for 10 minutes.

Stefen's Tomato Gravy

After seeing so many people making tomato gravy, I had to finally had make this. It was absolutely fantastic. It warms up well days later if you don't eat the whole pan up first.  Don't let the name fool you as this is more of thick bisque than a gravy. And it's so so yummy!!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick or 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 1/2 cup chicken broth or water
• 1 14.5 can tomato puree *
• salt and pepper

* I like to use a can of tomato puree and 1/2 of diced tomatoes especially the fire roasted ones.

Directions:

Add the butter in the skillet and melt. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic powder. Go ahead and reduce the heat if the onions start to brown too quickly. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cook, stirring, 1 minute. This is like a good gravy rue. Nice and brown. Slowly whisk in the milk, then the broth or water. Simmer the mixture until thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the tomato puree or diced tomato or both,  add ½ teaspoon salt, and add ¼ teaspoon black pepper. If you don't measure salt and pepper, than salt to taste.

Serve with fresh biscuits. Especially Swim biscuts.

Peanut Butter Cocoa No-Bake Cookies

This recipe is one of the best no-bake cookie recipes I know of. I have made many different recipes but they all seem to turn out dry. This recipe has not failed me yet. In fact, I usually double this recipe.  They have a very good balance of chocolate and peanut butter. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups white sugar

• 1/2 cup butter

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2/3 cup peanut butter

• 3 cups quick cooking oats

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Place a piece of wax paper or foil on cookie sheet. 

2. Combine sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to rolling boil. Remove from heat; cool 1 minute.

3. Add peanut butter; stir to blend.

4.  Add oats, peanuts, and vanilla; stir to mix well.

5.  Quickly drop mixture by heaping teaspoons onto wax paper or foil. Cool completely.

6.  Store in cool, dry place

Nell's Frito's Corn Salad

This recipe is amazing and can be found at church homecomings all over eastern kentucky. So many people have copied it and adapted it. You will not regret making this for family reunions or other events with a lot people.

Ingredients:

• 3 CANS WHOLE KERNEL CORN, DRAINED GOOD
• 1 LARGE RED ONION, CHOPPED
• 3/4 CUP KRAFT OR HELLMAN'S MAYO
• 1 1/2 PACKS SHREDDED CHEDDAR CHEESE
• 1 BAG CHILI CHEESE FRITOS, (CRUSHED)

Directions:

In a large bowl, put in the drained corn. Next add the chopped onion and mix. Next add the mayonnaise, then the cheese and mix well. Additional mayo can be added to it. Just do a taste test.

When ready to serve. Crush the fritos and sprinkle all over top of the corn and mayo mixture. Mix in good. You can also add a chopped green pepper if you like. 

Note: Don't add the corn chips until ready to serve or it will be soggy.

This recipe is amazing and can be found at church homecomings all over eastern kentucky. So many people have copied it and adapted it. You will not regret making this for family reunions or other events with alot people.

Red Velvet Poke Cake

• 1 BOX RED VELVET CAKE MIX
• 2 SMALL BOXES OF INSTANT JELLO BRAND CHEESECAKE  PUDDING
• 1 MEDIUM TUB COOL WHIP
• 1 PACK OREOS

Directions:

SPRAY A 9x12  CAKE PAN AND SET ASIDE.

MAKE THE CAKE MIX UP ACCORDING TO DIRECTIONS AND POUR IN PAN.
BAKE ON 350 FOR 30 MINUTES. CHECK AS IT MAY BE A LITTLE TO MUCH TIME FOR SOME OVENS AND IT WILL BURN ON BOTTOM

WHEN BAKED LET COOL. TAKE A WOODEN SPOON HANDLE AND PUNCH HOLES
ALL OVER TOP OF COOLED CAKE.

MAKE UP THE INSTANT PUDDINGS TOGETHER IN A MEDIUM BOWL LEAVING OUT
1/2  CUP MILK.SPREAD THIS ALL OVER THE CAKE AND LET IT GET DOWN IN THE HOLES.

NEXT SPREAD COOL WHIP ALL OVER TOP OF PUDDING
CRUSH SOME OF THE OREOS AND SPRINKLE ALL OVER TOP OF COOL WHIP
IF TWO BOXES IS TOP MUCH PUDDING THEN JUST USE WHAT EVER AMOUNT YOU LIKE. 

THE OREOS WILL NOT MAKE THIS TO SWEET.
THIS COULD ALSO BE MADE INTO A TRIFLE.