Banana Bread.

This bread is perfection. When done right, it is just the right balance between springy texture and banana goodness. When under or over cooked, well, it's still pretty good. :) On top of it all, it's very easy. So please, never let your browning bananas go to waste again!

Banana Bread, from Elsie Van Camp

Ingredients:

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. shortening (I always use softened butter)

1 T. sour milk or cream (I used sour cream this time, but I often use sour milk)

1 t. baking soda

2 eggs, beaten

2 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

3 bananas, mashed well

1/2 c. nuts, optional (I almost always add walnuts or pecans, but I forgot this time!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5 in. loaf pan, (or several smaller pans) and set aside.

Cream the sugar and shortening (butter!) together till light and fluffy. Add sour milk or cream and baking soda to mixture, blend well. Add eggs.

Sift together the flour and salt, and then add to the mixture, alternating with the mashed bananas. When all is mixed well, add the nuts if you like. When well-blended, pour into loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. (Adjust cook time if you are cooking smaller loaves.) Enjoy!

Edna Mae's Sour Cream Pancakes.

Oh. My. Wow.  These pancakes, hands down, were the best I've ever made, possibly ever tasted. They are light, fluffy, not too sweet, and are scented with vanilla deliciousness. I can't wait until the next time I get to make these.

I confess, I am NOT a pancake connoisseur. We usually buy the box of 'Just add water' mix, and as much as I love the idea of making pancakes from scratch, I'd yet to come across a recipe that consistently turned out as nice as the mix. I may never buy the mix again now. (Though I probably will. I have a toddler, who goes from full to screaming hungry in five minutes. I need something fast.) These pancakes are not slow cookers, by any means. They are a lovely quick breakfast for a relaxed Saturday morning, or, depending how your weekday mornings are, perhaps even then. Please make them. You'll never look at pancakes the same again. 

Edna Mae's Sour Cream Pancakes

(Ree, the lovely woman who shared this recipe in her cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, does not have this recipe on her website anywhere that I can find. However, Deb over at Smitten Kitchen does such a lovely job with step-by-step photos and such I thought I'd send you there for the recipe. Enjoy!)

Lemon Granita.

This dessert is SO refreshing on a hot summer day. I've been tempted to take mine out to our deck to eat it in the evening, except that the mosquitoes have been terrible here. (We live near a swampy wildlife preserve.) Nevertheless, this lovely dish is light and fresh, a nice change from the heavy cakes, cookies and other desserts of late. I chose to make ours non-alcoholic, but if you wish for alcohol here, pour a bit of grappa or vodka over the top just before serving.

Lemon Granita, from The Simpler the Better, by Leslie Resvin

Ingredients:

4-5 lemons, with seeds (or any citrus. next time I'm trying lime!)

1 c. sugar (or to taste)

3 c. water

strawberries to top (opt.)

grappa or vodka, (opt.)

Directions:

Chill 9x13 metal pan in freezer.

Juice lemons, reserving seeds with juice. You should have about 3/4 cup juice with the seeds in it. Put in blender with sugar and water. Blend until sugar is dissolved and seeds are split open.

Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Pour mixture into chilled metal pan and freeze for 3 hours, stirring every hour or so as the slush forms. When it is all slush, it's done! Top with strawberries, alcohol, or nothing, as you see fit. Store in pan or in covered container. Enjoy!

Carrot Cake Pancakes.

This delicious recipe, (along with much more appetizing photos than I was able to take), is posted over on Picky Cook. Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cinnamon Honey Butter was a heavenly scented, delicious, relaxed breakfast. I wouldn't recommend making this on a busy weekday morning, unless you plan on getting up early, but it's wonderful to unwind with on a Saturday morning.

One of the things I love about this recipe is that it got my husband and son to eat carrots, something they are usually averse to. They were significantly more filling than regular pancakes, so if you have a smaller family, as we do, I'd suggest making a half batch.

Also, we didn't make the cinnamon honey butter as we had some whipped cinnamon honey on hand from our local farmer's market, and we simply spread that on with some butter and let the two melt together. Yum!

Blueberry Almond French Toast Bake.

This delicious breakfast is beyond simple. Prepare everything the night before, and in the morning, simply pop it in the oven when you wake up and let it bake while you get ready for your day.  If you like, you can trade the blueberries for any berry you prefer, though if you use strawberries I recommend slicing them first. I should divulge that this is a very egg-heavy recipe, and that I halved it, using an 9x9 pan, for that reason.

Blueberry Almond French Toast Bake, from Ellie Krieger's So Easy Cookbook

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1 whole-wheat baguette (about 18 in. long, 8 oz.) cut into 1 inch cubes

2 cups low fat milk

8 large eggs

8 large egg whites (that's right, in addition to the whole eggs.)

1/3 c. pure maple syrup (don't use imitation, it is so sorely lacking)

1 t. vanilla extract (I may or may not have put more than this, despite halving the recipe. You just can't go wrong with vanilla.)

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

2 cups fresh blueberries

1/3 c. sliced almonds

2 T. dark brown sugar

Directions:

Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange the bread in a single layer in the baking pan. Whisk together the milk, eggs, egg whites, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour the egg mixture over the bread in the pan, spreading it around so the liquid saturates the bread.  Scatter the blueberries evenly on top. Sprinkle with the almonds and brown sugar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Uncover and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Serve hot. Enjoy!