Husband's Delight Casserole {Our 10 Year Anniversary}

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Today, Husband Man and I have reached a milestone in our lives.  Today marks 10 years we have been married :)  It's a big feat...being married for this long.  And we take it very seriously around here ;)

Even though today is our "official" Anniversary Day, we went out to celebrate two weeks ago while our children were in school.  It was out to our favorite spot for brunch (Cracker Barrel) and then he drove me around town to hunt down the gift that I have always wanted....a Past, Present, and Future ring from a major jewelry store. 

I'm happy to report that I am one happy mama right now........

....and I am rocking this ring every chance I get!

My official wedding ring was a one hundred dollar ring we found at Sam's Club....10 years ago...LOL!  I thought it was time for an upgrade...and thought that 10 years was the perfect time to do it ;) 

As a little gift/treat to him, I made the casserole up above.  This recipe has a story behind it........

I made this one night for him, around the 4th of July weekend back in 2000 (yes, it has been with us for that long).  I was working full time back then and so was he.  After we both got off work, our original plan was to go out to a nice, fancy restaurant.  However, I was to tired to mess with crowds that night so we both opted for a nice, romantic dinner at my apartment.  While I was making this casserole, he kept trying to convince me to go out to eat with him.  I started questioning why he was so adamant in going out for dinner.  He told me there wasn't any reason, he just wanted to give me the night off from cooking.  I didn't believe him and told him that I wanted to finish cooking.  Anyway, we finish our dinner....do the dishes...and then go to the living room to watch some tv.  

He was acting really, really, really strange after dinner.  He couldn't sit still the whole time we were watching tv.  Finally, he told me he had to go out to his truck because he "forgot" to bring something in when he arrived that evening.  Of course, I didn't think anything of it and said, "Ok.  Well....go get it."  

15 minutes later, he comes walking through my front door....approaches the couch where I am sitting...gets down on one knee...and asks the question, "Will you marry me?"  He pulls a 1/2 carrot, gold marquee engagement ring out of a box.  Shocked, surprised, and thrilled, I said yes to his request...and the rest as they say....is history ;)  His original proposal plan was to take me out to dinner and purpose at the restaurant....but he had to improvise since I didn't want to go out.  We like to joke around and blame his proposal on this casserole......because it truly is a "Husband's Delight."  

It has remained in our family for 11 years....and we hope it will become a family favorite in your household as well ;)

Husband's Delight Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb. Hamburger Meat

Half a jar of Spaghetti Sauce (we use the big bottle of Ragu)

1 envelope of dry Spaghetti Sauce

Half a package of egg noodles, wide or small

1 carton of Sour Cream (8 oz)

Half a bag of shredded Cheddar Cheese

Half a bag of shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Half a bag of shredded Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish.

2.  Brown hamburger meat and drain when finished. 

3.  While browning the meat, boil noodles and follow directions on the box.  Drain when finished.

4.  Mix the jar of spaghetti with the envelope of dry spaghetti sauce.  Combine it with the browned hamburger meat. 

5.  Take the cooked noodles and spread them onto the casserole dish. 

6.  Spread about 1/3 of the meat mixture on top of the noodles.

7.  Spread about 1/3 of the sour cream on top of the meat.

8.  Sprinkle the sour cream with half of the Cheddar Cheese and Mozzarella Cheese.

9.  Continue this layering process and end it with the cheese.  Sprinkle some Parmesan Cheese on the top.

10.  Bake for 30 minutes and serve :)

Happy 10 Year Anniversary Husband Man!

~You are the butter to my bread.  You are the breath to my Life~

-Julia Child

Brownie Pecan Pie and Mini-Bites

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Today is Dessert Monday here on the blog.  I am running in a little late with this post due to the crazy Easter weekend that the family and I had.  Normally I bake the desserts over the weekend, pre-write the post on Sunday, and publish it on Monday morning so y'all will have something 'sweet' to start your week off with.  However, that schedule went out the door this weekend. 

One of the causes for this delay was the retirement of our old, 1975 oven/stove.  On Friday evening, I went to turn the oven on to prepare it to make garlic toast...and well....it wouldn't preheat.  As a matter of fact, it wouldn't heat up....at....all :(  I was mortified!  I'm not a gal that deals easily with change and this was something that really put a dent in my evening.  Knowing how much I love to cook and bake, my wonderful Husband Man (and yes ladies....he is wonderful) hatched up a brilliant plan to go shopping for a new one after the Easter Festivities on Saturday.

Well folks......I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.......

Our very old, very ancient, and very retired 1975 stove (I'm embarrssed to even show this picture on here....however, y'all are like my family so it's all good).....

May she rest in peace......

And.....our new stove/oven............

I was sad at first...however, after using this new stove/oven a total of four times already, I am finding myself thrilled to pieces!!  What a breath of fresh air!  I am totally in love with our new appliance now and can't imagine ever going back to my old one...no matter how many treasured memories it may hold ;)

I officially broke-in the oven part this morning with the pie up above.  I wasn't going to at first, however, I was just 'itching' to use the baking option and wanted to mess with all the buttons and such ;)  Luckily, nothing screwed up and the pie came out perfect ;)

I saw this recipe on a cooking show I started watching last week.  We had all the ingredients for it so I figured I'd give it a whirl.  I can't stress enough how simple and easy this was to make. For anyone who is short on time and needs a quick dessert to whip up, this is the recipe for you!  No fancy shmancy ingredients or extra frills....just a boxed brownie mix, a bag of pecan halves, and a pre-made pie shell.  Perfect for the busy bodies out there ;)

You can make it in pie form or in mini-muffin form.....

Serve them with vanilla icecream and whipped cream with a cherry on top ;)  Or make them for your kids as a little dessert after dinner ;)  Either way you choose to eat them, they are sure to be fantabulous!!!

Brownie Pecan Pie and Mini-Bites

Ingredients:

1 regular sized box brownie mix (not the family size)

1 premade frozen 9 inch pie crust (deep dish or regular)

1 bag of pecan halves

Eggs (however many is directed on the brownie box)

Vegetable/Canola Oil  (double the amount on the brownie box)

Water (double the amount on the brownie box)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to what the temperature states on the brownie box.  If you are making them in mini muffin form, grease the mufin tin.

2.  Mix the brownie mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water in a large bowl. Stir until well mixed.

3.  Pour batter mixture into frozen pie shell or mini muffin tin.

4.  Place pecan halves around the edges of the pie in a circle, in the muffin tin, place a few pieces inside each cup.

5.  Bake for 35-40 minutes.

**Recipe notes:  If using a regular 9 inch frozen crust, you will have some batter left over.  You can always use the batter to make more in mini muffin tins or regular muffin tins.**

Cool Lime Chicken Fajita Salad {Low Fat}

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What else can I say about this salad other then what the picture shows?  If you want the taste of Mexican food without all the calories, make this salad tonight ;)  When I was pregnant with my first child, the only salads I would eat were the ones that were made at Applebee's. My favorite one was their Sante Fe Chicken Salad.  I really wish I would have found this recipe back then because the salad up above reminds me of those same ones I used to order...minus the guacamole, pico de gallo, and tortilla strips.  Of course, you can always add those things into this salad....but it may change the caloric intake.  This one is only 250 calories!!  Can y'all believe that??  250!  We made cheese quesidillas with ours, so we consumed more calories then that, however, it's so nice to be able to eat a salad and know that it seriously is low-fat ;)

The next time I make this though, I will probably add a dash or two of hot sauce because I like my salads to have a little kick to them.  To kick it up even more, use hot salsa instead of regular or plain.  Make it with some cheese quesidillas like we did and eat it for lunch.  Or pair it with some homemade soup and eat it for dinner.  Or just make it by itself and eat it whenever you want.  Either way you choose, you are guaranteed to enjoy this dish ;) 

Happy eating!  May your belly's be full and the pounds be shed ;)

Cool Lime Chicken Fajita Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 cup low fat sour cream

2 and 1/2 tbsp. lime juice

1 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. each chili powder and ground cumin

2 tbsp. of olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips

1 cup each sliced green and red bell peppers

1 small red onion, thinly sliced into rings

1/2 cup salsa (hot or mild)

2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

8 cups chopped or shredded romaine lettuce

1/2 cup shredded, reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese (or a Mexican mixture)

Directions:

1.  In a small bowl, combine sour cream, 1 and 1/2 tbsps. of the lime juice, sugar, chili powder, and cumin.  Refrigerate dressing until ready to use.

2.  Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink. 

3.  Continue to cook until chicken is lightly brown.  Add the peppers and onions and cook for 3 more minutes.  Add the salsa and cook for 2 more minutes.

4.  Stir in remaining 1 tbsp. lime juice and cilantro.  Mix well and remove from heat.

5.  To assemble salad, divide lettuce among 4 serving plates.  Top with warm chicken mixture.  Spoon dressing over salad.  Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.

***Recipe Notes: To jazz it up a bit, add a couple of dashes of hot sauce to taste.  For a real treat, you can also add tortilla strips, guacamole, or pico de gallo.***

 

Lemon Apricot Supreme Cake

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The above cake has been in Husband Man's family for generations, however, it wasn't until recently when I came across the recipe.  It was given to me by one of my hubby's many uncles.  I was hesitant to try it at first because it is supposedly one of the recipe's that his grandmother has been known for.  I'm not sure if it's because I'm just not Southern enough to make them, or I just don't have that wonderful family cooking gene that his family possesses; however, every time I try to duplicate one of her recipe's, it always ends up in an epic fail.  So y'all can understand why I had this recipe sitting in my inbox for a good few weeks after I received it.  I just didn't know if it would be possible to pull it off, so to speak. 

After a few days of mulling over things, I finally decided to put my big girl panties on and deal with things head on.  I told myself that it was just a recipe and that I shouldn't let it intimidate me...even if it was from my children's great grandmother.  I am so glad that I trudged along and beat that fear because this cake is divine!  I had a little trouble figuring out how much powdered sugar to put into the glaze, however after corresponding with my hubby's uncle, I learned that the glaze is more of a 'go by taste' kind of thing.  I had put just a tad bit to much sugar in ours...lol..but it still came out wonderful...just a tad bit sweeter then normal.  Make this cake and serve it straight out of the oven with a glass of cold milk....or bring it to room temperature and serve with some coffee.  Since it has apricots and lemon, it would also make a good base for a great strawberry shortcake dessert ;)  We really enjoyed it this weekend and hopefully y'all will too ;)

Lemon Apricot Supreme Cake

Ingredients:

1 can of Bakers Joy spray

1 box of Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme cake mix

1 can of Apricot Nectar (11.5 oz)
2/3 cup of sugar (you can put a little less)
2/3 cup of Canola oil (you can put a little less)
4 eggs
About ½ cup of self rising flour
About ¾ to 1 1/4 cups of lemon juice
At least one bag Confectionery sugar

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven on to 350 degrees.

2.  Add the self rising flour and the cake mix to an appropriately sized mixing bowl.

3.  Add the canola oil and stir in thoroughly with a spoon

4.  Add the sugar, eggs and the apricot nectar.

5.  Beat thoroughly with a mixer until completely smooth, and let stand for a short time (about 3-5 minutes, it “thickens”).

6.  Pour into a Bundt Pan which has been liberally sprayed with Baker’s Joy.

7.  Bake until you can insert a toothpick into the center and pull out clean (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).

8.  While cake is baking, mix glaze and moistener:

The moistener:
Into one bowl with about ¼ cup of lemon juice, mix enough confectionery sugar to sweeten but not thicken – this is the moistener.  There is no measurement for this, it's just a 'go by taste' kind of thing.

The glaze:
Into a second bowl with about ¾ to 1 cup of lemon juice, add confectionery sugar until it becomes thick enough to form a glaze , this will stiffen as it sits while the cake bakes ( it takes a lot of confectionery sugar..and is a 'go by taste' kind of thing).

As soon as the cake is removed from the oven, re-stir and pour the moistener onto the bottom of the hot cake allowing it ample time to soak in before inverting and removing it from the Bundt Pan. 

Invert Bundt Pan and remove cake onto plate. Allow cake to cool somewhat before liberally applying glaze (cake should be very warm, but not hot at this point, this will allow glaze to soak in a little but still stay mostly on the surface of the cake).

Poor Man's Spam {Recipe From Guam}

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The above recipe has been passed down from generation to generation in my family.  It was my mother's recipe, who in turn received it from her mother, etc, etc, etc.  For those who don't know, my mother and father are both from the island of Guam...born and raised.  When my mother married my father and moved to the United States, she made sure to take all the recipes she grew up on along with her.  This was one of them.  I can't tell y'all how many times she would make this dish while we were growing up.  As she would make it, she would tell us that in the beginning of her marriage, this was all my dad and her were able to afford to eat.  Hence the name....Poor Man's Spam.  Of course, it's not like that now with them....however I am sure every time my parents make this recipe, it takes them back to that time in their lives when love was new and money was tight.

When I make it for my family, it takes me back to those evenings, sitting in my parent's kitchen and keeping my mother company while she sauteed the onions and Spam.  Growing up, her and I spent the majority of our mother/daughter time in the kitchen.  We would talk about our day and about what boy I was interested in or what kind of pre-teen drama I was having at the time.  Sometimes I would sit at the table and watch her while she cooked, leaving the lines of communication open between the both of us. Other times I would stand in front of the sink and wash countless numbers of dishes while conversing with her about my day.  These are the memories I hope to make with my children one day.  As they are wonderful ones that I have learned to treasure and I can only hope my children will too.

When you first look at the ingredients, it reminds you of the ingredients you need to make fried rice.  Then you see the green beans in it and it totally throws you for a loop.  We don't eat Spam on a normal basis.  As a matter of fact, I'm not a fan of Spam at all.  For some reason though, I don't mind it in this dish...and it may be due to it being mixed in with the tomatoes.  This is a great meal to make when you don't have a lot of time and need something in a hurry.  Make the rice and chop the onions and Spam ahead of time, then throw everything together in a skillet (minus the rice) when it's time to eat.  So simple and so good ;)  Give it a try and see for yourself ;)

Poor Man's Spam

Ingredients:

1/2 cup to 1 cup chopped onion (however much you would like)

1 can of Spam, chopped

3 tbsp. of olive oil

1 can of green beans, drained (any kind will do...we've made it with french style, cut styled, etc...)

1 can of Ro-Tel tomatoes, undrained

Directions:

1.  Saute' onions in oil until soft.

2.  Add chopped Spam and saute' for 2-3 minutes.

3.  Add the green beans and tomatoes.

4.  Simmer for a good 15 minutes on low to medium heat.

5.  Serve over rice.

***Recipe notes:  You can also use regular diced tomatoes or stewed tomatoes in place of Ro-Tel***

Grilled Tomato, Smoked Turkey, and Muenster Cheese Sandwiches

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Today is Wednesday and I made a vow to myself that I will try and post a healthy recipe every Wednesday.  The above sandwich definitely fits into this category ;)  Before I get to the recipe though, I have a few announcements........

~We are guest posting over at The Country Cook today!  When y'all get a chance, you should pop over there, read the post, and check out Brandie's wonderful site.  If you enjoy good ole' fashion home cookin, you will really love her site ;)  Thank you Brandie for giving me the opportunity to do a guest post today :) 

~Starting today, my lovely Husband Man will start to contribute his view point or comments on some of the recipes that will be posted on here.  It won't be on all of them, but if he feels he needs to add a note or two, he will be doing it ;)  Him and I are truly a Husband and Wife team ;)

Now onto the recipe......

This sandwich has been in our family favorite file for almost 10 years!  It is a Cooking Light recipe and Husband Man and I just love it to death.  The mixture of the Dijon mustard with the sour cream and red onions really make this sandwich pop with flavor.  The addition of the muenster cheese brings a certain smokey flavor to it as well, reminding you of a grilled cheese, only better ;)  When we made this sandwich this weekend, I had a little trouble toasting the bread on our metal skillet so Husband Man decided to step in and come to my rescue!  What a lucky lady I am huh?  ;)  He is the master in our household when it comes to making sandwiches  and no one can touch him when it comes to cooking them.  Not even me!  While he was helping me toast the bread, he mentioned that my readers should know what was going on.....so I suggested that he should write about it....and he took me up on my offer. 

---------Husband Man's Commentary---------

For Best Results:

My wife likes to call me the "sandwich master". I must have inherited the skill from my father, because it seems when I was growing up he could make almost anything into a sandwich. Following are some tips I gave Libby in preparation of this scrumdiddlyumptious meal:

1) Don't get the skillet too hot. This is a hard lesson to learn, especially if you cook with non-coated stainless steel like we do. Hint: metal skillets are a great conductor, especially ones with copper cores! Use moderate heat - we're just trying to gently toast the bread. Too hot and we're going to fuse the bread to the pan no matter how much Pam we use.

2) Use a very thin coating of butter on the bread unless you just really, really like butter. Of course butter is going to bring a little flavor to the package, but its primary use on this is for toasting; using too much butter is going to saturate your sandwich, making the bread soggy.

3) In keeping with avoiding the soggies, toast your bread bare or with the "dry" ingredients first, adding the 'wet stuff' at the very end. This ensures you aren't later eating your sandwich with a spoon.

In this case, I toasted my bread and layered the turkey on one piece, the cheese on the opposite. Once the cheese began to melt a bit, I added sliced tomato over the cheese.

Lastly, I added a bit more than a tablespoon of the mixture to the turkey side. I did this just before stacking both sides of the sandwich, as it saturates the bread if you leave the mixture on for the entire toasting duration. Plus, this way gives the sandwich a nice cold/hot juxtaposition of the ingredients.

If you absolutely want warm ingredients throughout, try using the mixture on the turkey-side of the sandwich - the turkey makes a better moisture barrier than the cheese and will slow the bread's saturation.

---------------------

Yes, he blows me out of the water with his writing skills ;)  I <3 him to death though ;)  Each sandwich is 451 calories.  Make them for your family and friends and serve it with a nice side salad and some fresh fruit. 

~May your belly's be full and the pounds be shed~

Grilled Tomato, Smoked Turkey, and Muenster Cheese Sandwiches

 (adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. of chopped red onion

3 tbsp. of fat free sour cream

1 tbsp. of Dijon Mustard

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

4 tsp. butter, softened

4 (1 and 1/2 oz.) slices sourdough bread

6 (1 oz.) slices smoked turkey breast

4 (1/2 inch thick) slices tomato

2 (1/2 oz.) slices Muenster Cheese

Directions:

1.  Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl. 

2.  Warm a skillet over medium heat and spray with Pam.

2.  Spread 1 tsp. of butter on one side of each bread slice.

3.  Cover one slice with 2 or 3 sliced smoked turkey.  Cover the other piece of bread with one cheese slice.

4.  Place them on the skillet to toast.

5.  Add two tomato slices to the bread with the cheese on it. 

6.  Once both pieces of bread are toasted, add the red onion mixture to the piece with the turkey..and you can also add some to piece with the cheese also, depending on how much you want.

7.  Take the two bread pieces off the skillet and combine to make a sandwich. 

8.  Serve warm ;)

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

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It's been a while since a casserole dish has been posted so I figured I'd change that today ;)  This recipe is comfort food at it's finest y'all.  Out of the whole 10 years I have been cooking, I have only made this twice.  I think it needs to be made more then that in our household because everyone just loves it.  Husband Man watched me assemble it and replied, "I remember this casserole! And from what I can remember, it was really good!"  I found that amazing that he could remember something that I have only made twice the whole time we have been married.  It must have really left an impression on him ;)

This dish is Mexican meets Country.  There's Ro-Tel tomatoes in it, as well as tortilla strips and diced green chiles.  Combine all this with sour cream, cream of chicken, and Monterrey/Colby/cheddar cheese and you have one outstanding casserole.  I had some peppers and mushrooms left over from this recipe so I decided to throw those in as well.  The results were out of this world!!  It's the perfect dish to make if you are looking to spice things up a bit at dinner time but still want that country taste.  Serve this with a nice green salad and some southern sweet tea to round out the meal ;)  Yummmmmm!

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

3 or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)

1 whole onion, chopped

1/2 cup of green peppers, chopped

1/2 cup of sliced fresh mushrooms

2-3 tbsp. of butter

1 (10 oz.) can Ro-Tel Tomatoes (mild or hot), drained

2 (10 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles

1 (10 count) package flour tortillas

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack/Colby Cheese

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 inch casserole dish with non-stick spray. 

2.  Heat butter in a large skillet.  Saute' onion, peppers, and mushrooms until tender.

3.  Combine shredded chicken, onion mixture, and drained Ro-Tel Tomatoes in a bowl.  Mix well.

4.  In another bowl, combine sour cream, chicken soup, and green chiles.  Mix well.

5.  Cut or tear the tortillas into strips or bite sized pieces.

6.  In the casserole dish, layer half the chicken mixture, tortillas, soup mixture, cheddar cheese, and Monterrey Jack/Colby Cheese.

7.  Repeat the layers, ending with the cheese on top.

8.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway going on here :)  Click here to enter.  Deadline is Monday, April 11th :)

Three Cheese Vegetable Pizza

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Pizza!!  Better yet, healthy pizza!!  You might ask, is there really such a thing as a 'healthy pizza?' And I'm here to tell ya, yes....there is ;) 

We're trying to eat healthier in this household and when I came across this recipe for low-fat pizza, I just couldn't resist trying to make it.  I designated Husband Man as my official vegetable chopper (believe me when I say that there are TONS of veggies in this recipe) and as he was doing his job, he told me, "I don't know about this pizza.  I'm already a skeptic because it has broccoli in it.  Broccoli just looks weird on pizza."  Ha!  Once it came out of the oven, he took one bite of his piece and quickly changed his mind.

This pizza is the perfect...and I mean perfect...combination of veggies and cheese and spices.  You have red and yellow bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, red onions, and zucchini.  It also calls for three different types of cheese....Parmesan/Romano, mozzarella, and feta.  Did y'all know that there are different flavors of feta cheese??  I did not know this so you can imagine how giddy I was when I arrived at the specialty cheese section of our Commissary.  I was literally in heaven because I couldn't figure out which flavor of feta to purchase.  Everything just looked so good!  I finally settled on tomato and basil. Yummmmoooo!  This recipe is great to make for people who are trying to watch their weight or who don't like lots of meat on their pizza.  Best part is....it's only 214 calories per slice!!!  Yep...isn't that just awesome?!  We loved it over here and hopefully y'all will too ;)  May your belly's be full and the pounds be shed ;)

P.S.  If you haven't entered the giveaway that is going on over here, you should. Click here to read more about it.  Contest ends Monday, April 11th. 

Vegetable and Feta Cheese Pizza

(Makes one 12 inch pizza, 6 large slices)

Ingredients:

2 cups sliced, mushrooms

1 cup broccoli florets, cut small

3/4 cup thinly sliced zucchini

1/2 cup each thinly sliced red and yellow bell peppers

Half of a red onion, thinly sliced into rings

1/8 cup olive oil

1 tbsp. of minced garlic

1 tbsp. pesto sauce

1/3 cup pizza sauce

1 (12 inch) unbaked pizza crust, store bought or homemade

3 tbsp. shredded Parmesan/Romano cheese

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, light is preferred but if you can't find light...go crazy and pick a flavor ;)

1/2 cup shredded, part skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Add garlic, mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, red and yellow peppers, and onions.  Cook and stir over medium heat until vegetables are tender and they shrink. 

3.  Remove vegetables from heat and stir in the pesto sauce.  Mix well.

4.  Spread pizza sauce evenly over unbaked pizza crust.  Sprinkle with Parmesan/Romano cheese.  Top with vegetable mixture.  Sprinkle feta and mozzarella cheese over top.

5.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, until crust is lightly browned and cheese is completely melted.  Serve immediately.

***Recipe notes:  You can also top with sliced olives,diced tomatoes, or sun-dried tomatoes***

Banana Sour Cream Cake & A Giveaway!!!

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We have a Giveaway going on today!!  I'll get to that a little later on....but first...the recipe....

When I was growing up, my mother only made one version of banana bread.  Every time our bananas were on the tail-end of ripening, she would make that famous bread and everyone in my family enjoyed devouring it.  After I moved out and on my own, I tried to duplicate her recipe.  Much to my dismay, it failed almost every time.  I think I even called her up one afternoon and asked her if she had switched the ingredients around on me when I first asked her for the recipe.  She was shocked that I would even think such a thing...then I felt bad for even thinking that she may have done that.

In any event, I left well enough alone and decided to spread my wings in terms of finding that perfect banana bread recipe.....that wasn't my mothers.  That is how I came across this recipe.  I remember reading the title and thinking to myself, "how strange!  Bananas and sour cream???  What a weird combination!"  Of course, being the huge, confectionery foodie that I am, I had try it out.  If it flopped, no big deal.  I would just throw the recipe away and vow never to make it again.  Well, it didn't flop.  And now, 10 years later, this recipe has remained in our family favorites file and has no plans on leaving anytime soon. 

One thing you will notice is that it isn't actual banana bread.  It's a banana cake.  And I have made it in many different forms.  It's been made in a 9x13 inch rectangle pan, in cupcake/muffin tins, and now as a 9 inch double layer circle cake. I do not suggest making it in a loaf pan.  I've tried that once and it came out an epic fail.  You can use the frosting that goes along with this recipe or find a nice chocolate one or even a yummy caramel or cream cheese one.  Toast some shredded coconuts/almond slivers or chop up some walnuts and add them to the sides and the top.  Or just dust a layer of confectioner's sugar on the top like I did.  Either way, have fun with it.  I never did figure out what went wrong when I made my mother's banana bread recipe and I suppose one day, I may try to make it again.  Until then, our family will stick with this one ;) 

Banana Sour Cream Cake

Ingredients for cake:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter (at room temp)

2 eggs

3 mashed bananas

1 and 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

4 tbsp. sour cream

1/2 tsp. almond flavoring

Ingredients for frosting:

1/4 cup butter (room temp)

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1/8 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions for cake:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar together.  Add eggs and bananas and beat until well mixed.

2.  Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.

3.  Alternate mixing in the dry ingredients with sour cream into the banana mixture. 

4.  Add the almond flavoring and beat until very little lumps are left.

5.  Pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan, a lined cupcake tin, or divide batter into 2 greased 9 inch circle pans.

6.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Directions for the frosting:

1.  While the cake is cooling, mix together 1/4 cup butter at room temp, 2 cups confectioner's sugar, and 1/8 cup sour cream.  Once all this is together, stir in the vanilla extract.

2.  Frost the cake once it is cooled.

***Recipe notes:  If you are making the cake in a 9x13 pan, you will have to double the amount of frosting.  Also, if you are using the sour cream/butter frosting in this recipe, be sure to store the cake in the fridge due to the sour cream.***

-----Now for the Giveaway-----

****THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED****

A few weeks ago, I promised my Facebook Followers a giveaway if they can get us up to 300.  Well, I am happy to report that not only did we get up to the 300 mark.....we also passed it and now have close to 350 followers!  Y'all...that's halfway to 400!!!  Seeing these numbers makes this mama very, very, very happy and very, very, very proud! 

And to reward everyone for their well earned efforts, I have decided to host this giveaway, as payment back to all the friends and fans out there who have helped spread the word about Cooking With Libby.

For the prizes, I drew upon my own collection of recipe cards and cookbooks...and came up with these lovely gifts to giveaway......

We have:

The Essential Cooking Series (Comprehensive, Step-by-Step Cooking) Baking Edition

A Medium Ribbon Grater from Microplane

A 12 count pack of Paula Deen Recipe Cards, with 6 different recipes of hers on each one

An 8 pack of blank Paula Deen recipe cards

Let's take a look at each one closely......

This cookbook was given out to everyone who participated in one of the cooking classes I gave last year, back in November.  Click here to read about the class.

This is the front of the cookbook....

Check out that table of contents....it even has a conversion section....which comes in handy quite a lot when you are baking/cooking......

The other thing I like about this cute little book is how awesome the pictures are...

This is the Microplane up close.....

I must also report that I actually have one of these...thanks to Frigidaire...and it's been such a life saver to use. I really enjoy using it and I hope whoever wins this will too ;)  If you would like to read my review of it, click here.

Up next is the set of Paula Deen Recipe Cards.......

....the pack comes with 6 different recipes from Paula herself.....you can't beat that!

Last but not least, is the pack of individual blank recipe cards with Paula Deen's famous quotes on them.....

Quotes include:

"Good For the Soul", "Country Cookin Makes Ya Good Lookin," "Best Dishes and Best Wishes From My Kitchen To Yours," and "Just Because This Recipe is Easy to Put Together Doesn't Mean it's not Delicious."

Would you like to be the lucky winner of this modge podge of goodies??

All you have to do is leave a comment after this post telling me what your favorite kitchen gadget/appliance to use in the kitchen is.....

If you have a blog and/or Facebook Account and/or Twitter Account, announce this contest to everyone on there and ask that they become a follower of Cooking With Libby and you will be entered twice. 

 Be sure to post back here that you have made an announcement on your Facebook, Twitter, and/or blog...and post the link to the url of that blog post or else I won't know to enter you twice.  Only one entry per account is allowed (meaning, you won't be entered three times if you have a blog, Facebook, and Twitter...you will only be entered once for one of those accounts).

Also, please leave an e-mail address so I can contact you when/if you do win.

The winner will be chosen on Monday, April 11th through Random.org.

***This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only***

Good luck and thank you to everyone who has made this blog a success!! Y'all are the best!! ;)