Not a cook. Not a baker. Just a foodie.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Magnolia's Banana Pudding

  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

  • 1 1/2 cups ice cold water

  • 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix (preferably Jell-O brand)

  • 3 cups heavy cream

  • 1 (12-ounce) box Nabisco Nilla Wafers (no substitutions!)

  • 4 cups sliced ripe bananas

  1. In a small bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the pudding mix and beat well, about 2 minutes more. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight, before continuing. It is very important to allow the proper amount of time for the pudding mixture to set.

  2. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remain.

  3. To assemble the dessert, select a large, wide bowl (preferably glass) with a 4-5-quart capacity. Arrange one-third of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, overlapping if necessary, then one-third of the bananas and one-third of the pudding. Repeat the layering twice more, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer of the pudding. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours - or up to 8 hours, but no longer! - before serving.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding

Not Yo Mama’s Banana Pudding by Paula Deen

Ingredients:

2 bags of Pepperidge Farms Chessman Cookies (Nilla Wafers, or any cookies of your liking)

3-5 Bananas, sliced

2 cups cold milk (I use Non-Fat)

1 box of French Vanilla pudding (I use fat free/sugar free)

1 Eight Oz. Package of Cream Cheese (I use lowfat…nonfat is disgusting in this recipe)

1 Fourteen Oz. Can of Condensed Milk (again I use Fat Free/Sugar Free)

1 Twelve Oz. Container of Frozen Whipped Topping (Fat Free/Sugar Free Cool Whip)

Line bottom of 12×9x2 glass dish with cookies, then bananas.

Combine milk and pudding and let sit for five minutes or so.

In a seperate bowl (or your Kitchenaid) whip together cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth. Fold in whipped cream with pudding, then mix all together with cream cheese mixture until smooth and creamy. Pour into dish over cookies/bananas, then layer top with additional cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Sunday, January 11, 2009

Alabama Fudge Cake

Alabama Fudge Cake

I whipped this up as a quick birthday cake for my new friend from Alabama. Quick and easy and, according to the boys, absolutely divine.

1 pkg devil's food cake mix (no pudding)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
2 cups hot water
1 tsp vanilla extract
Vanilla ice cream
Chopped pecans

Prepare cake batter according to directions on package. Pour into lightly greased cake pan (13x9 in).

Stir together sugar and next three ingredients; pour over batter (it will sink to bottom of pan). Don't stir.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with ice cream and chopped pecans.

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

How to Cook a Steak

In fact, cooking steaks, and cooking them well, is exceedingly easy to do. Observe:

1. Take the steak out of the refrigerator, and rub it down with some olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper.

2. Put a skillet or saute pan in the oven, and heat the oven to 450 degrees.

3. Take the skillet out of the oven (don't forget the towel or oven mitt, rocket-boy; the skillet will be searingly hot) and place it on the stove, over high heat.

4. Put the steak in the middle of the skillet for four minutes.

5. Turn the steak over, and put the skillet back into the oven for five minutes.

6. Check for doneness - you can make a small incision (the rookie choice), use an instant-read thermometer (the techie choice - 130 degrees for medium rare), or poke it with your finger (the pro choice - learn how). Depending on your preferences, either leave the meat in for another minute or two, or pull it out.

7. Plate the steak, let it rest for 5-10 minutes so the juices redistribute evenly, then serve.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Runza in a Pan

1 lb hamburger
1 c. chopped onion
1 pkg. shredded cabbage
2 pkg.(8 roll) crescent rolls reduced fat
1 can crm of mushroom soup
6oz of shredded chz
A little bit of salt/ pepper & seasoning (any to your liking)

Brown hamb. & onion, remove from pan & ... Read More. Cook cabbage until soft. Stir all together meat mixture, cabbage, soup & your seasonings in pan. Press 1 pkg of rolls into bottom of a 9x13 pan. Pour mixture over dough & sprinkle with chz. Unroll 2nd pkg of crescent rolls over top. Bake @ 375 for 10-15 min.
SOOOO GOOD!!!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

perfect pumpkin cookies

2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening (1/2 butter, 1/2 Crisco)
1 can pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla
*Cream sugar and shortening. Add pumpkin and vanilla.
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
6-12 oz. chocolate chips
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

6 tbsp. butter or margarine, divided
25 Nilla wafers, finely crushed (about 1 1/4 cups crumbs)
2 tbsp sugar
4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
2 large bananas, sliced
1 pkg. (4 serving size) JELL-O vanilla flavor instant pudding and pie filling
1 3/4 cups cold milk
1 cup thawed Cool Whip whipped topping

Melt 1/4 cup of the butter; place in medium bowl. Add wafer crumbs and sugar; mix well. Remove 2 tbsp. of the crumb mixture; set aside for later use. Press remaining crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate; set aside.

Microwave chocolate and remaining 2 tbsp. butter in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until butter is melted; stir until chocolate is completely melted. Drizzle evenly onto bottom of crust; top with bananas. Set aside.

Prepare dry pudding mix with 1 3/4 cups cold milk as directed on package for pie; pour evenly over bananas. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Top with whipped topping just before serving; sprinkle with reserved 2 tbsp. crumb mixture. Store leftover pie in refrigerator.

Eight servings.