Eileen Rose's Banana Bread

1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar or Splenda for baking
2 eggs
3 bananas, mashed up
4 T. milk
1 tsp baking powder
2 c. flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. nuts (optional)

Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs. Add milk and continue to mix. Add mashed bananas. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Mix dry into wet ingredients. Add nuts, if using. Add to greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes then turn down to 325 and bake for another hour or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Lemon-Blueberry Tea Bread Recipe

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated Splenda for baking

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1/2 cup milk

1-1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Lemon Glaze

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter (or spray with a non stick vegetable spray) the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of your Kitchen Aide or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until softened (about 1 minute). Add the Splenda and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest. With the mixer on low, add the flour and milk a third at a time, alternating until all is added, scraping down sides of bowl at intervals. Mix only until combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55 to 65 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, mix confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice until well blended, set aside.

When the bread is done, remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Pierce the hot loaf all over with a wooden skewer or toothpick and then brush the top of the loaf with the hot lemon glaze. Cool the loaf in the pan for about 30 minutes then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. This bread is best served on the day it is made. Makes 1 loaf.

Potato Leek Soup

It's getting chilly! Here is a delicious flavorful creamy soup. A good make ahead soup as it tastes even better the next day.

1 cup of butter
3 leeks, sliced
1 quart of chicken stock
1 tablespoon cornstarch
5 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Cook leeks in butter until tender, stirring frequently (do not brown) about 15 minutes. Stir cornstarch into stock, then combine with leeks in pot. Add spices. Add the potatoes and bring to boil. Pour in the cream and simmer for about 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Last Evening at 9:00 p.m. ...

An Irish Coffee (to celebrate Irish fest in Milwaukee)

Ingredients:

1 cup of freshly brewed hot coffee

1-2 teaspoons brown sugar (or brown sugar Splenda)

1-1/2 oz Irish Whiskey

Whipped cream

In a mug combine the first three ingredients and top with whipped cream!

Love This Breed

I've picked the breed of my next dog ... they are a gentle giant. Much the size of the Newfoundland and the gentle personality of the Golden Retriever. Have to pick a name for him ... something Irish. Any suggestions?

Sammy of Ballyvara House, Doolin, Ireland

I love donkeys and Sammy is the most beautiful I have met. I would love to own a donkey - will have to move out of the city though.

Baked Apple Pancake

4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup whole milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (separated)
3 large apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar (or Brown Sugar Splenda)
Confectioners' sugar
Syrup, if desired

In a large mixing bowl, combine the beaten eggs, milk, flour, and vanilla, and whisk until just blended, being careful to not over beat.

Set the batter aside to rest at least 20 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat the oven to 450 F. In a heavy ovenproof 12-inch skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat. Add the apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are soft and lightly golden around the edges, about 6 minutes. Add the brown sugar and cook, stirring, until the apples are caramelized and very soft, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and stir to melt.

Pour the batter evenly over the top of the apples. Using oven mitts or pot holders, transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the pancake is golden brown and puffed, about 15 minutes. Don't be alarmed when you see the edges of the pancake puff up over the top of the pan--this is supposed to happen!

Using oven mitts or pot holders, remove the skillet from the oven and serve the pancake immediately, sprinkled with sifted confectioners' sugar or drizzled with maple syrup, as desired.

Yield: 1 extra large pancake

Adapted from Emerils German Apple Pancake

Pigs in a Blanket - Recipes from Friends

From my friend Carol:

One of Carols favorite recipes is Pigs in a Blanket. This recipe can be cooked in the crockpot, oven or fried. Carol cooks hers in a crockpot.

Per Carol: It is thin sliced round steak, bacon and onion and cream of mushroom soup. You take the thin sliced steak cut into strips put a piece of uncooked bacon and a piece of onion in each strip, secure in half with a toothpick cover all with two cans cream of mushroom soup or more depending on how much gravy you like. Put in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours serve over rice delicious!

Fall Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to the winner of the Crockpot Cookbook giveaway - Carol. I am grateful to everyone who participated! An email has been sent from sleeplessinwisc at gmail dot com to notify you that you are the winner! There were 12 comments/emails/tweets and comment number 3 was the random number generated by random.org.

Fall Giveaway!

How about this for spreading a little Fall love in the form of...A GIVEAWAY!

When I think of Fall, I think of hearty home cooked meals.

I will be giving away this brand new handbook for slow cooking. The New Creative Crock Pot Cookbook features tons of recipes from around the world including low-fat recipes. This book is paperback and has 224 pages.

To enter - earn one entry for each of the following activities (up to 10 entries per person):
* Leave a comment on this post. Please include your e-mail address so I can contact you.
* Not a Blogger? enter by emailing me, send me an email to sleeplessinwisc at gmail dot com
* Tell all yours friends on Facebook about this giveaway.
* Follow or subscribe to this blog, and leave me a comment on this post telling me you're a subscriber. If you're already a follower or subscriber, comment telling me that.
* Blog about this contest and include a link to this post. Leave a comment with a link to your blog entry.
* Tweet about this contest. Leave a comment with a link to your tweet.
* Leave a comment on any other post (except giveaways) and leave a comment here telling me which post you commented on. You can do this up to five times for five additional entries.
* Follow me on Twitter (link in sidebar) and leave a comment telling me you're a follower. If you're already a follower, comment telling me that.
* Post one comment for each entry. Each comment must include your e-mail address.

I'll pick a winner randomly Thursday, October 1st. Good luck! The winner will have 48 hours to reply to claim their prize.

Irish Beef Stew

Its a rainy chilly day in Wisconsin. A perfect day for this Irish Stew.

Ingredients:
2 lbs. beef for stew
1 onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 lg. potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
3 lg. carrots, peeled and cut into thick slices
1 bag frozen peas, about 16 ounces
20 ounces beef broth
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
2 tbsp. cooking oil
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
Cut beef into bite-size cubes. Toss beef cubes to coat with flour. Heat oil in large pot. Add celery, onion and bay leaf. Cook on low until onions and celery are translucent but not browned. Add the beef a little at a time to the pan and brown beef completely. Add beef broth and tomato sauce. If necessary, add enough water to cover beef. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover pot and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until beef is tender. Add carrots and potatoes. Cook 1/2 hour until vegetables are tender. Add frozen peas. Cook 5-10 minutes until peas are tender.

Serve with Irish Soda bread.

Vanilla Bean Frapp

Makes 1 large serving:
1 tablespoons sugar (or Splenda)
1 cup 2 % milk
2 cups ice
4 scoops vanilla bean ice cream

Blend until ice is completely crushed. Top with whipped cream (optional)

WFMW - No More Morning Madness (Back to School Tips)

Your school mornings, are they chaotic or calm? Here are a few tips for you that have worked for me.
During dinnertime, discuss your child’s day. What do they need from you for their next school day/week?
Plan ahead. Your children will have a happy start to their day. And so will you. Do these things the night before school:
- Set the breakfast table after you clear the dinner dishes. Plan to sit with your children at breakfast.
- Lay out children's clothing, or have them do it for you to double check, this includes socks, shoes, belts, hair items, and everything they will wear/need. Don’t forget to check the weather. Is their outer clothing ready and together?
- Pack lunches or provide lunch money.
- Permission slips, notes to Teacher, signed/written.
- Is everything in the backpack? Check.
This leaves few essential things to be done in the morning.

For more back to school tips check out Kristens blog, Works for Me Wednesday @ We are THAT Family.

Amaretto Fruit Salad

1 cup Amaretto
1 cup dry white wine, separated into two 1/2 cups
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 pint strawberries, cleaned and sliced
1 cup seedless grapes
2 unpeeled apples, cored and diced
2 unpeeled pears, cored and diced
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
2 fresh figs or fresh kiwifruit, peeled and sliced (I used kiwi)
Mix the Amaretto, 1/2 cup of wine, the sugar and the lemon juice in a large serving bowl.
Add the fruit, and toss. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Immediately before serving, pour the remaining 1/2 cup of the wine over the fruit, and toss again.

Watermelon and Red Onion Salad

1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1/3 cup raspberry vinegar
1/3 cup fresh or frozen raspberries, pureed and strained
2 teaspoons honey, or to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 red onions, thinly sliced
2 bunches watercress, stems removed
8 cups watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes

Whisk together the shallots, vinegar, raspberry puree, honey, and oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Separate the onions into rings. Pour the vinaigrette over the onions and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
Arrange a bed of watercress on each chilled plate. Top with the cubed watermelon and drape the onion rings on top. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and garnish with julienned mint leaves if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Bumble Collection Giveaway - Diaper Bag

Another great giveaway - this one is for a diaper bag by the Bumble Collection - http://welcometothemotherhood.blogspot.com/2009/01/bumble-collection-giveaway.html

Giveaway - Expectant Mom's

Breasting feeding 1-2-3- is having a great giveaway! This is a great chance to win a breast pump set from Breast Pumps Direct. You will receive the set, plus bonus prizes. Go to http://www.breastfeeding123.com/win-a-manual-breast-pump-bpa-free-bottles-nursing-pads-and-more/#comment-103784 to enter!

New Site! Extraordinary Mothers

A group of Extraordinary Mothers has come onto the scene. Go check out the site! http://www.ordinarymother.com/ There is a drawing for a Sak Bag! Let me know what you think - leave me a comment! Oh, don't forget to sign up for the forum, it should be fun!

Last Chance - FREE Book Download

Last chance, you have until 11:59 p.m. today to get your copy of Suze Orman's latest book, Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan, for FREE!

Go to http://www.oprah.com/article/money/personalfinance/pkgyourmoney/20081119_tows_bookdownload

WFMW - Free! A Whole Bottle of Shampoo

Free works for me and I hope it will work for you! Suave is giving away a whole bottle of shampoo today. So hurry and visit http://www.suave.com/nomics/index.html to request your free bottle.

Even if you do not use Suave, request a bottle and give it to someone less fortunate. I just may drop mine at the local nursing home - what a nice treat for the elderly ladies!

There are many opportunities to pass on little gifts to those less fortunate ... one is the toiletries you receive in your hotel room. So if you or someone you know travels alot, collect them and drop them off at your local nursing facility or to an elderly friend. They will be so appreciated!

Have you visited Shannons blog? She is a fantastic writer and her post are always entertaining! Just stop by http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/ for even more helpful ideas!