Mind of a Mad Woman

You may have noticed a teensy tiny trend in my Tasty Tuesday posts as of late. Dessert like, if you will. Yes, I will admit to a fondness for desserts which is really a little odd considering my love of all things savory. While I may not sit and eat bags of M&Ms (huge ones) like Hotty Hubby does, or large bags of chocolate almonds like a friend of mine, I am drawn to foods of the dessert nature.

And so, purely because I feel the need to make Backpacking Dad go out and buy new pants, I give you….

Frozen Snickers Bar

1 litre Cool Whip - thawed
1 litre Vanilla Ice Cream - softened
1/4 cup Chunky Peanut Butter
1 small Chocolate Pudding Mix

Mix softened ice cream, peanut butter and pudding mix. Add Cool Whip.

Place in a 9 by 13 pan sprayed with PAM.

Freeze

Cut into 16 pieces (or just 4 really big pieces).

Seriously people, this treat should be illegal all over the world.

Listen up folks. Now would be a fantastic time for you to loosen the belts on your pants, put your feet up and prepare to be wowed.

Last week I mentioned that Miss Viki’s banana bread was some of the best I’d ever eaten. Well. These brownies I am about to share with you are THE best brownies I have ever eaten in my entire life. These brownies are like sex on a plate. Single women would never think to look for a date if they could eat these brownies all the time.

Chocolatey goodness at its best. Prepare yourself for the wonder that is….

Duchess Allie’s Delicious Delectable Brownies

10 Tbsp butter
1 1/4c sugar
3/4c + 2Tbsp cocoa
dash salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla
2 cold large eggs
1/2c flour
2/3c nuts (I use chopped Callebaut chocolate on the top instead)

Preheat oven to 325C

Line an 8in pan with foil or parchment paper (leave edges hanging over so that you can lift them out)

Combine butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a double-boiler. stir until smooth and melted somewhat, and hot to the touch. remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Stir in vanilla (use wooden spoon or strong spatula). add eggs one at a time, beat well after each.

Keep stirring until well mixed, smooth and shiny. Add flour and stir until mixed in, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes. mix in nuts, if using. spread into pan evenly!

Bake until a toothpick comes out slightly moist with batter, 20-25mins. Cool completely on a rack. Lift out and cut on a board, makes 16 or 25 squares… or less!

Best eaten warm or served with ice cream!

Thanks to my dear friend Allie for sharing the recipe for Tasty Tuesday. These are truly the best brownies ever made!!

Ooooh folks….this Banana Bread is some of the yummiest banana bread I have ever tried. My friend Viki shared this wonderful recipe with us, and it is with her permission that I share it with all of you. Enjoy!!

Miss Viki’s AMAZING banana bread:

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour
2tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup sugar
2 well beaten eggs
2 frozen and then thawed over-ripe mashed banana (use a food processor or a blender)

Method:

Add your dry ingredients together in a bowl (flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt)

In another bowl cream your shortening, and gradually beat in the sugar until its a paste. Add the eggs (prebeaten) and combine well

Freeze the bananas in advance (and any others, we always have five or six frozen in the freezer to use anytime) and pull them out and thaw with hot running water (they go mushy) and put them in the food processor

Mix into the shortening mix, the dry ingredients alternating with the banana (1/2 dry, 1/2 banana, 1/2 dry..you get the idea)

after each addition beat well…keeping the mixture the consistancy of a cake mix or so.

Pour into a greased loaf pan (this recipie can double nicely, I do it all the time)
and preheat your oven at this time to 350.
Let mixture stand for 20 minutes and then bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 55 mins (until the top has a crack and it looks nicely done)

I think we all have those days where we truly cannot be bothered to do much of anything in the kitchen. I seem to have more of those days than many of my friends, and as a result of this I have a handy back up plan. Plan B as it were.

Tuna Casserole.

Seriously this “dish” can be tasty and simple and feed hoards. Of course, I am only trying to feed my family of 4 but still. And so, I present to you…Tuna Casserole

Cook up some pasta, throw in some mayonnaise OR some cream of mushroom soup. Chuck in a can of tuna and some frozen peas. Top with cheese and put in the oven. Cook at 350 for about 15 minutes til the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Simple right? And yummy too. Put some garlic in it for good measure.

I’ll admit it, I am a reality tv junkie. Over the years I have managed to pare down my addiction to a few of the <insert sarcasm here> better ones. A favorite of mine more recently is Hell’s Kitchen.

As I sit here tonight and watch Chef Gordon Ramsay prance around his kitchen like the pompous ass that he is, and shout profanities at the contestants for this year, I am once again reminded of why I don’t like to cook for anyone outside of my family. I live in fear of someone channeling the Chef himself and blasting me to kingdom come. I do think he’s kind of hot though.

And now, on to Tasty Tuesday. This dish comes from my wonderful line of cook books “Looney Spoons” and “Crazy Plates”. The wonderful authors have since added a third book “Eat, Shrink and Be Merry”. Wonderful books full of yummy-licious recipes and excellent health tips. I’ve cooked this recipe so many times it has become a family favorite. Enjoy!

“Mom’s No Peek Chicken”

3 or 4 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery or mushroom
1 1/2 cups minute rice
1/2 cup milk
1/2 envelope Lipton onion soup

Grease large baking dish. Mix 2 soups(plus a little of the Lipton onion) with milk. Add rice and pour into baking dish. Place chicken on top and sprinkle with Lipton onion soup. Cover with foil and seal tightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Do not open foil until finished baking.

**Edited to say - No need to cook the rice ahead of time, and in fact I never use Minute rice. Just throw it all in there and in the stuff will cook on its own. **

Growing up, my mother always made the most delicious meatloaf. It was something that even today I cannot recreate perfectly no matter how hard I try. In fact, until 5 years ago I didn’t even have the recipe. When we travelled to New Zealand to visit, I just knew that there was another reason for the hundreds of hours of travel I was having to endure than just to see my mother and sister again. Sure enough, there was my mom’s recipe box. I pilfered. I copied all my favourite recipes. And then promptly lost most of them - except for this delicious Meatloaf.

So, even as I struggle to perfect this, I share it with you. It is fast becoming a family favourite in this house, and maybe it will in yours too. Enjoy!

Mom’s Meatloaf

1.5 lbs Ground Beef (or Pork)
2/3 cup Oats
2/3 cup Milk
1 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Pepper
1/4 tsp Poultry Seasoning
2 Eggs
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 small Onion - finely chopped

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and pat into a loaf pan.

Glaze:

1/4 cup Ketchup
1 tsp Mustard
2 tbsp Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Mix in bowl and pour over loaf, spreading as evenly as possible.

Bake at 350F for 75 minutes.

Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving. I love to serve this with some creamy mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables.