Banana Cake

 
This is one of my family’s favorite desserts.  It is easy and goes together quickly plus you will no longer throw away ripe bananas.  This cake also freezes beautifully.  My son-in-law especially likes it when the cake doesn’t bake evenly in the center and there is an extra thick layer of frosting.  Because of food sensitivities in our family, our cakes are made with white spelt flour and almond milk but an unbleached white flour and dairy milk will work as well.
 
This weekend I made a banana cake decorated with rainbow sprinkles with a two-fold purpose.  One was in honor of the 2018 Noah’s Kindness which begins in October.  I am blessed to work with Angie and below you will find in her own words what the event she and her husband Jarrett created is all about.
 
Announcing the Celebration of “Noah’s Kindness Project” 2018: Showing Love, Kindness, and Generosity on October 6, 2018 As many of you may know, our son, Noah James Haskovec, was born to us on June 13, 2015 following a week-long stay in the hospital. We spent the next twelve days with him in the NICU at the hospital before he passed away on June 25. Our blog documents his short but meaningful life with us here on earth. This October, around Noah’s expected due date, please join us in celebrating his life and legacy. Please take some time out of your day to do something nice for someone, to help someone in need or in distress, to volunteer or support a cause important to you, to pray and reflect, or to just make someone’s day unexpectedly better. The act of kindness is really up to you. Our goal is to have as many people as possible participate. Your act of kindness can be as simple as holding a door or as generous as giving of your time and money to help. All we ask is that you do it in memory of our son. We will provide Noah’s Kindness cards that you can print out and leave with your act of kindness. Our goal is to get as many people involved as possible and to spread kindness across the world. To see how far-reaching Noah’s Kindness Project can reach, we ask, once your act(s) of kindness is done, that you report back and post something about your experience. Please use the hashtag #noahskindnessproject on Twitter, Instagram and join our Facebook group “Noah’s Kindness Project”. Take pictures, share Noah’s Kindness cards, and encourage everyone you know to participate. The world needs more love and concern for others. Noah and his story brought it out in so many. We ask you to please join us and be a part of Noah’s Kindness Project. Please visit our blog for more information: http://haskovecstwolittleangels.blogspot.com/p/noahs-day-of-kindness.html
 
What I love about Noah’s Kindness –
  • This is an easy way for all of us to spread a little kindness into our community and families.  
  • If you are local, there are many organized events you can join in
  • You can choose your own act of kindness to perform no matter where you live.  It doesn’t need to be anything grand.  Maybe you make a banana cake and surprise someone.
  • It is such an example of a family taking some of the pain the loss of Noah brought and turning it into an event that is positive and honoring
  • Knowing this sweet family
  • A reminder of how important each act of kindness is and helps me practice a character in myself that I want to grow.

But after a few cream puffs with strawberry whipped cream were added, this cake was delivered to my daughter and her family to mark a very special occasion – the addition of a new sweet grandchild adopted through foster care.  This was especially meaningful since my husband is adopted.  I have included my daughter’s blog post below because she can speak to this topic much better than I – HERE

Here are a few takeaways I took from this experience – 

  • It is a journey to reading what the bible guides us to do in the subject of caring for others and actually letting Jesus walk you through the steps of doing it.  I will admit that when Tamara and Josh shared their desire to do this, I had a lot of questions.  I really appreciated them giving our family the freedom to ask and answer to the best of their ability.  
  • Watching what stability and care can provide on a daily basis is like watching a withering flower being brought back to its beauty with regular watering.  It was a miracle playing out in front of our eyes.  Every milestone we continue to delight in.
  • I remember one day coming to the truth that I wasn’t being asked to be the mother but the grandmother to another little one and that seemed completely doable and worry seeped away.  This has been a growth to my faith and character.
  • My heart is a house with many rooms and there is a room in my heart for our new addition who I love dearly and can’t imagine our family without him.
Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
 
Banana Cake
Serves 6
An easy cake that is ready in no time.
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
35 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
35 min
Cake
  1. ½ cup butter, softened
  2. 1 cup sugar
  3. 2 eggs
  4. ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  5. 1-1/4 cups White Spelt flour or flour of your choice
  6. ¾ tsp baking soda
  7. ½ tsp salt
  8. ¾ cup mashed ripe banana
Frosting
  1. ½ cup butter, softened
  2. ¼ cup milk
  3. 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  4. 2-1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture, beating just until combined. Fold in banana.Pour into a greased 8-in baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a cooling rack.
  3. In a mixing bowl, cream butter. Beat in the milk, vanilla, salt and enough powdered sugar to achieve a spreading consistency. Beating this frosting for 3-4 minutes will produce a silky smooth icing. Spread on top of cake.
Notes
  1. Freezes beautifully.
Adapted from Taste of Home Recipe
Deliciously Inspired http://www.deliciouslyinspired.com/
 
 
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Easy Birthday Get Together

2016-birthday-cake

Today we gathered to celebrate the fall birthdays in our family. With a little planning, we were able to go to church and get back in time for everyone to have chili and of course, cake and ice cream for dessert.  It was our first family celebration together in our new house.  We all headed out to the backyard to eat.  I had saved a rug so we could lay it down for the children (and grandma).  The weather was beautiful and Maisie explored geckos and flowers with Aunt Rhiannon, Uncle Evan taught Caden how to use the bubble gun, and laughter and gentle conversation were lovely background noise – all moments I cherish.  Let me talk about the fun an inexpensive bubble gun can create with small children and keep the adults hands bubble liquid free.  Here is one similar to what we have.   The food was simple – the people were precious and the time together was priceless.

Here is how it all came about.  The weekend before I combined the the ingredients for Pumpkin Turkey Chili.  I made 2 batches and froze each batch in a ziplock bag which was placed in a bowl and frozen.  I did this so it can be placed in my Instant Pot.  However, it could be cooked on top of the stove after it was thawed.  This saved me a lot of time.  On Saturday, I set out on the counter for a few hours to thaw and then placed in refrigerator.  In the morning I placed both ziplock bags in the Instant Pot and placed on Saute for 5 minutes.  This will heat up any of the contents that may be still be frozen.  I then locked the lid down and placed on Manual for 11 minutes.  Then I headed off to church.  When I got home I opened the lid and it was perfect.  I put the lid back on and kept on warm until we were ready to eat at 11:30 a.m.  On our kitchen island were all kind of toppings:  cheddar cheese, diced green onions, diced cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, salsa and chips.

While I was putting the chili together for the freezer the week before, I also made up a Banana Cake.  It was cooled on the counter, covered with foil and placed in the freezer.  Last night I took it out and placed on the counter to thaw.  This morning before church I made up the vanilla buttercream frosting, made up the birthday banner from Lemonade Moments 

By the time I got home from church, I diced the onions and cilantro and got all the fixings ready to go.  The plastic bowls and spoons were put out and we were ready to enjoy each other’s company rather than being in the kitchen.

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Thanksgiving 2014

Thanksgiving 2014 - Pilgrims

I’m putting together my list for next Thursday and thought I’d share a few recipes I’ll be using.  The Overnight Rolls Recipe is from Trisha Yearwood  and I love it.  I’ll be making the dough and baking these this weekend, then place in the freezer until they are popped back  into the oven to warm up for Thanksgiving..  This is the easiest yeast roll recipe I’ve ever made and they taste like my Grandma Leona used to make.  I’ll also be making my pie crust dough this weekend, patting into discs and then wrapping in saran wrap and foil for the freezer.  These will go into the refrigerator to thaw a day before pie baking time.  In addition to our pumpkin pies, I’ll be making this Caramel Upside Down Cake which was tweaked from a 1940’s cookbook of my Grandma Bertha.

Menu:  Roasted Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Sweet Potato Casserole, Yeast Rolls, Butter, Cranberry Sauce, Caramel Upside Down Cake, Pumpkin Pie and Whipped Cream

Here is the schedule (I’m doing this more for me than you)

90% of grocery shopping is done

Turkey is in freezer defrosting

This weekend – Make yeast rolls and pie crusts for freezer, Set table

Monday – Last few shopping items

Tuesday – Pie crusts – freezer into refrigerator to thaw

Wednesday – Make pumpkin pies,  caramel upside down cake, whipping cream, and sweet potato casserole

Thursday – Take rolls out of freezer, Turkey goes into oven at 10 a.m., Make stuffing, Cook green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy cranberry sauce, butter and salt/pepper on the table.

Cooking is one way of expressing love to my family.  I pray you have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Apple Cake - finished
Caramel Upside Down Cake

Pie Crust - discs
Pie Crusts shaped in circles and wrapped for freezer.

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