Outrageous Pecan Pie

I just ate my very last piece of Gaido's Seafood Restaurant Pecan Pie which was sent to me by a friend. It is by far the BEST I've ever tasted, and being a native southern my entire life, that's saying a lot!

It doesn't have a traditional pie crust - it's all about the pecans and the filling!

Put it on your list for holiday meals - you can order it via their website. Or, if you live in the Galveston, TX area just drop by and pick one up. No, this isn't a blatant advert for Gaido's Seafood Restaurant....just the Best Dang Pecan Pie ever!

Lest We Forget Haiti...

One of our own, Roger Conner who is a Vice President and Publishing Consultant at my parent company FRP, recently went on a trip to Haiti along with his son, Dylan, and other men from his church with a plan to help build in the devastated areas.

I had a really really bad weekend this past, and the timing of Roger sending out this video email this morning, pulled me up short, and made me realize how very blessed I am even with all the challenges I face on all sides.

Thank you Roger for reminding me and for all the hard work you, Dylan and the rest of the group of men did in Haiti.

Too Hot in the Kitchen - Awesome French Toast a Real Crowd Pleaser!

The last weekend before my youngest, Demi, went back to USM (University of Southern Miss) she had some gal-pals over for a last "fling" before they all parted ways back to schools all across the country.

It was a festive and super-crazy-fun night. I knew it was going to go very late (I got to bed at 5:00am!)  - so I had prepared a make-ahead brunch dish from Holly Clegg's newest cookbook, Holly Clegg's trim&TERRIFIC Too Hot in the Kitchen.  The recipe is given below and I must say the girls all loved it! There was just a bit left over after they left - surprised but thankful as I found that it was just as good reheated as when it came right out of the oven!

This one gets a 4-Star rating from me with a notation in the front of the cookbook to be made in the future. That's what I do in all my cookbooks - I write in the front inside cover only the 4-star recipes along with their page number. Makes for a quick reference when trying to locate recipes later on.

Enjoy!

ONE DISH OVEN BAKED FRENCH TOAST

Makes 10 servings

1 large loaf French Bread, cut into 1-inch thick squares (whole wheat my be used)
1 (10 oz) jar seedless all natural blackberry fruit spread
1 (8 oz) package reduced-fat cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup skim milk
2 eggs
4 egg whites
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 cups fat-free half-and-half
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Coat 13x9x2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray

Place half of French bread squares in prepared baking pan. In microwave-safe dish, heat fruit spread until melted, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over bread.

In bowl, beat together cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar and milk until smooth. Drop over bread mixture and cover with remaining French squares.

In large bow, whisk together eggs, egg whites, brown sugar, half-and-half, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour mixture evenly over bread. Gently press bread into liquid mixture, cover, and refrigerate as time permits, preferably overnight.

Preheat over 325 degrees. Bake, covered, 30-35 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes more or until bread is golden.

Now...more then EVER...Cookbooks Sales Remain Solid

In a tough economy, the comfort of home cooking always rises - see related article.
http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20100818/ARTICLES/308189996/1004?Title=No-stopping-cookbook-sales

Bene Toffee – Charleston Receipts (46/60)

Bene Toffee – Charleston Receipts (46/60)

Scrumptious Banana Pudding

As you can tell from my last two entries, I LOVE BANANAS!!!!

This past weekend, we had a family get together and I was (naturally) in charge of dessert. When the Heat Is On, there's nothing better than a cool Banana Pudding to top off a BBQ dinner, which came from The Germantown Commissary one of my favorites from the Memphis, TN area...nobody does BBQ like my hometown Memphis!

Here's the recipe, as found in RECIPES WORTH SHARING - my all time favorite cookbook from the Cookbook Marketplace collection - I cook out of this title more than any other.....enjoy!

    

SCRUMPTIOUS BANANA PUDDING

1) 14oz can sweetened condensed milk (I always use Eagle Brand)

1) 6oz package vanilla instant pudding mix

2) cups milk

1) 8oz cream cheese, softened

1) 16oz whipped topping (gotta be Cool Whip Original)

1) 12oz package vanilla wafers (I prefer Nabisco)

4 or 5 large bananas, sliced

Combine the sweetened condensed milk, pudding mix, milk and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Fold in 1/2 of the whipped topping. Reserve some of the vanilla wafers to garnish the top. Layer the remaining vanilla wafers, pudding mixture and banana in a 2-quart serving dish Top with the remaining whipped topping. Garnish with the reserved vanilla wafers and chill in the refrigerator. For a reduced-calorie version of this recipe, use reduced-fat ingredients. (Recipe submitted to RECIPES WORTH SHARING from CREATING COMFORT, Genesis Women's Shelter, Dallas, TX)

Grilled Bananas

This past 4th of July, I Grilled Bananas with a recipe out of the cookbook THE KANSAS CITY BARBEQUE SOCIETY COOKBOOK and they were wonderful!

Reminded me a bit of Banana's Foster, but without the alcohol content.

Here's the recipe for your next cookout - super easy!

Barbequed Bananas / Yield: 10 Servings

10 Bananas

Lemon juice to taste

1 cup packed brown sugar

Cinnamon or nutmeg to taste

Allspice to taste

1/2 cup butter

Place each banana on a sheet of heavy-duty foil. Brush with lemon juice; sprinkle with brown sugar. Dust lightly with cinnamon and allspice; dot with butter. Fold and seal foil; twist ends. Grill over hot coals for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.

I think it tastes best served warm with a side of vanilla ice cream!

Enjoy!

Anne ;-)