This is a recipe from a dear friend of my wife.
I had to give her friend some credit based on the post name.
This is the most incredible banana bread I have ever had the pleasure to enjoy in my life.
My daughters will actually stop eating the bananas so that Pamela will make this.
Truth.
When it’s warm out of the oven, a melting piece of butter on the top off a slice is paradise.

3- large (ripe) bananas
1- cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1-tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
1- tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans work well)

Mix all together.
Pour into a greased loaf pan.
Bake at 325 for 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clear (inserted into middle of loaf)

This recipe is @70 years old.
It is now copywritten as I post it.
My grandmother was a pastry chef and made these cookies for me when I was knee high to a grasshopper.
Served with a glass of cold milk, I can think of nothing closer to heaven.
Miss you Nana.
This recipe is special.

You will need:

1 – cup of butter
1/2  cup sugar
1 – egg yolk
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup of crushed potato chips
1 -tsp vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar.
Add egg yolk, vanilla, potato chips and flour.
Mix.
Make small balls and press down with a fork.
Do not grease cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes of less.
There ya go.
Awesome cookies at a fraction of the price of crappy store bought.
Chill the milk!

I promised to post this so here it is in all its simplicity.

You will need:

1lb- bag of coleslaw
(ready shredded, if you want to go through all the work of shredding cabbage, carrots and everything else, be my guest)
4 tbls sugar
3 tbls white vinegar
4 tbls mayo
dash of caraway seed

Mix sugar, vinegar, mayo & caraway seed in a bowl and pour over coleslaw.
Toss and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
Done.
*awesome with Pulled Pork!

~Dad

This is a recipe I’ve culled over the years and to be honest, is one of the very best hummus recipes around.
I don’t make a point of tooting my own horn but I’ll make an exception here.
Make sure to get the freshest Syrian bread you can find.
Some nice olives help, too.

You will need:

1- can of chick peas (Progresso, if you can get them. They taste the best, imho)
1- clove of garlic
1 1/2- tsp salt
1/2 – 3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice (bottled is GodAwful)
1 cup of sesame Tahini (check the supermarket or middle east store)
pinch of cumin & cayenne pepper
Some decent Olive oil
Paprika (not smoked)

Pour can of chick peas and half the liquid into a food processor.
Process for 30-60 seconds.
Add remaining ingredients (not olive oil or paprika) and blend until smooth.
If too stiff, add a bit more of the reserved liquid from chick peas.
Serve on a round flat dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika.
Get out the Syrian bread or bagel chips for dipping.

~Dad

From the island of Bermuda comes this recipe I weaseled out of the chef from the Swizzle Inn in Bermuda.
When I was working there in ’86 he came to see me play at Rum Runners.
He was a bit tipsy one night and I was able to get this incredible recipe.
To this day, it’s Pamela’s favorite burger.
It has to be grilled also, a broiler just won’t do it justice.
This recipe serves 6

You will need:

• 2lbs. ground beef (nothing too lean as lean beef sucks for good burgers)
• 3/4 lb of bacon, cooked (microwave works wonders because the bacon stays crispy)
• 1/2 cup of V-8 or tomato juice
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 Tbls Lawrey’s Seasoned Salt
• 1 Tbls Dried Parsley
• 6 fresh bulkies or oversized hamburger rolls
• 6 slices of thick American cheese (Land O’ Lakes works best)

Combine hamburger, tomato juice, egg and seasonings with a fork.
Be careful not to take too long mixing it.
The longer you mix, the tougher the burger.
Form into patties, once again, the longer you form it, the tougher they get.
Fire up the grill and heat for 5 minutes.
Throw those puppies on and grill until desired doneness.
I go about 4-5 mins and flip for another 4 mins.
Turn grill to Low.
Place bacon slices and cheese on burgers and close grill cover for @1 minute.
Grilling buns is optional.
One word to the wise; these tasty bastards are so juicy they almost explode when you take a bite.
Exercise caution.
Serve with a decent coleslaw.
(I promise to post my coleslaw recipe later this week.)
Enjoy!

~Dad

I’ve been making this salsa forever and to be honest, it works out to be much cheaper
than the pathetic bottled salsa’s flooding the supermarket.
It’s nothing special but damn it’s good.

Ingredients:

1- 28oz can of crushes tomatoes (preferably Pastene but  anything without basil or seasoning)
1- medium sized Vidalia onion, finely diced
2- cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsps. ground cumin
1 tsp Kosher salt (yeah, that’s a weird one)
1 1/2 tsp of canned jalapeno peppers, minced
the juice of 1 lime (more if needed, to taste)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp of some kickass hot sauce (more, if desired . . .   the mo’  the better)
2 Tbls of fresh cilantro, minced (can’t be the dried variation)
1 -pinch of dark brown sugar (tnx, Moe)
1- Tbls of Cuervo Gold tequila, if you’re feeling dangerous (or lucky)

Mix and refrigerate for 1 hour (or two days)
Awesome on an omelet or with tortilla chips. (or on a teaspoon!)
Enjoy!

~Dad

This is a very simple recipe.
So simple, in fact,  it was given the above name.

You will need:

*Boneless Chicken Breast
*Ken’s Italian Salad Dressing
*Trader Joe’s Corn Flakes (they work the best)
*Spices (oregano, basil, red pepper flake . . . )
*Salt & fresh ground pepper

Marinate chicken for at least 4 hours in the fridge.
Crush Corn Flakes and add spices.
Roll chicken in flakes and place in a non-stick baking pan.
Bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes.
Goes great with mashed sweet potatoes & fresh steamed green beans.

~Dad

Here’s a recipe from a dear friend from Spur, Texas.
My wife made it last weekend and let me tell you it was incredible.

*Pork Roast (any size will do, depending on how much pork you want)
*Vidalia Onions (1 large or two small will be fine. Slice them up)
*One CrockPot
*Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce

*Put roast in crock and toss in onions.
Add enough water to almost cover the roast.
Cook on Low for 6 hours.
Remove roast and onions and drain water.
‘Pull’ meat off the roast (should fall off) and dice onions.
Add meat and onions to crockpot and add several tbls. of water.
Add enough BBQ sauce of choice to cover meat (Sweet Baby Ray’s is preferred)
and simmer for an additional 2 hours on Low.

Grill some fresh buns with butter and serve with fresh coleslaw.
(Add some coleslaw to the sandwich for a Carolina garnish)
Enjoy!

*awesome with coleslaw

~m