Banana Cake-Melissa

My kids love this. I love this. It is a potluck favorite, and it is fairly easy. Anytime I have some overripe bananas, I will make a banana cake!

Cake

1 1/2 c mashed ripe bananas
2 t lemon juice
3 c flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
3/4 c softened butter
2 1/8 c sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 c buttermilk

Preheat oven to 275. (My oven runs a little cool, so I set mine to 300)
combine flour, soda, and salt in separate bowl. Cream sugar and butter, add eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, lemon juice, and bananas. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake for one hour. The original instructions say to take the cake straight from the oven and put it directly into the freezer for 45 min, but I thus far haven't been brave enough-I am scared my pyrex will shatter!Maybe one day I will be brave and try it. For now, I just let it cool :)

Frosting

1/2 c butter (softened)
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 t vanilla
3 1/2 c powdered sugar

Combine butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla, and powdered sugar.

Roast Chicken-Emily

Here is Emily's Recipe-

(It was going to take me too long to condense it, so I am just posting the link)

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/4807547385/slow-cooker-roast-chicken-and-gravy

Zupa Toscana Soup-Carly

Zupa Toscana Soup

4 c Chicken Broth (3 cans)
6 med-lg potatoes
2 med cloves garlic
1 large onion
1 1/2 c heavy cream
2 lb mild Italian sausage
1 pkg hickory smoked bacon (thick)
Swiss Chard Lettuce (I have a hard time finding this at the grocery store, so I just use Kale)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut bacon into bite-sized pieces and cook. Dice onion and cook the sausage and onion together. Slice potatoes and cook until slightly soft. In a large pot (medium heat on stove) mix chicken broth, garlic, and potatoes. Break lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Then add sausage, bacon, heavy cream, and lettuce, and let cook 15 min.

This makes a very large batch of soup! It is always so good as leftovers, though :)

Spaghetti Pizza Casserole-Ashley

Spaghetti Pizza Casserole

1 large spaghetti squash (cooked-cut in half and lay cut side down on cookie sheet, cook in oven at 400 degrees for 25 min)
1 lb Italian sausage
1/2 diced onion
1 c spaghetti sauce
1 t basil (I use Italian seasoning)
3 whisked eggs

While the spaghetti squash is cooking, brown sausage and onion in pan. Add spaghetti sauce and seasoning once cooked. After spaghetti squash is cooked, turn oven down to 350 degrees.
Spoon out seeds and then scrape out as much spaghetti squash as possible with a fork. Put in bottom of an 8x8 dish. Add sausage mixture to squash and mix really well. Then add eggs and mix the whole thing really well. Put in oven uncovered and cook for an hour. This is crazy amazing! Not a lot of food-Jeff and I share it for a couple of meals so you'd have to double for a larger family. I just give the kids spaghetti and noodles on that night-it's nice to have something special every once in a while-this is also really healthy! Enjoy :)

Magic Morning Oatmeal-Melissa

My friend made this for me while I was visiting in Houston-I am hooked! I could eat it for every meal, no exaggeration. I limit myself to making it on the weekends :)

Recipe:

1 c sugar
1 egg
1 c milk
1/3 c oil
1 T vanilla
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
3 c old-fashioned oats (I have made it with quick oats before-it works, but I think the rolled oats are better :)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix egg, sugar, oil, milk and vanilla really well. Add dry ingredients. Pour into greased 8x8 pan, bake for 30 min. Serve with nuts, (pecans and walnuts are my fav!) berries, and either whipped or normal cream. Try not to eat the entire pan :)