Banana Bread Cobbler

I had some bananas that were getting extra ripe so I was looking for a new way to use them up. I typically make muffins or banana bread, but I wanted something different. I found a recipe from Southern Living for Banana Bread Cobbler and decided to try it. Of course, I tweaked it a bit. Boy, was it super yummy! Charles had some for breakfast this morning. Though it's good cold, it is out of this world fantastic when it's warm!

Here's what you need:

For the topping
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup self-rising flour - see my note below if you don't have self-rising flour
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup oats (quick or regular, doesn't matter)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teas cinnamon

Mix these ingredients together and set aside. The topping will resemble granola.

For the filling
1 cup self-rising flour - see note
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
3 ripe bananas, mashed

Whisk the flour, sugar and milk together just until blended. Stir in the melted butter. Pour into a greased 8x8 pan. Drop the mashed bananas by spoonfuls over the batter. Top with the oat mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Cover the top with foil if it browns too quickly.

The original recipe suggested serving this cobbler with ice cream, but we all felt it was wonderful without it.

Note: If you don't have self-rising flour, don't run out to the store to get it! Just use what you have already. For every cup of flour the recipe calls for, add 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. So for this recipe, you need a total of 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup for the filling and 1/2 for the topping. So you'll add a total of 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon salt to the flour. Make sense?

Click here for a printable version of the recipe.

Sausage Tortellini Soup

I made this soup years ago and Charles really liked it. I don't know why I stopped making it, but I finally dusted off the recipe and gave it another try. This soup is amazing! The kids loved it and asked for more. I tweaked it a little bit from the original recipe to suit our current tastes. Hope you like it!

Here's what you need:

1 lb Italian sausage links, casings removed
1 small onion, diced
2 teas minced garlic
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 jar (24 oz) spaghetti sauce of your choice
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teas Italian seasoning
1 teas dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups frozen cheese tortellini

In a large stockpot, brown the sausages in a little olive oil, breaking them up as they cook. Add the onion and minced garlic. Cook until the onions are soft. Add the green pepper and grated carrot. Cook for another 5 minutes or so, until the peppers have softened.

Stir in the rest of the ingredients except the tortellini. Simmer for about 20 minutes to allow the flavors to blend nicely. The soup will smell so good at this point!

Turn up the heat a little so the soup comes to a gentle boil. Add the frozen tortellini and cook for another 5 minutes or until the tortellini are thawed and heated through. Sprinkle some extra Parmesan cheese over the top of each serving.

Menu Plan September 25-October 1

It's the last week of September! Can you believe it? I love the cooler weather and the changing leaves. I've started putting soup back on the menu at least once a week. This week will be twice. Just because I want to!

Here's the plan:

Sunday
Out to eat with the in-laws

Monday
Chicken pesto pasta, broccoli

Tuesday
Cheeseburger rice, green beans, whole wheat rolls

Wednesday
Pizza pasta, cauliflower, garlic bread

Thursday
Calico Bean Soup with smoked sausage, flatbread

Friday
Angus beef hot dogs, fried potatoes

Saturday
Tomato tortellini soup, Deep South paninis

For more menu plan ideas, head over to Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Mondays. Also, if you're new to meal planning, check out my tips here.

Pumpkin Cream Pie

If you like pumpkin pie but want something a little different, this creamy pie is for you! It's got all the taste of pumpkin pie with a smooth pudding-like texture you'll love. It's particularly good with homemade whipped cream slathered on top! And it doesn't require any baking time, so it's super easy.

Here's what you need:

1 cup canned pumpkin
2 cups cold milk
2 boxes instant vanilla pudding (3.5 oz size)
1 teas pumpkin pie spice
1 cup whipped cream (Cool Whip or homemade)
Graham cracker crust

Combine all the ingredients (except the crust) in a mixing bowl and mix on low for one minute. Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing for two more minutes until thick. Spread the filling into the graham cracker crust. Cover and refrigerate until set. Mine was ready after about an hour or two, but I left it in the fridge overnight. Fantastic!

Pumpkin Fudge

If you love pumpkin pie, you're going to love this fudge. The princess says it's pumpkin pie candy. And she's right. It's smooth and spicy (as in pumpkin pie spicy, not hot spicy). I could probably eat the entire pan myself, but then I'd be sick.

Here's what you need to make it:

Self-control...oh, wait. That's just me.
1 1/2 c
ups sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
3/4 cup evaporated milk
2 TBSP butter
1 1/2 teas pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teas salt
1 pkg white chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 teas vanilla

Line a 8x8 pan with foil, leaving some foil hanging over the sides. Grease the foil well with non-stick spray or olive oil.

In a saucepan, stir together the sugar, pumpkin, milk, butter, salt and spice.


Stirring constantly over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Continue stirring and boiling for 12 minutes. This will get tedious, but the results are worth it!


Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the white chips, marshmallows, and vanilla. Keep stirring until the mixture is smooth. This might take a few minutes, but keep stirring. When everything has melted together, pour into the foil-lined pan.



Cover and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Remove from fridge and invert onto a cutting board. Peel off the foil, then cut into small pieces.

I used a pizza cutter for this, and it worked beautifully! Hey, why is there a piece missing? Hmmmm....

Store in the fridge. For a printable recipe, click here.

For more yummy recipes, head over to Blessed with Grace's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Menu Plan September 18-24

I finally got to make Crockpot Lasagna today, much to Mr. Lego's delight. That kid loves lasagna! It's fairly simple, just use whatever lasagna recipe you would use in the oven. Don't cook the noodles, just layer them like you normally would, making sure there's lots of sauce. And after 4 hours, you've got yummy lasagna!

The rest of the week will be busy. We're keeping our friends' two children while they take off on a romantic anniversary trip to Maine later in the week, plus we're expecting a visit from Charles' parents. There's the possibility their visit might not happen due to illness, but we're hoping and praying everything works out.

Now, on to the menu:

Sunday
Crockpot Lasagna

Monday
Sausage veggie calzones, tater tots

Tuesday
Moroccan Lentil Soup, homemade flatbread

Wednesday
Pancakes, sausage, potatoes

Thursday
Stromboli (my father-in-law's fave)

Friday
Chinese chicken, baked egg rolls, rice

Saturday
Crockpot Lemon Chicken, green beans, mac and cheese

For more menu planning ideas, head over to Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.

I also posted some meal planning tips recently, so check them out here.

Til disease does us part?

I'm sure by now you've heard of Pat Robertson's assertion that divorcing a spouse with Alzheimer's is justifiable because the disease is a kind of death. He said it in response to a caller who needed advice for a friend who starting dating another woman when his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Robertson advised the caller's friend to get a divorce but make sure the wife was cared for. I guess he thought that was a better solution than just moving on with someone else while your spouse still lives?

Umm, no Pat. It's better to keep your marriage vows. Remember the "sickness and health" part? Or "as long as we both shall live?"

Of course, the easier thing would be to divorce and move on. We all know that your life as you know it is over once a terminal diagnosis like this is made. But easy isn't always right! And in this case, it's dead wrong!

Would it be alright for someone to divorce his spouse if she was diagnosed with terminal cancer? Lou Gehrig's disease? MS?

I can't say how disturbing and just downright awful this attitude is, especially coming from someone who claims to be a man of God. I hope Mr. Robertson reevaluates his opinion on this and seeks answers from God, Who never changes.