Banana Sour Cream Bread

I never liked banana bread as a kid, because I didn't like the texture.  It was rubbery, and it seemed like the edges had to burn to get the middle to cook.  I discovered this recipe one day, years ago, and my banana bread has been perfect ever since!

Banana Sour Cream Bread

3/4 cup butter
3 cups white sugar
3 eggs
6 very rip bananas, mashed
16 ounces sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 4 7x3 inch loaf pans (I used muffin tins, it made 2 dozen, and 1 mini loaf).  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon.  Mix together salt, baking soda and flour, then add to sugar and banana mixture.  Mix well.  Stir in nuts.  Divide into prepared pans.  Bake for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

German Pancake

I had never made a German pancake until a couple weeks ago when I didn't want to make dinner, and I had some fresh farm eggs sitting around, so I decided to make this for dinner!  The kids loved it and so did I.  I have never made this before, so I don't know if the fresh eggs made it puffier than it would have been with store eggs, but it was GINORMOUS.  We've made the switch to farm fresh eggs, and they are so much better than eggs from the store, and I know exactly where they came from (my friend!)  This was yummy, and I'll have to make it again.  We served it with fresh strawberries, and it was very yummy.  And oh so simple.  I got the recipe here.

German Pancake

6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSP butter, melted

Put all ingredients except butter in the blender, and mix until smooth.  Pout the butter into a 9x13 pan, then pour the batter in to the pan.  Bake, at 400 degrees, for 20 minutes, until puffy, golden on top, and set in the middle.

Dust with powdered sugar, and serve immediately.  It is best hot.

Baked Oatmeal

This is a great winter breakfast recipe I had forgotten about.  It's summer now, but I figured I should post it before I forgot again.  The recipe originally came from here, but I made it quite differently.

Baked Oatmeal

6 cups quick cooking oatmeal
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups milk
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, slightly beaten

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together.  Pour into a 9x13 pan.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until set.  Serve with milk, berries, honey, whatever oatmeal toppings you like.

I cut the recipe in half, and made it in an 8x8 pan, because 6 cups is WAY too much oatmeal for us.  I also cut down on the sugar, and put only a splash of oil in.  I wanted it to be more oatmealish, and this recipe is more like a giant oatmeal cookie.  I also put raisins in, and it was very good.