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Archive for the ‘Musings’ Category

Banana Cake

Posted in Cake, Captain Cavedweller, Desserts, Recipes, tagged , , , on October 11, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Banana cake plated

Since we both like bananas, I decided to whip up this banana cake the other day.

Boy, was that a delicious decision.

After scarfing down his piece, Captain Cavedweller looked at me and said, “If you add walnuts next time, I’ll like it better than carrot cake.”

This is a pretty big statement coming from him.

He’s not all that fond of desserts and his favorite, favorite cake for the past twenty years has been carrot cake.

Needless to say, the next time I make this cake, there will be walnuts in it.

Easy to make, this cake is moist, yummy and full of banana flavor. (So if you hate bananas, you might want to skip today’s recipe!).

Start with some simple, basic ingredients.

Start with some simple, basic ingredients.

Blend butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Blend butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time.

Add eggs, one at a time.

Alternate adding flour and milk then add mashed bananas. Use a big bowl because it makes more than you think it will.

Alternate adding flour and milk then add mashed bananas. Use a big bowl because it makes more than you think it will.

Pour in a greased and floured 9x13 baking pan and bake at 275 degrees for an hour.

Pour in a greased and floured 9×13 baking pan and bake at 275 degrees for an hour.

When the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, remove from the oven directly to the freezer. Leave in the freezer for an hour then frost with cream cheese frosting.

When the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, remove from the oven directly to the freezer. Leave in the freezer for an hour then frost with cream cheese frosting.

Then cut a big slice and enjoy!

Then cut a big slice and enjoy!

Banana Cake

1 1/2 cups very ripe bananas, mashed

2 tsp. lemon juice

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. banana flavoring

11/2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 275 degrees

Grease and flour a 9 x 13 baking pan.

Mash bananas with lemon juice and set aside.

Mix flour, baking soda and salt together and set aside.

In a extra-large mixing bowl (really, you need a big one), cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time then blend in vanilla and banana flavoring.

Stir in flour mixture, a little at a time, alternating with the milk .

Stir in bananas then pour into pan and bake for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for about an hour (heightens the moisture of the cake).

Remove from freezer and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Serve or refrigerate.

I served the cake with a drizzle of caramel sauce, but you could add chocolate sauce, salted caramel ice cream or dulce de leche ice cream, too.

She Who Would  Like a Piece of Cake

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Baby Kitty and Company

Posted in Musings, Pets, tagged , , , , on October 10, 2013| 1 Comment »

 

baby kittyA few weeks ago, I posted about the neighbor’s kitten coming to visit and how hard it was to resist the sweet little ball of fur.

Since then, she’s taken up residence in our backyard along with some friends.

babykittyoct2Baby Kitty has grown quite a bit, but she still has those sweet little fuzzy ears.

squirt

This is Squirt. He is Baby Kitty’s big brother and the ring-leader of all feline shenanigans currently taking place in our backyard. He can eat at least twice his weight in cat food throughout the day, is always hungry, growls if anyone gets close while he’s eating and can’t decide if he’d rather bite you or have his back and tummy rubbed.

FlashThis is Flash. He’s the baby brother and quite probably the runt of the litter. When he first arrived on the scene he didn’t want anyone to see him, look at him, touch him or talk to him and that’s why we named him Flash. He’d take off like a little furry striped streak across the yard if he thought you might even think about getting close to him. He has since decided we have no intentions of eating him, beating him, or causing his demise. This little kitty loves to have his head and back rubbed and turns into a boneless mass of purring bliss whenever you rub him under the chin. Besides being such a sweet little guy, he has the most beautiful eyes.

apricotThis is Apricot. She’s big, she’s bossy and she rides herd over the kittens like nobody’s business. In addition to her freaky color eyes and fluffy salmon fur, she is the nanny and doesn’t want anyone messing with the kittens unless she gives  her approval. It’s a good thing they have her, too, since their mother is a standoffish, mean little cat who slaps them anytime they get close to her.

DrooleyThis is Drooley, aka The Heinous Cat. Of all the felines trooping through our back yard, he’s the only one who belongs there. And he knows it. He despises the kittens, their nanny, and any other interlopers who might interfere with his attention or dinner program. I’ve been calling him the Grumpy Old Man because all the kittens have to do is take a step his way and he starts hissing and spluttering.

It makes for some interesting moments, that’s for sure.

She Who is Overrun with the Neighbor’s Cats

 

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Appletize Me!

Posted in Captain Cavedweller, Entertaining Ideas, Home and Garden, tagged , , , on October 3, 2013| Leave a Comment »

apple logoOctober is National Apple Month.

How exciting is that? (Come on, it’s pretty darn exciting! Apple cider, apple crisp, apple pie, caramel apples…)

Living across the road from an orchard, the pickers have already stripped the trees and I miss seeing the bright red, juice-packed orbs amidst all those green leaves.

If you were an apple, what type of apple would you be?

The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) helps you get to the core of the matter with AppletizeMe, a fun website that matches your personality traits to your ideal apple variety.

Are you a social butterfly? That makes you a Gala apple.

How about an intellectual? Easy as Pi. You’re a Ginger Gold.

Fitness fanatic? Then you’re a Fuji, living proof that crunches are worth the effort.

girly-girl

This will come as a surprise… to no one – I’m a Girly Girl!

According to the site: “No matter the occasion, you’re always polished with a snazzy dress and just the right amount of makeup. You’re not afraid to show off your feminine side—including a tendency to blush. But, you always keep it classy.”

What do you think? Is that a good fit?

Apparently, this makes me a Cripps Pink  A.K.A. Pink Lady. Naturally sweet with a juicy crunch.

*blush*

In addition to the fun little personality link, there are “perfect pairings” with tips on pairing different varieties of apples.

You can also click on the “Varieties” tab and choose a specific type of apple to learn all about it.

honeycrisp

Like Honeycrisp, my all-time favorite apple. You’ll  find details about the apple, its personality and suggested pairings.

If you love apples, or just want to spend a few minutes having a little fun, check out Appletizeme.com

She Who’ll be Telling Captain Cavedweller about being  Naturally Sweet  – the Apple Said So!

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Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Posted in Captain Cavedweller, Easy Recipes, Fast Recipes, Main Dish, tagged , , , , on September 20, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Cheesy Chicken Casserole Plated

If you’re looking for an easy to make dinner recipe, this one is really simple.

You can use leftovers to mix this casserole in a snap and serve a piping hot, tasty meal in no time with minimum fuss!

Captain Cavedweller likes this one, as long as I use mixed veggies without the green beans. (Talk about picky eaters… we have two at our house!).

Ingredients

Ingredients – the unknown substance in the bowl is chicken stock that I had in the freezer and had not yet thawed.

Cook your veggies in the chicken stock for about two minutes in the microwave. Just to get them hot and start the cooking process. You can either add in the minute rice and cook with the veggies (using the stock instead of water) or use left-over rice. Either works fine, although the chicken stock gives the rice a nice flavor.

Cook your veggies in the chicken stock for about two minutes in the microwave. Just to get them hot and start the cooking process. You can either add in the minute rice and cook with the veggies (using the stock instead of water) or use left-over rice. Either works fine, although the chicken stock gives the rice a nice flavor.

Mix in a can of Cream of Mushroom soup. You could also use cream of celery or cream of chicken.

Mix in a can of cream of mushroom soup. You could also use cream of celery or cream of chicken.

Layer pre-cooked chicken into a casserole pan (sprayed with non-stick spray - the pan, not the chicken). I cut the chicken into bite-size pieces before layering in the pan. Top with veggie and rice mixture then cover in foil.

Layer pre-cooked chicken into a casserole pan (sprayed with non-stick spray – the pan, not the chicken). I cut the chicken into bite-size pieces before layering in the pan. Top with veggie and rice mixture then cover in foil.

Bake about 20 minutes, until everything is bubbling and looks cooked. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for a few minutes until cheese melts. Serve and enjoy!

Bake about 20 minutes, until everything is bubbling and looks cooked. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for a few minutes until cheese melts. Serve and enjoy!

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

2 cups cooked chicken (cut into small pieces)

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

Small bag of frozen veggies

1 small can cream of mushroom soup

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 cup shredded Colby-Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a casserole pan with non-stick cooking spray. Layer in chicken and set aside.

In a micro-wave safe bowl, cook veggies in chicken stock (or water) for about two minutes. You can also add your minute rice and cook with the veggies and chicken stock if you don’t have left-over rice to use.

If you aren’t cooking the rice in the stock, drain excess off veggies before mixing with rice and soup.

Otherwise, mix in the soup then spread over the chicken.

Cover the pan with foil and back about 15-20 minutes, until everything is hot and bubbling. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven (uncovered) and bake about five minutes, until cheese is a  melted pool of gooey deliciousness.

Serve and enjoy your one-dish meal.

She Who Needs to Pick Out the Green Beans Next Time

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