Banana Bread and the Crock Pot...

Banana Bread is a BIG hit in our home, we do not just eat it in the Fall during Thanksgiving and at Christmas time, we eat it year round. Also, along with its cousins, Pumpkin and Sweet Potato. Do not know exactly why but my family goes absolutely Ga Ga over this bread. I guess that the recipe I use for these three yummy breads will become the thing that all three girls will fight over when I finally leave this Earth. But until then I will continue to use these breads to my full advantage. In our house, the coveted loaves are used as a reward. "If you are good then, we can have banana bread..." or "We can have banana bread for dessert if you be nice to your sister..." and other such bribes. Hey, whatever works! The reason I bring this up, is that earlier in the week, I made some new loaves, and my house smelled absolutely Divine for the rest of the day!
Do you have a crock pot in your home? I do, well two actually. One that I received before I had children, and one that I bought after our second daughter was born. So, depending on the size of the meal, I will use one or the other. I am preparing a roast in the larger one right now, with seasonings and homemade tomato sauce from last year's tomatoes, and that also smells Divine right now. I had wanted to get my daughter one for her college dorm room, but was surprised to learn that they are not allowed. So, the cookbook that I am assembling for her to take away to college with quick, easy, and cheap meals to fix will be a lot smaller than expected. Do you have a favorite crock pot "go-to" meal? Mine is usually chili with beans added, and our second "go-to" is the roast, so the family will be pleasantly surprised that we will be having it, and the best part, I did not have to slave over a hot stove and a steam filled oven all day!

Pumpkin Bread is NOT just for the Holidays!

Okay, I know that quick breads are practically a staple from halloween until Christmas, but not at our house! In fact, I make it, and other kinds year round. We eat it for beakfast, lunch and dinner, plus ever snack in between. If I let them, they would devour an entire loaf in one sitting or pretty close to it, I am sure. I think there is something addictive in the ingredients that has not been analyzed yet. I add a little bit of mini chocolate chips to ours in place of the nuts, whih could be the addictive property, who knows for sure?