Banana Bread

This is Martha Stewart's recipe- and it is awesome!!

1 c butter, at room temperature

2 c sugar

4 large eggs

3 c flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

2 c very ripe bananas, mashed (~4 bananas)

(I like to do this ahead of time with my mixer)

1 c sour cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 c chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 9x5x3 inch loaf pans; set aside. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, allowing each one to incorporate, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla; mix by hand, just until combined. Stir in nuts (if desired) and pour into pans. Bake until toothpick or butter knife inserted into center of loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let rest in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Cooking time will vary depending on your loaf pan (ie glass, wide, narrow, metal, dark, coated, etc) and an overbaked loaf of bread is a dry loaf of bread, so be cautious.
My bread took almost an hour and a half.

Baked Salmon

We love this recipe. I usually don't like fish ,but I love this salmon.
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons light olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
2 (6 ounce) salmon fillets ( I use 4, 4oz frozen boneless, skinless salmon fillets from aldis)

Directions
In a medium glass bowl, prepare marinade by mixing garlic, light olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley.
Place salmon fillets in a medium glass baking dish, and cover with the marinade.
Marinate in the refrigerator for a couple hours(no more than a couple, 4 max, turning occasionally.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Place fillets in aluminum foil, cover with marinade, and seal.
Place sealed salmon in the glass dish, and bake 35 to 45 minutes, until easily flaked with a fork.

Ryan likes his plain, I like to put tartar sauce on mine.

Rhodes Buttery Breadsticks

Ingredients

24 Rhodes Dinner Rolls, thawed but still cold

1/2 Cup Butter

1 Cup Parmesan Cheese

Garlic Salt

Thaw 24 rhodes dinner rolls. Its best when they are still cold.Place cheese onto separate plate. Roll each roll into an approximately 6" breadstick. Melt 1 stick butter. Place melted butter on 11x17 baking sheet and coat entire surface with butter. Roll each breadstick in the butter. Next roll each buttered breadstick in Parmesan cheese. Place breadstick on baking sheet in 2 rows of twelve each. Sprinkle with garlic salt, if desired. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until double in size. Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Note: I have never used fresh Parmesan, although the recipe says it is the best. I always used grated. I always mix the Parmesan and the garlic salt on a plate , then roll the sticks in it. If you run out of parmesan just add more. Sometimes I add more garlic salt after they are all lined up. We all love these with a big plate of spaghetti

Buttermilk Dressing

This is a new recipe that we have tried for home made ranch , it is super easy and yummy. Ryan loves it and so do the kids. It has a strong garlicky onion flavor I think, so if its too much just decrease the amounts of onion and garlic.

3/4 C Mayonnaise ( Don't use low fat)

1/2 C Buttermilk

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 clove of garlic minced

dash of pepper

Mix all ingredients. Cover and Refrigerate at least 2 hours to blend flavors. Cover and refrigerate remaining dressing.

I haven't tried this alteration but here it is

*For Buttermilk Parmesan Dressing: Add 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 1/2 tsp paprika

Recipe From www. sisterscafe.blogspot.com