Birthday Pillows

Check out the pillows I made my mom for her birthday. She needed something to go with her fabulous new red sofa.

Why I bake...

I really bake so I can lick the bowl. I've always been a big bowl-licker. I'll take cookie dough over the baked product any day. Brownie and bisquick are among my other bowl-licking favorites. Raw egg doesn't scare me. I know most people will think this is gross.

Ok, ok, I like the outcome too - especially when it looks as delicious as this loaf of banana bread. This is my Mom's recipe that I use and abuse.



I say abuse, because I don't think I've ever actually made the straight-forward version of this. I use whole wheat flour, use only 1/2 sugar, add chocolate chips, cut the butter in half, substitute with yogurt or low-fat sour cream, throw some wheat germ in there... It really never comes out the same, but you try for yourself:

Mom's Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. ripe banana, mashed
3 T sour milk
2 c. flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 c. nuts (optional)

Cream butter, sugar, and eggs (one at a time). Stir in mashed banana and sour milk (milk + lemon juice = sour milk). In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Combine dry and wet ingredients. Add nuts (or chocolate), if adding. Turn into greased loaf pan. Bake 350F for 1 hour.

Hungarian Breakfast Cheesecake

When I was little, my mom was fabulously resourceful (well, she still is). I remember she would make a "breakfast cheesecake" with things we already had in the fridge (that were also probably expired or on their way out). I recreated the cheesecake with fresh ingredients (sorry, Mom) and it is as delicious as I remember...

Anyhow, I was searching the web for a similar recipe because I was just going off my memory, and I actually found something called a "Hungarian Cheesecake" - who knew? My mom, who has Hungarian roots, said her mom used to make it too. So, maybe there is such a thing!

Hungarian Breakfast Cheesecake:

For the crust, take 1 can of biscuits (the kind that poof) and into a pie plate, manipulate & spread the biscuits to make one continuous crust.

For the filling, mix together 2 cups cottage cheese, 1 small can crushed pineapple (drained), 4 eggs, 1/4 cup sugar, about 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and a dash of nutmeg.

Pour the filling into the crust, bake at 450 for 10 minutes, and then at 350 for an additional 35-45 minutes. Peek in on it - cover the crust with foil if it gets too dark. It's done when the center barely jiggles - it's OK if it cracks a little. Cool & serve chilled.

* You can puree your cottage cheese to make a smoother consistency. And I threw about 1/4 cup pumpkin puree in there as well. Maybe next time, I will add a little flour (maybe 2-3 T) to make it more solid.

Anyhow, it's delicious, pretty healthy, fast, and apparently traditional!