Becky's Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mashed banana (~ 3 bananas)
• 3.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3rds cup water
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbs cinnamon

    To make pumpkin bread instead:

• substitute 2 cups of grated pumpkin instead of bananas
• add 1.5 tbs cinnamon
• add 2 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

1. Mix oil, water, banana (or pumpkin) and eggs in a large bowl.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
3. Pour into greased and floured loaf pans (this makes around 3-4 loaves).
4. Bake at 350F / 176C for 1 hour.

Smith Lasagne

Ingredients:

Bolognese Sauce Ingredients

• 1 lb extra lean mince (95%)
• [optional] 2 carrots, very finely sliced
• 1 large or 2 medium onions, finely diced
• 1 tin of peeled Italian whole tomatoes
• 1/2 tube (4 tbsp) of tomato puree, or more if desired
• 2 tsps of sugar
• 1 tsp minced garlic or garlic puree (to taste), less if using dried garlic
• 1/2 - 1 tsp of dried mixed herbs
• [optional] 3 - 4 bay leaves
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 2-3 cups of water
• 1 lb box of no-cook Lasagne sheets, enough to cover dish base 3 times

White Sauce Ingredients

• 4 tbsp flour (self-raising or plain is fine)
• 1 pt milk (we use semi-skimmed, 2%)
• 2 -3 oz butter (more butter makes the flour easier to mix with the milk)

Directions:

Bolognese Sauce

1. Brown the mince in the pot, stirring regularly until browned evenly (start on high heat, turn down to medium).
2. Add chopped onions, and lightly brown them.
3. Add the carrots.
4. Add minced garlic and mixed herbs.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes + puree + sugar.
6. Add the bay leaf, lightly tearing the edges to release the flavor.
7. Make the stock with boiling water and add to pot.
8. Allow to simmer gently for about half an hour (you can make the white sauce in the meantime).

White Sauce

1. Melt the butter in a large microwaveable jug (or other suitable dish), covered to avoid spatter.  Make sure the container has enough space to hold all the milk we'll be adding as we go.
2. Add flour and stir into a paste.
3. Cook for 2 minutes in the microwave.
4. Add the milk a quarter of a pint at a time, stirring with a whisk to avoid lumps, and microwaving for a minute each time.   The mixture will get thicker each time you microwave it.  If it hasn't thickened give it an additional 30 seconds before the adding the milk.
5. When you're done, it should have thick pouring consistency.  You may choose to season to taste with salt and pepper at this point (we don't bother).
6. You may optionally add grated cheese (eg cheddar) to make this a cheese sauce.  Do NOT put back in microwave after adding cheese or it will become tough.

Putting It All Together

1. Preheat the oven to 190C or 375F (check your lasagne sheet directions).
2. Removing the bay leaves from the bolognese sauce.
3. Put one layer of bolognese sauce (half) on the bottom of a large, oven-safe dish.  You'll be making 7 layers, so make sure it's deep enough.
4. Add a layer of dried lasagne sheets on top.
5. Cover the lasagne sheets with the half the white sauce.
6. Add another layer of lasagne sheets.
7. Add the rest of the bolognese sauce.
8. Add another layer of lasagne sheets.
9. Tops with the rest of the white sauce.
10. You should now have 7 layers: B L W L B L W (where B=Bolognese, L = lasagne sheets, W = white sauce).
11. Optionally, you can sprinkle grated cheese top.
12. Put the dish into the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes.  You may want a baking tray underneath to catch any overflow if your dish wasn't deep enough for when it expands.
13. Enjoy!

Smith Scotch Vegetable Broth

Ingredients:

• 3-4 chicken stock cubes
• 4 carrots sliced + 3 carrots grated (a good handful)
• 1 large or 2 medium onions
• [optional] 2 celery sticks, chopped extremely finely so they dissolve
• [optional] 1 leek
• 1 cup of red lentils
• [optional] 1/4 cup of barley (if using this, can scale back lentils to 3/4 of a cup)
• 3 medium potatoes, small cubes
• 2-3 litres of water
• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil (any kind will do though)

Directions:

1. Put a little oil into the pot and put on medium heat.
2. Chop the onion(s) exteremly fine and add to the pot.
3. Sweat the onions, stirring them periodically so they don't stick to the pot.
4. Do the same for the celery and leek.
5. Dissolve stock cubes in hot water and add to pot.
6. Chop carrots to quarter inch size, add to the pot.
7. Throw in the grated carrot.
8. Add potatoes, having cubed them to quarter inch size (or leave larger if prefer).
9. Get the pot up to a simmer.
10. Add the red lentils and barley, distributing evenly (not just in a big lump).
11. Top the pop up to its maximum level with boiling water.
12. Cook in pressure cooker for 20 minutes (follow the instructions that came with your pressure cooker).

Strawberry Rose Cake

Strawberry Cake

Yield: 3 dozen cupcakes or 3, 9 inch round cake pans.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Butter
• 2 & 1/2 cups Sugar
• 5 Eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Red Food Coloring
• 1 & 1/4 cups Pureed Strawberries
• 3 cups Cake Flour, sifted
• t teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• pinch Salt
• 1 cup Buttermilk

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, beat butter with sugar for 3 minutes.
3. Add egg yolks one at a time, then the vanilla, food coloring and strawberries, beat for another 3 minutes.
4. Sift dry ingredients and add to butter/egg mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
5. Mix just till combined.
6. In another bowl and clean beaters, beat egg whites till stiff and add in an increment of 3 to cake batter, being sure to fold in thoroughly but gently.
7. Bake for 18 or so minutes for cupcakes and 20-25 minutes for 9 inch round cake pans

Cream Cheese Buttercream

Ingredients

• 1 - 8oz Cream Cheese, room temp
• 1/2 cup Butter, room temp
• 1/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Red Food Coloring
• 1 lb. Powdered Sugar

Cooking Directions

1. In a medium bowl, add cream cheese and butter, whip till light and creamy, about 3 minutes.
2. Add liquids and blend.
3. Slowly add powdered sugar while mixing, (to keep the sugar from decorating your counters and appliances, not including you.)
4. At this point you may need to add more powdered sugar. You are trying to achieve a medium stiff consistency. Whip for several minutes.

Christmases Past

We make these recipes EVERY Christmas, yet somehow, EVERY Christmas we're either calling Grandma or digging through her recipes boxes to find them. The time has come to digitize them!

So in their entirety, The Blair/Simons/Curry/Smith Christmas staples, Spiced Tea Mix and FUDGE!

Spiced Tea Mix
would you believe me if I told you I can't actually find where I wrote it down.....Grandma!! Update: Found it!

• 14 ounces of Tang
• 2/3 cups instant tea
• 2 packets of lemonade (I used about 1/3 cup country time lemonade powder)
• 4 cups of sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons cloves
• 2 teaspoons nutmeg  (normally omitted)

Mix together! (I put all ingredients into my ninja and filled the kitchen with a vapor fine spiced tea dust. Don't do that. Give it a gentle stir with a large spoon and your lungs will thank you.) I use about 3-4 teaspoons per cup of hot water. More or less to taste! Enjoy!

Fudge

IGNORE THIS. We finally worked out an updated version with fancy information that's actually relevant to candy making, like temperature and timing, so that instead of 1 in 10 batches setting, they all do! I will update later this month when we make it because do I remember any of that helpful information right now? No. (Do I win some of 'least helpful recipe blog' award?)

• 3 cups of sugar
• 2/3 cups cocoa powder
• 1 and 1/2 cups milk
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Butter a square baking dish. Dissolve sugar, cocoa and salt with milk over low heat. Stirring constantly. Let cook over medium heat without stirring until a soft ball forms (drop a spoonful into cold water to test.) This should take about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and beat until it loses some of its shine. Add butter and pour into pan to cool. Refrain from eating the entire pan with a spoon before it sets.

Smith Beef Bourgignone

This recipe was adapted from the first ever cookbook that my mum had.

Feeds 4

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs of stewing steak
• 1 onion
• 1 red pepper
• 1 beef stock cube (oxo)
• 1/2 pint burgundy wine
• 4 tbsp of tomato puree
• 1 bouquet garni (like a teabag of herbs, eg Swartz)
• Mushrooms [optional]
• Rice or Pasta side

Directions:

1. Fry onions and pepper until soft
2. Brown meat
3. Add all ingredients to pot

In Pressure Cooker (how mum does it):

4. Bring up to pressure

5. Reduce heat and cook for 40 minutes

In Oven:

4. Put in casserole dish

5. Cook in oven at 180 C (350 F) for about 2.5 hours or until tender

6. Remove bouquet garni and serve on rice or pasta

Smith Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 stock cubes (combinations of chicken, beef &vegetable, eg 2 knorr chicken)
• 4 carrots (sliced)
• 1 large or 2 medium onions
• 2 celery sticks
• 1 leek [optional]
• 3 medium potatoes
• 500g carton or jar of tomato passata
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 can of cannellini beans
• 1 - 2 oz pasta (wagon wheel)
• 2-3 litres of water

Directions:

1. Dissolve stock cubes in hot water and add to pot
2. Chop vegetables and add to pot
3. Add remaining ingredients
4. Bring pot to boil
5. Simmer for 1 -2 hours, until vegetables are tender
6. Serve with sprinkling of parmesan cheese [optional]