Donna's Sweet Potato Casserole

Just in time for the holidays. The dish most requested by my sister-in-law, Shirley, this concoction is more like a dessert than a vegetable. Don't even think about calories or cholesterol. Serve hot. Enjoy.

Right before it goes into the oven. 

3 C. canned Sweet Potatoes or Yams (I use Bruce's Yams)
1 C. Dark Brown Sugar
3 Eggs, beaten (It is possible to use EggBeaters.)
1/2 Stick butter, melted (1/4 C.)
1/2 C. 1/2 and 1/2 (I've even used Vanilla Creamer. Yummy!)

Mash potatoes. Stir in sugar, margarine, eggs, and milk. Pour in baking dish.

Topping:

1 C. Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 C. Flour
1 C. Chopped Pecans (If you've bought whole pecans, keep out a few for garnish.)
1 Stick butter (1/2 C.)

Mix topping ingredients. Spread on top of potatoes. Garnish with whole pecans. Bake uncovered in 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes until heated through and topping is golden brown. To me it's best when the top is nice and crunchy!

*I got an email from someone who'd tried my recipe, and loved it! The only thing - the center wasn't quite done in 30 minutes. I make mine in a fairly large baking dish, because I like for the topping to be spread out (and sometimes I make extra, too!), so if you're using a deeper baking dish, you might want to leave it in the oven for about 40 minutes. Just watch to make sure the topping isn't burning. If it's browning too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.

Banana Wheat Bread - Breadmaker Recipe

Recently, we ate at a local Penn Station. I ordered a Reuben made with turkey instead of corned beef - delicious! Afterwards we went to the Salvation Army Store next door, and I found a Regal Breadmaker Machine for $3.99! Since then, I've made lots of bread, experimenting with recipes. Tons of fun! Here's what I made last night:

Banana Wheat Bread

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 egg (I used 1/4 cup EggBeaters)
1/4 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 bananas, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Kroger bread machine yeast
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

On my machine, I used the 'Wheat' setting with 'Light' crust. Enjoy!

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. - Jesus Christ (John 6:51)

Broccoli Casserole

One of my favorite vegetables is broccoli. I buy the huge bags at Sam's Club, and periodically I steam a couple of cups, topping it with a little bit (well, I start out with a little bit!) of butter and salt. Lately I've discovered squeezing a bit of fresh lemon over the top really brings out the flavor. But when I'm fixing a big dinner, I make Broccoli Casserole - a much richer dish. As with all these recipes, forget counting the calories. If you're going to do that, steam it instead.

10 oz. pkg. chopped broccoli

Steam til done, but not overly so. Drain well.

Mix together*:

1/2 c. Mayonnaise
1/2 c. sharp Cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 egg, beaten
Dash of black pepper

Mix well with broccoli. Spoon into greased baking dish.

Mix:

1/2 c. crushed Saltines
2 tbsp. melted butter

Top broccoli with cracker mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until topping is golden.

*Sometimes I add about a 1/2 pkg. of onion soup mix to the mayonnaise mixture to make it really onion-y. Warms up well!