Yes we have no banana's today...

I've never really understood that phrase in the song, and I'm too sick to sing. I took this shot to show my family that the bananas have to be very ripe for banana cake/bread/muffins. It seems my husband thinks these are "bad" and garburates them, and then I go out and buy ones off the reduce shelf so I can have them for baking. My son won't eat a banana but he'll gobble down this cake. I got the recipe from a co-worker many years ago and it always works. Have a Mellow Yellow Monday

Karen Scarpone’s Banana Bread

½ cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1tsp. baking soda dissolved in 4 tsp. boiling water

3 bananas mashed

2cups sifted flour

2 tsp. baking powder

Pinch salt

1 cup nuts (*walnuts or anything you have hanging around)

1 tsp vanilla

• I often substitute chocolate chips for the nuts, just in case I have a nut allergy person around.

Cream together, butter, sugar and eggs.

Dissolve soda in water, mix with mashed bananas

Sift and mix together dry ingredients. Add alternately with banana mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Add nuts/chocolate chips and vanilla.

I bake this in a bundt pan, but you can certainly make it a loaf or cupcakes. Bake at 350 degrees in a greased pan. Enjoy.

Apricot Peach Pie

Apricot Peach Pie

1 unbaked 9” pie shell
1 cup packed dried apricots, cut in halves
19 oz. sliced peaches canned*
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch

Streusel topping:
1/2c. sliced almonds
¼ cup sugar
1/4cup flour
2 tbsp. butter

Cover apricots with boiling water in small saucepan and let stand one hour. Meanwhile prick pasty shell all over with a fork. Line with parchment or foil, fill with weights or dry rice. Bake in pre heated oven 425F. oven for 8 minutes. Remove liner and weights, bake 7 minutes longer or until bottom is dry and firm. Let cool on rack while you prepare filling. Drain apricots, well and discard liquid. Pour liquid from peaches over apricots* and set peaches aside. Add lemon juice and rind to apricots. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until apricots are very tender and liquid is reduced by about a third. About 20 minutes. Stir together gently over medium heat until liquid is thickened and translucent. Gently stir in peaches. Cool 5 minutes then spoon into prebaked pie shell. Sprinkle with Streusel Topping. Bake in preheated oven 425F oven for 15 -20 min. or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown.

Streusel topping:

Stir together almonds, sugar and flour. Blend in butter with a fork until mixture is crumbly.

Serves 6-8

*The recipe called for canned peaches, I do use fresh if I have them. I then use apple juice to steam the peaches.