Banana Cream Pie - Easy as Pie

1 & 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup crushed ice (really crushed)
1/2 (3.5 ounce) package instant banana pudding mix (or to lessen the banana flavor, add french vanilla)
1/2 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
3 bananas, sliced
1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked
1 cup heavy cream, whipped at the end with some powdered sugar for topping.

DIRECTIONS
Using an electric mixer, whip heavy cream on low speed until it starts to thicken. Add crushed ice and continue to whip another 4 minutes. Increase speed and add vanilla and banana pudding mixes, whipping until pudding mixes are blended fully with the cream and the mixture thickens. Increase speed to high and beat until mixture is stiff.
Line the bottom and half way up the sides of pie crust with banana slices. Cover bananas with half of the banana cream mixture and top completely with banana slices. Top with the remaining banana cream mixture.
In a small bowl, whip 1 cup cream until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving (or overnight).

*Tip - if you don't want your bananas to turn brown, put them in a bowl with a splash of lemon juice and stir them around. It will add a little tartness, but saves the color.*

Wow!

Surprisingly, lots of people have ordered one of the cookbooks we're working on publishing, even some people who I don't know personally! Here's your last chance. This is the last week we're taking orders/money, so if you want one, leave me a comment with your email and I can send you information.

Oreo Cheesecake Kisses

I got this idea from Bakerella, if you haven't checked out her baking blog, do it. Do it now. She is awesome. Anyway, I used her idea, and came up with a fun Valentine's treat, that I personalized with my own messages! So fun. And how can you not love something made with Oreos and cheesecake?

The recipe is simple:
1 box Oreos (I used imitation ones, and they tasted the EXACT same) - take 7 out and eat them for good luck (and so it's not too dry)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese (I used light and it was fine), softened
1 pkg. White or Chocolate Bark

Crush the cookies in a food processor or blender until fine. Mix with cream cheese in bowl until well mixed and cookie dough like. Roll into 1" balls. Chill so they are cold enough not to fall apart in chocolate coating. Shape like kisses if desired. Dip into chocolate coating. Let cool. I put a few of mine on some remaining crushed oreos for a fun bottom, and sprinkled some on top. Cover with aluminum foil. Add a message if you want! Enjoy. You can freeze these and they're good too.

Publishing a Recipe Book

Hello faithful recipe readers. Just wanted to let you know I'm working with my church on "whipping up" (ha ha, get it?) a published recipe book. It's going to have over 300 recipes and will be full of fabulous recipes in all categories, including some favorites of yours truly. If you want one...let me know. We're placing orders over the next couple weeks. The cost will be $9 buckaroos. Plus shipping if you don't live in Louisville, KY. Shoot me an email to heidisrecipes@hotmail.com if you're interested. I can't order any more once we place our order so just wanted to give a shout out now!

How's that for shameless self promotion?

Food Tag

I've been tagged by a fellow foodie - Deborah at Taste and Tell. This one is only 5 facts, and since I'm going to relate it to food, I'll have no problem coming up with them!
Rules: 1. Link to your tagger and post these rules. 2. Share 5 facts about yourself 3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them). 4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

My Facts:

1) I never measure ingredients exactly.

2) I'm a major texture person. Even if I like the flavor of some things, I can't eat them if I don't like the texture (i.e. sushi, grilled peppers and onions, cake)

3) I love to cook/bake and find it therapeutic to be up to my elbows in flour, dough, etc.

4) I have a fetish with cookbooks.

5) I dream of opening a restaurant.

I'm tagging Dani at Domestication in Progress, Krista at Delisssshious Dishes, Anne at Anne's Simple Recipes, Tisha at Tisha's Tips, and Becky C. at ???(no food blog yet, but I'm tagging her because I know she reads this and I think she should start a food blog).

The Saint of All Carrot Cakes

Really, I modified this recipe to be low-fat, and then I added the cream cheese frosting and that idea was shot. However, I think if I were Catholic, I would be sainted for this carrot cake. If I were British I would be knighted. You get the idea. Anyway, this recipe is for a 9x13, but I halved the recipe and made an 8x8, so I didn't have so many leftovers, which I knew I would (and did) eat for breakfast.

4 eggs
2/3 c. oil
2/3 applesauce
1 c. crushed pineapple, well drained
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. You can use Pam spray, but make sure you get it really good before flouring it. Very important step so it comes out of the pan when you're ready to frost it.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, applesauce, sugars, pineapple and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in walnuts. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Once it is cool, frost it on top and sides, then cover with remaining nuts.
To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Success with a Pork Chop! Hallelujah!

This is so easy, and I have never had such success with succulent, fall apart pork chops.

4 pork chops (I bought the 1" thick, boneless ones from Costco - they are great, and lean)
1 cup crushed pineapple (not drained)
1 cup BBQ sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's brand, also available at Costco)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Place pork chops in a greased crock pot. Sprinkle with pepper and garlic salt. In separate bowl, mix pineapple and BBQ sauce. Pour sauce over pork chops and set at low for 6 hours (do not over cook). These were delicious and fell apart! No knives necessary, and the sauce was great. I'll definitely make these again. I served it with the sweet potato fries recipe below.

The Cure to Sweet Potato-itis

I usually hate sweet potatoes, but my awesome cook sister-in-law, Bryndy, has an awesome solution to sweetpotatoitis.

1 large sweet potato - cut into thin strips
Place strips in bowl, add 1/8 c. olive oil.
Add:
1/2 tsp. season salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
sprinkle or two of all purpose, salt free seasoning
Mix well. Place strips on large greased cookie sheet.
Chop 1/4 of an onion into long strips and place on top of sweet potatoes.

Bake at 475F for 30-40 minutes, or until crispy. Turn once or twice during baking.

Snickerdoodle Muffins

As if my muffin-top wasn't bad enough already, I had to find this recipe. Worth every bite.

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

¾ tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

¾ tsp cream of tartar

¾ tsp nutmeg

1 and ¼ cup sour cream

2 and ¼ cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar and 2 TBSP cinnamon mixed together for rolling

1.Cream the butter and sugar until soft about 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the vanilla. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix until each is incorporated.

2.In a separate, mix together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder and cream of tartar.

3.Add the flour mixture and the sour cream alternately to the egg-butter mixture in the additions. Start with the flour and end with the flour. Scrape the bowl occasionally.

4. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out muffin batter one at a time and drop into a shallow bowl filled with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the muffin around in the mixture until it is covered completely in cinnamon sugar.. Place muffin in to muffin tin.. Depending on the size of your tins and how big you like your muffins, you should get about 24 mini muffins plus 6 regular muffins. Bake them for approx. 20-22 minutes in a 350F oven or until they are golden brown.

Walking Tacos

This is a favorite Utah State tradition, served warm outside the TSC on cold Logan days!
Chili
1 lb. ground beef browned and drained
1 whole onion finely chopped (cook this with the beef)
1 can chili beans in sauce
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
1 can tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies
2 TBS. chili powder
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
Brown beef with onion, add all other cans and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30-45 minutes on low.
Pour over:
Individual Size Bags of Fritos chips
Top with:
Shredded Lettuce
Diced Tomatoes
Cheese
Sour Cream