Monthly Archives: June 2013

Goodbye June, Hello July and Hydrating Summer Foods!!

goodbye-june-hello-july-facebook-cover

Have mercy this month has flown on by! June was a great month, filled with so many great memories and experiences. I can only hope that July will be every bit as exciting and more! This summer I’m going to be delving into more seasonal alkaline foods, recipes, and posting all natural ways to drop the weight. There is no magic pill, no instant way to lose weight. It takes months and years to put on the weight it’s going to take just as long (depending on how much weight you’ve gained) to lose it. The best method is slow and steady, instantly losing weight can be unhealthy and dangerous. Plus it can leave some saggy skin here and there.

What are some alkalizing summer foods that will help boost your weight loss and improve your overall health?

Watermelon is the first fruit that comes to mind. It’s mostly water, very hydrating and perfect on those hot summer days at the beach, out in the backyard and on picnics! It is the go to food this season and very alkaline. I would only caution folks who have blood sugar issues to eat less or stay away from it due to its levels of natural fructose.

Cucumber is another excellent choice of alkaline food. It’s about 95% water, a fun food fact about the cuke:: eating 4 oz of cucumber is roughly equal to 2 ounces of water. Don’t be shy to add this to your summer salads!

Cabbage is great raw and cooked, and if you’re not much of a cabbage fan you may want to give it another try this year. Try adding some raw cabbage to your salad, soup, or bbq pork sandwich. It’s full of vitamin C, it can lower your cholesterol, and it too can aid in dropping the pounds.

Green Beans are another source of hydrating goodness! Just 1/2 cup of cooked green beans is equal to about 4 ounces of liquid, this is also a great low carb choice! Grill up your steaks, throw some fresh green beans, bell peppers (which contain vitamin c, thiamine, vitamin B6, beta-carotene, and folic acid) on the grill and enjoy a great meal that won’t add to your waistline!

Apples and berries, who doesn’t love them?! One medium apple contains about 4 ounces of liquid, and berries are as equally full of water. Get chopping and don’t forget to squirt a little lemon juice over the apples!

Carrots, being 90% water, are not as dense as you might think. They have more beta carotene than any other vegetable making this a top notch veggie to munch on! Great for your eyes and fighting against cancer. However, if you have a problem with carbs you shouldn’t eat too many. While carrots are a healthy they do have 8 net carbs per 1 cup raw serving. That’s high for a vegetable in my book, so keep it minimal (I tend to just eat them on my salads or soups only).

Celery is not everyone’s first choice when it comes to summer foods. As a parent you try so hard to get your kids to eat this watery vegetable, while some are good little troopers and try it out (often with the help of peanut butter and raisins). I tried that on my kid and all I got was a “yuck”. I guess you can’t win them all, but adults should definitely indulge a little more this year and eat up some more celery, it’s full of vitamins, mineral salts, and amino acids. Grab some hummus and dip away!

Salads, specifically green salads such as kale, spinach and any other dark green leafy salad are another source of water. They are refreshing on a hot day, full of minerals,vitamins, provide a variety of phytonutrients and are all most carb free! Instead of coating it in heavy dressings try the recipe below::

Lemon Avocado Dressing
While we used basil and dill, choose any fresh herbs you like – tarragon, oregano and thyme are all great options!
1 ripe avocado
2 lemons, juiced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ tbsp chopped red onion
6 basil leaves
6 stems fresh dill
1/8 tsp sea salt
3 drops stevia (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process thoroughly until well blended.

Citrus Vinaigrette

This is a great “goes with everything” dressing that works double as a marinade.

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons or limes, juiced
1 navel orange, juiced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
Pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl until well blended.

Citrus Fruit Dressing 

Ingredients:

1 lemon, squeezed
1 lime, squeezed
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 pinch of Kosher salt & Cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp of rosemary
1/2 tsp of thyme
1 tsp of basil

Put every ingredient into a food processor and blend together well.

You now have an alkaline salad dressing that your friends & family can enjoy to. If you want the salad just a little bit thicker add some hemp seeds into the processor.

Chilli Chive Dressing 

Ingredients:

1  chilli (any heat you can handle)
1/2 avocado, mashed
1/2 lemon, squeezed
1/2 tbsp of rosemary
3 tbsp of freshly chopped chive
3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
5 tbsp of fresh water (preferably alkaline)
Pinch of Himalayan salt

Step 1: Add the chilli of your choice, avocado, olive oil and alkaline water into the processor, and mix until emulsified. Next, sprinkle your rosemary, salt and then pour the squeezed lemon juice to blend together again.
Alkalizing Caesar Salad Dressing

Ingredients for the Dressing

1/3 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of water (best: alkaline water)
1 tbsp. miso
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 dates
2 cloves of garlic
1 dash of sea salt and cayenne pepper

DirectionsPut all ingredients in a blender and mix until all ingredients are well emulsified.

Season again if desired.

Tip: If you prefer a thicker dressing, you can also add 1 tbsp. of flaxseeds before blending.

Pineapple, while alkaline for some people I find it difficult to eat and will shy away from it. But don’t let people like me turn you away from it’s healthy goodness! It’s full of bromelain which should aid in digestion. It’s a great natural choice to help detox your body and to aid in weight loss. Add it to your fruit salad or put a few thick slices on the grill!

Oranges are 85% water and delicioso! Grab a few to take with you on a hike, camping out, fishing trips, or to a sporting event! We  already know they are a great source of Vitamin C, but did you know that they are also full of fiber?! Again, diabetics and low carb eaters need to not over indulge on this sweet fruit, a little goes a long way!

Welcome the summer with some amazing fruits and vegetables that will not only taste good but also help drop the pounds and rejuvenate your body for a better you! An alkaline lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but we all do need to eat more fruits and vegetables the key is knowing which ones to eat more of and which ones to eat less of. There are even some to steer clear of in case of allergies, low metabolism, or compromised insulin receptors. Make wise choices this summer, have fun, and stay hydrated!

Amanda Gayle

Related articles

Book Nook Freebies

Morning all, today’s Book Nook Freebies (yes more than one!!) are for kids! Unless your children are like Phineas and Ferb, always doing something each day, they most likely get bored fast and easily (mine does every year). With that said, I found a good assortment of free Kindle downloads from Amazon. Jokes, stories, interesting facts, the classics, projects, recipes etc. I’ve been downloading like crazy this morning 🙂

  1. Guinness World Records 2013 Bonus Chapter
  2. Tongue Twisters for Kids
  3. 101 Best Jokes
  4. Fairy Tales Every Child Should Know
  5. Lily Lemon Blossom Welcome to Lily’s Room
  6. Jokes for Kids: 299 Funny and Hilarious Clean Jokes for Kids
  7. No Way Out–And Other Scary Short Stories
  8. Ripley’s RBI 01: Scaly Tale
  9. SMART SCHOOL TIME RECIPES: The Breakfast, Snack, and Lunchbox Cookbook for Healthy Kids and Adults
  10. Robinson Crusoe
  11. A Little Cook Book for a Little Girl
  12. Gulliver’s Travels
  13. The Legend of King Arthur and His Knights
  14. Oliver Twist
  15. Practical Duct Tape Projects
  16. Duct Tape Bags
  17. Riddle Chest: 50 Original Riddles to Stump Your Brain
  18. Quirk Books Entertains Your Kids
  19. Children’s Rhymes, Children’s Games, Children’s Songs, Children’s Stories A Book for Bairns and Big Folk
  20. Survival 101: The Essential Guide to Saving Your Life in a Disaster
  21. Volcanoes for Kids
  22. Bow & Arrow Archery Set for Scouts
  23. Dolphins: Amazing Pictures and Fun Facts on Animals in Nature
  24. History of Billy the Kid
  25. Why Are Turtles So Crazy Awesome?
  26. Treasure Island
  27. Grimm’s Fairy Tales

There are a plethora of other books, other titles that may interest your child, some are only free if you are an Amazon Prime Member. Happy reading!

 

Amanda Gayle

Poached Eggs on Toast

Morning/Evening everyone!! I know some of you are wondering how I’m able to keep the hours that I do…honestly, I’m not a morning person and I can’t sleep longer than 5-6 hours at night. Sure, eventually it does catch up with me and I’ll collapse before midnight, but most of the time I’m up till 2am working on either a project or research. I love how we have all this information literally at our fingertips. All we need do is type in a few keywords in the search bar and hit enter, it’s marvelous actually! And I tell people “google it” if they want to know more information, of course the way it comes out of my mouth and the original intent of those words hardly ever come out the same. A lot of the time it comes out sounding harsh and rude when really I just mean for it be an encouragement…*hears crickets*…alright, so I get frustrated when people ask me how things are done when the same information is right there waiting for anyone to harness it. I have to admit folks, I don’t know everything, what little I do know comes from searching the web. Even that I urge people to take with a grain of salt!

In my endeavor to learning more about poached eggs I came across a neat timeline about eggs (in general). It’s amazing just how far back in food history eggs go, but a reference to poached eggs wasn’t make until the timeline came to Ancient Egypt.

Horus_standing.svg  To quote the timeline, “Eggs were easily obtained and were recommended as wholesome food, being consumed hard- or soft-boiled, fried, poached, and used as a binding agent in cookery, especially in souffles and sauces…” I think it’s safe to say we take these ancient people for granted. They were more advanced than we like to give them credit for, but it doesn’t stop there!

In Medieval Europe they loved their eggs too! So much in fact that they were the second most common food item to eat back then, the first being bread. Eggs were cheap, in abundance thanks to chicken, and one of the more common ways they would eat them were roasted. However, poached eggs were eaten and were favored by medical men as being more easily digestible.

Coming forward to the early 19th century (1839 to be exact), there appears to be a recipe from book called “Kentucky Housewife”

“Place a broad stew-pan of clean water over the fire till it boils, and set it level before the fire. Break the eggs separately into a plate or saucer, to ascertain if they are good, dropping them as you examine them into the boiling water. They must not be too much crowded, and there must be plenty of water to cover them well. Having put them all into the pan in this manner, let them remain till the whites become set; then place the pan again on the fire, and cook them as hard as you desire: they probably will be sufficiently hard by the time the water begins to boil. Raise them carefully from the water with an egg-slice, trimming the edges smoothly, and lay them separately upon small buttered toasts or broiled ham, arranging them neatly in the dish; sprinkle on a very little salt and black pepper; put on each a spoonful of melted butter, and send them up warm. They are eaten at breakfast. When prepared for the dinner table, omit the toasts or ham; serve them in a small deep dish, sprinkle on some salt and pepper, and pour over the same melted butter. They are sent as a side side to accompany poultry and game.” —Kentucky Housewife, Lettice Bryan, facsimile 1839 edition [Image Graphics:Paducah KY] undated recent paperback reprint (p. 227)

How posh!

In late 19th century, there is a story that is recounted about Lemuel Benedict, who the next morning suffered from a hangover in 1894 after an evening of fine dining (they say he was quite the ladies man and big tipper), there was printed in a New Yorker article giving an account of what he ordered for breakfast…

“He ordered two poached eggs, bacon, buttered toast and a pitcher of hollandaise sauce, a rich, egg-based sauce flavored with butter, lemon and vinegar. Then he built the dish that bears his name.”

Moving along the timeline to 1896, I came across a style of eggs called Philadelphia Eggs. Any time I hear the word Philadelphia I automatically think of Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart.

Yep, them :)

Oops, think I startled them 😉

Alright, back to Philadelphia eggs…

“Split some fresh muffins in two, toast them to a fine color and lay them on a dish. Cut cooked chicken white meat the same size as the half muffin, lay them on top, then a poached egg over, and cover with Hollandaise sauce, made as follows: Melt a quarter of a pound of fresh butter and when quite hot add two raw egg yolks and the juice of half a lemon; whip well till it becomes creamy and consistent, then use.” —The Cook Book by “Oscar” of the Waldorf,” Oscar Tschirky [Saalfield Publishing:Chicago] 1896, 1908 (p. 588)
[NOTE: Interesting this cookbook does not offer a recipe for “Eggs Benedict” two years after the “invention” occurred. One would think the author would be proud to share.]

By 1909 poaching eggs was pretty much the norm along with boiling, steaming, scrambling, and omelets of all flavors. Through out food history people have enjoyed eggs of all kinds and yet my research wasn’t complete. I had to know just a bit more but from a different source. That is when I turned to my Dad…

I decided to “interview” my Dad and ask him what he remembered his grandmother or mother did that was Throw Back Thursday worthy.

Dad: “Egg custard, your GG always made the best egg custard every time I’d go over to their house.”

Me: “Alright, what about grandma?”

Dad: “My Mom? Does it have to be food related?”

Me: *chuckles* “No, certainly there was something that one of them did that stands out in your memory, other than the egg custard.” *I’m not an egg custard fan*

Dad: *pondering* “Both GG and Mom would make poached eggs on toast.”

Me: “That’s doable, I’ve never had them before. How did they make them?”

Dad: “You’ve never had them before?! Well, your GG would do them one of two ways: in an egg poacher or in a large pan that she’d crack the eggs into. She didn’t always make them like that unless she were making more than just two. Your grandma had a triangle shaped egg poacher that would do three eggs.”

Me: “Then that’s what we’ll do this weekend! I guess a poached egg is like eating a fried egg over medium?”

Dad: “Yeah, I can’t remember exactly how long she (GG) would cook them for.”

Saturday came…

Dad: “So, when you gonna go make me some poached eggs girl?”

Me: *putting iPod aside*”I don’t know how, maybe you could show me.”

And he did 🙂 With the camera in hand I stood to the side and documented every step.

002

As he prepared everything I took a couple of pictures of our egg poacher. He then put water in the pan, not too much.

003

Fire it up, on about medium.

006    007

I was in charge of toast…that much I know I could do 😉

008

Next he put four little pats of butter in each cup, he said it’s better that way though the cups are non-stick.

010        011

And then came the loading of the cups. Ta-da!

012    013

Four little eggs getting happy in the poacher…*whistles a lively tune*…and five minutes later they were done! What came next was nothing short of perfection!!!

015    016

I watched as he turned out each egg onto buttered toast; topping them with a little salt and pepper, and serving them up with turkey sausage on the side. He then proceeded to show me how he likes to cut the egg and toast up. First, cut the egg in half…see, perfection!

018    020

Cut the toast into three strips from width to width. And then into three strips again the other way. Do the same to the other egg and toast, then enjoy!

I’m sure you’re curious as to whether or not I liked them, after reading up on the various ways to eat poached eggs (Eggs Benedict being the most popular) I’ll admit I was a tad hesitant to try such a dish…I’ll just let the last picture speak for itself 🙂

022

Related articles

Quick and Easy Eating Tips…

Quick and Easy Eating Clipping

Quick and Easy Eating Clipping

Mom gave me a heads up that she had her great-aunt’s recipe folder, you can imagine the excitement I was feeling!! I was looking forward to hand written recipes passed down through the generations from one woman to another. After all, this was my great-great-aunt, a woman who raised three boys in a very small house, with an equally small kitchen, and making due with what they had. As I started going through the accordion file folder I couldn’t help but feel saddened that there weren’t more handwritten family recipes. Instead, clipping after clipping of recipes, we figured, she never even used. Each one in pristine condition. I pulled out a few interesting recipes that I intend to make and even some handy tips such as the one in the photo above.

The first tip:

  • “Serve warm baked peach halves on a cold winter morning! Place peach halves and syrup in a baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 375 degrees until hot. Top hot peaches with a mixture of yogurt and granola.”

That sounds so yummy and doable with any fruit! In the summer you wouldn’t have to even bake it, just top it off with some cinnamon, plain or peach yogurt, and your favorite granola. Other fruit options: pears, pineapple, mango, papaya, bananas, and apples. A fruit cocktail can be used as well, I’ve done this in the winter when my son wants a baked fruit and oatmeal crisp.

Tip two:

  • “A quick-mix upside down coffee cake makes a party out of Sunday breakfast. Simply place a layer of drained cling peach slices in a well-buttered cake pan. Spoon a rich biscuit mix on top and bake according to package directions. Invert to serve. Sprinkle peaches with brown sugar, cinnamon, and grated orange peel for added flavor.”

Kind of reminds me of the triple berry dessert I make. Fruit goes on the bottom which is then topped with a gluten free “batter”. As it bakes the fruit floats to the top and gets all bubbly. It’s perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! If you don’t want to use butter you can use a non-stick spray and my personal recommendation for a biscuit mix would be a homemade one. Here’s a recipe!

Tip Three:

  • “Colorful fruit cocktail can be mixed with a little jam or jelly for a delicious topping for custard, ice cream or bread pudding.”

Now that is one I hadn’t thought of, definitely might try that over some ice cream!

Tip Four:

  • “Left-over rice and canned cling peach slices work well together for a quick and delicious dessert. Simply mix the peach slices and cooked rice. Sweeten to taste. Bake in 350 degree oven until hot. Serve with warm milk. If desired.”

A sweet way to use up leftover rice. You can add some cinnamon, some raisins, and a little brown sugar. It makes sense to add the milk before baking, but that can be a personal preference to each individual. Any fruit can be used, eating seasonally is best and healthier. A rice and berry bake would be perfect during the summer, apples and rice in the winter…just play with the flavors and share your results here! Happy eating 🙂

Amanda Gayle

Related articles

Cold Avocado Soup

Love avocado soups, this one looks like a keeper!!

Summer Food

Submitted by Amy R, found in Joy of Cooking

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 C buttermilk*
4 tsp lime juice
¼ tsp salt
pinch of cayenne
if desired, any garnish of choice (suggestions: chopped cucumber; pico de gallo; sour cream or plain yogurt; lump crabmeat)

Directions:
Puree avocado and garlic in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add buttermilk, lime juice, salt, and cayenne and blend. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate until cold. If necessary, thin with buttermilk, cream, or milk. Garnish as desired.

*For those with dairy allergies, you can substitute 2 T lemon juice plus 2 cups of milk substitute (soy, rice, oat, etc.) for the buttermilk. The soup will be thinner than if buttermilk is used.

Nutrition: to be added

View original post

Summer Fun

renderedsummer-440428

With summer officially underway, you might be wondering what to do with the munchkins. There’s tons of ideas out on the web, looking for them can be a bit time consuming. Below are some links to recipes, crafts, things to try and other activities to not only give your family something to do but make new memories with!! Have fun 😀

Kid’s Turn Central

Spoonful

Fun Attic

100 Summer Fun Ideas for Kids and Parents

Go on a picnic

Go on a picnic

Teach Mama

The Frugal Gals

12 Cheap Ideas for Summer

30 Things to do Before Summer Ends

Have a water fun day in your neighborhood!!!

Have a water fun day in your neighborhood!!!

Kaboose Summer Fun Guide

15+ Summer Fun Ideas for Kids

18 Summer Fun Ideas

Host a movie night

Host a movie night

Of course, summer time isn’t just for the kids. find a babysitter and go out for fun adult evening. Here’s a nifty site brimming with fun, frugal, and romantic date night ideas!

CheapDate

Nifty Date Ideas

Check out local summer camps

Check out local summer camps

More frugal ideas…

100+ Ideas for Free and Frugal Summer

Stay safe. Have fun. Be blessed!

clipart-have-a-safe-summer

 

Related articles

4th of July Vignette & Simple Tablescape

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not much of a decorator. I like to keep things simple, not too fussy and reusing things from around the house just to save money. I decided to do a little something this year for a change but again staying away from the flashy and overly priced decor. Keep in mind you can dress this up as much as you want 🙂

4th of July

The idea was to keep it traditional, classic, something that hearkens back to childhood memories. The finger sandwiches (deviled ham, pimento cheese, cream cheese and pineapple) can bring back even the fondest memory from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s while things seemed simpler, easier even,  reality said otherwise. Fresh lemonade is the perfect refreshment on a hot summer day whether on a picnic, at a backyard cook out, at the beach or lake. You can add any kind of fruit, the most popular being grapes, watermelon, and strawberries. Anything that doesn’t get mushy in transport is perfect for a 4th of July picnic…oh and don’t forget the cheese puffs 😉

043   037

044

Printed the pennant banner from Botanical Paper Works (click here). It was easy to assemble with a little craft glue and ball of raffia. Let it dry overnight and it was ready to display the next day! Love the vibrant colors!!

Links to free 4th of July printables:

Whether you choose to go all out with your decorations or choose to keep it simple you can use any of these accents to help punch up your next picnic or outdoor patriotic barbecue. Have fun with it!!

Amanda Gayle

Related articles

Book Nook Freebie & Food Storage 101 Tip

51VV2FozyOL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-69,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_

This is so exciting, yesterday I watched a 30 minute video about aquaponics and today I found this free eBook! I find aquaponics to be interesting, see I can’t go outside like I used to. Three years ago I started to have a bad reaction to mosquito bites. It’s common to get the little itchy bump to which you add a little anti-itch cream and you go on with your life. For me,with each passing year the reaction has turned into a hypersensitivity/allergy. Every time I’m bitten the bite(s) grow into welts and spread out into weird shapes. Plus each bite feels like I’m on fire, hydrocortisone cream does not stop the itching, if anything it makes it worse. My mom is concerned I’ll go anaphylactic one of these days, and at times it can seem like I’m already there. Especially when I have multiple bites all at once. I can no longer tend a garden, go outside with my son, sit around the fire pit making s’mores with my family, I can’t go to the park to watch a movie, or watch fireworks. DEET products do not work for me, all natural products barely work,  and this year we didn’t start up a garden. The pro and con is (1) we can help support the local farmers which is great, (2) we’re unable to be self-reliant, and I miss that.

Solution?

Aquaponics! This can be done anywhere, basements, in small apartments, outside, and while today’s eBook is about growing Tilapia you can have other fish to help give you a variety. The best thing is you can grow stuff year round! There are people who do this in the dead of winter, snow on the ground kind of winter. I don’t profess to having much of a green thumb, I kill indoor plants…but this is different, practically self sustaining with minimal upkeep.

Food storage tip: It’s best to have a variety of food sources. Having the expensive cans of freeze dried food is ok, stocking up on MRE’s is alright too, but it shouldn’t be the ONLY food source for you and your family. Having a way to grow fresh fruits and vegetables is a nice change, plus the fresh fish will help add variety to your daily meal. Your pets will benefit from the fish as well, you can dehydrate fish and use them as doggie treats! No harsh chemicals or questionable ingredients, just wholesome treats.

I hope you all enjoy the free eBook and be sure to pass it on to others! Have a blessed day 🙂

Amanda Gayle

Related articles

4th of July Grub

Uncategorized

With the 4th of July upon us, here are some great recipes that are sure to please anyone!

  1. Blueberry Buckle with Whipped Cream
  2. Grilled Burgers (traditional)*
  3. Slow Cooked BBQ Chicken
  4. Grilled Brats*
  5. Deviled Eggs
  6. Banana Bread
  7. Homemade Dinner Rolls
  8. Banana Pudding (no bake)
  9. Creamy Pasta Salad

I didn’t add any recipes for traditional hamburgers, I tend to leave that up to people’s amazing imaginations. Even the most amazing burger just seasoned with salt and pepper will wow even the pickiest eater (my son included). It’s all about not smashing the burgers while they cook and how you dress it up on the bun! I think my Dad is off to a great start there in the middle picture 😉

Grilled brats are just as easy, I like to top my grilled brat off with spicy brown mustard, sauteed bell peppers and vidalia onions. Some good eats right there!

Amanda Gayle

Related articles

Banana Pudding(no-bake)

Throw Back Thursday:

After looking online at all the various ways to make banana pudding I thought I’d go back to basics, keeping it simple,and easy. I love easy! I shared a picture a while back of the banana pudding I made for my Papaw while he was here visiting. Mom and I guessed that his mother most likely made a cooked custard, layer it with the bananas and cookies before putting it in the fridge. He remembers eating it cold throughout his childhood.

We also discovered that vanilla jello pudding didn’t hit the market till the mid to late 1930’s or there about. Chocolate instant pudding came out around 1936 so I’m sure it wasn’t long after that the vanilla instant pudding came out in stores. I can’t say exactly when my great-grandmother would have switched over, if ever, to the instant pudding mix. But no matter how it’s made, baked or not, banana pudding brings back happy memories of family get togethers and summer time for most people.

014

Banana Pudding

Ingredients

2 large boxes of instant vanilla pudding powder

4 cups milk

4 bananas, sliced

1 box nilla wafer cookies, reserving a small handful of cookies to crush

4 quart pan or bowl

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, blend together, with either a hand mixer or whisk, vanilla pudding powder with milk, until powder is completely blended, smooth and thick. Set aside. Prepare your serving dish by covering the bottom with a single layer of cookies. If using a Tulip bowl (click here) or trifle bowl (click here) you’ll want to place some cookies around the side using the bottom layer to stabilize the cookies going up. Spoon in just enough pudding to cover the bottom layer of cookies. Slice a banana and cover the pudding layer completely; you may need more than one banana as you build up your layers while adding more cookies up the side of the bowl. Cover the the bananas with another layer of cookies; press down slightly and repeat this process until you get to the top layer. With the reserved cookies, crush them carefully with a rolling pin (you don’t want a powder). Sprinkle the crumbs over the top, cover and set in fridge until ready to serve. 

You can make this recipe with one box of pudding, I think the original recipe only called for one but our family loves it so much we use two 🙂 It makes more since we’re family of 5 and it goes father when we have guests. Hope you enjoy!

Amanda Gayle

Related articles