Mrs Groover's Banana Nut Cake Delight

My friend brough this to a baby shower and it was SOOO yummy! She omitted the nuts & we didn't miss them at all! By the way, this is a Rachael Ray recipe.

Yields: 1 8-inch three-layer or 1 9-inch two-layer cake
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 8-inch or two 9-inch cake pans.


Ingredients
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana
2 large eggs


For the cream cheese and nut frosting:
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
One 1-pound box confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans


Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl; add the shortening, buttermilk, and banana. Mix until all the dry ingredients are dampened, then beat at low speed for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat for 1 minute.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then turn out the cakes on a rack to cool completely before frosting.
Combine the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract and beat until fluffy. Fold in the pecans, and frost the cake. If you love lots of icing, you can make 1 1/2 times this recipe. Remember, this is not banana bread but a stacked cake, so be sure to frost between the layers as well as the outside.

Brown sugar chicken

Ingredients:
4-6 pieces of chicken (frozen or thawed)
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup Sprite
1-3 T minced garlic
2 T soy souce
1 tsp pepper


Place chicken in crockpot. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

crab & cream cheese wontons ** Easy, but many steps

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese
2 cups crab meat (make sure to squeeze excess moisture out)
3 Tablespoons chopped green onion (1/2 bunch)
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon soy sauce

Mix above ingredients in a bowl, set aside.

1 package gyoza skins (wontons)
1 Large container vegetable oil
1 egg
Corn starch

Break egg into small bowl and mix well. Lay gyoza skins out on counter top, and spoon 1 teaspoon of crab mixture into the middle of the gyoza or wonton skin. Dip finger into beaten egg, then wipe egg around the top half edge of the gyoza skin. Fold skin in half and press bottom edge onto the egg to seal the two half's together.

Pour ½ cup corn starch onto a plate. Dip the wontons into the corn starch and layer in a 13 x 9 pan with plastic wrap separating each layer until ready to cook.

Heat oil in a deep, large saucepan. Drop wontons into hot oil and fry to a golden brown.

Serve with Sweet & Spicy Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
½ cup Water
1 cup Sugar
1 cup pineapple juice
½ cup rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon grenadine
½ teaspoon shichimi (Japanese 7 spice)
2 ½ Tablespoons cornstarch
Pour all ingredients into a medium saucepan and whisk to blend well. Cook on medium-high
heat until sauce thickens. Serve with Crab Wontons

Halloween Eye balls

She made this look easy, but I haven't tried it yet, so I won't rate it yet...

Halloween EyeBallspresented by Marge Tuckett, Naborhood Bakery, Gardner Village, 1100 W. 7800 S., West Jordan

Ingredients:1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tbs butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 butterfinger candy bar

Instructions:Blend peanut butter and butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar and chopped butterfinger. Roll into 1 inch balls, place on baking sheet and put in freezer for about 1 hour.

Melt in Microwave:1 12 oz pkg white chocolate chips3 tbs veg shortening

Instructions:
Stir until smoothe and dip frozen eyeballs (using a skewer). Shake off excess chocolate and place back on cookie sheet. Using either green skittles, chocolate chips or Butterfinger BB's, push down into eyeball and let set up on white chocolate. Make red icing and place in a tube with very small hole. Squeeze out on white chocolate to make bloodshot eyes. Store in the refridgerator and serve cold.

Janika's Peanut butter bars *

These are always popular!!

½ cup butter or margarine
½ c sugar
½ c brown sugar- firmly packed
1 egg
½ c peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp soda
½ tsp salt
1 c flour
1 c oatmeal
Cream together first four ingredients. Mix in vanilla and peanut butter. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. If dough is too sticky, add more oats or flour. Gradually mix them into peanut butter mixture. Spread dough into an ungreased cookie sheet. (11x13) Bake at 325 for 12 minutes. DO NOT OVER BAKE.
Cool slightly. Spread thin layer of peanut butter over entire thing. Cool completely. Frost with your favorite chocolate frosting. (I like a fudge-type frosting on this.)

Broccoli Salad ** Easy, but a little time-consuming

This is a yummy way to eat broccoli!

Dressing:
1 cup mayo (no substitute, but can be fat free)
1/2 cup sugar
4 T Vinegar ( I use white vinegar)

Make dressing ahead of time and refrigerate.

Salad:
3 heads of broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 small red onion, finely chopped
grated cheese (as much as you like)
1/2 package of bacon- crumbled
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Stir salad ingredients well. Add dressing right before serving.