COOKING THURSDAY ~ BANANA BREAD CINNAMON ROLLS ~ BLOG 365.169D

BANANA BREAD CINNAMON ROLLS Yield: 12 rolls
Prep Time: 1 hour
Rise Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

DOUGH
4 cups AP flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons Rapid Rise yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup mashed overripe banana

  • In a large bowl combine 2 cups of the flour, brown sugar, yeast, cinnamon and salt in a bowl, mixing to combine.
  • In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the milk and butter for 30 seconds until warm and the butter is mostly melted. The mixture should be warm, BUT NOT HOT! If it is too hot you’ll kill the yeast and it won’t rise.
  • Add the warm milk and butter along with the mashed banana to the flour mixture.
  • Beat on low speed, gradually increasing to high until completely combined, about 2 minutes.
  • Scrape down the bowl and add 1 more cup of flour, beating until combined.
  • Add the remaining 4th cup of flour a little at a time until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and form a ball.
  • Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth – until you can stretch a piece of dough out between your fingers without it breaking. YAY this means the gluten has completely developed!
  • Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel in a warm place to let rise 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

FILLING
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

  • Make the filling while the dough rises. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.

ASSEMBLY for BAKING

  • Once the dough has risen, roll it out into an 18X12 inch long rectangle on a well floured surface.
  • Spread the butter for the filling all the way to the edge of the dough.
  • Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the butter, pressing it down to stick to the butter.
  • From the long end, roll the dough away from you into a tight roll, sealing the bottom edge down by pinching the dough together.
  • Use floss or a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 even rolls.
  • Place the rolls in a 9×13 inch baking dish oiled and lined with parchment paper.
  • Cover loosely with a tea towel and allow to rise for another hour until doubled in size and puffed up.
  • Bake the cinnamon rolls at 350° for 30 minutes or until they are golden brown and no longer doughy.
  • Allow to cool.

FROSTING
1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon WHOLE milk
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
pinch of salt

  • While the rolls cool, make the frosting.
  • Combine the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, milk, salt and vanilla extract on low speed, gradually increasing to high until light and fluffy.
  • Spread the icing evenly over the slightly warm rolls.
  • Enjoy!

 

COOKING THURSDAY ~ALFREDO CORN ~ BLOG 365.169C

There is nothing better than fresh, sweet summer corn. But, how many times do you want corn on the cob? This is a fresh take that lends a slightly Italian flair for a “creamed” corn. Add some extra FRESH ground black pepper and Pecorino for a Cacio e pepe sill feel and taste.

ALFREDO CORN
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2 cups FRESH corn kernels (2 ears)
2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup WHOLE milk
1 cup FRESH grated Parmesan cheese

  • Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add FRESH ground sea salt and pepper, swirling to blend.
  • Add corn and cook 2-3 minutes until tender.
  • Whisk together milk and cornstarch. Add to pan, cooking JUST until mixture thickens and clings to the corn.
  • Remove from heat and add Parmesan cheese, stirring until melted and smooth.
  • Season to taste.
  • Serve immediately.

NOTE: FRESH corn is always best, but this works well with a quality thawed and drained frozen corn or even Green Giant WHITE SHOEPEG corn also.

COOKING THURSDAY ~ SWISS STEAK ~ BLOG 365.169B

It’s time to try another vintage recipe from the antique recipe box. This one is for an affordable comfort food, SWISS STEAK. It seems like everyone’s mom or grandma made it at one time. According to my older butcher it was a classic recipe made from lesser cuts of meat braised with tomatoes and veggies to stretch the family dollar as far as it would go. It was usually served over rice or mashed potatoes. That said I have adjusted it a bit for flavor, tenderness and time, but I’ll include the original recipe as well as my alterations for taste and time.

SWISS STEAK
2 pounds top round, 1 inch thick, cut into portions
1/2 cup WONDRA or AP flour
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped or small sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 LARGE carrot, peeled and SMALL diced
8 ounces beech mushrooms (optional)
1 cup beef broth
14.5 ounce can stewed tor diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

  • Whisk together flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder together for a seasoned dredge.
  • Pound steak (if needed – SEE NOTES) with a meat mallet.
  • Dredge steak pieces in flour mixture on both sides, making sure to coat really well.
  • Heat butter and oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until slightly shimmering. 
  • Add steaks and sear 2-3 minutes on each side until browned.
  • Remove from the pan and set aside. 
  • Add onion, bell pepper, celery, carrots and mushrooms to the pan drippings; cooking and stirring 2-3 minutes until onion softened.
  • Stir in tomatoes, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar.
  • Return steak to pan, along with any accumulated juices and bring to a SLOW simmer.   

  • Cover, reduce heat, simmering 1-1 1/2 hours until steak is tender.
  • Remove steak to platter.
  • If necessary stir in slurry of reserved seasoned flour whisked with a little hot water to thicken gravy.
  • Sprinkle with parsley and serve steak and tomato mixture over rice or mashed potatoes.

NOTES:

  • I used top round cube steaks from the butcher to speed things up since they are tenderized well.
  • I also added paprika and garlic powder.
  • I changed the green pepper to red because green peppers and I just don’t get along.
  • I added the beech mushrooms for a little extra texture and flavor.

COOKING THURSDAY ~ REFER PICKLES ~ BLOG 365.169A

You might remember me having mentioned my friend Nellie’s Deli here in town. She began as a kiosk with one item per day and grew into a thriving deli. Then COVID hit and she still managed to make a go of it with a call in and pick up business. After the lock down was over she started back small with a limited staff and it took off like a bullet train again. In fact, she was able to come back on 6 hours a day, 5 days a week and be even more successful than she had been. After COVID her husband retired and a couple years later she decided to do the same, much to the demise of lunch in our town!!!

She continued to do some catering gigs and even catered my step dad’s memorial last summer. She has also recently published a cook book of customer favorites. This is one of my favorites. I haven’t edited it much, but I do alter it to fit what I have on hand.

She calls these REFER PICKLES with is just short for refrigerator 🙂

REFER PICKLES makes 4 pints

SAUCE/BRINE
1 cup white vinegar
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
2 tablespoons kosher salt

  • Whisk all together in a large saucepan over medium heat until sugar and salt are dissolved and well blended. Set aside to cool.

1 cup chopped green pepper, I often use sliced red pepper
1 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion, I often use a Vidalia
7 cups thinly sliced cucumbers, I often use English cucumbers

  • Toss al together.
  • Distribute into 4-5 pint jars.
  • Pour cooled syrup over veggies equally.
  • Secure with lids and turn upside down to cool.

NOTES:

  • It will seem like there isn’t enough syrup, but as they cool the veggies will breakdown and will be perfect in a couple hours.
  • These will keep for 8 weeks in the refrigerator.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY, RECIPE LINKS & MENU ~ week 24 OF 2026 ~ BLOG 365.166

Be sure to join Happy Homemaker Monday with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

LAST WEEK RECAPPED

MONDAY ~ FRIDAY

  • Monday was Trivia Night, but the day began with a ton of paperwork to end the fiscal year for the Eagles and general clean-up around home.
  • Tuesday was Taco Tuesday followed by a couple VA appointments, car wash, errands and a quick meeting.
  • Wednesday we had a leisurely morning with a quick lunch, hardware shopping for the new supplies we needed to fix the misters and then some antiquing while we waited to pick up an elderly friend from the airport on Wednesday before taking her to dinner. It turned into a bit of a major fiasco. Her flight was delayed twice and then they lost her checked luggage which contained her blood pressure medicine and jewelry. And yes we talked to her about NEVER putting those things in a check bag! Long story short we didn’t get home until almost 10PM and her bag FINALLY showed up on Sunday and they delivered it to her house.
  • Thursday and Friday were a blur of errands and yard work.

SATURDAY I took a girlfriend out for lunch and we went to a couple of estate sales and to a favorite winery that is going out of business where we split a case of wine, some pizza pans and wine glasses. It’s sad to see a favorite place go out of business 🙁

SUNDAY YAY! 🙂 A day of relaxation and a birthday party open house for a friend. Though I did get the bed changed, a load of dishes and 3 loads of laundry done as well as hand watering the garden multiple times because of the heat alert.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

We have an active advisory for a HEAT WAVE with triple digits to begin the week! We should be down to high 80’s by week’s end. We’ve had a dry winter and are also on an active fire ban. Our little town had their first brush fire yesterday that they were able to get a hold on quickly, but it’s scary!

TO DO, APPOINTMENTS, DVR/TV & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS, TRAVEL,  APPOINTMENTS, MENUS & DVR/TV
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING 🙂 happy to be caught up 🙂
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS I have a couple meetings this week and lunch with a couple friends. Hubby has a VA appointment and I’ll do our personal shopping and do the Eagle’s bar shopping and Offyce shopping on another day…
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING not much right now
  • DVR/TV just cleaning up the last of the seasons shows, BBQ brawl, The Floor
  • THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY working air conditioning during this heat wave… fresh clean sheets… happy endings to summer book reads… crisp apples… crisp salads for summer dinners…

READING TIME

MARSH MYSTICS Book #30 of The MISS FORTUNE SERIES by Jana DeLeon

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

BREAKFAST is always a work in progress for me – it will generally be hot water and a fruit yogurt 😀

6/15 MONDAY
 6/16 TUESDAY
 6/17 WEDNESDAY
6/18 THURSDAY
6/19 FRIDAY
6/20 SATURDAY
6/21 SUNDAY
DINNER
TRIVIA NIGHT
CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own
YUMMY BALLS & CHEESY CORN PUDDING
CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own
PEACH GLAZED CHICKEN
CRUNCHY CHICKEN SALAD
CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own
LAMB CHOPS & GLAZED CARROTS
DESSERT
 
BOSTON CREAM PIE CHEESECAKE
 

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

For years I’ve been waiting for them to paint Herbette and they finally did. In the beginning she was pretty and always done up appropriately for holidays and then she deteriorated BADLY for many years. They have finally re-painted her and planted her with pretty flowers.

My calla lillies and African violets are blooming really well. I can’t believe they are already baling summer hay. 

When we went to pick up a friend from the airport we had time to kill when her plane was delayed and did a little antiquing where I found this super unusual glass tray made out of plates. And I’ve always liked this little town water tower. The neighboring town has a lot of Simpson’s murals. And these silly ducks are all over the airport.

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

COOKING THURSDAY RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

  • REFER PICKLES
  • SWISS STEAK
  • ALFREDO CORN
  • BANANA BREAD CINNAMON ROLLS

COOKING THURSDAY RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

 

COOKING THURSDAY ~ STUFFED BURGERS & GRAVY ~ BLOG 365.162C

You know how I like to find old recipe boxes and recreate the recipes? Well, here’s another keeper! It’s simple, hearty and will please the entire family. I have tweaked it ever so slightly to bring it into the 21st century 🙂

STUFFED BURGERS & GRAVY

1 pound of ground beef
1-2 to 2/3 + 1 cup WHOLE milk
FRESH ground tri-color pepper
3 green onions, minced

Prepared stove top stuffing (flavor of choice)
1 10.5-ounce can of creamy condensed soup  (flavor of choice – cheddar cheese, mushroom…)
2 tablespoons of ketchup
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

  • Preheat oven 350°.
  • Combine ground beef and 1/2 cup in a mixing bowl. If too dry add a bit more milk a little at a time until you have the perfect consistency.
  • Add pepper and onions, mixing well.
  • Divide ground beef mixture into six even pieces and flatten each into a patty.
  • Form stuffing into balls and place in the center of each burger.
  • Mold the ground beef around the stuffing until it resembles a baseball and stuffing is sealed into the center of the burger bundle.
  • Place the burgers in a 9X13-inch baking dish.
  • Whisk together the remaining milk, soup, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce until smooth.
  • Pour the soup mixture over top of the burgers.
  • Bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours. 
  • Serve with mashed potatoes or pasta noodles. 

COOKING THURSDAY ~ MARRY ME CHICKEN DIP ~ BLOG 365.162B

I LOVE to make Marry Me Chicken for guests, but even better is this dip version! Marry Me Chicken Dip is creamy, rich, cheesy, and packed with some serious flavor!! The tender chicken pieces and sun-dried tomatoes give this recipe its OOMPH. It’s the PERFECT, yet an easy to make party appetizer that comes together quickly and disappears fast. Great for EVERY game day or holiday.

MARRY ME CHICKEN DIP

1 ½ cups rotisserie chicken pieces, small chopped
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 ½ cups FINELY shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup FINELY shredded Parmesan cheese
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained well and chopped **see note
1 cup FRESH chopped spinach (optional)
FRESH chopped basil for garnish, optional

  • Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth using a hand mixer.
  • Add in 1 cup of the Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and salt, mixing until well combined.
  • Fold in the sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and shredded chicken until evenly combined.
  • Spread mixture into medium baking dish (round or 9×9 inch) or large cast iron skillet and smooth into an even layer.
  • Top with the remaining ½ cup mozzarella.
  • Bake for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
  • Broil for 1 minute, or until the cheese on top is golden brown.
  • Garnish with extra sun-dried tomatoes and FRESH chopped basil before serving.
  • Serve with crackers, toasted bread pieces or tortilla chips.

NOTES:

  • Roasted Red Peppers substitute really well for sun dried tomatoes in a pinch.
  • The dip makes a wonderful sandwich when served on croissants.