Banana Cream Cheesecake

Ok, I'm in love with banana extract. I pretty much like banana anything--especially banana laffy taffy. Now I just need to learn how to make my own taffy and I'm set. I came across this recipe on Facebook and KNEW I HAD to try it. But....out of fear of eating the whole thing by myself, I decided to recruit guinea pigs. Thankfully I have many willing neighbors (and spouse). So this blog is a thank you to all the compliments on this dessert and a BIG thank you to Lindsay for posting this recipe online. There are many steps to this recipe but as long as you have a good springform pan and a Kitchenaid mixer (with whip and paddle), it's easy! [Rather than piping the whipped cream and slicing bananas, I delivered slices of cheesecake with an intact banana and put the whipped cream in jelly jars on the side.] I think next week, I'm going to try Red Velvet Truffles.....

https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/2018/05/31/banana-cream-cheesecake/

Paleo Ice Cream (Dairy-Free)

This is dessert #1 of my AIP dinner from last week. It was pretty good, but I've since found other similar recipes that include coconut milk and vanilla. But, for being a 3 ingredient dessert, the guests really enjoyed the combination of bananas, cocoa and almond butter. :)

https://thebigmansworld.com/2017/05/01/healthy-3-ingredient-no-churn-blender-chocolate-ice-cream-paleo-vegan-dairy-free/

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread

It's that time of year. Between the months of July-September, I post all the latest zucchini recipe finds that I can come up with. Even after all that, I still end up with a freezer full of shredded and chopped squash. We are blessed to have such a lush garden. This is a great twist on traditional banana bread and with the chocolate chips, you could probably get the kids to eat it.

http://www.spendwithpennies.com/chocolate-chip-zucchini-banana-bread/

Banana Poke Cake

Once again, I had pudding boxes that were nearing expiration, so I "had" to come up with something. This happened to be banana pudding and I really enjoy poke cakes, so I whipped up this pan of yumminess yesterday. It takes about 4 stages to prepare (with lots of cooling and chilling), so make sure, if you're planning to serve it to a group, that you have plenty of time. Also, a trick to extend the life of this cake is to serve the bananas separately, slicing them for each individual bowl more as a garnish. That way, you don't end up with brown bananas in your cake and it can seem fresh for several days. In this particular case, I crushed animal crackers and vanilla wafers. I had to restrain myself from eating the entire pan. :D

http://www.food.com/recipe/banana-pudding-poke-cake-483403

Blueberry Banana Bread with Cinnamon Crunch Topping

Today I was cleaning out the freezer and fridge and discovered I had bananas and blueberries that needed to be used up. So, thanks again to Google, I found this delightful recipe from Alaska. I ended up doubling the recipe due to the amount of bananas and blueberries I had on-hand. Such a delicious Saturday morning treat to go with my tea. :)

http://www.alaskafromscratch.com/2014/08/29/blueberry-banana-bread-cinnamon-crunch-topping/