Even Jason thought this was really good

Usually I like my cooking a lot more than Jason does, or at least I'm more demonstrative about it, but last night's dinner was the exception. I thought it was pretty good, but he just raved about it. And he liked it even more when I told him the green stuff wasn't cabbage, it was broccoli. Liza even ate one of the pieces of chicken, and she nibbled a few of the vegetables while she waited for her quesadilla to heat up. If anything is worthy of a blog mention, I guess it's the recipe that scored the trifecta in our house.

Thai Chicken Wraps, from the Better Homes and Gardens Big Book of 30-Minute Dinners - kid-tested, husband-approved. And yes, if you push it you can actually have these done in 30 minutes, especially if you don't have a 3-year-old "helping."

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In other cooking news, yesterday I tried a new variation of my mother's standard banana bread recipe, and boy, did it work well. The original recipe specifies to cook the batter in a small loaf pan, but usually by the time the center is cooked, the outside has gotten dark brown and borders on crusty. It's unfortunate - I'm forced to nibble around the outside edge of each slice first so that the last taste in my mouth is the yummy center.

Yesterday I tried cooking it in a 8x8" Pyrex pan, and it was SOOOOOOO much better. The whole thing cooked in about 45 minutes, it's a nice light brown, and there's none of that weird bitter chemical almost burnt taste to the outside. Liza actually prefers the outside part to the inside, nibbling off the top and sides and leaving the rest in a forlorn little pile of banana-y goodness that I'd totally devour if it wasn't covered in kid spit.

So here's the recipe:

Bohl* Babes' Banana Bread

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Crisco
1 egg
3 whole bananas, mashed (the older and mushier, the better)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix ingredients in order in an electric mixer. Bake in a greased, floured loaf pan for 50 minutes (or a greased, floured 8x8" pan for about 45 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool in the pan for a few minutes, then release from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Store in airtight container or plastic bag.


*Bohl is my maternal grandmother's maiden name, and it's how I sometimes refer to the women on my mom's side of the family. Grandma is one of 10 or 11 kids, so there are plenty of Bohl ladies around, even if very few of us have "Bohl" in our actual names ... and we're all stunningly beautiful, of course. They're the family I visit when we go to reunions.

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Edited to add: tried another recipe from the BHG cookbook tonight. I wasn't crazy about the chicken, but the veggies and sauce were nice, and they would make a great side dish on their own. Check it out: Thyme Chicken Marsala.