Banana Bread with Chocolate chips

This recipe is probably the most asked about, over the years.  When bananas are turning brown, this is what I do with them! The recipe originated from a kids' play group that I initiated in Lawton, OK in the 90's and comes from Judi McCormick. Judi, if you are out there in blog world or Facebook land, the only thing I tweaked was adding chocolate!!!

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

3 very ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
3/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted (DO NOT substitute margarine)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. water (if bananas are small, sometimes two tbsp.)
2 cups, minus 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 cup, chocolate chips, reserving half for the top of the batter. 

Blend all ingredients in bowl with the mashed bananas. Stir by hand until mostly smooth. Use either 2 smaller or one large loaf pan. Spray with butter and sprinkle a tsp of sugar in the bottom. Batter is thick and will need to be spooned into pans. Lastly, sprinkle half of the chips on top. Option: I have used white chips when I have them. Either or BOTH, are good!

This is always a hit at coffee time at church, breakfast at home, munching anywhere, anytime.
ENJOY. :)

Shrimp Creole Learned in the New Orleans Cooking School.

This recipe came directly from my experience at a cooking school:  The New Orleans School of Cooking on St. Louis Street in New Orleans! I was there a few years ago.Ok. I was there MANY years ago (1994 maybe)  and I pull out this recipe for special occasions. I may or may not have had a Pat O'Brien's Hurricane headache the day of the cooking class, from the previous night. :) I promised a few friends that I'd post it on here for you to make/share. ENJOY!

Shrimp Creole Ingredients:
3 lbs. peeled shrimp     
1 stick butter
8 tbsp. flour
1 can 14-16 oz. tomato sauce
Trinity of:
2 c. chopped onions
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped green pepper
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 c. chopped green onion
1 c. chopped parsley
1 tbsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. basil
3 bay leaves
3. cups chicken stock
1 tbsp. brown sugar
4 thin lemon slices
Joes's Stuff seasoning to taste
rice
Procedure:
Saute shrimp in butter for 2-3 minutes and remove; add flour and stir over medium heat (making rue) until lightly browned.
Add onions, celery, gr. pepper, garlic and saute' the veggies until transparent. Add stock, tomato sauce, rest of herbs and seasonings, sugar and lemon. Simmer at least 15 minutes.
Add green onions, parsley, and shrimp during last 5 minutes. Serve over rice.
Makes about 8 servings.

Marci's options:
I use twice the tomato and I use a can of stewed, a can of diced. I then add about a tbsp. of tomato paste. When I can, I use seafood stock or vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. Any herb seasoning will do (like blackened or seafood seasoning) if you cannot find Joe's stuff. ( think they sold it there) The lemons are a MUST. Let them cook away, for longer. Actually I make the whole thing several hours ahead and put it in the crockpot, adding the final ingredients the last 5-10 minutes. Shrimp get rubbery if you cook them longer!!!

Next? Bread pudding? I really need to blog more recipes, because it's so fun to me!!
Enjoy, family and friends.