My Favorite Banana Cake

When my kids were all at home, it was hard to keep them filled up! With six boys (and a girl), it seemed like someone was always rooting around in the kitchen, looking for a snack. I did a lot of baking in those days to make sure I had plenty of goodies for late night snack attacks, school lunches, and after school snacks.
Yesterday I saw that I had a big bunch of bananas on the counter that were perfectly ripe and needing to be eaten or used in something, so I pulled out my old Betty Crocker cookbook I received when I got married 30 yrs ago, and turned to my favorite banana cake recipe. I've tweaked it a little, but it is absolutely delicious and serves a crowd.

NINA'S FAVORITE BANANA CAKE - based on Betty Crocker

Put all the following in a large mixing bowl:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup Crisco
2/3 cup buttermilk (I always keep a quart on hand)
3 eggs
2-3 ripe bananas, mashed up before adding

Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then on high speed for 3 minutes.
Pour into greased and floured 13x9 pan or two round cake pans
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Can be frosted with cream cheese frosting if you like, but we eat it plain.

Basically Delicious Cheesecake

My mother was a fabulous cook, and my Dad knew it. He made sure she always had whatever ingredients she needed to make wonderful meals and desserts for us when I was growing up. My parents lived through the Depression years and had often gone without food we take for granted today, eating only the most basic food items like beans, potatoes and bologna as children. When they married and left those years behind, my Dad vowed never to go hungry again. He made sure our shelves and freezer were stocked with plenty of good things to eat and cook with. And my mother would cook and bake to her heart's content.
One thing we all especially loved was Cheesecake. It seemed like the ultimate indulgence, with its rich, creamy texture and buttery graham cracker crust. There are many versions out there, but I like my cheesecake simple. Here is my favorite cheesecake recipe, which I am calling:
BASICALLY DELICIOUS CHEESECAKE

Crust:
1 1/2 c. Honeymaid brand graham cracker crumbs (I buy them already crushed now)
3 Tbsp. sugar
4. Tbsp. butter, melted
Filling:
3 8oz. pkg. Philadelphia brand cream cheese
1 c. Breakstone's or Knudsen's sour cream
1 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
4 eggs
Topping:
1 c. Breakstone or Knudsen's sour cream

Directions:
Preheat over to 325 degrees
Mix melted butter, 3 Tbsp. sugar and graham cracker crumbs together in a bowl, and press into the bottom and a little up the sides of a springform pan.

Beat together : cream cheese, sour cream, 1 c. sugar, lemon peel and vanilla until smooth. Pour over crust in springform pan.

Bake for 55 min or until set. Let cool. Remove sides from springform pan and put cheesecake on serving plate. Top with 1 c. sour cream.