Homemade Banana Pudding

This banana pudding recipe has it all. The pudding is made with half and half for richness, egg yolks and cornstarch for a sure thickening, just the right amount of sweetness, and to fancy it up we add a vanilla bean and fresh grated nutmeg for flavor.

Then it includes a generous amount of just ripened bananas, and of course those simple but ever so nostalgic store-bought vanilla wafers. And no baking required.

It's as good as it gets!

This is a year round dessert that's perfect for a holiday celebration, a welcome addition to a weekend dinner, or just because you want a treat yourself kind of indulgence today.

Serve it up laid back casserole style in a baking dish or make it more elegant and serve in individual tumblers or dessert cups.

Have family or friends help with this fun layered cooking project that once complete is amazingly refreshing and satisfying with each and every bite!

Fresh Green Beans Almondine

Traditional Green Bean Almondine is good but we like to go beyond simply good and upgrade that to exceptional around here.

In this vegetable side dish you get a delicious fusion of flavors and textures with tender crisp green beans, lively garlic, salty bacon, crunchy almonds, sharp parmesan, and tart lemon.

It turns an ordinary vegetable into something with crowd-pleasing flavor that will be the talk of the meal.

People may very well be saying "I never knew green beans could be so delicious!"

And you'll be happy with the fact that it really is quite easy to make. Try this at your next holiday get together or for a fancy Sunday supper.

Who doesn't love a recipe that makes the mark to be tasty enough for the holidays with a hint of gourmet elegance, yet it's easy enough for a weekday? This chicken Florentine is just that!

It comes together quickly since it's pan fried on the stovetop but it's impressive enough to serve to guests.

You'll find that the sauce has layers of flavor thanks to the white wine, shallot, parmesan cheese, garlic and abundance of spinach. Plus there's plenty of sauce so you can have extra for dipping with fresh bread or pairing with pasta alongside the chicken.

A helpful tip and reminder whenever cooking chicken breasts, just cook them right to 165 degrees in the center so you end up with juicy, tender chicken breasts (if overcooked they become dry and chewy, I highly recommend using an instant read thermometer to test for doneness).

Sweet Brown Sugar or Honey Glazed Carrots

You may find these are reminiscent of sweet potatoes but with a fraction of the time effort! And you only need 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper).

Carrots are sliced on a biased, steamed in a skillet until nearly tender, then sautéed with butter and brown sugar or honey.

It's a simple method that has plenty of leeway for adaptations (variations I'd recommend are adding spices, tossing in dried nuts or dried cranberries, and finishing with other herbs such as chives or dill).

You'll find it to be a quick go-to side dish that will compliment so many of your favorite entrees, they may even take center stage for favorite item on the dinner plate. Even kids will love these!

It's often the simplest things that are the best.

Flavorful Roasted Carrots

You can never have too many easy side dish recipes, especially when they are this delicious!

These roasted carrots have a highlight of sweet, a lightly caramelized and browned flavor, a nice complimentary herb flavor.

Roasting carrots just brings the perfect tempting, savory depth to them. That's right - a tempting vegetable!

They make a delicious pairing to just about any main dish. And they're a great way to get the kids to eat their veggies, that fair splash of honey does the trick.

Roasting vegetables is usually my favorite way to cook most vegetables and these carrots fall right in line with that as well. You'll never want boiled carrots again!

It's a breeze to prepare these. And here you could even cheat when you're in a rush and just use the baby carrots from the store if you want to skip the peeling and chopping step.

Carrot cake has long been my favorite cake and this is the only recipe I ever use!

Carrot Cake Perfect for Any Celebration

This recipe will forever change your opinion on what carrot cake is supposed to be. All the best things in one utterly divine slice of cake:

• Tender softness. A melt-in-your-mouth texture.
• Moist crumb. No dryness in the slightest here.
• Plenty of finely shredded carrots (they add light flavor, a nice moisture and give it such a pretty natural color too).
• Perfect level of sweetness.
• Great blend of spices and vanilla for a boost of flavor.
• Fluffy yet stable.
• Finished with a decadent frosting. Cream cheese frosting is the only way to go here.

I've made this cake probably close to 100 times. I'm always looking for an excuse to make it and will continue to do so. When I'm throwing out options for someone on their birthday this always has a way of being the top idea on the list :).

And of course it's the best cake to serve for a spring celebration or Easter. This year I'll be making half the recipe and doing one layer (which can be done in a 9-inch round or 8 by 8 pan) for our small family of four.

And if you'll be celebrating the holiday eating on your own or just two of you, you could always make cupcakes and freeze some for later.

Sending love to each of you. I hope you are finding some joy in cooking and baking these days.

I'm thinking of you, and praying for all of you in these trying times. Holding on to hope for a better tomorrow. This too shall pass in time.

In the meantime let's be there for each other, from a distance.

Watch the Video!

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Homemade Hummingbird Cake

I think of this cake as banana cake meets the tropics, in that it is loaded with bananas, laced with fresh pineapple and covered in sweet, toasted coconut.

It will remind you a lot of banana bread, but with a bonus of decadent cream cheese frosting of course. There are so many delicious flavors and perfect textures in this cake.

The cake has a nice tender thanks to the sugar and bananas and it has a nice moist crumb thanks to the vegetable oil, it's dotted with juicy bits of pineapple and crunchy toasted pecans, and it's finished with a creamy, lightly tangy frosting and finished with crisp bits of toasted coconut (or chewy coconut if you like it un-toasted).

It's an old fashioned style cake that will likely remind you of home. Made from scratch and sure to please!

Photography credit: Jenn Davis from Two Cups Flour.

Morning Glory Muffin Recipe

Talk about a whole lot of goodness in one tasty baked treat! These morning glory muffins are easy to make, so easy in fact you don't even need a mixer.

It's just one of those comforting old fashioned recipes like grandma made that's perfect for a holiday breakfast or brunch get together. And of course they make the perfect weekend treat.

You'll love all the flavors and textures paired together in every bite, each one complementing the other. It's a classic muffin that doesn't get the attention it deserves!

Each bite truly just melts in your mouth. Just be sure to finish it with fluffy whipped cream for an over-the-top, incredibly enticing dessert!

The Best Key Lime Pie Recipe!

Key lime pie is a great dessert year round but doesn't something about it just scream spring and summer?

It's so vibrant and refreshing and I love that is an easy to make pie that doesn't require a whole lot of extra effort.

The simple filling comes together in no time and its so nice that it uses a graham cracker crust so you don't have to wait for dough to chill and it doesn't make the big floury mess all over the counter (and the floor, and your clothes if you're a messy baker like me).

Plus, it's a flavor pairing that's just meant to be the way the honey graham cracker flavor blends with the creamy lime flavor is the perfect match.

The great thing about this pie is that it fancy enough for the holidays but it's easy enough for an after dinner weekend treat. Any of the 365 days of the year are the perfect day to make this decadently luscious pie!

Watch the Key Lime Pie Video!

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Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

It's that time of year when strawberry season has finally come, and what's one of the first things you should make with those gorgeously red, plump juicy strawberries? Strawberry shortcake, of course!

And not just any strawberry shortcake — this easy strawberry shortcake recipe from scratch! With its buttery, perfectly sweetened biscuit base and its almost cake-like texture. That which is paired with an abundance of fresh strawberries and rich dollops of heavenly whipped cream. A trio of decadence.

This is the homemade strawberry shortcake to make! Trust me, you'll be savoring every last bite of it and maybe even sneaking a few bites of the kids' when they aren't looking.