Banana Nut Bread

1/2 cup or 1 cube of unsalted butter or margerine (soften in microwave)
1 cup organic sugar (Trader Joe's)
3 tbsp buttermilk (or 3 tbsp milk with a splash of white vinegar)
3 mashed ripe bananas  
dash salt (I skip this)
3 Tbsp vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour  
1 tsp baking powder 

Mix together in mixer
mix in 1/2 cup walnuts ( I skip this) 
Put in loaf pan lined on the sides with parchment paper
350 degrees for 1 hour, check with a toothpick  
or make muffins in muffin liners and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean 
Very moist recipe

Pumpkin Cookies

In a bowl:
2 cups flour 
1 tsp. baking powder 
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon 
1/2 tsp salt 
(mix together, it says sift, but you do not need to, set aside)

Cream together:
1 cup margarine
1 cup margarine
1 cup sugar 

Add:
1 cup pumpkin (canned)
1 egg (beat well)

Add dry ingredients, all at once and beat on low speed

Add:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional, I do not use them)
1 cup raisins (soaked in warm water when you start preparing this recipe)
1 tsp vanilla 

Drop by teaspoonful onto a greased cookie sheet.  Can use crisco sticks to grease.

Bake 350  10-12 minutes 
switch cookie sheets around 1/2 way if making two sheets of them.  

Put on cookie racks to cool completely. 

In the past I have bought the large can of pumpkin or two cans and doubled this recipe.   To store them I place them in my oblong Tupperware container and separate each layer by waxed paper. 

They can be frozen in ziplock bags or containers.  

The Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients (I usually make a double batch so double everything)

8 tablespoons of salted butter (1 cube)
1/2 cup white sugar (I use Trader Joe's Raw Cane Sugar)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar 
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour  
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Microwave the butter for about 20-30 seconds or until mostly melted but not hot

Using a stand mixer or electric beater, beat the butter with the sugars until creamy.  

Add the vanilla and the egg and beat on low speed until incorporated (10-15 seconds) (if you beat the egg too long the cookies will be stiff). 

Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix till crumbles form (mine is always a bit moist and I use it this way)   

Add the chocolate and mix in your mixer.  The directions say to hand mix in but I use my mixer with no problem. 

I use a teaspoon to get a heaping amount of the the mixture and roll it in my hands to form balls then place on the cookie sheet.  I get a dozen on the cookie sheet each batch.  I make small cookies versus the actual recipe saying to make a few large ones.  

Bake 9-11 minutes.  I usually bake 10 minutes.  
DO NOT OVER BAKE

Let them cool on the pan for 30 minutes (I let mine cool 10 minutes and then place on a wire rack to totally cool before packing them up). My favorite way to store them is to place them on a large paper plate and put that in a gallon size ziplock freezer bag for the next day or freeze as is.   I pull one out as I want one or can grab some for family or friends.    

ENJOY!

the original recipe is from 
www.pinchofyum.com/the-best-soft-chocolate-chip-cookies