Noodles With Veggies

My industrious, gardening sister, Annette, had alot of home canned tomatoes left from last summer. She shared them with me and I set about to use these delicious treasures. I also had some yellow squash from the saturday farmers market that needed cooking. I decided to make a vegetable ragu and serve it with some nice noodles I found at Krogers-Mrs. Weiss Kluski Egg Noodles. It was really tasty, fresh and healthy! I served it with a bowl of grated Amish gouda we had picked up in Ohio at an Amish cheese factory- Heinis Cheese.

Vegetable Ragu with Noodles

5-6 yellow squash, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes

1 green bell pepper, chopped in 1/2 inch piece

1 medium onion, chopped roughly

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional)

3 cloves garlic, medium

1quart canned tomatoes with liquids (fresh would also be great)

1package, 16 ounce,  Mrs. Weiss Kluski Egg Noodles

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1. Heat 3 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Saute squash for about 3 minutes.

2. Add onions, peppers and garlic. Cook until onions are clear, but not browned.

3. Add the canned tomatoes and cook all for 15-20 minutes covered.

 If there is too much liquid, cook uncovered until desired thickness. Leave enough liquid to wet the noodles when added.

4. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain. 

5. Stir noodles into ragu, then pour all in to big serving bowl. , put all into a 9x13 pyrex and cover with 1-2 cups of cheese.

Easy Banana Cake

Quick, Simple and Delicious

This is my first post in almost two years! My friend,Liz Gainey has encouraged me to restart this blog. That got me thinking about it, but my biggest motivation is that I find it so helpful and easy to pull up my favorite recipes from here on my IPad. Rather than searching the recipe books, or my recipe cards, I just open Gayle's  Reflections and do a search- there you have your recipe and you are ready to cook!If you have an IPad, you can take a picture of the recipe and find it in your photos or file it in your files. Electronics and technology is definitely helpful in the kitchen.This recipe for banana cake is one I came up with while trying to use some very ripe bananas. I always feel guilty throwing them away. Just a cake mix and banana, make icing or buy it. Easy, easy!

Banana Cake

1 yellow cake mix (add eggs, oil, water according to package directions)

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1cup chopped pecans for top of icing

Cream Cheese Icing

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

8 ounces cream cheese

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla 

3 cups confectioners powdered sugar .

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or what your cake box instructs)

2. Spray two round cake pans or one 8 x 13 inch pan with canola    oil.

3. Make the cake mix according to the package directions then add the two bananas and mix in thoroughly.

4. Bake the cake as directed on the box and then cool thoroughly.

5. Make icing by mixing butter and cream cheese until soft and well mixed.

6. Add salt and vanilla. Mix well. Then add sugar 1 cup at a time until a smooth consistency. If it is too thick, add milk a teaspoon at a time until it is spreadable. Apply icing to a thoroughly cool cake.

If you are in a hurry, the store bought cream cheese icing is pretty good. Enjoy!