Georgia Peach Cake (and a new addition!)

First of all, I have happy news to share with everyone!  My husband and I have welcomed a new addition into our home!  We received an email from a local animal group who were looking for a home for a black cat that was found at a trash dump.  One of the employees heard him calling out from INSIDE the trash compactor!  Poor guy was going to be crushed to death!  The employees are fairly certain someone had physically put him inside the compactor.  They took him out and contacted the animal group to find him a home because otherwise, they would have to contact animal control where he would likely be put to sleep.  He was estimated to be eight month's old and the outlook for his placement was bleak... until we got the email that is.  We live on two acres of land and we had previously discussed getting an outdoor cat to keep the mice away (keep mice away = keep snakes away = happy Jamie).  I have a soft spot for black animals (our dog is a black and white lab mix) and so Ryan and I decided we would take him in.  I named him "Bart" and he has fit into our home like an old shoe.  He fits in so well with our family.  He follows us around the yard and even tries to play with Liz, our dog.  He acts like he has lived with us his entire life rather than only just over a month.

Onto another happy subject - CAKE!  Who doesn't love cake?  A show of hands.... *counts*  Lots of people like cake apparently.  That's good because I like cake too.  If I didn't like cake, I wouldn't be posting this.  The Georgia Peach Cake is one of those recipes that is so simple, even the most basic of cooks could make it.  I like to joke that it's so easy, my husband could make it.  Yes, my husband.  The same husband who I jokingly (but lovingly) say will burn down my kitchen if he spends too much time in there.  Even in the little write up about the recipe says it's perfect for "young housewife" days.  Not really sure if I should be insulted by that or not.  Never have I ever been a "young housewife" - I'm Jamie, Queen of the Kitchen!  Bow before me!  Okay, I'm done now ;-)

This recipe is a super versatile recipe - there are so many possible combinations.  Up next will be an apple-spice cake.  This could probably even be good for people who are watching their sugar, provided you can find a sugar free/reduced sugar boxed cake mix (they do exist.  I have seen them... I just can't remember where) and you use a reduced sugar pie filling.  Did I mention this recipe was versatile?

Georgia Peach Cake
courtesy of Uncle Bubba's Savannah Seafood

Cake:
18.25 oz. Yellow Cake Mix
21 oz. can Peach Pie Filling
3 Eggs
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 c. Pecans, Chopped

Topping:
1/2 c. Sugar
1/2 c. All-Purpose Flour
4 Tbsp. Butter
1/2 tsp. Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.
Spray your 9x13 pan with butter cooking spray.
Combine together all the ingredients for the cake and pour into your 9x13 pan.
In a separate bowl, using your fingers, mix together all ingredients for the topping until it looks like large breadcrumbs.
Sprinkle your topping mixture over the cake (gee, who didn't guess that one?!).
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack.
Serve warm and with ice cream!

Easy Banana Nut Muffins

Sometimes a recipe comes along that is so good, people ask for it as a gift.  This is the story of these muffins.  I was looking for a banana nut muffin recipe because I had some bananas that were turning black and were begging to be used.  Now, I'm not the biggest fan of banana nut bread or muffins.  I prefer straight bananas but my best friend Erin is the exact opposite and I knew my parents loved banana nut things (what about Ryan?  He hates bananas).  So I knew if I made them, they would be eaten.  I made the muffins and my dad fell in love with them.  He loved them so much that when I asked him what he wanted for father's day, he said, "I want those banana muffins you made a couple of weeks ago."  So that's what I did!


Banana Nut Muffins
(recipe courtesy of King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking cookbook)

1/2 c. Butter, melted
1/2 c. Brown Sugar (I use light but you can use dark if that's all you have)
3/4 tsp. Baking Soda
3/4 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice (no PPS?  Use 1/4 tsp. nutmeg and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon)
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract (Neilson-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste)
3 Ripened Bananas
1/4 c. Honey
2 Eggs (or 1/2 c. Egg Beaters)
2 c. Whole Wheat Flour (or White Whole Wheat or All-Purpose) (KAF)
1/2 c. Chopped Walnuts or Pecans

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 12 cup muffin tin.
Beat together the butter, brown sugar, baking soda, spices, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.
Add the honey and eggs, beating until smooth.
Peel the bananas and place into the bowl.  Using a potato masher, mash the bananas into the mixture (you can make it as lumpy or smooth as you like).
Add in the flour, stir to combine.
Lastly, add the walnuts/pecans and mix.
Pour the batter evenly into your muffin tin (I like using a 1/4 c. measuring cup so I know how much is going into each tin).
Bake the muffins for 23 to 28 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for a couple of minutes and then move the muffins to a rack to cool.

Notes:
Want to make Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins?  Add 1/2 c. chocolate chips instead of the 1/2 c. nuts.
Want bread instead of muffins?  Follow the directions only instead of adding to greased muffin tin, you'll add the batter to a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes.  After 50 minutes, cover the bread lightly with foil and cook an additional 10 minutes.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing the bread from the pan and allowing it to finish cooling on a wire rack.