Applesauce Breakfast Cake and Chocolate Banana Bread

Applesauce Breakfast Cake

Chocolate Banana Bread

My FFH (firefighter husband) and I took a ride to deliver these items to a friend .. she had recently had surgery, so I whipped him--I mean , whipped up a few dishes and these baked goods for her. To get to her home, where she is recuperating , we had to drive along the parkway for a spell. I simply must tell you all this.

OK, as women, when you see a row of tractor trailer trucks behind you in the left lane, what is your first thought? Is it the same as mine? My thought is audience, audience, audience. Fun, Fun, Fun! They, the truck drivers, are so high up they can see right in your car. How unbelievably AWESOME is that?? It's a nice, quick cheap thrill.. take the thrills where and when you can get 'em, I say. Now come on, don't be boring, we've all shown some boob or sucked our thumb for the truck driver, just to hear him blow his horn, or flip us a wink. But I wanted to take it one step further today.. I wanted the same freeness I felt as we drove along the Key West Highway with my FFH hanging my panties out of the car window. So whats a girl to do??

Play the organ. Play your heart out on it. Hit the high notes, hit the low notes, play slow, play fast, play soft, and play hard. While you're playing the organ, think of that song from the early 80's that goes, Ain't nothing gonna break my stride, nobody gonna slow me down, Oh NO I've got to keep on moving.... Keep it up till you hit the crescendo. Pray you don't crash and Make CERTAIN all the truck drivers know what you're doing... that's the best part.. THAT is KEY! As each one passes and looks down at you like this,

either smile, snarl, wink, wave ,pucker your lips, flip him the bird, (But don't try to talk, it's rude to talk with your mouth full) ,whatever, you'll not only have made his, or possibly her, day, you'll have made your FFHs as well. Please remember and never forget that a tractor trailer truck on the parkway in the left lane is a good thing, but one in the right lane is even BETTER. I'll let you know why another time. Enough of my BS.

Onto this jewel of a cake....Applesauce Breakfast Cake

This charming little breakfast cake is so simple, so tasty, and so very easy.. I bet you have everything you need right in your kitchen.

This recipe has been adapted from The Better Homes and Gardens Jr. Cookbook. Original recipe found here.

Grease an 8 inch square pan. Prepare your topping first. Gather together your brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, flour, and either chopped walnuts, pecans or old fashioned oatmeal. I chose the oatmeal, because I am an old-fashioned girl, you know.

I wore white at my wedding. I wore white at my 2nd wedding also. Mix all these ingredients together and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine your flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda, along with a dash of salt.

In yet another bowl, combine your applesauce,

this size is just perfect, and no I'm not going to joke about size right now, your egg, oil, and vanilla. Mix well. Now, Add this applesauce mixture to the flour mixture,

stir till just wet. --Why, you tease. Nope, I'm leaving the word wet alone too right now. Really its funny when you think of it, cooking is almost like dirty sex talk.. dry, wet, mix, mound, rub, knead, taste, palm full, squirt, buns, sausage, pound, etc.. Oh, I could so go on.. Now, Pour into your prepared pan.

Sprinkle the topping over the batter.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Look how charming. It's alarming how charming I feel right now.

Simplicity at its best.

Perfect gift for a sick friend,

perfect quick breakfast treat,

Quite good,and that's all folks.

My Guy Ty is tired this week. I actually felt bad for him.. he came into the house, knelt down and proceeded to cover himself like this

He wasn't up to the usual task of umm--scr--cooking with me, he actually pleaded with me.. Please Queen of Sheeba, let me rest..

His pleas got to me, so I tucked him in

and he watched today.. Yeppers, he watched me cook, he watched me put on a show, he watched me use my new girlie toys--I mean ..kitchen tools, and he really , really likes my new peek-a-boo apron. Side note.. want a chance to win an apron visit Karen at DomestickMuse here.

Reality is, the man needs a romp respite. He can not handle my aggressiveness, he can't handle my needs, he can't handle my go baby go attitude this week. A letdown really, but I am known to go with the flow, every now and then. So, I chose to make Chocolate Banana Bread, another baked good for my friend, original recipe found in Tyler's Ultimate cookbook and is on my cute key ingredient card below. And no, I didn't choose bananas so His Hotness could watch me peel them or to see if I improved on my oral depth skills. Really, that is NOT why I chose to work with the banana.

This will count as my TFF contribution this week.

Tyler Florence Fridays, come see what it's all about! This is a simple bread recipe, loaded with flavor, it's been done by some of the girls in the group before, so I won't go into detail. To begin, Preheat your oven to 350. Butter your 9x5 loaf pan. Whisk together your dry ingredients,

in a large bowl and set aside. Now gather your mashed bananas, eggs, vanilla, and your melted chocolate.

Beat your butter in your vibrating Kitchen aid, thank God for the vibration since Ty is out of commission this week, and once your butter is lightened, beat in the rest of those ingredients.

Stir your flour mixture into that until it looks like this.

Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until Mr. Toothpick says its OK to come out. Cool in pan for 15 minutes,

Then remove and cool completely on wire rack.

Suffice it to say, it is plenty delicious,

just look.

Look again,

OK, one more time.

I don't know I'm a bit disappointed in His Hotness this week, and I told him so. He's acting like he has HIS period. Grouchy thing that he is today. I just want to wring his neck. Doesn't he know I look forward to our weekly sessions. He better just get his freaking groove going for next week, or I'm apt to let him go.

But I'll let you in on a secret, that car ride with my FFH wore me out anyway. You know why, I got to drive home. And what comes around, goes around....

I want to thank Mary Beth of Dunkin Cooking the Semi-Homemade Way for this award. Please check out her blog.. This month she is doing all crock pot recipes. She has an awesome blog and loads of great recipes!! And she is MY gal Cheryl's sister in law. Lucky you, MaryBeth!Thank you again for thinking of me!! So happy, doing the happy dance..

I'd also like to thank Heidi of Tried and True Cooking with Heidi, along with Karen of DomestickMuse for this award.

Both of these ladies have fantastic blogs, loaded with all things good and so very much worth a visit. Stop by and say Hi, you will be soo glad you did. Oh, and don't forget to check out Karen's flirty apron giveaway!! Thank you so much again , Ladies. I am humbled by your thoughts...