Old Fashioned Banana Pudding just like Mother used to make!

I went to my friend Anita's house today to work on some things for our Sisters on the fly campout coming up in October...she left me for about 15 minutes to make a banana pudding! By far the best I have ever had...well, she rattled out the ingredients too quickly for me to remember and told me to look it up online! Right! Here it is, or as close to what she told me (and I can remember). Believe it or not, I was raised on banana pudding along with pound cakes and "butternut cake" and I have never made a banana pudding from scratch! Please don't tell anybody, teehee, as you HAVE to know how to make one in order to be a Southern Lady!

Here goes:

OLD FASHIONED BANANA PUDDING

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup self-rising flour
• 2 cups milk, low fat or whole
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• vanilla wafer cookies
• 3 bananas, ripe but firm
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preparation:

Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and the self-rising flour in a bowl.

Slowly stir in milk. Put mixture in top of double boiler over simmering water and cook until mixture begins to thicken. Beat egg yolks then briskly stir a small amount of the hot mixture (about 1/2 cup) into them. Add egg yolk mixture back into the hot mixture in top of double boiler and stir in butter and vanilla. Cook until mixture thickens again.

Place a layer of vanilla wafers in an 11x7-inch baking dish (or other shape 2-quart shallow baking dish). Add half of the sliced bananas. Pour half of pudding mixture over banana layer. Repeat layers, ending with remaining pudding. In a mixing bowl beat egg whites until foamy; gradually beat in 1/4 cup granulated sugar and cream of tartar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pudding. Bake at 350° until browned completely. Remove from oven. Serve hot or cold.
Serves 6 to 8.

Good advice from an email!

This didn't load properly, but hopefully you can get the gist of it! My mother sent this to me and some of you may have already seen it, but I wanted to keep this list, so I posted it here for you, too!

Good advice: 'Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.'

More good advice:

1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say "No!" to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13.. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You every day.
16. Carry a spiritually enlightening book with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life..
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25.Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jesus .'
27. Laugh!
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31.. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you're never been grateful for before.

'If God is for us, who can be against us?'

(Romans 8:31)

For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son...

For those of you who may be interested, check out Kay Arthur's broadcast today...

http://www.lightsource.com/ministry/precepts/

We Bee Junkin'

...check out my new blog...if you are interested in sustainable living, junkin' (even dumpster divin')...this blog might interest you. My friend and I have started a crafting guild and the blog will be full of tips, pix of your creations, recipes, and even some tutorials...more fun to come!

Here's the link: http://www.busybiddies.blogspot.com/

The Pioneer Woman

Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman hosts one of my favorite blogs ever...I have been reading her posts since she started. Now, as if it couldn't get any better, she has her own cooking show on the Food Network! I don't know about you, but I am going to be watching. Check it out:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/details-on-the-food-network-show/

Camping at Cheaha Mountain State Park in Alabama

Here we are camping at Cheaha State Park in Alabama...beautiful beautiful spot! Has a pool built out over the bluff and looks out for miles! Cheaha Mountain is the highest spot in Alabama. More to come! Check it out: http://www.alapark.com/cheaharesort/

My son Lee

Photos attached from Sunday's trip on the Cape Fear river (NC)

He caught four blue catfish from a 12' kayak:
(2) 10 lbs, (1) 12 lb & a 19lb 6oz

The friends that he went with are guides on this river, and perfected (8 yrs in the making) how to do this - from what kind of boat they use, to the bait and rig (line, hook, cork, etc.) The Cape Fear is very shallow, so a canoe has been the only way to fish most spots we were at, until the fishing kayak has evolved.

"So since I haven't had a big day catching in quite a while, I'm proud to say that I caught the most fish and the biggest fish of the day against the "Masters.""

That's my boy!