Recipe(tried): Shepherd's Pie Dinner - My Own Shepherd's Pie, Gina's Favorite Banana Buttermilk Bread

Good Morning,

It's quite early and I must have gotten a good night's sleep to be up so soon. Nevertheless, before it gets hot and the sun comes out blazing, I am going to cut the grass today as it is growing by leaps and bounds.

Tonight for supper we are going to enjoy a dish we haven't had for quite some time...Shepherd's Pie. I will serve it alongside some fresh tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and slices of fresh buffalo mozzarella. For dessert, a nice cup of coffee and a slice of banana bread.

Happy Sunday!! Gina

My Own Shepherd's Pie
serves 8

1 lb. ground sirloin
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 of a green pepper, chopped fine
1/4 of a red bell pepper, chopped fine
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup cut up green beans
1 (10 1/4 oz.) can beef gravy
salt and pepper to taste

6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
3 garlic cloves, whole
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
paprika for sprinkling

Boil the potatoes in the water along with the garlic cloves until tender.

Meanwhile, saute the onions, peppers and garlic in 3 tbsp. olive oil til tender. Brown the meat and drain and set aside. Add the veggies to the meat and stir in seasonings and gravy along with the peas, green beans and carrots. Mix well.

Drain the potatoes and garlic cloves and mash til creamy. Add the sour cream and thea butter and blend well. Season with salt and pepper.

Grease a 9x13 glass casserole dish, layer the meat mixture in evenly and then layer the mashaed potatoes over evenly and sprinkle with cheese and paprika. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until cheese is nice and bubbly.
GINA'S FAVORITE BANANA BUTTERMILK BREAD
yields 2 loaves

2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup cake flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
5 med. ripened bananas, mashed
1 cup fresh buttermilk
1 tbsp. vanilla
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 prunes, chopped
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

GLAZE:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
enough half & half to make into a glaze
1/2 cup sliced almonds for garnish

Oven at 350. Mix the flours, baking powder, soda and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar til fluffy. At low speed, add the eggs and mashed bananas. Add the buttermilk alternately with the flour mixture. After each addition, beat just until incorporated. Add the vanilla, fruits and nuts and mix at low speed until fully incorporated. DON'T OVERBEAT AT ANY TIME OR THE BREAD WILL COME OUT DRY.

Pour the batter into two greased and floured loaf pans. Bake for mts. 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool on a rack. These will keep quite well for up to 5 days at room temp. or 3 months in the freezer.

Mix glaze ingredients together with a whisk til nice and smooth. Drizzle over and garnish with sliced almonds.