Quick and Easy~~That's ME! =) Tuesday, October 14, 2014

It seems that I like everything in my life to be quick and easy…I paint quick and easy…I cook quick and easy…hmmmm…I am seeing a pattern here!  ROFL (WHY do I think SOME of my friends have their minds in the gutter??!!)

Don’t get me wrong, I KNOW how to work hard and I understand that sometimes things take a while for them to come into their fullness, but let’s face it, sometimes it is SO nice to just throw something together that comes out WONDERFULLY!  =)

My first job out of college was as a Christian Education/Music Director at a church in Russellville, Arkansas.  I was in no way prepared for what I would experience and it was not good.  I witnessed humans at their worst and I was often the target of this horrible behavior.  I was far too young to KNOW how to handle it and it took me many years to process it.  While I understand that I was not blameless in some of the situations, I wish I had KNOWN how to respond better.

With all the heartache I experienced, this time in my life laid some wonderful foundations for my life.  It was then that I began my love for decorative painting.  I lived at the base of the Ozark Mountains that were filled with artisans.  The tole painting industry was bursting into existence and craft shows and shops were plentiful…OH how I miss those days!

There was a couple in the Church where I worked that owned an antique barn…I WISH I had developed my appreciation for these in my naïve youth, but Mother LOVED antiques, so she drug us to visit.  I all of a sudden had a flashback to Sunday afternoons when Daddy would bribe Brian and me with a SMALL COKE in a glass bottle from the coke machine at Mr. Tom’s Antiques.  As SOON as that coke was gone, I was BEGGING to be gone, ALSO!

Mother had a love for glass bowls and dishes and would be instantly drawn to them.  This day was no different.  She hunted and pecked in that old barn until she found 6 of these little sundae glasses to buy for my new home.  I STILL treasure them and I love to use them whenever I get a chance.

I believe when you put the simplest of foods into a beautiful dish, the finished product magically becomes the center of attraction.  In my house, food was ALWAYS placed into a bowl and served to the person on your right.  I am in awe that Mother was teaching us a lesson even with the simple, everyday task of eating.  No matter how simple the meal, it was treated with honor and presented beautifully on a table that was ALWAYS set with a tablecloth or placemats,  our silverware and dishes and served in glass bowls.  ALSO, we were taught the importance of SERVING each other as we passed the bowls. 

In the south, Banana pudding is a staple for dessert.  Of course, we have become lazy and seldom make the custard from scratch standing over a hot stove stirring until it reaches JUST the right consistency.  That is ok, because, as I said earlier, I LOVE quick and easy, so I thought I would share a QUICK and Easy Banana pudding recipe with you…Of COURSE, I had to stay TRUE to myself and refused to follow the recipe.  I will give you the CORRECT recipe and then tell you what I did to change it up…

Banana Crème Instant pudding, prepared with 3 cups of cold milk

Mix with a small container of Cool Whip

Can of Sweetened, Condensed Milk  (mix this with the pudding mixture)

Add Bananas and strawberries

1 package of Golden Oreos, crushed

Layer the cookies, fruit, pudding mixture and repeat ending with the pudding as the top layer.

The fruit I used was so flavorful, I decided NOT to add the sweetened, condensed milk.  I wanted the flavor of the fruit to shine through.  I ALSO used those CHEAP cookies that come in several flavors and decided to use PEANUT BUTTER cookies to add another layer of flavor.  (I think Lemon ones would be awesome, too!)  I used about 21 cookies.  Instead of layering my pudding, I added my fruit directly into the pudding mixture.  I used a quart of strawberries (reserving 5 for garnish) and 4 VERY ripe Bananas.  I let the dessert set overnight for the flavors to meld.  YUMMY!

I believe that rewards come to us WHEN we present the BEST we have to others…Pull out those pretty dishes that are sitting in the china cabinet and treat your family as ROYALTY!  Mother used to say after a delicious meal that she was sure that the QUEEN didn’t have a better meal that what we just had!! …Blessings to YOU…~charlotte♥