Substitution

Last night I decided to bake some banana bread as the bananas I bought were getting too ripe for cereal. I pulled up the recipe on my laptop and started putting things together--first the dry works and then the wet works. And there it was--the part of the recipe I forgot when I thought in my mind that I had everything I needed: 1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt. Those are 2 items that are NOT usually stored in my fridge so I had to come up with a quick alternative. As I looked around I thought about a chocolate cake my mother used to make that involved mayonnaise. I thought, "Why not?" and added it in place of the yogurt (well, about 1/2 the normal amount and 1/2 milk to keep it from being too thick). The batter came together nicely and the finished product was pronounced very tasty by my husband even after I told him about my emergency substitution.

Taco Helper

I have no idea if anyone will ever read this, but I sometimes think I have a note that will make sense to others. Today I want to mention my words of wisdom on tacos. First, no matter what seasoning you use, the best way to get it to pop with flavor is to heat it. Once I drain off the drippings from the ground beef, I sprinkle the spices across the meat and let it heat for a minute or two. Then I add the liquid to make the sauce. Also, did you know that you can replace about half of your ground beef with pinto beans? Or just augment the meat. Beans are a really great way to get protein and fiber with little fat. The texture is great!