A number of years ago a good friend gave me this wonderful cookbook titled "I've Got to Have THAT Recipe Too!"  In that cookbook is a recipe for Strawberry Bread...a quick bread...that I decided to try.  OH! MY! GOSH!  One bite of the finished product and I could have eaten the whole loaf!

I am sharing this very enjoyable recipe with you...

1 cup butter (best if brought to room temperature)
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs (best if brought to room temperature)

3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup strawberry jam
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1 cup toasted chopped walnuts (optional)

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, until mixture is light and fluffy.
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Combine dry ingredients and set aside.

Add remaining ingredients (jam, sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice and orange peel) to the butter/sugar mixture and stir until blended.

Add dry ingredients...about 1 cup at time...until well blended.

Gently fold in chopped nuts.

Pour into two greased loaf pans.

​Bake at 350 (F) for 60 minutes or until done.  Cool before removing from pans.  (Makes two loaves)

This is one of those simple recipes that is adaptable to the event whether it be a lazy Sunday, a holiday such as Easter or Christmas, or a simple hankering for something to go with a good cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter, melted.
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 16.3 oz can of Pillsbury Grand Biscuits
Frosting:  1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon sour cream (optional) plus 2 - 3 teaspoons milk

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 350 (F).  Butter/grease 9x13 loaf pan.
2.  In small saucepan, melt butter.
3.  In small bowl combine nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon with fork.  Add butter and stir until blended.  Set aside.
4.  Separate biscuits...it should be eight biscuits (if more, no problem).  Coat one side of dough with the brown sugar cinnamon nut mixture, fold in half with the mixture inside of the fold.  Place biscuits fold side down in prepared loaf pan...forming two rows of three and one row of two (the two will be be crosswise).  The important thing is to make sure the loaf pan is evenly filled with the folded biscuits.
5.  Spread remaining nut mixture over the top of the biscuits.
6.  Bake at 350 (F) for 35 - 40 minutes or until deep golden brown.  Remove from pan immediately.
7.  Combine sour cream, milk, powdered sugar and whisk with fork...pour over warm loaf.

Should make 10 servings.

This is a fantastic recipe for brats.  You can par-boil them and then move them to the the grill; or, you can even par-boil them the night before and grill them the next day.  This is a flexible recipe.

Ingredients:

3 (12 ounce) beers
1 cup (12 ounces) apple cider
1 large (yellow or white onion) coarsely chopped
10 bratwurst
2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (use less or more for your desired hotness)
1 teaspoon garlic power
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1.  Fire up the old grill when you are ready to grill the brats.  The heat should be medium-high.
2.  Combine all the ingredients (EXCEPT THE BRATS) in a large pot and bring to a boil.
3.  Submerge the brats in the pot and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, remove brats from beer cider mixture and set aside on large platter.
4.  Reduce heat to low and continue cooking the beer cider mixture until reduced and thickened.
5.  Cook/grill the brats on the pre-heated grill 8 to 12 minutes; turning once.
6.  Serve the brats with the beer cider mixture as a topping or as a side.

Enjoy with fresh brat rolls and potato salad. 

For some reason I always associate Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Easter.  I honestly don't know the reason for the association...but if I were to make an educated guess...it is because is was a dessert my mother always served this time of the year.  This is not her recipe although I wish it were.  Instead, this recipe is simple yet tasty.  Enjoy.

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter  SAVE
1 cup packed brown sugar SAVE $
1 can (20 oz) pineapple slices in juice, drained, juice reserved
1 jar (6 oz) maraschino cherries without stems, drained
1 box Pillsbury or  Betty Crocker super moist yellow cake mix
Vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

Steps

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). In 13x9-inch pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Arrange pineapple slices on brown sugar. Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice, and arrange remaining cherries around slices; press gently into brown sugar.
• Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to measure 1 cup. Make cake batter as directed on box, substituting pineapple juice mixture for the water. Pour batter over pineapple and cherries.
• Bake 42 to 48 minutes (44 to 53 minutes for dark or nonstick pan) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Place heatproof serving plate upside down onto pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake 5 minutes so brown sugar topping can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Cool 30 minutes. Serve warm or cool. Store covered in refrigerator.

This is a wonderful easy bread to make.  It is good for breakfast, a brunch, or just with coffee.  And, of course, it is a good breakfast bread for Christmas and/or Easter.  The nice thing is your home will smell wonderfully while it is baking.

1 1/4 cups coconut
1 cup surgar
1 1/2 cups mashed canned pears (a 29-oz can pears, drained, is equal to 1 1/2 cups mashed pears)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all purpose or unbleached flour
3 teaspoons baking  poweder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans)

Heat oven to 350 (F).  Toast coconut for 5 - 7 minutes, stirring once.  Cool to room temperature.
Grease bottom only of 9x5 or 8x4-inch loaf pan.
In large bowl, beat sugar, pears, vanilla and egg until well mixed.  Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off.  Add flour, baking powder and salt.  By hand, stir 25 to 35 strokes until dry ingredients are moistened.  Dough may seem stiff.  
Fold in coconut and nuts.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake at 350 (F) doe 55 to 70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  
Cool 5 minutes, loosen edges, remove from pan.  Cool completely.
Makes 1 loaf
(Bake a day or two ahead to better blend these subtle flavors)