day 14 of farmacology: ever ready

One of the things you may not know about farm folks is that

we try to keep baked goods in our freezers. 

Because you never know when neighbors will stop by for coffee. You have to be prepared for these kinds of things. 

I tried it once. I baked a pan of bars, ate some with family, put the rest in the freezer . . . and then promptly proceeded to eat the rest one at a time over the course of the next week. 

Whoops. 

But when done properly, a person living in the country can always be ready for the moment anyone might stop by. 

Take one of my mom's friends, for example. She realized that she was in charge of taking cookies to the PTO meeting one evening, but the small-town grocery store was already closed for the night. 

So she called her neighbor and frantically asked if she had any cookies in her freezer that the neighbor would give up for a price. 

Of course the neighbor obliged. Because she had cookies. In her freezer. 

So whether you're living in the country or living in the city, pop those bars in the freezer. Double wrap that coffee cake. At least have some cookie dough handy. 

You never know when the neighbors might stop by. 

Or just need to borrow some. 

Because cups of sugar and an egg are so yesterday. 

Penzey's Banana Nut Coffee Cake

• BREAD
• 1/2 Cup pecans, chopped
• 1/4 Cup Cinnamon Sugar
• 1/2 Cup shortening
• 1 Cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 Cup bananas, mashed (2 medium to large very ripe bananas)
• 1 TB. pure Vanilla extract
• 1/2 Cup sour cream
• 2 Cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 
  
• CARAMEL ICING
• 6 TB. butter
• 3/4 Cup brown sugar, packed
• 6 TB. milk
• 1 tsp. pure Vanilla extract
• 2 Cups powdered sugar

• 1
  Bread: Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease either a bundt or tube pan and set aside. Combine the chopped pecans and CINNAMON SUGAR, set aside. With a mixer, cream the shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, mashed banana and PURE VANILLA EXTRACT. Add the sour cream and mix until blended. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the batter and beat until blended. Sprinkle half of the sugar/nut mixture into the greased pan. Top with half of the cake batter. Follow with the second half of the sugar/nut mixture and end with the rest of the cake batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in the pan then turn out the cake to finish cooling. Top with Caramel Icing.
• 2 Icing: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the sugar and the milk. Bring to a boil and continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the VANILLA EXTRACT and gradually mix in the powdered sugar. This icing hardens up rather quickly so you need to work fast. If it hardens up too quickly for you add some more milk to thin it out.

Want to read more of my 31 day farmacology writing challenge? Click here.