Place several loaves in a beautifully decorated basket. Add small jars of jam, preservers, or Honey Butter (see recipe below), add a Christmas spreader knife, a Christmas tea towel, and various cocoas, teas, or flavored coffees. Great for those moms on the go!

Heat over to 350 degrees and grease bottoms of 10 miniature loaf pans.

Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1/2 cup softened butter or margarine, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium), 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup chopped nuts, if desired.

Mix sugar and butter in a large bowl with spoon. Stir in eggs until well-blended. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Divide batter among pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Wrap tightly with Saran wrap and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

Michelle Moore, December 2005 MMCW website
1 ( 8 oz ) French Toast bread, 6 eggs, 1 1/2 cups milks, 4 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon salt, ground cinnamon, powdered sugar.
Spray 9 x 13 pan. Cut bread into 1-inch slices (10-16 slices). Arrange closely in a single layer. Beat eggs then whisk in milk, 3 tablespoons sugar, the vanilla, and salt. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate one hour or overnight. Sprinkle with cinnamon and one tablespoon sugar. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 400 degrees or until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Vickey Bechard, December 2005 MMCW website
Filling: 1 package ( 8 oz) regular or low-fat softened cream cheese, 1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate, 1 cup thickly sliced strawberries.
Bread & Batter: 1 loaf Italian bread–about 4 inches wide (I use Earthgrains–it’s precut), 4 large eggs, 1/2 cup regular or low-fat milk, 2 teaspoon vanilla.

Strawberry Sauce: 2 cups plus 1 cup thickly sliced divided strawberries, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate.

To make filling: In a medium bowl stir cream cheese until smooth. Stir in concentrate. Gently fold in berries, they do not need to be completely incorporated.

To prepare bread: Cut a small diagonal slice off each end of bread and discard. Slice bread diagonally into 1 1/2 inch thick slices. Holding the knife parallel to the counter, cut each slice almost in half, leaving 1 side attached to make a pocket. Divide the filling among the pockets and press closed around the edges. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.

To make batter: In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk,  and vanilla. Slowly pour over bread turning to coat completely. Bread may be baked immediately or refrigerated up to 24 hours covered with plastic wrap or transferred to plastic bags.

To make sauce: In a medium saucepan off the heat, stir together 2 cups berries, sugar, cornstarch, orange juice, 2/3 cup water and mix until cornstarch is dissolved. Cook moderately over low heat stirring often until mixture comes to a boil, turning thick and clear. Remove from heat and cool. Stir in remaining 1 cup of berries and set aside. Serve warm or room temperature. Sauce may be refrigerated overnight.

To bake: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Generously grease and spray a clean baking sheet (not a cushion pan because of no browning). Place bread on baking sheet about 2 inches apart, bake for 6-9 mintues or until golden brown. Turn and bake an additional 6-9 minutes. Transfer to plate and serve with sauce.

Bananas can be substituted for strawberries. Omit strawberry sauce and top with two sliced bananas and maple syrup.

Dianna Walker
1 package dry yeast, 4 cups white flour, 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder (use 4 teaspoon baking powder with whole wheat flour), 2 cups buttermilk, 2 tablespoons lukewarm water, 1 teaspoons baking soda, 4 tablespoons granular sugar, 1 cup shortening, 1/2 teaspoon salt
Dissolve yeast in lukewarm. Sift together dry ingredients; cut in shortening. Add yeast and buttermilk to dry mixture. Knead dough until it holds together; roll dough to 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Cut with biscuits cutter and fold in half. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
Dough may be chilled before baking or frozen for later use. I make them and then put them on a pan and cover. Put in the refrigerator overnight, and bake for breakfast. I usually double the recipe. Yeild: 20 regular size biscuits.

Loi Palmer, December 2006 MMCW website
3/4 cup of softened butter, 1 ( 8 oz) package cream cheese, 2 cups sugar, 2 large eggs, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt,  1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 medium ones), 1 cup chopped toasted pecans, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Combine flour and next three ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in bananas, pecans, and vanilla. Spoon batter into two greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until bread begins to pull away from pan. Cool bread in pans on wire racks for ten minutes. Remove from pan and cool 30 mintues before slicing.

Lori Palmer
1 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 cup plain flour, 2 eggs, 2/3 cup melted butter, 1 cup chopped pecans.
Mix all ingredients together. Drop batter into greased mini muffin pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Loi Palmer
1 large loaf French Bread sliced diagonally (you can use any type of loaf bread), 1 stick softened butter, 1/2 cup Hellmans or Duke mayonnaise, 1/2 cup Parmesan grated cheese, 1 tablespoon parsley flakes, 1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional).
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Blend the softened butter and mayonnaise together. Add the Parmesan cheese, parsley flakes and garlic, blend well. Open up the bread and generously spread with the butter mixture. Place bread open face up on a baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes or until the topping is bubbling and golden.

Loi Palmer, my sister Ruthie’s recipe
1 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup mayo, 1/ 2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, 5 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1 large loaf French bread cut lengthwise.
Combine ingredients and spread on bread halves. Put bread halves back together and cut into 2” slices.  Place bread on a cookie sheet – open-faced. Cook at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until slightly brown.

Loi Palmer
2 cups self-rising flour, 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter, 1 cup sour cream.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease mini muffin pans. In a bowl use 2 knives to cut butter into the flour until they are thoroughly combined. Add the sour cream and stir with a fork until completely mixed. Place spoonfuls of the batter in the prepared muffin pans. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Makes about 3 dozen mini biscuits.

Loi Palmer, May 2006 MMCW
1 box Jiffy Cornbread mix, 8 oz sour cream, 1 can drained kernel corn, 1 can creamed corn, 1 stick melted butter, 2 eggs, 1 cup grated cheese to sprinkle on top of casserole after it has baked.
Dump all of the ingredients (except grated cheese) into a mixing bowl and blend together with a wooden spoon. Pour mixture into an 8 x 10 casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. The top will be lightly brown. Sprinkle with cheese and return to the oven until the cheese has melted.