Party Time: Let’s Go Nuts!

I’m inviting everyone to get nutty with me today by linking up your posts that highlight recipes or crafts featuring nuts!

Down here in the South we love our pecans (pronounced pe-KAHNS, not PEE-cans)! And if you’re lucky enough to have access to a free supply, even better, because they can get expensive if you have to buy them in the stores.

We gathered 2 buckets of pecans last week from our friends’ yard and didn’t even make a dent in all the ones that were there.  It truly was a bumper crop. Then for the not so fun part…..shelling them! We spent about an hour cracking pecans and got about six cups:

Now only 243 more cups to go!  Seriously, that was about half a bucket so we may have gotten in a little over our heads!

The first thing I made with my fresh pecans was banana nut bread.  I love this recipe (I got it from a friend years ago) because the bread turns out so moist and the hint of cinnamon gives it that extra kick.

Banana Nut Bread

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 egg

1 cup mashed bananas (3)

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix dry ingredients, set aside.  Mix egg, banana, oil and sugar.  Add flour mixture to banana mixture, add nuts.  Pour into loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

I usually make 2 mini loaves and add mini chocolate chips to the second loaf.

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Then the next morning I added chopped pecans and mini chocolate chips to our pancakes.  Yum-o!! What a special treat, it was just like we were at I-HOP!

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The second recipe I’ll share with you is one we enjoy every Thanksgiving and Christmas.  My grandmother always made the sweet potatoes, which traditionally you think of as being topped with marshmallows.  But hers has another kind of sugary-sweet topping, and of course pecans.  Now that she’s gone, I enjoy preparing her recipe every year and recalling those fond memories of her.

Sweet Potato Casserole

6 medium sweet potatoes

1/4-1/2 cup sugar

1/2 stick butter

2 eggs

1/2 cup half and half

cinnamon to taste

pinch of salt

Cook potatoes until tender and mash. Add all other ingredients.  Place in shallow casserole dish.  Add topping and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour.

Topping (I usually double this to get even more goodness!):

1/2 stick butter

2 tbsp. flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Melt butter, stir in flour, sugar and pecans. 

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So there are my contributions! I hope someone else out there will have something to add, whether it be another yummy recipe for a snack, dessert or main dish OR even a craft or decorating idea that involves nuts.  I’ve seen some cute acorn wreaths and felt acorns, so I know there’s some fun ideas out there!

You know the drill….grab the button so everyone else can join in on the fun and link up your specific post, not your whole blog. Oh, and I’ll also be joining Gina at the Shabby Chic Cottage for her surprise recipe party!