My mom did the majority -- the vast majority -- of the cooking in our house growing up.  She worked and mothered and put healthy dinners on the table, with place mats! But my dad is a good cook too and made great meals on the weekend. He sent out his 3 most requested recipes in an email and said I could share here.  Thanks Dad! Now we want a follow up with Weekend Pancakes and The Good Stuff.

Granny Koop’s Banana Bread

This recipe is from my dad's side of the family, but was always made by Mom.  For Karen and Daniel's wedding guests, we baked 21 loaves!

3 bananas (mashed)                    2 eggs

½ c margarine (soft)                   ½ c white sugar

4 T buttermilk                             1 t baking soda

½ t baking power                        1 ¾ c flour

Mix all ingredients together.  Let stand for 20 minutes. 

Pour batter into pan (so pretty in a bundt pan!) and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

Granny's Chili

This is a very forgiving recipe.  Less meat? No problem.  More veggies? Sure!  Diced tomatoes and  tomato paste rather than the soup/ketchup?  Go for it. But be warned: if you leave out the celery it is NO LONGER Granny's Chili.  About that I feel strongly.

2 lb Ground Beef

2 cans Red Kidney Beans

1 Onion

½ Bell Pepper

2-4 stalks Celery

1 can Tomato Soup
1 cup Ketchup

Brown beef, seasoning with 1tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp chili powder, 2 cloves minced garlic.  Add diced vegetables and saute.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 min.  (Alternatively, brown beef and then add everything to a crock pot, cooking on low for 6-8 hrs.) Serve with rice, shredded cheddar, sour cream, or my favorite: a slice of buttered sandwich bread and with a leaf of lettuce.

Bob's Salsa
Dad makes this nearly every time we visit San Antonio.  Why is it that heat outdoors is made better by spicy heat in your food?

3 cups Roma Tomatoes

5 cloves Fresh Garlic

2 cups Sweet Onion

2 ½ cups Cilantro Leaves

½ Jalepeno (seeds removed)

2 tbsp Lime Juice

½ tsp Salt

Chop garlic cloves first in food processor. Add up to 2 tsp of water as needed to process. Add other ingredients to food processor. Drain any excess liquid from salsa and refrigerate.