Top of the Mountain Banana Daquari

This is from the restaurant that was at the top of the mountain in St Thomas, Virgin Islands










1/3 c Cruzan dark rum (or light if you prefer it)
1/3 c Creme de Banana Liqueur
1 ripe banana
1/3 c pineapple juice
splash of triple sec 

Blend with 1 cup crushed ice or more for desired thickness  


After you have assembled and measured your ingredients, place them in a blender with ice. Crushed ice breaks down faster, but the pulse function on your blender will smooth out larger cubes.

If using cubes, add the ice to the blender before the other ingredients so that your drink will mix up easier.

Blend the mixture until it's silky smooth, and then pour into a glass. While you can drink your banana cocktail from a traditional Daiquiri glass, you can also change it up by sipping from a champagne, Martini or Margarita glass.

Garnish the drink with a maraschino cherry.

Tips:

• If you want a sweeter Daiquiri, add some simple syrup or triple sec to taste. In a pinch, stir in powdered sugar with a little water.
• For a creamier concoction, use equal parts banana liqueur and Creme de Cacao or Creme de Banana.
• Strain a frozen banana Daiquiri to remove fibrous bits of fruit.
• Chill your glasses in the freezer beforehand for an extra frosty treat.
• To save time, use banana Daiquiri mix in either frozen or liquid form. All you need to do is add rum and ice.
• Combine banana with other fruits such as strawberries, mangoes or peaches for a more complex cocktail.
• Float a shot of rum on top for a stronger cocktail.
• Blend a virgin version by substituting pineapple juice and a splash of lemonade for the rum.
• Make your Daiquiri look extra festive with a colorful umbrella or straw.
• To literally add color to your cocktail, pour in a splash of maraschino liqueur or grenadine.

Instead of making simple smoothies next time you have bananas in danger of going to waste, blend a batch of frozen banana Daiquiris for an indulgent treat. It's certainly more refreshing, and arguably more fun, than making a loaf of banana bread.

Baked Banana Salsa

Use this salsa as a dessert sauce, served over ice milk, sorbet or soy ice cream, fruit salad or sliced angel food cake, or as a sauce for savory pork, chicken or duck

• 4 ripe unpeeled bananas (about 2 cups)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped nuts (such as walnuts or almonds)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place whole bananas (in their skins) on a baking sheet and allow to roast for 20 minutes; skins will turn brown. Allow to cool.

Peel and dice bananas and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss gently until combined.

Peanut butter - Caramel - Banana nut Salad

Lettuce leaf
1 small banana cut in half length-wise
spread inside of cut area with JIF peanut butter or caramel
drizzle with caramel sauce
Top with cool whip
sprinkle with sugared pecans

Banana, Peach, and Strawberry Smoothie

During the summer months try putting the fruit into the freezer the night before you make this smoothie. This ensures it is really cold and refreshing by breakfast time.

Serves 1

1 banana, peeled and quartered
1 peach, halved and pitted
4 strawberries, hulled
3/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon honey

Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend for 1 minute.
Pour into a glass and serve immediately.

The Right (Easy) Way to Open a Banana (AKA Lessons learned from Monkeys)

Open a Banana Like A Monkey @ Yahoo! Video

Brennan's Bananas Foster Butter

From Executive Chef Michael Roussel, Brennan's Restaurant, New Orleans, LA:
Based on the original Bananas Foster dessert created at Brennan's Restaurant in 1951.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 large banana, mashed
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon banana liqueur
Whip ingredients together until completely blended. Place mixture into the Butter Bell crock and serve. Recommended on warm French bread, pancakes, French toast or any of your favorite breakfast items.

Banana Nut Salad

We used to have a wonderful homestyle restaurant that was known for it's great pies.... they had many unique items on the menu, this was one of my favorites, and so easy anyone can create it quickly.

When my sons were little they used to love to make this.....

Leaf lettuce or Bibb Lettuce
Banana- not green
Whipped Cream
Chopped pecans

For each individual salad, put a piece of lettuce on the salad plate, cut a banana in half length-wise, top with cool whip and chopped pecans.

Top of the Mountain Banana Daiquiri

This is from my honeymoon ......served at the top of the mountain in St. Thomas...many years and a marriage ago.

1/2 oz white rum
1 TBSP Banana liquor
1 oz lime juice
1 tsp sugar
1 ripe banana

* I like this best without the rum

Blend with crushed ice.

Your Momma's Strawberry Smoothie

4 - 6 oz Papaya or grapefruit juice (or pineapple or orange)
1/4 cup of frozen strawberries with sugar, thawed
1 cup crushed ice
1/2 - 1 banana

Blend the above in a blender and enjoy!

She Love Wine's Banana Strawberry Pie

I've been making this pie since 1987 and it's one of my favorite springtime pies... when my youngest was about 4 he got up from a nap while I was sleeping and ate almost the entire pie....then wanted to save the rest for his snack. Yup, it's that good!


1 9-inch graham cracker crumb crust
1 small banana, sliced
1 pint strawberries, sliced
1 cup COLD milk
1 4-serving size package of Jello Instant Pudding & Pie Filling - either Banana Cream or Vanilla
1 TBSP grated orange rind
1 1/2 cups of thawed Cool Whip
Melted Apple Jelly

Arrange sliced banana and half of the sliced strawberries in the bottom of the pie shell.

Pour cold milk into a medium bowl - add pie filling mix and beat with a wire whisk until blended, about one minute.

Fold in rind and whipped topping. Spoon into the pie shell covering the fruit. Chill 3 hours.

Garnish with remaining sliced strawberries and bananas if desired. Brush fruit with melted jelly.