Banana Cream Pie Cookies

Or Banana Puddin' Cookies (for my suthun friends)

-No bananas were harmed while making these cookies-

This is a recipe I came across on Pinterest that I tweaked for my own liking. It is awesome! These cookies are a real treat and really taste like Banana Cream Pie! This recipe is the same as my chocolate chip cookie recipe--which we all know is downright perfect ;) with a few additions:

1 c. butter--softened to room temperature (STAY AWAY from the microwave!)
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 c. flour
1 (3.4 oz) package of dry Instant Banana Pudding mix
1 1/2 c. white chocolate chips
5 graham crackers--broken into small pieces, NOT crushed OR use Vanilla wafers broken into pieces to make this suthun!

Cream together butter and sugars using the paddle attachment on your mixer. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until fluffy again. In a separate bowl, combine salt, soda, flour, and pudding mix, then add slowly to wet ingredients (do not over mix). I toss the chocolate chips and graham crackers in just after I finish dumping the flour mix in, then, viola, cookie dough.

I use my cookie scoop to put cookies on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-9 minutes, until they are barely turning golden brown around the edges. DO NOT over bake.

Taco Soup

Yes, it has been quite sometime, but we are finally getting settled in our new home and it is time for some more recipes! Fall is upon us, so soup is on the menu! This is one of the most easy crowd pleasing soups I make, and I mean easy.


1 lb ground meat (I use ground beef or ground turkey--usually 93% lean)
1 medium yellow or sweet onion--diced (If you want easy, use dried minced onion, if you want even easier, leave it out!)
1 (14.5 oz) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can of dark kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can of corn--do not drain
1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes with chilies (you can also use a can of just diced tomatoes and add a 4 oz can of diced chilies, OR you can use canned whole tomatoes or chilies and dice them yourself, or you can leave the chilies out all together--please don't though, they are so delicious!)
1 packet of taco seasoning (or 1/4 C of taco seasoning if you buy in bulk or make your own...I usually add more because we like spice)

Garnishes:
Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream
Corn Chips
Cayenne Pepper

Add onion and ground meat to the bottom of a large saucepan and cook until meat is completely browned, add beans, corn, tomatoes (do not drain these), and taco seasoning. Stir and bring to a slow simmer. As soon as it is heated through you can eat! If you would like to let the flavors marinate a bit, add about a cup of water and let it simmer for a half hour or so.

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and corn chips. Jax and I like to spice it up even more afterward with cayenne, that way we can serve it to the kiddos and still have it as spicy as we like it!

*Last time I made this, I used ground turkey that had already been cooked and had the taco seasoning put on it and frozen. I had previously made a huge batch of meat for taco salads and frozen half of it. I just tossed that frozen precooked meat into the crockpot then added the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer on low for four hours until we were ready to eat...easy peasy.

**This soup also makes a great freezer meal. Just let it cool and put it in a container or gallon bags and toss it in the freezer for a quick meal another day.