A Christmas recipe from us to you!  This makes a great gift idea for friends and neighbors. It provides a wonderful Christmas present for all your unsure-what-to-buy friends!  Decorate with a pretty label and a circle of Christmas fabric under the jar ring. Using the same basic recipe you can substitute different fruits and vegetables to make other varieties.

Ingredients

2/3 cup shortening                          2 2/3 cups white sugar

4 eggs                                                   2 cups mashed bananas

2/3 cup water                                    3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder      2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt                        1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves            2/3 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease insides of 8 (1 pint) straight sided, wide mouth canning jars

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, bananas, and water. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Add to banana mixture. Stir in nuts.

Pour mixture into greased WIDE MOUTH pint jars, filling 1/2 full of batter. Do NOT put lids on jars for baking. Be careful to keep the rims clean, wiping off any batter that gets on the rims.

Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, sterilize the lids and rings in boiling water.

As soon as cake is done, remove from oven one at a time, wipe rims of jars and put on lid and ring. Jars will seal as cakes cool. Place the jars on the counter and listen for them to “ping” as they seal. If you miss the “ping”, wait until they are completely cool and press on the top of the lid. If it doesn’t move at all, it’s sealed.

Jars should be eaten immediately or kept sealed in refrigerator for up to a week

Holiday Safety tips to make sure your holiday season is, “The Best One Yet!”

• Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S.  When cooking for holiday visitors, remember to keep an eye on the range.
• Provide plenty of large, deep ashtrays, and check them frequently. Cigarette butts can smolder in the trash and cause a fire, so completely douse cigarette butts with water before discarding.
• Keep matches and lighters up high, out of sight and reach of children (preferably in a locked cabinet).
• Test your smoke alarms, and let guests know what your fire escape plan is.

The safest way to keep your family and home protected is by purchasing a homeowner’s insurance policy or checking your current homeowner’s policy to make sure it is still meeting your needs. Duncan Financial Group can help you with all your insurance needs. Stop in or contact us today!

Duncan Financial Group
311 Main Street
Irwin, PA 15642
(724) 863-3420
Toll free (888) 383-3420