Home Blog Page 108

Banana Pudding Tacos

Banana Pudding Tacos

Banana Pudding Tacos are a fun, creative twist on classic banana pudding, combining the creamy, nostalgic flavors of the dessert with a crunchy, edible taco shell. This recipe uses your Old Fashioned Banana Pudding as a base and incorporates a simple shell for a portable treat. Here’s an easy recipe to make these delightful dessert tacos.

Ingredients:

For the Filling:
    • 1 pack of banana Jello pudding
    • 2 cups whole milk
    • 1 banana (sliced)
    • 1/2 cup mini vanilla wafers
For the Vanilla Taco Shells:
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup vanilla sugar
    • 4 eggs
    • 1/2 cup melted butter
    • 1/2 cup whole milk
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
The Toppings:
    • whipped cream
    • 1/2 cup crushed vanilla wafers

Directions:

Making the Pudding:
    • Combine the banana pudding mix with the milk.
    • Don’t follow the recipe on the box.
    • By adding other ingredients, you’ll achieve the correct consistency.
    • Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sliced bananas along with the vanilla wafers. Mix well, and put in the fridge.
Now the Vanilla Shells:
    • Combine the flour, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar with the eggs.
    • Add the egg mixture to the flour and slowly add the melted butter. Combine until a loose batter is achieved.
    • Heat a waffle cone iron to medium-high. Add about ¼ cup of batter to the iron and cook until it becomes light golden brown.
    • Take it off the burner and immediately form into a taco shell shape.
    • You can use a taco holder, or a flipped muffin pan by resting it in between the slots.
    • Repeat the above steps for the remaining taco shells.
Assembly:
    • Add an equal amount of pudding to each taco.
    • Top with whipped cream and crushed vanilla wafers.

Tips:

    • Shells: Flour tortillas give a soft, chewy taco; wonton wrappers or cones provide a crispier bite. For a shortcut, use pre-made cinnamon-sugar tortilla chips shaped into tacos.
    • Pudding: For a quicker version, use instant vanilla pudding (1 small box, prepared per package) instead of homemade custard. Add banana extract for extra flavor.
    • Bananas: Use firm bananas to avoid mushiness. Toss slices in lemon juice to prevent browning if prepping ahead.
    • Storage: Assemble just before serving to prevent soggy shells. Store extra pudding in the fridge for up to 3 days; shells can be stored airtight at room temperature for 1-2 days.
    • Variations: Swap bananas for strawberries (pair with your Strawberry Frozen Yogurt inspiration) or add chocolate chips (from your Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies). Use your Buttercream Frosting as a topping for a richer twist.
    • Make Ahead: Prepare pudding and shells up to a day ahead. Store separately and assemble when ready.

Why It’s Fun:

This recipe combines the creamy comfort of your Old Fashioned Banana Pudding with a playful taco presentation, making it perfect for parties or a unique dessert twist.

Enjoy your Banana Pudding Tacos! If you want a vegan version, specific shell alternatives, or ideas for pairing with other desserts (like our Peach Cobbler), let me know in the comments below.




 

The Big Sky Pro Rodeo – Great Falls

The Big Sky Pro Rodeo Roundup will be held on Wednesday, August 4th – Saturday, August 7th, 2021 in Great Falls during the Montana State Fair. The Montana ExpoPark has been home to the Montana State Fair since 1931.

If this years Montana State Fair is anything at all like our 4th of July downtown parade and fireworks show was, then it will most likely be packed. The Rona sort of shut everything down last year and I’m pretty sure that everyone from miles around will be pretty anxious to get to town and participate this year.

 

 

Reserved Seating: 21.00
General: 13.00
Children (3 – 12): 7.00
Tickets do not include admission into the MT State Fair.

https://tickets.goexpopark.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=233

Hiss Golden Messenger – Sanctuary

The band was formed by Mike (MC) Taylor and Scott Hirsch in 2007. The band’s early recordings were released through Taylor’s own recording label, “Heaven & Earth Magic Recording Company.”

video
play-sharp-fill

The band’s debut album, Country Hai East Cotton, was released in 2009 via Taylor’s label in a limited edition of 500. This was followed by their international debut album, Bad Debt, in 2010, released via Black Maps. The band’s third album, Poor Moon, was released in 2012 via North Carolina-based “Paradise of Bachelors”, and received positive reviews. The band’s fourth album, Haw, was released on April 2, 2013.

The band’s music contains elements from various musical genres, such as folk, country, dub, country soul, rhythm and blues, bluegrass, jazz, funk, swamp pop, gospel, blues, and rock. The band’s style was also described as “alternative country” and “country rock.” The band’s main influences include the Beatles, The Byrds, and Buffalo Springfield. The band has been compared to Will Oldham and Bill Callahan.

Hiss Golden Messenger – Sanctuary Lyrics:

Feeling bad, feeling blue
Can’t get out of my own mind
I know how to sing about it
Ring of bone, a little lonely
I better hit the road, child
We can cry into the phone a while

Jubilee, find me
Steady with your hope now
That little light’s gotta last a while
Like an arrow to the marrow
I know it feels like hell now
Till we make it to the other side

Want good news, you want sanctuary
When you try to get real
Oh, they break you in one week
You wanna move, you want sanctuary
That’s all that I can offer to you
From the bottom to the bone, to the bone

Get used to the bad news
It’s all part of the show, child
Handsome Johnny had to go, child
What did you feel, brother, bad dreams?
Well, there’s something you should know now
There’s little things that’ll cut you down

Ragged people, hard times
And the lightning strikes the poorhouse
Rich man cries like a crocodile
Salvation, despair
But the game that they taught me
Sometimes it feels like it just ain’t fair

You want good news, you want sanctuary
When you try to get real
Oh, they break you in one week
You wanna move, you want sanctuary
That’s all that I can offer to you
From the bottom to the bone, to the bone

Yeah, to the bone
Oh, to the bone
Yeah, to the bone
Oh, to the bone
Yeah, to the bone
Oh, to the bone

Feeling bad, feeling blue
Can’t get out of my own mind
I know how to sing about it

Brett Dennen – See the World

I’m a huge fan of indie music, whether it be folk, rock, ambient, or electronica, I’m all over it.

Here is one of my favorite pieces from Brett Dennen — Enjoy!!

video
play-sharp-fill

Brett Dennen grew up in Central Valley, California in a small farm town. As a child, Dennen was home schooled, where he was given creative freedom by his parents. His father was an avid pickler, which Dennen attributes to his own love for briney foods. He spent much of his time learning to play music. After becoming proficient in the guitar, he started to write his own songs.

Dennen learned to play guitar while attending Camp Jack Hazard, a residential summer camp in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. His camp counselors played the music of Neil Young, John Denver, and Joni Mitchell, the same music that his parents listened to. As an adolescent, he worked there as a counselor. He has continued to help the camp, performing at a fundraiser in February 2012 for the Jack and Buena Foundation, which now runs Camp Jack Hazard.

Learn more about Brett Dennen by visiting his website https://brettdennen.live/

Brett Dennen’s – See The World lyrics:

Where you goin’ my brown-eyed son?
You used to crawl but now you run
You started off on a road half-dark
And the river curled into a question mark

Will you sleep on diamond beaches, dear?
And drink from prism streams so clear?
You don’t have to be rich to get around
There are mansions growin’ out of the ground

Days go by
Get out and see the world
Days go by
Get out and see the world with your own eyes

Now, the journey took you far from home
And pushed you out of your comfort zone
There are kids out there with war paint on
And hearts break like crayons

Before you left, the world was small
Now, the hills are bleedin’ like waterfalls
There are a lot of bad things that are buried shallow
And cries for help with no echoes

Days go by
Get out and see the world
Days go by
Get out and see the world with your own eyes

It’s hard to see what your going through
Just knowing can beat up on you
You’ll spend some time in the waiting place
And the purest things may leave no trace

Go up the mountain top and shine
I’ll reflect it on my long decline
I’ve gathered sunsets in my prime
Now, I’m planting trees I’ll never climb

Days go by
Get out and see the world
Days go by
Get out and see the world with your own eyes
Your own eyes
Your own eyes
Your own eyes

5 natural sleep aids you may be unaware of

Sleep restores us. And not getting enough of it can put us at greater risk of heart disease and cancer. Sleep even makes us smarter. Yet researchers are finding that more than 10 percent of the population is chronically sleep deprived.

If you’re having trouble slipping into — and remaining in — Dreamland, don’t dart straight to prescription sleep drugs, which can be habit-forming, harmful if you live with certain conditions, and even downright bizarre! (Some people develop sleep-eating and sleep-driving habits when using prescription sleeping pills.)

The good news is, science has found that many foods, drinks, herbs, and other natural sleep aids can help put you to sleep … naturally. In fact, just this summer, researchers made the connection between tart cherry juice and getting adequate shut-eye. Here are some natural food and drink-based sleep aids.

Cherries

In the small study, participants drank eight ounces of the tart cherry (also known as sour cherry) juice in the morning, and another eight ounces in the evening, for two weeks and reported better sleeping habits. Since all cherries are naturally high in melatonin, a compound that makes us sleepy, you can try eating a cup as a snack before it’s time for shut-eye if you’d rather not drink the juice.

Fish

Certain fish and sea creatures contain sleep-inducing tryptophan, including shrimp, cod, tuna, and halibut. But since not all seafood choices are healthy for us (some are high in contaminants) or for the planet (many are overfished, or methods for catching them kill other species), stick to catches like Pacific cod from Alaska or pole-caught Albacore tuna from the U.S. or British Columbia.

Carb/Protein Combo

If keeping track of the latest safe seafood guidelines is too complicated, you can get your tryptophan fix from other things. You’ve probably heard that warm milk can help you sleep, since milk contains tryptophan. But the key is to combine carbs with a protein containing tryptophan to help your body better utilize the sleep inducer. Try pairing a cup of whole grain cereal with organic milk before bedtime.

Lemon Balm

This lemon-scented member of the mint family has been a sleep-inducing superstar for ages. Other benefits include better digestion and decreased agitation. Try making lemon balm tea by steeping 1 to 2 teaspoons of the dried herb in 1 cup of hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. (If you take thyroid meds, talk to your doctor … drinking the tea could mean you’ll have to adjust your dosage.)

Other Herbs

If lemon balm’s not your thing, another herb, sage, also works as a natural sleep aid. Just steep 4 tablespoons in a cup of hot water, steep for four hours, strain, and reheat to drink. Chamomile tea and valerian teas, other sleep inducers, are also more widely available pre-bagged in natural food stores, if you don’t want to fuss with the aforementioned straining herbs.