Hello My Friend! I’m so glad you are here! Its another Tasty Tuesday,  and I have a delicious recipe that is easy as pie!

Before I get started, I want to thank my dear friend Maribeth Schmidt for the photographs. She is so talented, and I am blessed to have her help! For an inquiry, you can visit her at Maribeth Schmidt Photography.

So today I am sharing with you probably my easiest dessert recipe of all time, and it may be my husband Troy’s absolute favorite! Don’t you love it when something amazing is also amazingly simple? Nothing could be more true of this than this simple version of Banana Cream Pie! Please know I am not the originator of this recipe… this is one that has been around ever since I was a little girl (and that was a long long time ago!) My grandmother made it for many holiday meals, (as did lots of folks from sea to shining sea) and even though Grandma is now in Heaven, I like to think of her loving heart and how she would stand in that kitchen preparing dishes for so many people, people she counted as her greatest joy in life, her dear children and grandchildren!

I wanted to share this recipe with you because it is so easy and it will really bless your family (if it isn’t already in your recipe box!) And so, lets begin!

Ingredients:

• 1 10″ Graham Crust Pie Shell
• 2  boxes vanilla instant pudding (I use the larger box- 5.9 oz) *Note be sure you get the boxes marked “Instant”
• 2 bananas
• 1 Box of Nilla Wafers (will only need a few handfuls)
• 5 Cups of Cold Milk
• 1 Small Tub of Cool Whip

Empty the 2 boxes of Instant Pudding in a medium bowl. Add the milk. *Note it will not set properly if you substitute soy milk. Using a hand mixer or a whisk, beat about 2 minutes.

Slice the bananas.

Arrange banana pieces on the base of the pie shell.

Add half of the pudding mixture over the banana slices.

Uh… this already looks really yummy! Self control… its for our guests! Ok, now arrange a simple layer of Nilla Wafers on top of the pudding.

Did anyone else just hear angels singing, or was it just me? Ok… add the rest of the pudding mixture on top.

Pardon me while I drool on the keyboard again. Time for a layer of fluffy Cool Whip!

Notice you can slide that pie shell into a nice pie dish if you like! (I got mine at Kroger!) Chill the pie until you are ready to serve, and if you like, just before serving, you can get creative and decorate the top with a few more Nilla Wafers and banana slices!

They look like friendly neighbors meeting to visit! And you present your pie, and serve up a slice,

And another, and another… don’t forget one for you and one for me!

And be prepared for the ooh’s and ahh’s because as simple as it is, it is just soooo good!

And you can make it even simpler if you want to skip the Nilla Wafers, its still “oooh ahhhh worthy”!

There are a million variations of this timeless classic and you can have a blast trying all sorts of combinations! You could switch the flavor of the pudding to something else (there are so many great flavors out there!) Chocolate would be great with the banana! Or you could use the above recipe but add in some raspberries or strawberries on top! Or you could whip in a couple of dollops of Cool Whip into your pudding mixture! There are probably thousands of variations. I am offering up my husband’s favorite to you today, and its really easy! Its kind of like comfort pie.

When I am preparing this dish for my family, I smile and think of how much I love them, and I think of the joy it brought my grandmother to make this for our family time and time again! She was the kind of lady that saw only the good in you, and when you walked up to her doorstep, she would smile so big it was as though she had just won the lotto or something! But to her, the treasure was innate in each and every person! She was your biggest cheerleader no matter what the scoreboard showed! No matter what your bank account showed or your report card or your dance card or the bathroom scale, she would look at you as you stood at her front door and exclaim, “Oh you look so good to me, I’ve got ducklumps!” (for real!) And in I’d go and she’d start offering up whatever she had to eat! I’m smiling just remembering how good that felt!

And we have the opportunity to do that for others too! To make them just feel so good, that they can walk in knowing they are safe and in a judgement free zone, and totally adored! What a gift! Like sweet and easy banana cream pie!

I’ll be back Friday with another Fashion Friday (I can’t wait!)

I hope you have a fantastic week! I love you guys!

Love Always,

Amy

“Kindness is seeing the best in others when they cannot see it in themselves.”  Unknown