3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 Tbls. chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
2 large, very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten

Heat oven to 350°. Lightly coat a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan with vegetable cooking spray. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a large bowl. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it looks like coarse crumbs. Mix in the pecans and apricots. Stir in the bananas, buttermilk and eggs until well blended. Pour into pan. Bake 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn onto a wire rack. Note: Substitute 1/2 cup flaked coconut or any dried fruit (such as golden or brown raisins or dates) for the dried apricots. Makes 1 loaf.

Magic Cookie Bars
Need a last minute, easy to prepare cookie?
This recipe uses pantry staples and goes together in minutes!

1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 (14 1/2-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup butterscotch morsels
1 (7-oz.) package sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Stir together melted butter and graham cracker crumbs; press into bottom of a 13-x 9-inch pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk over crumbs; sprinkle evenly with chocolate and butterscotch morsels, coconut and walnuts. Gently press mixture to a uniform thickness with a fork.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until coconut is lightly browned. Cool 45 minutes on a wire rack.
Cut into 1 1/2-x21/2-inch bars. Makes 30 bars.

1 lb. plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise,
   seeded, wedges halved
5 Tbls. olive oil
1 Tbls. dried oregano, lightly toasted in dry skilled
12 oz. penne pasta
6 small portobello mushrooms (portobellini),
  dark gills removed, caps sliced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 lb. chicken tenders, halved lengthwise,
  then halved crosswise
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine

Preheat oven to 425°. Combine tomatoes, 2 tablespoons oil and oregano in small bowl; toss to blend. Place tomatoes on baking sheet. Roast until beginning to dry and wrinkle, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta; let stand in colander.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onions and garlic and saute until mushrooms are tender and brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer mushroom mixture to medium bowl. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pot and saute until brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Add mushroom mixture and roasted tomatoes to pot. Add penne, feta, Parmesan, chicken broth and wine; toss until heated through and sauce coats pasta, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 4.