Banana Date Ring

4 cups sifted regular flour
1-1/3 cups sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup finely-chopped walnuts
2 eggs
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1 cup chopped pitted dates
Confectioners sugar

Oven: 350 degrees

Grease a 12-cup tube pan or 10-inch angel cake pan. Dust lightly with flour, then tap out the excess. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, spice, salt and baking soda into a large bowl. Stir in the walnuts.

Beat eggs well in a medium-size bowl. Stir in the milk, melted butter, bananas and dates. Add all at once to the flour mixture. Stir until just evenly moist. Spoon into pan and even out the top.

Bake one hour and ten minutes, or until cake tester inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack ten minutes. Loosen around edge and center with a sharp knife. Turn out on rack and cool completely.

Wrap loaf in waxed paper, foil, or plastic wrap. Store overnight to mellow flavors and make slicing easier. Just before serving, dust lightly with confectioners sugar. Cut in thin wedges.

Cornish Game Hens And Rice

Quick, easy, and only five ingredients!

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 Cornish game hens

Oven: 375/350 degrees

Spread the rice in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, or until golden. Combine the salad dressing with the boiling water and chicken soup. Stir mixture into rice.

Cut the hens in half lengthwise. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Place hens cut side down on top of rice. Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Remove foil and bake 30 minutes longer, or until rice and hens are tender. Serves four.

Spinach & Cottage Cheese Casserole

Try this for a light, meatless lunch.

1 pound fresh spinach
1 cup creamed cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon caraway seed
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper
Dash of nutmeg
1/4 cup grated natural cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped almonds or other nuts

Oven: 350 degrees

Wash and pick over the spinach, removing any coarse stems. Cook in a small amount of boiling salted water until barely tender. Drain very well and chop fine.

Add the cottage cheese, eggs, caraway seed, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Put in an 8-inch pie pan and sprinkle with the grated cheese and nuts. Bake about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika. Serves four.