Frosted Banana Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies:
½ cup butter, softened
¼ cup solid Crisco shortening
¾ cup brown sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon banana flavoring (can omit and increase vanilla to 1 tsp)
2 large ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
1 heaping tablespoon sour cream
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
Frosting:
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup whole milk or half and half
4 tablespoons butter
powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

How to make it

For cookies, cream together butter, shortening and sugar. Add egg, flavorings, bananas and sour cream; beat well. Add dry ingredients; mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until bottoms are just lightly browned. Cool and frost.
For frosting, combine brown sugar, milk and butter in saucepan; bring to a rolling boil. Remove pan from heat; beat in enough powdered sugar to make frosting spreadable; beat in vanilla. As this frosting cools, it will become difficult to spread. If this happens, reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds, or add a bit more milk to thin it. I like to frost the cookies while the frosting - and the cookies - are still just a bit warm, so that it drapes over the cookie and coats it nicely.

I like to add chopped walnuts on top of the frosting-it makes the cookies look prettier and taste even better to nut lovers!
I found this recipe online a few years ago and it is really good-in fact I am heading to the kitchen to make some right now!

Creamy Polenta

Ingredients:
-1 C. milk
-1 1/3 C half and half, divided
-2 T. butter, divided
-1/3 C. course polenta (corn meal)
-salt
-1/2 C grated parmesan

Directions:
Spray slow cooker, turn onto High.
In a saucepan, add the milk, 1 C half and half, 1 T. butter, and polenta. Season with salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly to keep from getting lumps. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours, stirring once or twice per hour. Once you are ready to serve, open the slow cooker, and whisk in the remaining 1 T or butter and remaining 1/3 C half and half, and parmesan.