Keep Smiling

Keep Smiling

Monday, July 14, 2025

Easy Banana Coconut Cake


(that old sliver cake server belonged to 
my Mama when I was a little girl)

You're all probably too young 
to remember a song 
that started out . . .
"If I knew you were coming
I'da baked a cake" 
 


Well last Friday I baked a cake 

and everyone wanted my recipe. 



I was a little hesitant to give it

because these ladies always

bake cakes from scratch.   



All that I did was add a 

ripe banana to a yellow cake mix,

then I added coconut extract 

to a powdered sugar and water 

glaze and topped with coconut.

Sooooooooooooo Easy! 

 



You might have noticed my 

aprons on the wall in 

the photo with the table.

My old rake handle hanger

is very full.

Since my fall a couple months ago

I have started wearing aprons 

everyday.  Not all by clothes

have pockets and if we fall 

and we are alone, having our

phone in our pocket is 

a necessity.



Flowers from the garden :)





If you try my cake, you'll

have to take the good rating

from my friends, because I didn't

even taste it.




This is why.

I have been having this problem 

for well over a year,

but it started getting worst

so I've started this diet.

There are a lot of "NO'S" in it

that I don't like but I'm doing anyway.

No Coffee or Tea

No Chocolate

No Spicy Food

No High Fat Dairy . . .

That means

No Ice Cream

No Tomatoes

(and I have a garden full of them)

No Fried Foods

No High Sugary Foods

Oh, and many small meals eaten

slow throughout the day rather 

than my usual 

two eaten faster than I realized.  

😔What's a food loving girl to do😟

The bright side is that I've

been on it just over a 

week now and it working :) 

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

Wishing you all a wonderful week.

God bless you,

Your blogging sister,

Connie :) 

31 comments:

  1. Oh my so many foods you can enjoy anymore but if it's making you feel better it's worth it. The cake looks delicious and your flowers are so pretty.

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    1. Thank you. I really wanted to have a piece of my cake, but I'm glad that I didn't. Especially now that I'm feeling better. I sent the last of it home with a friend. I couldn't trust myself alone in the house with it. It's going to take some time to get used to this new way of eating, but it won't take any time getting used to feeling good again.

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  2. Your entire kitchen looks so cozy and happy. I've always loved all of your aprons and I definitely know what you mean about having your phone with you. Since I got my pacemaker in 2015, Dennis insists that my phone is always within arms reach.
    That cake does look amazing but I know what you mean about watching your diet. I have the same issue to avoid many of those foods as much as possible too. I hope you're staying cool in the hot weather out there.
    Blessings and hugs,
    Betsy

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    1. Thank you for all of your sweet words.
      It has been hot here, hot and dry. I've been doing most of my yard work late in the evening after it cools down a bit.

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  3. Of course I remember that song...in fact it's playing in my head right now. I believe that's what my kids call an ear-worm. Silly name for it, right?
    Thank you for that recipe which sounds so easy. Just my kind of recipe. By the number of plates you put out I'd say it feeds a crowd💗.
    Sorry you have to live without coffee. ( Maybe you are not as fond of it as I am though.) Some foods give me a problem and when I know I'll be having them I take a Pepcid pill. Fortunately that doesn't happen often.
    Like you I keep my phone on me and have a problem when I have no pockets.

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    1. Funny or maybe not so funny how our bodies and our eating habits change with age.

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  4. Oh Connie that does look good! Your kitchen is so darling.. just love it and feels so homey! Love your rake apron holder. I try to carry my phone with me all the time when I go outside, but not always in the house, which could also not be so good if I fell with no one around! Alot of good that phone does me sitting up on the counter! Your flowers are gorgeous as always, and sorry you couldn't eat that cake! I know how that goes though.. I can't eat gluten and haven't for years, but lately, have cheated a few times and I pay the price, so have learned I can't even cheat a little bit! It's not worth it to eat something heavenly, only to suffer with pain and misery for a week afterwards! I have always done better with smaller meals scattered through the day.. in fact I prefer to eat that way anymore, because I feel better and don't get bloated feeling. You'll learn to have little treats and yummies that you CAN eat, without causing you the reflux. I've never had it (except a very few mild times when I ate too much) and I think it would be awful to have, so I would definitely learn to not eat what caused it! You are smart to eat healthily and avoid the foods that bother you, rather than taking a pill for heartburn. Glad you're feeling better! Hugs.. Marilyn

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    1. Is this my friend Marilyn from Oregon? If so I wonder why it says Anonymous.

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  5. There are a lot od 'NO's in your list. I hope you can enjoy some of the nice things too. Your cake looks delicious! I would be sad if I had to give up coffee!

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    1. It took me 3 days of eliminating coffee before I felt good. Going through caffeine withdrawal made me grouchy and headachy. I'm surprised little Beulah didn't want to run away from home. She loves standing on the floor putting her head and chest across my lap in the recliner and I was such a grouch I would shoot her away half the time. That's what bad headaches do to you. But I'm good now. I do miss a cold glass of iced tea in this hot weather though.

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  6. The cake looks so good. That would be a diet I would have a hard time with. All the no's are things that I love.

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    1. All the nose or things I love too 🥴

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    2. Correction, all the no's are things I love too.

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  7. Guess I'll be singing that song all day, now that you mentioned it. :) I just love all your aprons hanging in the kitchen...I love your old tablecloth; well I just love your whole kitchen! The icing and coconut alone would satisfy me. Oh it looks delicious!

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    1. Thank you so much! I do think that we are kindred spirits in the fact that we enjoy the simpler things in life. The modern ways and styles are just not me. What some people call old-fashioned and out of date, I called cozy and warm. I think that's how you feel too.

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  8. Oh Connie, so good to catch up with you! I've had such a busy summer. Sorry to hear about your fall! Aprons are wonderful especially for that reason! I know about the diet you mentioned, probably a lectin free diet. I went on as well and found incredible relief. Letting go of some favorite foods really helped me.stomach heal, and now I can enjoy them in small amounts. Healing will happen! Blessings to you dear friend!

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    1. It's good to know someone else that has done this and had their stomach healed. That's what I've heard, that after a while you can start in small portions trying some of your favorite foods and seeing if they still affect you in a bad way or not. The healing process will take a while but I'm up for it.

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  9. Hi Connie! I'll have to find that cookbook! Your coconut iced cake sounds very good! Thanks! I think it's very smart to wear an apron so you can have your phone in your pocket. Happy summer!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, I've missed you and it great to see that your back blogging :)

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  10. I will have to use your cake recipe idea. It sounds wonderful!! Glad that your diet is helping you.

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    1. Oh, I'm thrilled about it, I was getting might tired of being in pain all the time.

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  11. I love your collection of aprons. I wear them to prevent my clothes from staining when I cook. Clothes without pockets are very inconvenient. I wish those who design women's clothes would always include them.
    Good for you for sticking with the restricted diet to feel better. That's worth the effort - but oh, those fresh tomatoes!

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    1. I know, I'm truly going to miss eating fresh tomatoes this year. I've already decided that next year I'm going to plant yellow tomatoes, they're supposed to have very little acid in them. I don't think they are as good as the red tomatoes but I'm sure they're way better than store-bought.

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  12. You have such a pretty blog, makes me jealous. But in a nice way. Prilosec or Omniprezole work pretty good for heartburn but your diet is probably much healthier than those.

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    1. Yes, I chose to try to find a way of changing my lifestyle and my diet to help this problem before going to a doctor. Doctors seem to enjoy writing prescriptions and I'd rather keep that stuff out of my body if at all possible.
      I'm not opposed to it if nothing else works.
      Thank you for your sweet comment about my blog I really appreciate that and it's very encouraging.

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  13. I admit, I'm one of those who bakes cakes (and all other baked goods) from scratch, but I have to say, your cake does indeed look good! I'd have to pass on it though because I have gained some weight and am trying to lose it. I'm sorry you're experiencing acid reflux. I've heard it's awful. I'm SO glad you are trying natural and healthy ways to help this condition instead of immediately going on a prescription medication - which only masks the problem, doesn't cure the underlying cause! Smart lady. Love your collection of aprons. I agree with having your phone with you at all times. I always keep mine in my pants or short's pocket - especially when I go outside. Your garden flowers gathered in jars is absolutely lovely. There's nothing prettier in the summer!

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    1. Melanie this comment is so uplifting and encouraging. Thank you. It's not easy to change your lifestyle and learn to eat foods that will help and heal your body and to give up some of the food you dearly love. I am a lover of hot and spicy foods and like I said I have a garden that's just starting to ripen and I have over a dozen tomato plants and quite a few pepper plants mostly hot. I'll be giving away a lot of tomatoes and peppers this year. It is worth it. I'm already feeling so much better and the valve above the stomach when it is not irritated by acidy foods, will start mending itself. We do what we have to do right? I'll just have to experiment around with recipes and find some new favorite foods. Again thank you for your encouragement 😊

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  14. The added things to the cake mix does sound interesting, but I have stopped eating that stuff too but only to support my hubby since he is on a low carb diet for health reasons so I am too. I am so glad to know that it is helping you feel better. I would miss a lot on that diet I am sure, but if it helps it is so worth it. Your flowers are lovely. yes it is good to have that phone with you at all times, I make sure I have pockets with all my clothes too.

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    1. I have some clothes that I wear that are up twenty years old, that was before cell phones and actually I liked not having pockets back then because I thought is was more slimming. Now I want to be safe and comfortable :) Thanks for the visit it was nice to hear from you.

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