Nothing says BBQ to me like "Texas," and nothing says "Texas" to me like my favorite Southern dessert: my mother's Coca-Cola cake. Rich, dense, moist and chocolately; this decadent dessert has the power to turn enemies in to friends, friends in to lovers and pessimists in to optimists. Trust me, this is the best chocolate cake that you will ever eat. Period.

Forgoing a traditional sweet pie, I decided to take a savory route. And, being that September marks the non-official end of our local tomato season (and summer, for that matter), I decided to make an old-fashioned Southern tomato pie using a bounty of colorful heirlooms.

Having never made banana bread prior, I researched tons of recipes before settling on a rendition that one of my dear colleagues had sent me with the affirmation that "this is the best banana bread recipe ever!" While many of the ingredients/methods remain the same, I amended the recipe with some of my own creative additions...

After Christmas, we had a rather large amount of Craisins onhand. Mom suggested topping cereal and oatmeal or adding them to pancake batter. All great ideas, but I wanted to utilize a bigger quantity - rather than just a handful - of the dried berries all at once. Having fallen in love with my coworker's "Oatmeal Caramelitas," I decided to tweak the recipe. Why? Because when I think of oatmeal and brown sugar as ingredients (both separately and together), my mind automatically goes to fruit and milk, not chocolate and caramel. In my version, I substitute chocolate chips with Craisins and opt for condensed milk over caramel sauce. The Maldon Sea Salt Flakes finish these bars with a delightfully savory kick!