Our friend Jeri (elderjane) is on her cruise now. They celebrated Thanksgiving early and she told me one of the desserts was Paula Deen's Banana Pudding. I told her she made it sound so good I might make it for my own Thanksgiving.

However, looking at the recipe, I am probably going to chicken out because it calls for too many fattening ingredients. I'm not as overtly health conscious as some of you say you are, but I do have some limits. And it's not just the calories, some of it is that I don't like the artificial taste of mixes so if I did make it, I'd make the pudding from scratch, but then I'd never know how the original recipe was supposed to taste so it would be the same as not trying it at all.

Banana Pudding Paula Deen (aka Not Yo' Mama's)
2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.
In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.