LOL....I can just picture the disgusted look on your grandmother's face when she saw what that stove did to her good meals! Have to admit, I'm on Team Grandma with that one--I can't stand what electric stoves do to food. Every one I've ever encountered has taken my beautiful, tender 2 1/2" meatballs and shriveled them down till they looked like the ones in Italian wedding soup. Proud 3rd-generation gas stove owner here! 

Kudos to you for chopping nuts with a chef knife--i always figure I'd wind up spraying the kitchen with nut chunks. While the nut chopper was a thing of childhood for me, it has been replaced by my own special dual-purpose method: I put the nuts in question in a Ziploc, wrap it in one of my "rag bag" towels, and tote it to the patio along with a ball-peen hammer. Five minutes, and I've got nut pieces and a whole lot less stress. 

Sounds like your Daddy was a real trooper when it came to Rookie Cooking. Based on the recipe you shared with me, I bet he was glad he stuck it out--you clearly learned your way around a kitchen and turned out treats in the process!

Whoever figured out that bananas should go with custard was a genius deserving of a medal. Since we both appreciate the beauty of such a thing, here's one for Banana Split Cake (a type of icebox cake) shared by my great-aunt:

2 c Graham cracker or Nilla wafer crumbs

5 T melted butter

3 to 4 c vanilla pudding (or homemade custard!)

1 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple

3 sliced bananas

Any berries in season (she usually used   strawberries)

1 lg Cool Whip (or homemade stabilized   whipped cream)

Optional: maraschino cherries (to stud across   the top--what's a banana split without the   cherry on top?)

1) Drain pineapple, reserving juice. 2) Combine Graham cracker/Nilla crumbs, melted butter, and just enough reserved pineapple juice to hold mixture together. Press lightly into 9 ×13 pan. 3) Spread pudding/custard in even layer. 4) Top custard with drained crushed pineapple, then banana slices, then strawberries. 5) Spread Cool Whip/SWC over entire cake. Can be served immediately, but tastes best if it has a chance to meld in the fridge for an hour first. 

Of course, if you make it too soon before it's needed, guests may never know that there was dessert...but what they don't know can't hurt them and can make you very happy (and very full).