Classic Banana Bread

A Saturday morning when you can sleep in, bake banana bread and hang out with your favorite person is pretty close to perfect. This banana bread recipe comes from my mom. It comes out perfectly almost every time. Try it- you'll see.

Classic Banana Bread

1 3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp of baking soda, baking powder and salt
5 Tb melted butter
2-3 bananas
2 eggs
Optional: Add a handful of walnuts or chocolate chips

Melt butter and mash in bananas, beat in eggs. Dump all dry ingredients in the bowl and mix. (You could sift all the dry ingredients together but I never bother with this recipe.) Pour into baking pan and bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Or if baking two smaller loaves, reduce bake time to about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Choosing Pleasant Is Smart

“Years ago, my mother used to say to me, she’d say, ‘In this world, Elwood, you can be oh so smart, or oh so pleasant.’ Well, for years I was smart… I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.”  - Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy Stewart), Harvey.

Awesome article...Choosing Pleasant Is Smart

I highly recommend you take a moment to read it. And then live it. :)

Have a pleasant Friday.

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Today's Little Thing...

Walk-in closets that are big enough to lay down in when you have a migraine. Yay for no windows, clothes that absorb all the sound and a kitty who sneaks in and snuggles with me.

Obviously, I'm feeling better a little better now. So while the vice around my head is continuing to loosen, here is some closet eye candy...

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Field of Fireflies

Have you ever woken up with a memory or image in your head that instantly took you back in time? I absolutely love when I remember something from my childhood that I hadn't thought about in years. I woke up yesterday morning remembering this...

No...not (just) a spotty photo I found on Google Images...it's a field of fireflies. 

I used to sneak out at night and go for long walks. I wouldn't do anything bad...I just wouldn't be able to sleep so I would walk through the woods or up the road until I got tired. (Was I weird or what? Who does that?!) 

Our house was nestled back in the woods and we had a long curving gravel driveway so no one could see our house from the road...no street lamps. Just moonlight and when the weather was right the entire field would light up with fireflies. Like thousands of twinkling lights. I swear no camera can capture what I used to sit and watch. 

At times like that I felt closest to God. To know that he created something so absolutely beautiful was confirmation that He existed to me. The more I studied biology and the complexity of creation the more I became convinced that it was intelligent design. So thanks be to God for giving me the little things...like the memory of a field full of fireflies.  

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Up and Away!

Have you seen the Disney Pixar Film Up? If you haven't you should run out and rent it today.

Noel and I went and saw Up! when it was in the theater...and we absolutely loved it. In fact, we bought it as soon as it was out on DVD and every time we watch it we are moved to tears. I guess we both have hopes and plans to travel, but since we are both in school that adventure fund is drained pretty quickly just like Carl and Ellie's Paradise Falls fund is depleted again and again by life's misadventures.

In the mean time we are enjoying married life and loving each other's company. I guess we just relate to Carl and Ellie and admire the child-like joy they find in each other and life in general. One thing that Carl and Ellie have in the movie is their "Adventure Book." They dream of going to a place called Paradise Falls and use the book to record their adventures and plans.

Since we saw the movie we've always had our own version of an "Adventure Book" that sits in our living room. Anytime we see a place on TV or hear about a place from a friends, we write it in our book.

We organize it my city so that we can visit some of these places if we happen to be traveling there. Hopefully one day we can check off most adventures and write more about our experiences to complete the pages.

Here's to living life like there's no tomorrow...

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Happy Birthday Mom!

I'll never forget the time we threw you a surprise party and Noel tried to take off his fleece and instead of just the fleece he took his t-shirt off too! Hehehe...I bet that's the only year you've ever had a stripper for your birthday. :) 

I love you mom- you're always there for me and you are truly my best friend. Happy Birthday!

And as a side note- I had to go all the way back to my bridal shower to get a picture of us together...sad day.  Next time I visit you have to get out from behind the camera!!

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Homemade Oreos

Oh. my.

Please make these. Now. When I open up my bakery/organizing business with my sister we will sell these and eat them while sitting on the porches of our neighboring mansions in the Hamptons. Hey, a girl can dream right?

These are super sweet so be sure to have a glass of milk standing by. The Smitten Kitchen never lets me down...

Here's the recipe, via Smitten Kitchen:

Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies

For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar [see recipe note]
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.
2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk.

A few notes...I didn't use the full 1 1/2 cups of sugar to the cookie batter- these are really so sweet you only need 1 cup. And add a sprinkle of salt to the filling- it will help cut the sweetness factor a bit. Also, I rolled the dough into small balls (you could use a melon baller if you have one) and then flattened them to the thickness and size desired. Think real oreo size- not too much bigger. The most important thing is to be sure they are small enough to dunk in a glass of milk. :)

Oh- and these are crispy cookies. If you like them a little chewier then you should underbake them- about 7 1/2 minutes if you flatten them out quite a bit like I did.

Enjoy!! 

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The Little Things and Zombies

My late class was canceled yesterday due to unexpected ice- yay!! So instead of discussing HR Management, I got to cuddle on the couch with my favorite person and watch Zombieland. Hilarious. :)

Rule #32: Enjoy the little things. 

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My enjoyment this morning came from the perfect cup of tea. I love when it gets cool enough to drink without scalding your tongue but still hot enough to warm me from the inside out on a cold day. I've been on a tea kick lately...can't really stand the taste of coffee right now but I'm sure I will convert back to it by the time final exams roll around. Here are my absolute favorites:

Blackberry Sage Tea

Earl Greyer Tea

Chamomile Lemon
(You must sweeten with honey
and be prepared to take a nap!)

Trudeau Tulip Mug
(My ABSOLUTE favorite mug ever! Thx Holly!)

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Sugar & Spice and everything nice

I've gotten several comments from friends and family about the candied pecans I made as gifts for Christmas, so I thought I would share. (That is I will share the recipe...you have to seriously suck up to me to get these hand delivered.) I bet I made at least 10 batches of these and never got tired of them over the holidays (a great thing for my taste buds...not so good for my hips!)

Courtesy of Smitten Kitchen...

1/3 cup dark-brown sugar
2/3 cup white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt (I might up this by a 1/2 tsp. next time for more of a sweet/salty balance)
Generous pinch of cayenne pepper (I swapped this with 1/4 teaspoon of hot smoked paprika)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pound walnut or pecan halves or whole peeled hazelnuts
1 egg white, room temperature
1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix sugars, salt, cayenne, and cinnamon, making sure there are no lumps; set aside. Beat egg white and water until frothy but not stiff. Add walnuts, and stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle nuts with sugar mixture, and toss until evenly coated. Spread sugared nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet fitted with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven, and separate nuts as they cool. When completely cool, pour the nuts into a bowl, breaking up any that stick together.

Please forgive the out-of-focus picture. This is before I got a new camera for Christmas and I was still using my husbands camera that he got years and years and years ago.

May I also suggest that these would make GREAT Valentine's Day treats. :) Here are a few ideas for packaging these up in a lovey-dovey and absolutely adorable way:

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Valentine's Goodie Bag 

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DIY a Love Chart Pouch

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Mini Valentine Gift Bags

Enjoy!!

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