Yummy Banana Bread

I really should be folding clothes so I'll make this quick. This is a delicious recipe for banana bread that we had for lunch today. I tried to make it a little healthier than the original recipe by using applesauce for half of the butter. Next time I will substitute all of the butter for applesauce and even more of the flour for whole wheat flour.

Turn oven on to 350. Heat her up.

I tried to take an "artistic picture", this is the best I could do.
Sad ain't it.

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 or 5 mashed bananas
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

First, mash your nanners. Mix flours, baking soda, salt and spices in a separate bowl. Cream brown sugar, butter and applesauce together in another bowl. Add beaten eggs to sugar mixture and stir. Pour into the flour mixture and add the bananas stir only until all mixed together. Add the chocolate chips and the walnuts (optional). Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Check to be sure it baked all the way through with a butter knife.

I think this is highly adaptable to you what you have on hand and what your family likes. I did mean to add vanilla. You could leave out the cinnamon or add more. Same deal with the nutmeg, chocolate chips and walnuts. Pecans would be good too. I mixed some simple confectioner sugar glaze and poured over the top. We hogged out and Hubby will be lucky to get any!

I've Got That Crafty Feelin'

Sing that title to a Righteous Brothers tune. That crafty feeeeelin', whoa-whoa-woe. You feelin' it? You feelin' me?

Yes, I need help and a life.

Now on to the craft. Free craft by the way. I was able to choose a fabric swatch for free from an internet site about 2 months ago. That took me a while. Don't give me too many choices or it will overwhelm me. Fast forward a month and the swatch is setting on the dishwasher waiting for me to make it beautiful.

Here's what I chose for it's future. I had an old, very golden picture frame that I hated. I also had a mat out of another frame, and some black acrylic paint. So I got a paint brush and painted the frame. It's not perfect but that's part of what I love about it. Iron the fabric swatch, wait for the paint to dry, and TAA-DAA.

I'm sorry the pictures are terrible but I ain't no photographer. Have a good day peeps!

Sledge Hammers and Electrocution

OK, I didn't actually get electrocuted, but I could have!

Here is what I am grateful for today... my sweet Hubby.

As some of you know I lost my mind and took a sledge hammer to my foyer. I've never liked the slate tile floor that was in there so I thought, "I'll get rid of it." Now, I didn't just go all crazy, Bob Vila meets The Terminator, until I called Hubbs and cleared the crazy with him first. He later revealed that he truly thought I had lost my mind. I told you before that he never tells me no, unless it's about chickens, I'm still working on him about that!

So...what a mess I made. The slate was hiding a layer,about 3 or 4 inches thick, of concrete and chicken wire. Remember, I have a basement rancher so I had concrete setting on these thin pieces of plywood that had been shimmed BETWEEN the joists. NO FLOOR. Do you follow me? I had NO REAL FLOOR.

We could not believe the mess we uncovered. It took all weekend and Monday to repair. This project started last Thursday morning. I really believed that I would bust up the tile, clean the floor, and lay down some new beautiful flooring. I should have known it wouldn't be simple this is MY house we're talking about here.

So the grateful part. Not just a handy Hubby, but a Hubby that works until he can't hardly move because of his love for me and the kids. He had to go to work today just so he could rest! He worked non-stop trying to repair the floor, correctly, so that we have a safe place to live. God truly blessed me the day I saw that 18 year old boy working in the denim department on the first day of my new job.

Just for the record, I did help with the repairs but I am more a gopher and grabber than anything else. I tried to measure a board for him and of course he had to redo it because I'm a goober.  Oh, and a nail I was trying to pull out severely kinked a hot wire and almost electrocuted me. That was a big diversion to fix and caused him at least 3 hrs of electrical work in the middle of his reconstruction. Sorry babe.

It did not help that I am apparently now completely afraid of falling to my death, so I was terrified to walk across those joists with nothing to catch me but the concrete basement floor 10 feet below. I did learn that I should never be a contestant of Fear Factor or Wipe Out. I'd lose hands down. He kept saying, "Just stay there Honey you don't have anything to prove to me." I think I was slowing him way down.

 Plus, I am notorious for hurting the Hubbs constantly. I swept concrete dust down into his face at one point, almost whacked him in the head with the level, almost tipped a huge sheet of 3/4 in. plywood on him when he was laying down repairing an outlet, and numerous other things. I also screwed some of the flooring down and on my 4th screw I stripped the last tip to the drill, of course that's also what made us quit working at 9:30pm on Sunday. So see, he should be really be grateful to me. Right??

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Make a Change

Please, please visit this page:

http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/07/will-you-help-change-your-homepage-and-ill-donate-1-to-compassion-international.html

All you have to do is change your homepage to Yahoo for 2 days and they will donate $10,000 to a deserving charity. Leave a comment on moneysavingmom.com and she will donate an additional dollar for each person who changes their homepage.

How often can you give to charity by simply clicking your mouse and typing some words. I changed mine for 2 days last week and I hated it. I like the way my computer is set up and I do NOT like change, but I handled fine for a couple of days. Please consider this simple way to give back.

Blessed Beyond Reason

Does it ever hit you that you are blessed beyond reason? It hits me a couple of times a day usually about the time that I am finishing up griping about something.

"All the kids do is make a mess for me to clean!". Thank God that I have these healthy beautiful children to clean up after. They make my world go round. The good Lord knew what he was doing when he put them in my care.

"I don't know what to cook for supper tonight!" Thank God that I have options on what to cook for dinner and plenty of food to cook with.

"This house always needs something repaired!". Thank God for the roof over my head to keep my family and I warm and dry.

"He never cleans up his bathroom." That's because he has no time between work and helping with the kids and fixing whatever breaks around here. Thank God for my wonderful Hubby.

"Lord, sometimes I don't understand this world or why you've put me in it." Thank you Lord for my savior, Jesus, who stands before me with loving patience (lots of patience) and guidance. I certainly am undeserving.

You get the idea I'm sure. Have a blessed 4th of July folks!

I am From

Owlhaven posted a blog called Where I'm From... so here is where I am from:

Homemade Mania:  I am From

I am from a house on a hill. From long gravel driveways and a broke down barn across the road. I am from woods with yellow jackets and bumblebees. I am from stray cats with kittens to catch and mutt dogs to play with.

I am from clothes on the line to dry and four square on the turn-around concrete pad. I am from the “Summer of Wasp Killing” and siblings to watch. I am from road trips with Mammaw and lake trips with Granny. From beach vacations with the whole family and home canned green beans.

I am from big gardens and fresh produce. From Saturday chores and cook-outs with lettuce from the garden. I am from watermelon with salt on it and wiffle ball in the yard. I am from lightening bugs in a jar and toads in the drainage ditches. From Hide-N-Seek in the nighttime summer heat.

I am from picnics in the mountains.  From tubing down cold mountain streams and breakfast in the cove. I am from big black bear and deer sightings and hiking to old cabins in the woods. I am from winding back roads and pick-up truck rides.

I am from Baptists. From singin’, shoutin’, and preachin’. I am from church services where the preacher didn’t even preach because prasin’ the Lord never stopped. I am from a Deacon and his wife. From tears and prayers on bended knee at the altar. I am from VBS, Homecoming, Old Timers Day, Easter Cantatas and Christmas Plays. From youth group trips and lifetime friendships. I am from water fights, carwashes and mischief. I am from faith that runs deep and personal relationships with Jesus Christ.

I am from snowball fights, snow days, and sledding. I am from power outages and wood stove winter heat. I am from 3 TV channels and family shows. From orange boxed VCRs rented from the movie store for special movie nights. I am from air popped popcorn and cushions on the floor. From one pipe-smoking Papaw with a scratchy beard and one Papaw who gives rides in his A-model car.

I am from fried chicken, gravy and homemade biscuits. From a Granny whose prayers are simple but profound and heart stirring. I am from wild Uncles and Aunts to fear. From hour long rides to Aunt Bea’s house where we were always welcomed with a great big hug. I am from a glider on a porch, apples in the backyard, and walks to the ice cream shop.

I am from sibling fights and Indian wrestling. Dressing up little sisters and changing baby diapers. I am from a little brother playing Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers. I am from love, faith, and safety.

Samples Anyone?

Vocalpoint has Mott for Tots samples you can sign up to receive by mail go here to sign up www.vocalpoint.com/mottsfortots