Banana Bread Variations

I've been buying bananas lately and my family is letting them go bad on purpose so I have to make banana bread. You'll see in my recipes, we like to use Chia seeds because they're rich in Omega 3 and also because they keep us hydrated (Google that if you don't understand). 

               This is the Banana Cocunut

Here are my recipes:

Banana Bread

Basic Recipe (Betty Crocker)

1 1/4c sugar

1/2c butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 1/2c mashed bananas (3 medium)

1/2c buttermilk*

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2c all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

* I substitute buttermilk with milk mixed with 1 teaspoon white vinegar (if I don't have buttermilk on hand) OR replace with equal parts orange juice.

1. Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms of 2 loaf pans.

2. Mix all ingredients, mixing in flour last. Beat until smooth. 

3. Divide batter between two pans and bake. 60-75 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

4. Cool on wire rack. Enjoy or wrap up and freeze.

Variations: 

Banana Almond Bread

>this makes a wonderful breakfast. Smear a little PB on the top and serve with yogurt. 

Make as above. At the end of mixing stage add in 

-1 large handful of slivered almonds

-1c chocolate chips

-heaping  1/2 c. Chia seeds

Banana Coconut Bread

>this is great anytime but it makes a great dessert bread. 

Make as above, EXCEPT reduce sugar to 1 cup and use buttermilk for the liquid (you don't want this one drying out!). At the end of mixing stage add in 

- 3/4c shredded coconut 

- 3/4c white chocolate chips

- heaping 1/2c Chia seeds

I hope you enjoy these. My family just devours it!

*also check out the post of Baking Products*

Peach Salsa Stuffed Chicken Breast with Vegetable Rice Medley

Stuffed chicken

Ingredients-

6 thawed BS Chicken breasts

Peach salsa (below)

Topping

Guacamole 

Sour cream

Salsa:

2-3c diced tomatoes 

1 small sweet onion diced

1/4c chopped cilantro (or 1/3 bunch)

1 peeled peach, diced 

Mix together in a bowl, set aside

Topping:

1 tbl cumin

1/4 tea salt

1/4 tea pepper

1/2 tea garlic salt or powder

Mix all together 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Make salsa. Then make topping. 

Cut a pocket into the chicken, spoon salsa into pockets and set on baking pan.  Sprinkle topping on top of chicken. 

Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until chicken is done. 

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and guacamole 

Veggie Rice

3 cups cooked brown rice

1c each Zucchini (green And yellow) (shredded)

1 Bell pepperdiced

Onion diced

Mushrooms chopped

1 1/2c chopped spinach

2 tbl olive oil

In a sauté pan, heat oil and then place in veggies, reserving spinach. Sauté until tender. Remove from heat and mix in 1/2- 3/4 amount of rice depending on the ratio of veggies to rice you prefer. Add in spinach

New Recipe- veggie medley angel hair pasta

I made this for my kids and completely expected fits. My kids never let me forget that they do not like cooked vegetables. They like them raw. I was pleasantly surprised that they loved it and all had seconds. Even with chopping, it probably only took 30 minutes. It serves probably 8 adults, but served my family of 6. 

1- 1lb box angel hair pasta

1c. Red bell pepper, diced finely

3/4c. Red onion, diced finely

3/4c.-1c. Grated zucchini 

1/4 c. Chopped fresh cilantro 

1c. Chopped spinach

2tbl. Olive oil

3/4c. Organic Italian Style Dressing

1/2 tsp salt, 1tsp pepper

Optional: sliced olives, bacon pieces, Parmesan cheese

Directions: In a large sauté pan, sauté: peppers, onions, zucchini, and cilantro in the olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until veggies are fragrant and almost tender. While that sautés, boil angel hair pasta to package directions. When done, combine pasta, sautéd veggies, and spinach. Add dressing and toss to coat. Serve. 

Sautéd veggies

Finished product 

Life Without Hair- A Choice

Not that I truly need to give anybody reasons why I do what I do, I thought I would try to give perspective. So, here's 12 reasons why I love my low maintenance cut:

Reasons I shave my head

*I've got 3 little girls' hair that has to be maintained. When they can maintain their own hair, I may consider keeping mine.

* my scalp and pocketbook like the break from massive amounts of hair product 

*I stay cooler in Warmer weather 

*taking a shower and taking care of my hair is a 15 minute process that eats into every morning. That's 1 hour and 45 minutes spent on my hair a WEEK or 7 HOURS/MONTH! (By the way, if the math is off, loss of hair can effect such things). I can think of a million other things that is more worthy of my time. Also, now I  take a 5 minute shower before I go to bed (when I have the time) and know I'm not waking up with a fro in the morning

* I believe through this experience I'm teaching my kids that Beauty is not merited by personal appearance, but rather our actions and the purity of our hearts.

* I have more confidence with no hair vs. when I have hair. When I have hair I'm constantly conscious of the out of place curls and the frizziness of it. No hair= no worries. I know how I look

*my husband married me for my personality and inner beauty. We all know he didn't marry me for my model looks anyhow. Our love has grown stronger knowing that he will love me despite what I look like.

*I can get myself ready and out the door in 2 minutes now. Wouldn't most men love to say that about their woman?!

* I am not paying $15+ every 2 weeks on my hair. My hair grows so fast that to maintain a "look" that's how much it would need to be cut maintain

*how come if a woman has cancer and has her head shaved, she's beautiful and people support that? But when I shave my head, by choice, I receive negativity? I have yet to figure that out.

* it's hair and it grows back. And for me, that's not a long time to wait

* last, but not least, I have fun making people guess and wonder in a store, as they look upon me walking around with my 4 children, if I have cancer (or some other disease) or if I'm a lesbian

I Hate My Kids' Birthday Party

In some ways I hate my kids' birthdays. Well, it's not celebrating their births I hate. I hate the amount of work that goes into the celebrations. I'm tired. I want to suspend birthdays in my house for a year! 

Every other month, we have a birthday in our household. Then when you sprinkle in holidays, our life is one endless celebration aka money pit to entertain people. Let me just say, I am not a mom that goes and rents out anywhere for my kid's birthdays, nor am I a Pinterest mom when it comes to parties. I'm a "lets eat good food, mingle and have a cake kind of mom". However, it all adds up. 

This is what I hate about birthday parties: 

1) I invite lots of people-- they all RSVP yes but then over 3/4 cancel via text message or Facebook message on day of party

2) I don't invite many people (or any until last minute) then end up offending people that they didn't get invited 

3) all the crap my kid gets. We have enough, lets not add more

4) since I have 4 kids, the thought has been impressed upon me "Great, another Marek birthday. Another gift to buy..." 

5) the cleaning of the house for lots of invited guests that choose not to show

So I find myself this month slacking more than I did for the last birthday in my household and double slacking from the one two birthdays ago. Which in translation means: I invited a few of our close friends (2 families to be exact) about 4ish days before the said party. I will make a homemade cake that while tasty, doesn't look pretty. I won't buy party favors because I'm too broke.  I know I offended people because of my poor planning. It's not that I don't want them to celebrate my child; it's just I am burned the fuck out. 

I'm excited for July and August. The only two back to back months that my immediate family doesn't have a birthday. However, my father-in-law's birthday is during that time and so is the 4th of July. 

I definitely need to think of a better way to be excited about my kids' birthdays. I'll let you know when I figure it out! Yea, right.

Make the Bathroom Hand Towel STAY

Here it is, nearly 3 AM and I'm nearly wired like I drank a can of Red Bull. I didn't, yet here I am. Although, I can say, I have gotten a LOT done in the last 3 hours. My house is quiet. All the kids are sleeping (this also includes the big kid known as my husband) and I can walk freely through my house without somebody stopping me every two seconds for something

I don't know if this makes me happy I'm getting stuff done or if I should be disgusted by how much sleep I'm NOT getting.

One thing I was happy about, I came up with a way to keep my hand towel in the bathroom from disappearing. It sounds so trivial, yet it makes me smile. Plus, in a way I feel like I'm stickin' it to the kids. "Ha! Take that! See if you want to try to take it off now!" Anything that will maybe keep a few less things from making its way into the hamper will make me happy!

To do this you will need a flour sack towel.
1. Place two corners over the bar with the rest draping behind the bar.
2. Between the "bunny ears" you've made, reach through the whole with your other hand, and grab the rest of the towel, Pull up until fairly tight.
3. Take those 2 "bunny ears" that are now in the back and tie them twice.

Now do a happy dance because that towel shouldn't go anywhere for at least a day or two!

Teachers Appreciation Gift

So I was surprised this week to discover it was Teacher's Appreciation Day/Week. Whoever made my calendar, I am seriously disappointed in your product!

Instead of looking at Pintrest, the wheels started turning in my head and I decided to make little flower pot kits for the teachers that had a witty little note attached.

Each one cost me about $3.50
Here are the supplies I used:
Pot/Bowl from Big Lots $2 each
Seeds $1/pkg from Fred Meyers
Decorative river stones $1 from the Dollar Store
Sandwich bags filled with dirt
Decorative Tags $1 for a package from Big Lots
Ribbon

I also created simple drink cups with a cute saying on them for the other employees at my kids school. They cost around $2/cup.

Plastic Cups that I used Sharpies on with the saying "Your influence on my child makes their cup overflow"
Drink packets wrapped in ribbon with a thank you tag

Hope you all were not caught off guard like me! :)