Free Ice Cream

Hey don't forget to go to Cold Stone tomorrow and get your free 3 oz. cup of ice cream. Be sure to check your local Cold Stone to make sure they are participating before lugging the kids over there.

Cold Stone is hosting the 7th Annual World’s Largest Ice Cream Social. On September 25th from 5:00 - 8:00PM, all donations will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Make It Yourself Monday!

I am currently making these for my daughter. I am saving half for myself and cutting the other half for my monkey.

Baby Banana Bread Sticks

10 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon butter
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 9 1/4 by 5 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan with 1 teaspoon of the butter.

Puree the bananas, sour cream, eggs and vanilla in a food processor.

Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fixed with a whisk attachment. Add the remaining 10 tablespoons butter and mix on medium-low speed until blended, about 30 seconds. Add the banana mixture in 3 batches, scraping the sides of the bowl and mixing on medium speed between each addition. Fold in the nuts.

Pour into the loaf pan. Bake until lightly browned and bread bounces back to the touch, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, cut into sticks. Spread sticks out on a cookie sheet and bake at 150 degrees F for 1 hour or longer until the sticks are hard and crunchy. Store in a tightly covered container.

Birthday Bash

I am trying to recover from my daughter's first birthday bash. It was so much fun to watch my little monkey play and laugh with her family. Here are a few pictures.

The cake table:

The cake I baked and decorated for the party.
The tutu I made for her.

Trying to reach the controls of my new car but my tutu is getting in the way.

She really didn't take to eating cake and ended up eating pickles. :)

Already learning to play the piano!

All tuckered out and resting in my new bean bag chair after such a wonderful day~

My Nephew

Ok because I can't resist. I must show you a picture of my nephew J. He is the cutest little Yoda for Halloween. My sister is beautiful isn't she - I mean, come on, look at that skin. Are you serious? How are people born with that kind of skin? It just kills me.

Oh and I hope my sister doesn't get mad at me for posting these. So you better take a look before I am forced to take them down!

My Little Monkey

Here is a picture of my little Mon-Chi Chi. We are trying to get ready for her first birthday party this Saturday. I made her a tutu for her party so there is a picture of me fixing a stitch with A being very patient. While I am not doing a ballerina theme, I just wanted her to have a tutu after seeing it in Baby Talk. Of course I am going to put a shirt on her for the big day. It was enough of a struggle to get the tutu on. My little girl likes to run around in the buff.

Doesn't she look like she's dancing here?




I just can't believe that she is going to be one! This year has flown by so fast.

Free Yogi Tea Sample

Get your free Yogi Tea sample while you can. My sister loves their Nursing Mom Tea. Here's a chance to taste others for free! Enjoy your cup on the back porch while the kids are sleeping and just take a deep breath of fresh air before the little munchkins start screaming and need your attention.

Make It Yourself Monday

Ahhh another week. Today is a fresh new day and I feel like making some bread. My favorite bread to make is Challah (pronounced Hallah) bread. Here is a recipe yo try this week!

Bistro Challah Bread Recipe Courtesy of Caprial Pence Show: Cooking Live Episode: Caprial Pence

4 teaspoons active dry yeast 1/3 cup sugar 1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees) 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 3 eggs 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups flour 1 tablespoon salt Place the yeast, sugar and warm water in a mixing bowl. Stir and let stand for about 10 minutes, until creamy and foamy. Add the melted butter and eggs and mix well.Combine the flour with the salt. Add it to the yeast mixture, 1 or 2 cups at a time, until it forms a soft dough. Place the dough on a well-floured board and knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a large, well-greased bowl, then flip the dough over to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let stand in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Punch the dough down, form it into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool before slicing. I myself like to bread the Challah bread. It comes out looking beautiful. While I haven't done the 5 strade bread - I usually do the 3. Next time, with the help of this video, I will do the five strand. I also combine one egg white with 3 tablespoons of water and brush the top of the bread before I put it into the over to get a beautiful crust on top.