While She Was Sleeping: Brown Sugar Banana Bread

While She Was Sleeping: Brown Sugar Banana Bread: "Banana bread first crossed my pallet when I was in my late teens. We were visiting family in the hospital and had dinner in the cafeteria o..."

I on my Facebook last night that I made Brown Sugar Banana Bread!  It smelt so good!  It filled my dreams with visions of monkeys swinging through trees and eating banana's...okay not really but I did sleep good and so did Mango :)

I put the link up above for the recipe and blog it is on.

This recipe was different than the one I normally make....I liked it because it used 4 banana's....my go-to-recipe uses 2.  This recipe used cinnamon AND ginger....interesting...I never used ginger in my banana bread recipe before.  I added raisins because I have to have them in banana bread.  I normally add walnuts but left them out because the recipe didn't call for them and didn't know if it would diminish the taste of ginger.  I did cut the sugar down and only added 1 cup brown sugar and it is fine.  I give it a thumbs up however I think I still like my original recipe better.  The one I normally make has sour cream in it and I think that really adds to the bread. I would make it again if I had 4 brown bananas sitting on the counter instead of 2. 

I snapped a picture before I cut into it.  It was worth the wait.  Let me know your thoughts if your try it or share with me your favorite banana bread recipe.  I will have to post my go-to-recipe in the future!

Wish you were here!

Hugs!

Linda

Girl in Air: It's a BEADUCATION Giveaway!!

Girl in Air: It's a BEADUCATION Giveaway!!

Dollar Store Redo.....

So do you like to go shopping at the dollar store and find things to remake into something you saw on someone elses blog but you can't remember where or when to give them credit because you've looked at a zillion blogs so you just copy and think oh well I would if I could but I can't so I won't???!!!  How's that for a run on sentence?!

Well I seriously did see this on someone else's blog so and thought I would try to recreate it.  If it is yours please give me a shout out and I will give credit where credit is due! 

Here is everything I started with.... A tall glass candle holder.....a short votive holder......Goop Craft Clue and rocks.  The glue and rocks did not come from the dollar store.  The decorative little stones came from Wal-Mart in the floral section and I think the glue came from Wal-Mart or JoAnn's.  A word about the glue.  It is very strong smelling!  Be sure you use it and let it dry in a well ventilated

 place ~ it is smelly stuff!!!!

Step 1:  Pick up your foot........oh sorry not that kind of step :).....Smear glue on a side of your glass.  Careful using finger...I made a ribbon along the top of where I wanted my design and then smeared the glue around with the applicator noozle and a toothpick.  This is science people! :)

Step 2:  Roll it in the stones.  Flip over and press stones onto the glass.  Drop stones on glass to try and fill in.  Let dry and then repeat on other sides.  I think I did 3 sides.

Glue small votive on bottom of the pillar to give it height, add candle and you are done!

A nice candle holder for under $10 that matches your decor.

If it sounds simple that's because it is!  You can make the rocks wave along the top and to up as high as you want.  I may add more rocks...not sure.  Truthfully I got tired of the smell of the glue and just wanted to finish! :)  I have one more picure for you......

I'm not sure who's more excited about the Cricut I bought today at JoAnn's, me or Naomi!!!!

(a really, no seriously, a really good deal!  Check the flyer if you don't belive me!!!!!)

She say's she gets first dibs on it :)  I know she can't guard it forever...the girl likes to eat...or wait I can get her off with the ribbon and then it will be all mine! baaahaaaahaaaaa! Okay no more sugar I promise! :)

Have a great week~

Linda



Busy....Busy.....YUM :)

So I don't know about you but the summer is flying by!  I have done crafts but havent posted any....so I will be putting up some of the things I've done in the next few days if things go according to plan :)  However, if my bike continues to call to me I must answer!  I can ignore my blog but not the bike :)

So the first thing I will share is what I did for Fathers Day......and yes baking does count as crafting!!! It's being creative ~ you do it with love ~ you enjoy the finished project ~ and you love to give it away and make someone else happy with what you've made with your own 2 hands :)

I have made pie before but never a basic crust totally from scratch that I remember.....  I made a sugar dough crust once that was incredible!!!!!! google it and make it with an apple pie....yes you will love me forever!

So I made a Rhubarb Pie.....(Both the pie crust and pie recipes can be found in the Better Crocker Cook book)  The key to a good crust from what I am told is to use REALLY cold water!  My mom said add ice cubes to the water. So I did and it worked!!!

It was delish! 

Bonus ~ Rhubarb was from our backyard! 

Go ahead and try making a pie from scratch....You can do it!!!  You'll be glad you did!!!

Hugs~

Linda

Mediterranean Pizza and Pizza dough recipe!

This is one of my favorite things to make and oh so yummy.......Mediterranean Pizza using a homemade pizza dough recipe....hope you enjoy it as much as we do :)

Here's a bunch of the stuff you need :)  (In case your wondering that is the sun streaming in and making me happy as I worked on dinner!!!)

Okay we will start with the pizza dough recipe....this is the one my mom always made when we were growing up so it has lots of happy memories for me.  I love the smell of yeast breads!!!!!  The recipe is taken from the Waunakee cookbook....

Pizza Dough

1 pkg of yeast  in 1/2 cup warm water ( I used 2 tsp. of breadmachine yeast that I keep in the fridge...Red Star I think)

Add 1 Tablespoon of sugar to the yeast and water and set aside

In bowl add:

1 3/4 cup flour (can do 1/2 wheat if you like)

1/4 cup warm milk

Melt 1 Tablespoon shortening in milk....I use butter...not big on crisco sorry!

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

Mix ingredients together and then add yeast mixture.  Knead with fork.

This week I also added parm cheese (1/3 cup approx.) some garlic powder and Mrs. Dash - basil and tomato seasoning....sometimes I add fresh chopped basil.

Make into ball and but on a pizza stone that has been lightly greased and sprinkled with corn meal (optional)

You might need to add a little flour to the mixture if the dough is too sticky....just don't add to much.  Stretch your dough out and make a nice crust.  We like crust :)  You can see the corn meal on the crust and the herbs in the dough :)







The next step is to lightly drizzle olive oil over the dough.   This is a non-pizza sauce pizza.  However, this dough works great with traditional pizza recipes also.  Normally I would put spinach next but I didn't have any so I skipped that step :)  We would get our greens from the salads I was making.   Next sprinkle your dough with Mozzarella cheese and parm. cheese.....

Looking good.... ummmm you might want to wipe that drool were not done yet!!!

Now you get to add all the yummy toppings....again this is my version of Mediterranean pizza so that is my theme here.  I added green onion (on 1/2...for me :) ) Sun dried tomato, grilled chicken, red pepper and feta cheese...yes we love feta...okay we love CHEESE!!!! 

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes (depends on how done you like your crust)

Serve with a nice salad and you have a yummy dinner!!!

(flowers are from our yard...tulips and daffies....I love the bright yellow...they make me happy!!!)

Drop me a comment and let me know if you try it :)

I would love to know what your favorite family pizza is!

Blessings ~ Linda

Plastic Chair Redo

I was really excited when I was at Wal-Mart a few weeks ago and found a spray paint made specially for plastic ~ Krylon Fusion for Plastic. I have some comfortable but older plastic chairs that go with our outdoor table.  Our table sits out on the deck under a HUGE maple tree.  These chairs have gotten stained over the years from leaves and other things but are still in really good shape.  I thought this would be a perfect solution to try so I bought it. 

 Yesterday was the perfect day here in Wisconsin :)  It was finally in the 60's and just so nice to be outside.  I thought it would be a great day to redo these chairs.  So I hauled them up from the basement and wiped them all down with soap and water to get them ready to paint.

The above photo is before..... and the bottom is after......

It's hard to tell the difference.  I really liked how this paint covered the chairs and refreshed them.  They look almost brand new again.  The paint puts a more grainy finish on the chairs but again I really liked how they look now.  The paint dries in 15 minutes which was nice. 

The bad part of this paint.....1 can did 2 chairs (barely)  I only put one coat on each of the 2 chairs.  The paint came out drippy to start and then started to spray covering over the drip marks.  I actually had 2 cans but the first can dripped all over one of the chairs then stopped working.  It is totally defective.  I am thinking because of the grainy finish it easily clogs up the opening.  Something to be aware of it you use this paint.  That part was disappointing since I wanted to finish this project yesterday.  But thankfully it doesn't take long to paint so I hopefully can swap out the defective can this week and finish up the job so we can enjoy warm nights on the back deck :)

Next up.....the Mediterranean  Pizza I made for dinner last night.....YUMMY!!!!!



Jeans...the most versatile clothing you own :)

So what do you do with those jeans that are worn out and no longer wearable because of a hole or you just don't like them.....

Well I actually have many uses for old jeans and will share some of them with you as we go along.  Today I thought I would actually share a really fun project I did a while ago.

My husband had a pair of worn out jeans....and I mean worn out so I deceided to cut off the legs and make them into holders.  Holders you ask?!  Yes, a holder.... one leg became a holder of rags...you know old socks and t-shirts that make great rags for cleaning and little projects.  And the other became a holder for plastic garbage bags. 

I can't figure out how to flip the photo so it's not sideways....sorry!!!  


As you can see I labeled each leg with fun material.  It is actually a bed sheet I have been using for different projects....a sheet from the 70's....flower power!  Nice bright colors :)  All I did was sew up the bottom of the leg.  Ironed the fun material to iron on backing, cut out the letters and circles with a pinking sheers...ironed them on to the leg.  Grabbed a handle...made out of a garage sale find...it is stuff you use to make roman shades....I don't even know the technical term :)  For the cat leg I actually added a ribbon as part of the handle.... you can see it if you look close.  I had two really easy bags that are very handy!  The cat bag is hanging downstairs next to the litter box....guess what the plastic bags are used for!  And the rag bag is hanging in the stairwell that goes down to the basement.  Good location for both items!!!!!
 

P.S. Do you like my beachy porch?!  I just love sitting out there with the cats and have the sun stream in.....

Have a blessed day :)

Linda