Banana Bread

Last night I was craving banana bread without nuts.... because that's the best way to eat it. I have the BEST banana bread recipe from Martha Stewart and thought I would share this really yummy recipe. It really is that good!

Banana Bread
Makes 1 Loaf

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
opt. 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (for those of you that like to put nuts in your banana bread)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3 inch loaf pan. Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs.

2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate medium bowl. Add to butter mixture; mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix until combined. Stir in nuts (if you like nuts). Pour batter into pan.

3. Bake for about 1 hour and 5 minutes or until center comes out clean when you test with a toothpick or fork. Let cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; invert. Let cool completely.



This tastes really good fresh out of the oven with butter on it OR even better toasted in the morning for breakfast!

My Top Three

If there was such a thing as an American Idol Junkie, I would be it. After watching AI for a few weeks now, I have finally narrowed it down to who I REALLY like. David Cook... I like his style and the way he makes every song unique and really his own.



Brooke White....ok, I have to admit when I first saw her I liked her because she was cute, quirky & LDS, but as the weeks have gone on, I realize how truly talented she is. And how cute was that the other night when she started crying after she performed? I just think she is so sweet and I like her more and more each week.



And yes, I'm on the David Archuleta bandwagon, but it's really hard not to be. This kid is so good....even last night when he kept forgetting the words, his voice never faltered. There is just something about his tone quality that I am completely drawn to. It's so simple and pure... I just love it!



So those are my picks! Who do you like?

Happy Birthday Caleb!

Caleb turned four today. What an amazing blessing he has been in our lives. We celebrated by having breakfast at the airport and having a few family birthday parties over the weekend. We love you sweet Caleb Bub. Here's looking back at four fantastic years!

Have You Heard This One?

A 3-year-old tells all from his mother's restroom stall
By Shannon Popkin

My little guy, Cade, is quite a talker. He loves to communicate and does it quite well. He talks to people constantly, whether we're in the library, the grocery store or at a drive-thru window.

People often comment on how clearly he speaks for a just-turned- 3-year-old. And you never have to ask him to turn up the volume. It's always fully cranked. There've been several embarrassing times that I've wished the meaning of his words would have been masked by a not-so-audible voice, but never have I wished this more than last week at Cosco.

Halfway, through our shopping trip, nature called, so I took Cade with me into the restroom. If you'd been one of the ladies in the restroom that evening, this is what you would have heard coming from the second to the last stall:

"Mommy, are you gonna go potty? Oh! Why are you putting toiwet paper on the potty, Mommy? Oh! You gonna sit down on da toiwet paper now? Mommy, what are you doing? Mommy, are you gonna go stinkies on the potty?"

At this point I started mentally counting how many women had been in the bathroom when I walked in. Several stalls were full . 4? 5? Maybe we could wait until they all left before I had to make my debut out of this stall and reveal my identity.

Cade continued, "Mommy, you ARE going stinkies aren't you? Oh, dats a good girl, Mommy! Are you gonna get some candy for going stinkies on the potty?

Let me see doze stinkies, Mommy! Oh .. Mommy! I'm trying to see in dere. Oh! I see dem. Dat is a very good girl, Mommy. You are gonna get some candy!"

I heard a few faint chuckles coming from the stalls on either side of me. Where is a screaming newborn when you need her? Good grief. This was really getting embarrassing. I was definitely waiting a long time before exiting.

Trying to divert him, I said, "Why don't you look in Mommy's purse and see if you can find some candy. We'll both have some!"

"No, I'm trying to see doze more stinkies. Oh! Mommy!" He started to gag at this point. "Uh oh, Mommy. I fink I'm gonna frow up. Mommy, doze stinkies are making me frow up!! Dat is so gross!!" As the gags became louder, so did the chuckles outside my stall. I quickly flushed the toilet in hopes of changing the subject. I began to reason with myself: OK. There are four other toilets. If I count four flushes, I can be reasonably assured that those who overheard this embarrassing monologue will be long gone.

"Mommy! Would you get off the potty, now? I want you to be done going stinkies! Get up! Get up!" He grunted as he tried to pull me off. Now I could hear full-blown laughter. I bent down to count the feet outside my door.

"Oh, are you wooking under dere, Mommy? You wooking under da door? What were you wooking at, Mommy? You wooking at the wady's feet?" More laughter.

I stood inside the locked door and tried to assess the situation.

"Mommy, it's time to wash our hands, now. We have to go out now, Mommy." He started pounding on the door. "Mommy, don't you want to wash your hands? I want to go out!!"

I saw that my "wait 'em out" plan was unraveling. As I sheepishly opened the door, and found an open sink, I thought, Where's the fine print on the 'motherhood contract' where I signed away every bit of my privacy?

But as my little boy gave me a big, cheeky grin while he rubbed bubbly soap between his chubby little hands, I thought, I'd sign it all away again, just to be known as Mommy to this little fellow.

(Shannon Popkin is a freelance writer and mother of three. She lives with her family in Grand Rapids, MI, where she no longer uses public restrooms )

Count Your Many Blessings

There are so many things in life that we both take for granted and depend on. Our 5 year old fridge/freezer broke down on us yesterday, only we didn't realize it until 3pm today when we went into the freezer and everything was mushy or half thawed. And of course this would happen to us over a weekend. I frantically looked through the yellow pages and found a company that was able to squeeze us in around 8:30 tonight. Most of the stuff in my freezer was purged. But I did put two roasts in the crock pot, and another half thawed roast and hamburger in my fridge. We are going to be eating roast and hamburger meals for the next few days...... It isn't until things go wrong that you start to really appreciate some of the conveniences of life.

What are some things that you depend on and don't really value until they are missing or broken?

Here's my list:

1. My car
2. My Fridge
3. My Children's Health