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Saturday, December 31, 2011

Oops-Dont Forget the Sugar!

We cant forget the sugar!  Just add 3/4 of a Cup of Brown sugar to your Dry ingredients in the Cherry Walnut Banana Bread, and follow the recipe as usual :)

Cherry Walnut Banana Bread

Oh yummy!  I love this bread because it is pretty guilt free and sooo good!  I got some dried Traverse City cherries for christmas, and thought I would put them to good use. 

I think I will be making a lot of it in 2012.  As you can see James and I LOVE it!

So here's the Recipe:
Cherry Walnut Banana Bread

-1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
-1 Cup All Purpose Flour
-1/2 tsp Salt
-1/2 tsp Baking Soda
-1/2 tsp Baking Powder
-1 tsp Cinnamon
-2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil (or whatever kind of oil you want)
-2 large Eggs
-1/2 Cup of Milk
-1/2 Cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
-2 Large Ripe Bananas-Mashed
-1/3 Cup Chopped Wallnuts
-1/2 Cup of Dried Cherries

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Grease and flour loaf pan.  I like to trace the bottom of the pan I am using on wax paper, cut it out, and place it on the botton and just pam the sides-it makes the bread come out super easy!
3.  Stir together dry ingredients in large bowl. Except walnuts and cherries.
4.  In seperate bowl whisk together the mashed bananas, oil, eggs, milk and apple sauce. 
5.  Add wet ingretients to the dry and mix well.  Then add the cherries and walnuts, and mix. 
6. Pour batter into pan and bake for about 45 minutes to and hour.  Check to see if bread is done by inserting toothpick, and bread will be done when tooth pick comes out clean. 

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Check out this adorable gift I got from my dear friend Kayla
Seriously-how cute are these!  I LOVE them.  Kayla is the best at picking out gifts. 
Thankyou Kayla-They are so perfect!

A Backyard BBQ Dessert

With Inspiration from my good friend Rebecca Moat, i was lucky enough to make a few treats for a Backyard themed Baby Shower.  How Fun!

The Burger: Surprisingly easier than I thought it would be.  Just two 5 inch (i think) yellow cakes with a big brownie in the middle, then a little decorating with help from piping tips.


Part of the corn on the cob cup cake-I think using Jelly Bellies would be better next time.

Grass

The Mom-to-be's favorite cake is Black forest.  So I made her a few of these-just chocolate cake with a cone shape hollowed out of the center(not too much), then cherry pie filling, piped whipped cream on top and garnished with a cherry and chocolate shavings.

It's good in vanilla flavor too.

Ready to go!

I really had a ton of fun on this little project, which just helps to reassure me that Baking is something that I would like to learn more about, and do as a profession someday.


Wednesday, August 10, 2011

So living in Hawaii is soooo much fun, you should all be sooo jealous!


When ever I go home for a visit, and my family and such are like "oh you live in Hawaii, lucky you bla bla bla"-this is what I think of....

I cant open my windows or doors to let air in because I get lizards and geckos and cockroaches-and lets not forget the occasional centipede in my house.

Which leads to my house being a steady 93 degrees from 11am to 7pm.  Feels like the infernos of hell.

Which leads to me having this constant struggle with my hair.  If i leave it down it causes my neck to sweat, and I want to shave my head.  If I put it up it looks aweful and it gives me a headache which makes me so frustrated that I want to shaving my head. 

So that leads to me running our one ac unit in our house which is located in our bedroom and barely cools just that room, which will lead to a 300 or 400 dollare electric bill.(we havent got it yet but am expecting the worst)

Which leads me to getting my hair cut at an affordable place.  This is where it gets bad. 

I do not know why it is so hard to have hairstylists cut your hair the way you want it cut.  And I am not asking for anything complicated by the way.  I could tell from the first snip it was gonna be a miserable next couple hair months!  It is bad.  It is a hack job.  It looks like she cut it with a butcher knife.  And It is too short to put it up in a respectable pony tail.  Which means my neck can expect a hot few months coming up. 

Also because it is so hot that as soon as I get home my clothes are OFF!  Not all of them of course!  But i cannot wear a bra at home anymore, I will go crazy.  Like I said 93 degrees!

So Im thinking about getting a masectomy and shaving my head.  It is only practical.

Aren't you jealous!!??? 

Yeah I know I complain, but you would too.  The beaches are FANTASTIC.  But this isn't a vacation people, it is real life.  I have to cook, and clean, and study.  I can't just spend all of my time at the beach.  Life goes on! 

I am pretty sure no one reads this soooo, I don't feel bad complaining.  I will write more often though and maybe next time I wont be in such a rage.  I can be pleasant.  I promise!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Pride

I complain about Hawaii a lot.  I complain about everywhere I live a lot.  Actually-I just complain a lot.
I could go on and on about the things I hate about Hawaii-but there are also a lot of things I LOVE about Hawaii.  I just don't voice my opinion about those things so much.
I wonder all the time why on earth I am here.  I know everything happens for a reason and as I have reflected I have started to see the blessings that have come from living here. 
One blessing that really sticks out to me is that living here has made me so proud to be an American.  I know that sounds silly-arent we all proud to be Americans?  Well, sometimes I cry about it-that is how proud I am. I have become an emotional person at my ripe old age of 21. 
But I REALLY am so Proud!  In a healthy way.
I see people here who talk about where they came from and they really do realize how great The United States is.  Some don't, but a lot do.
This is where people want to live.  Our freedoms here are known throughout the world. 
I know our country is not perfect-I get that.  But Our country has done more good for the world than any other.  Our Military is amazing, and protects the freedoms of so many people-even those who aren't Americans. 
When I went to Pearl Harbor with my family 2 weeks ago we were able to see a Naval ship that was leaving to go underway for a while.  All of the soldiers were lined up on the deck of the massive ship and were dressed up in their white suits and stood saluting as they the Harbor.  I really felt the strength and beauty of our country at that moment.  It was such a beautiful thing to see.  It was probably what touched me most while I was there.  And I looked and saw a woman waiting on a pier till the ship was out of view.  She was probably saying goodbye to her husband for months. 
People sacrifice a lot for our freedom still. 
I am proud to an American.  I feel incredibly blessed to be born when I was and into the most powerful and influential country in the world.  One that was built upon the shoulders of great men.  And God was the center of their reasoning.
I am also proud to be from Michigan.  There is a new Chrysler commercial that talks about detroit-the motor city, and I love it.  It makes me so proud to be from that state. 
I am trying to complain less.  It is a work in progress.  My husband can testify that it is a slow one.  But being greatful for what I do have is the first step.