Banana Nut Bread and White Lilacs

For today's fun, I'm making Banana Nut Bread. Before you let yourself believe that it is boring (maybe even more boring than granola - see below for reference), I really must tell you that every time that I make this bread, someone comments and tells me it is the best banana nut bread they've every had. And if you happen to go to the link to get this fabulous recipe to try, you'll see by the comments under my recipe that for several people, it is now a favorite in their homes. 

And, yes, I ate that piece with the butter on it immediately after taking this picture. 

And my house smells divine. 

I used my brand new Stoneware mini-loaf pan.  I've never had or used Stoneware or any other Pampered Chef product, so I was skeptical and worried about making my trusty recipe with my beloved over-ripened bananas that I've been saving to use just for today.  The loaves turned out beautifully.  They are pretty and delicate, and they came right out with no sticking issues whatsoever.  I'm sold!!! 

Seriously, I'm totally sold.  The Stoneware is so... dry?, and it's hard to believe it's not going to hold onto the bread and never let it go.  But it does.  And not only does it do so, but it does so with zero fuss. 

And, no, I don't sell it.  I am just pleasantly surprised at how much I really like it!  SCORE!

I do believe that Spring is here!  I mowed the yard last weekend, and it already needs to be mowed again.  That's a sure sign, right?  This is the bloom that is on one of the trees in my back yard.  It's a really pretty white lilac. 

Mr. Bender continues to be on the mend.  He seems to be doing good and is mostly recovered.  His hind legs still aren't holding up to his previous activity as a result of his back still being weak, but otherwise, things are good.  Thank you to everyone who has asked about him.  He's pretty important to me, no doubt!

At his "school" called No Bonz About It, they often have pool parties once the weather improves.  Because of Bender's activity restrictions, one of his super kind teachers (Teri Lea, you know who you are!!!) gave Bender a private pool party so that he wouldn't feel left out and sent me a picture (see below).  He *loves* his pool parties. 

Last weekend, another new recipe I tried was making homemade granola.  One of my co-workers informed me that making your own granola is really quite boring.  I suspect that she's made many batches herself and there's just not much mystery left in it for her.  Regardless, I was very pleased with how it smelled and tasted after I tried my rookie hand at it!  I searched online and ended up combining several different recipes to get one that I thought sounded good.  Here we go...

Traci's Granola:

4 cups oats
2 cups finely chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds or a mix of all three)
3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/4 brown sugar
1/4 c maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/2 c veg oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 heaping tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 c raisins or other dried fruit

Preheat your oven 325. Line two baking pans with foil. 

Combine oats nuts and coconut.

In a pan, combine salt, sugar, syrup, honey, oil and cinnamon.  Bring to boil.  Turn off heat. Add vanilla. 

Pour over dry ingredients and stir to coat. Spread evenly over baking sheets.

Bake until crispy and toasted, about 1 hour, stirring every 15-20 minutes to ensure even baking.  Let cool completely.  Stir in dried fruit (I used golden raisin, cranberries and blueberries). 

Store in air tight container.

Easy, easy.  It's a little high-maintenance to make, just because you do need to stir it often in the oven so that it toasts evenly, but it makes a sizable batch (about 10-12 cups total). 

Alright!  On that note, I am out of here!  There is work to be done!

"With the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible."- Julia Child

"Keep the Kitchen Cool" No-Bake Cookies and Refreshing Iced Tea

I feel like I have been out of pocket for a long time!  Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), things have been quite busy.  A couple of weeks ago, Mr. Dog (aka Bender) (aka Mr. Naughty) injured his back.  I still don't know how he did it, but it turned me into an instant worrying wreck.  He hurt it pretty bad, and he is still recovering.  Tomorrow will be three weeks since the injury occurred.  Upon taking him to the vet, I was promptly told to put him on bed rest.  That, in and of itself, is a challenge with a high energy dog.  No jumping, running, fetching, stairs, etc, etc.  The night I returned from the vet (around 11:00 p.m.), my immediate concern once I gave Bender his medicines was sleep arrangements.  Bender sleeps where I sleep.  Suffice it to say that I could have dragged out the ol' kennel and shoved him into that, but I didn't know if he'd be able to get comfortable in the confined area.  And in retrospect, I'm glad I didn't do that because he tossed, turned, and was up and down a lot trying to situate himself in a comfortable position for much of the first night.  Anyway, I ended up dragging the mattress off of the spare bed into the middle of the living room (and, oh, how unruly a mattress can be for one person to move by themselves!!) for Bender, the two cats and me to sleep on.  Really, I did it for me to sleep on, but it is what it is.  I'm pretty sure the cats both think I did it solely for their comfort. 

I call it the slumber party mattress. 

I should say, though, that Bender is doing much better and seems to have mostly normal days mixed in with a little bit of stiffness and soreness.  We're still taking things easy on the activity level, despite his protests and frequent requests to play fetch.

 

This morning in the Portland, Oregon/Vancouver, Washington areas, it is beautiful weather.  It is currently 65 degrees and sunny with a high to reach around 81 degrees.  I swear to you that I can see the backyard grass growing by the hour.  I've left the back door open and the animals run in and out at will, alternating backyard exploration and sunbathing with naps on the slumber party mattress. 

After flipping through several mouth-watering pins late last night, I could not wait to get up this morning and try a new brew, Orange-Earl Grey Iced Tea.  It'll go perfect with the approaching summer-like weather! 

Now, there are some things you should know about me.  First, I *love* iced tea.  I can drink it all day every day and never wish for anything more.  I think I inherited that trait from a certain someone or two.  Secondly, I really enjoy different flavors of teas with citrus flavors being at the top of the list.  Orange Spice, Lemon Zinger... I happily take teas that seem to be geared more for drinking them hot and turn them into ice cold refreshments.  And, lastly, Earl Grey is one of my favorite teas ever.  I can literally remember the very first time I ever drank Earl Grey tea many, many years ago and my reaction to it.  So, what I am trying to say is that this Orange-Earl Grey Iced Tea seemed right up my alley. 

Slurp. 

So, here's how you make it.

You'll need:
4 cups water
8-12 bags Earl Grey tea
1/2 - 3/4 cup of orange juice
Peel from 1 orange
Sugar or sugar substitute
4 cups cold water

First, cut two oranges in half and juice all of the halves.  You should end up with about 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice.  Keep two of the halves and discard the other two. 

 In a medium pan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil.  Once the water is boiling, turn off the heat and add 8-12 bags of Earl Grey tea, depending on how strong you like your tea.  I used 8.  The original recipe called for 12.  Additionally, drop in two halves of the juiced orange shells/skins.  Cover and let steep for about 10-15 minutes.

After steeping, pour into a pitcher through a strainer and then pour in the orange juice through the strainer.  I do prefer my tea to be pulp-free.
 

Sweeten to your taste using sugar or sugar substitute.  Stir until dissolved.  Then add in 4 cups of cold water.  Stir and chill in the fridge for about 2 hours. 

Now, me, I didn't do the chill part.  I made it and drank it.  I can't really help it; it's just how I am.  And it's good.  The orange flavor is just right, not overbearing, just a hint of the citrus.  The original recipe (which by the way is from eatingwell.com) called for 3/4 cup of OJ, but I stuck with the 1/2 cup and am quite content with that. 

So, whilst I sip, onto the next project...

At work tomorrow, we are having a bake sale to continue to raise money for the March of Dimes.  The walk is coming up soon and we have several employees who are participating in it.  There are a handful of people that signed up to bring in goodies and have them packaged so that people can buy things for $1 each.  I've got plans for additional items, but I started off with a new recipe that I grabbed from foodnetwork.com (click here to see original recipe) for Chocolate-Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies.  I've never made no-bake cookies before.  What can I say?  I am, after all, a baker. 

This is what we end up with:

For this super easy recipe, you'll need:

• 2 cups of sugar
• 4 Tbsp of cocoa powder
• 1 stick of butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups of quick cook oats
• waxed paper

First, in a large sauce pan, combine sugar, cocoa, butter and milk.  Heat to a slow boil, stirring constantly. 

Boil for 1 minute to make sure sugar is well dissolved, then turn off heat.  Add peanut butter and vanilla; stir until combined.  Stir in the oats. 

Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and let cool completely until cookies are set and hardened.

Presto, you're done and off to sip more tea while the cookies set up! 

Well, I think that's enough for this entry.  I hope that you give the tea a try if you're in the mood for something a little different! 

Enjoy!!

"With the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible."- Julia Child

April Showers... do we have to?

The last day of March is here and on its way to being over, and the old saying "April showers bring May flowers" comes to mind.  Now, if I'm understanding correctly, we're breaking some records for rainfall this year.  I know that The Oregonian reported today that the 1957 record for rainfall in the month of March has officially been broken.  We've had 7.73 inches of rain this month.  I don't know where we sit in terms of rainfall for the year, but it sure feels like we are well "ahead of schedule" if there is such a thing.  So, yep, the thought of more showers in April is just kind of bleak feeling.  Especially when I talk to a friend down in Texas who is sitting poolside in sunny 84 degree weather and we are 44 degrees and rainy.  I'll just remind myself of this feeling on injustice when it's mid-summer and they're dealing with triple digit heat and I'm sitting in my backyard enjoying the sunny 88 degree weather.  Right?  Right.

Yesterday, I went and saw the oh-so-popular movie, The Hunger Games.  I've read all three books, and I really enjoyed the movie and thought it was pretty true to the book version.  I like it when they stick to the written story to the extent that they can.  I also finished reading The Diary of a Young Girl (The Diary of Anne Frank) this weekend.  It was interesting timing, as some of the beginning shots of The Hunger Games felt reminiscent of old footage you could see on The History Channel of WWII.  In my opinion, there's an obvious story to The Hunger Games and there's a more thoughtful, though-provoking story to it as well. 

I did take advantage of my open day to do a bit of baking, which helps me clear my mind and is very relaxing for me.  I started with another Dump Cake (see previous post).  This time I used diced strawberries in the bottom layer and blueberry pie filling as the middle layer.  I have not tasted it because I'm thinking to donate it, but I'm dying to know how the flavors work!  And, I've also been told by my Mom that she and my Aunt and my Grandma have all been making Dump Cakes for-ev-er.  (Please be sure to place a big emphasis on "for-ev-er" to get the right feel for this.)  She couldn't believe I didn't remember.  I couldn't believe they've been holding out on sharing such an amazing recipe!  What else am I missing out on?  And, for what it's worth, my Dad doesn't remember Mom making these cakes, either!  Right, Dad?

Besides the Dump Cake, I also made my Lemonysnickety Blueberry Bundt Cake today.  It's going into the office with me tomorrow to celebrate April birthdays. 

These pictures are from last time I made it, because tonight I just dusted it with powdered sugar.  I feel a little bit like a cheat because this cake is super easy since it uses a cake mix and instant pudding mix.  I tend to like to make most of my stuff from scratch, but the shortcut of the mix definitely does not take away from the quality and the taste of this pretty cake. 

I hope you've had a wonderful March and I hope an even better April is in store for each of you. I'm signing off so I can get ready to start a new week and a new month bright and early in the morning!

Enjoy!!

"With the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible."- Julia Child