Guilt-Free Banana Bread

I felt I had to redeem myself from the whole "I eat chocolate cupcakes" post! Ha! I love banana bread, and I want to eat it without feeling guilty, AND I really do try and eat pretty healthy, I just have an addiction to baking, so I'll stop this run-on sentence and let you in on my guilt-free banana bread!

P.S. My friend Katie Berry was talking about doing a recipe-swap blog, so here's my entry.  If anyone has any recipes they love please post them! I'm always looking for a new great recipe, or if you have found ways to make yummy things more healthy!!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup honey

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups + 2 tablsp. unbleached flour (more protien, less chemically processed)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 medium bananas


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan, or I do 2 pans that are a bit smaller, so my loaves aren't as big...Portion control!!!

2. In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter and honey. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well. Then add the mushy banana's and mix.  I like lumps, so just mix until it looks good to you :) Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the mixture. Finally, fold in the greek yogurt and walnuts. I like to save some walnuts to sprinkle on top too.  Spread evenly into the prepared pan(s).

3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. If you are doing 2 loaves, cook for about 23-30 mins.  Cool loaf or loaves in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Happy Halloween!

                        The cute little calf I bought at the fair! Ha! She LOVED her costume, because loves cows!
                                                               She mooed all night long!

I wish I could say this was Tim's halloween costume!  He said he wanted to be warm this winter, since he'll be working outside.  What a bum! Literally.  For some reason I still love him...A lot!

                       My neighbor Jamie is this Marilyn Monroe-ish lady who is single and from California.  She told Tim when we moved in that she loved Halloween. Yep, she sure does!  I about died laughing when I came home one day and her yard was like this!  I totally didn't see it coming!! Happy Halloween!

Cupcake Recipe

I meant to do this 100yrs ago, but got busy.  Here's the recipe I used for the cupcakes!

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake
Ingredients

2 cupssugar

1-3/4 cupsall-purpose flour

3/4 cupHERSHEY'S Cocoa

1-1/2 teaspoonsbaking powder

1-1/2 teaspoonsbaking soda

1 teaspoonsalt

2 eggs

1 cupmilk

1/2 cupvegetable oil

2 teaspoonsvanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING (recipe follows)
Directions
1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2 Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
3 Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.



VARIATIONS:

ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.


"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

So Cold...Need a-a-a cupcake!

So remember that really cold day we had last week where it snowed in the mountains, and all over Idaho Falls? (hehe) Well, I had no idea how to turn the heater on, and we still had air-conditioning units in our windows for crying in the petunias!! So...did I curl up in a ball on the floor and cry? Well only for like 10 minutes, and then I BAKED!! Turning on the oven really only heated the house up to 65, but Isla and I were in sugar comas when Tim got home, so we were feeling pretty good! Ha!

My sis-in-law and I have had troubles baking this specific chocolate cake, so I wondered if the recipe would make good cup-cakes, and I'm happy to say they did!! Then I took it a step further and did a buttercream filling and a chocolate ganache on top with the signature hostess swirl. I'll kinda post pics on how I did it since it was mostly experimental, and it worked!

Cut a cone-shape out of the top and then cut off the point (and EAT it! If you want :)

Pipe frosting, *After Thought* I was thinking of mixing in some

marshmallow creme, huh huh? into into the hole (for lack of a better word)

Put the top back on...

Then coat with chocolate ganache, and pipe the swirls on top and you have a fabulous cupcake!

Price N' Punkins

We went to Price for Conference, and had a wonderful time catching up with Nanie, Poppy, Ben and Kim and the kids! Isla loved seeing all the animals of course, and Saturday evening we went to a Pumpkin Patch! (Put a blind eye to the fact that she's wearing the same outfit in this post as the last! Ha) We had a great time listening to the Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and his apostles. How blessed we are to have a living Prophet on the earth especially at these crazy times!

I know, I know it's been a while!

We finally got the computer set-up and since I can't update my blog from my phone it has been a while!! I feel like I have very few moments to blog, but I'm going to try and change that because I love how it documents my (and especially Isla's) life.

So two great things happened this week:

a) I went to Rainbow Gardens with my sister Chelsea and Isla. I used to go there all the time with my mom and Grandma Hodges. My grandma died when I was 10, and I had only been there a couple of times after that with my mom. (I think it has been about 14yrs since I've been there!)When we walked into the Garden restaurant I almost started crying because it was exactly like I remembered it and it brought back some tender memories.

b.) Isla is finally starting to try walking!! Yes, I have a 16month toddler who doesn't walk! She just wasn't ready until now I guess! She is learning a lot. She knows all her body parts, she can put together foam puzzles (like the one my Aunt Denise gave me :) and she does her shape sorter and animal sounds and can say "cookie"! Ha! I love her to pieces!

For the next 3 years...

Load the car and write the note,
Grab your hat, and grab your coat
Tell the ones that need to know...
That we are headed south.

One foot in and one foot back
but it don't pay to live like that.
So I cut the ties and I jump the tracks
For never to return?
-T.A.B


Bountiful is our new home for the next 3 years. I am excited? Yes that's a question, I'm still not quiet sure. I can't even begin to express how much I loved Idaho Falls! I think I decided that was home, and where we would raise our kids. We have so many wonderful friends there, and the best ward on the planet! I will miss it all tremendously! Thank you all for making us feel so loved!

Check!

So I've always wanted to run a marathon, and Laura Benson (the girl pictured below...which was taken almost 10yrs. ago at my friends wedding. She's gonna love it! Ha) challenged me to one. Well, after having Isla I've had stomach issues, so Kari Evans, another good friend of mine told me about a half marathon coming up & I though I'd better try that first....And TIM did it too!! WOOT WOOT! I am so proud of him! He really didn't train that much, and had shin splints real bad, and sprained his ankle a couple of weeks before, but he did it! I got horrible stomach pains at 12.5 miles! No kidding! Luckily a girl behind me saw me slowing down, and challenged me to run through the pain to the finish, and I did! I wanted to finish in under 2 hours, but made it to 2hrs. 9mins. Ahhh! Maybe next time. I'm still not sure I'm marathon material!

Feelin the Pull

Well, I'm headed back to pack a bag to head out on the road to take away what I know is mine. And I'm running down past the yellow house with Tim into the breeze where no one seems to care. And I'm feeling the pull....it's dragging me off again.

Crazed face of freedom! We dropped Isla off at my parents house and ran away to SLC.

Ate delicious food. I know it's cliche but we went to Cheesecake factory and Market Street Grill. We like what we like! This is Tim below enjoying his chowder!

We brought a cake back from Tulie Bakery. Don't you love this pic? It was super delicious delicious! We had the best time ever!! We went to the SL Temple, and a movie while we were there! We basically just enjoyed being together. It's been way to long! Ha!

Memorable Memorial

We went golfing at Summit Creek in Smithfield, nice view! It was raining and cold, but totally worth it! Then....

We decided to get the whole freakin neighborhood stuck in our backyard! Travis brought up his roadbike that he could only load by backing up into my parents ditch, but it had filled with water. So he got stuck. Then my dad got stuck. Then the tractor got stuck. WHAT? My uncle Karl was doing circles around them in his Subaru, but sadly could not help. My aunt Denise kept saying "No woman would ever get in this situation!" Amen to that Denise! Ha!

They eventually had to bring in the big guns... The dual wheel tractor with four wheel drive. Whoops! Thanks Brent!

Sad to say my parents back yard is completely torn up. It made my stomach hurt to watch! Oh well, nothing that can't be fixed! Good luck with that one dad!

Isla's Lucky Day

Today we went on a Sunday walk, and we saw missionaries, kitties, puppies, and for the grand finale....dun-dun-dun-dun...Miniature horses!! We got to go inside the trailer and pet the baby! Holy cow! Isla was going nuts, seriously a really great day!
She's in her jammies because she just got out of the tub.....then played in a horse trailer! Ha! Oh well!

Birthday Pictures

I had to post this one because a.) I love it b.) This is totally Isla

I feel like this blog is one of my children and I'm a bad mother! Ha! It's just that I happen to love Isla more, so this one gets neglected. I do have pictures to share, from Stevie Croft though! Isla had a hard time warming up to the camera, so I posted the ones that looked like she didn't hate us for making her wear ridiculous things! I just love my little Isla without end!!!

Birthday Preview

May Day May Day...Isla's 1!!! I seriously can't believe she's 1! I was sitting in church thinking back on the year, and how difficult it was, yet how much my heart has grown in the process. I think I needed some humbling, and I believe the Lord was molding me into the person he knew I could be....just a small step in my journey.

We had cupcakes because we are waiting for the mini-cake when Stevie comes next Monday to take pictures! Turns out she doesn't like cup cakes as the video shows! Ha! Here are some pictures I took, but the professional ones will be posted in a couple weeks!