Snow Days are for Baking

Knowing it was going to be a crazy, icy, snowy day here in Texas, we loaded up with baking supplies. This coconut lime banana bread got the winning vote, and we spent the morning covered in flour and mashed bananas. If you're looking for a great recipe, this was a hit! I made it according to the recipe save for two things. I had already used all of our yogurt to make smoothies, so I just used a quarter cup of a smoothie in its place. Also, mine cooked for significantly longer than an hour - probably closer to 1 1/2 hours, actually. I've never had a problem with my oven timing following other recipes, so it may be that this recipe was written for a convection oven. Enjoy!

est1930

My sister and I have always talked about opening an etsy shop together. A few months back it became a reality with est1930. Our Grandma Trudy was our crafting legacy. She taught us to knit, sew, cross-stitch, cook, bake, etc. When we were at her house, we were always creating. Born in 1930, she is the inspiration for our store's name. We just wish she were still with us to receive the honor.We are slowly but surely (I have 2 kids 2 and under, and my sister teaches language arts at a performing arts middle school) stocking the store with goodies. Please visit, look around, and let us know if you have any special requests!

Hot Dog Octopus

Have you ever seen this idea? Our Little Miss, while an adventurous eater, eats very little by way of protein. I try to get pretty creative, and this idea was a hit. I just took one turkey dog, and cut it in half. Then I cut octopus legs by slicing the dog into 6 sections being careful to stop cutting about an inch from the gathered end. Then, just drop them in boiling water for a few minutes, and they curl right up. You could get really creative and draw faces with ketchup and mustard, or just serve them up to your hungry kid!

Handmade Christmas 2010

Continuing the annual tradition, I made most of our Christmas gifts again this year and wanted to showcase them here.
First up, my baby boy. I decided to make a quilt for each of our kids for their first Christmas. I tried quilting my son's but it didn't turn out the way I would have liked, so I'm ripping out the quilting and starting over. Here is the top, though.
Our 2 1/2-year-old daughter is very into mommy-ing. We saw the doll bed that I posted about here, and had to make it for her. My husband and I made the bed, and I made a bedding to complete it for her.
For my nieces, one in college and one in high school, I made ruched scarves.

For my sister-in-law and her family, a "Table Talk" jar filled with dinner time conversation starters. For my 4 1/2-year-old nephew, a drawstring bag with a tic-tac-toe quilt and bean bags to use in place of the x's and o's.For my almost 2-year-old nephew, a bucket filled with magnetic fish and a fishing pole.For my oldest nephew (9-years-old), I made a magnetic bag and pencil/pen holder with a composition notebook and a fun daily writing prompt book inside.

For my 7-year-old nephew, we made a spy kit with all of the necessities for spying.There is a caution tape and twine dispenser:

A notebook for collecting clues and a secret envelope with papers to create secret spy codes:
A couple of bags with fingerprinting tools and evidence collecting necessities (tweezers, tape measure, etc.):

As always, it was a ton of fun to put everything together and to gather ideas for all of the kids. Each year I start earlier and earlier, and I'm already putting together some ideas for next Christmas. =)

S'Mores Brownies

I brought these brownies to our Bible study Friday night, and they were a hit. I just baked a pan of brownies according to the directions. After they were finished, I topped them with mini marshmallows, broken up Hershey milk chocolate bars, and broken graham crackers. Then I stuck it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes (until the marshmallow melted and browned slightly). We served it with vanilla ice cream for a delicious dessert.

White Elephant Gift Idea

(Photo courtesy of Caffeine, Kids, and Knitting)

One couple at our Bible study's Christmas party last night brought the cutest white elephant gift idea, and I thought I'd share. It was a gift box with a silk mistletoe, a pack of breath mints, and Chapstick. So fun and creative. Why not knit your own mistletoe to include with it?

One of the cutest things I've ever seen...

I can hardly wait to make this Santa Party Mix this week! Absolutely precious.