Best Ever!

71) the smell of bread baking in oven

72) Florida radio stations...z88.3

73) new mop and pail...really, much easier!

74) sunny days

75) taboule from Costco..love that store

76) hubby's smiling eyes

77) lazy Saturday afternoons
78) design books that inspire
79) wind chimes in window
80) praying family and friends..especially for Aunt Diane

Here is the recipe for the very Best Ever Banana Bread!

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs
2 ripe medium bananas, mashed

1/2 cup veg oil

1/4 cup milk (shh...secret ingredient...add 1 tsp of lemon juice to milk)

1 tsp vanilla

In large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In another mixing bowl, combine eggs, bananas, oil, milk and vanilla, making sure to take out all of the lumps from the banana (this is where lots of people go wrong....we don't want chunky banana bread after all! ). Add wet ingredients to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Pour into greased 9x4x3 inch baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until bread tests done. Cool on wire rack. Yield 1 loaf, recipe does not double well.

Could it really be yes?

61) Kitchen Aid Mixer
62) the word YES
63) wrapped in blanket lovingly made by Meme
64) yummy homemade soup
65) pink and brown polka-dots
66) angels in the snow
67) books,books,books
68) kisses on nose
69) orchids in bloom
70) warm cozy fire

The first week of the New Year has come to a close. So many posts written about new ideals, new hopes for the year written with such optimism. One such post, talks about the year of Yes, yes to our children, yes possibly even to the mess that this could involve. It is a challenging thought, an intriguing idea, could it possibly work?
Over the years, the children would ask some random idea...could we play with play doe(5 min before dinner) could we finger paint...how about moon sand? Can we take the cushions off the couch..upstairs...(this in itself usually elicited a very quick ..no). When I would say..maybe, eyes would light up, and the thought was that it just might become... yes. Could this be the year of Yes? A whole year of yes? Maybe not all the time, not for everything, I mean I am not so unrealistic to think this new thought of mostly yes, can come so easily. It is not that I haven't said yes. Through out the years, I have been known to say yes to many messes, lots of baking, children's parties and yes, even to moon sand. I would like my Yes' to outweigh the No's, somehow finding a way to say yes. Listening intentionally to the what and the why of the question, instead of writing off the idea because of my time constraints, or my concept of how home should look. Embracing the ideas, the creativity, the fun and enjoying the laughter that is sure to follow.
As I close this post, I realize..Yes, it is possible after all, for it is only Me who needs to say Yes, it is a choice, one that I need to intentionally make, starting right now.

Winter reflections

40) gently falling snow
41) date night with my hubby
42) baked oatmeal..reminding of missions trips
43) conferences in October
44) waking up to warm fireplace
45) morning math time with oldest boy
46) sideways wink of youngest son
47) good shopping deals in the states
48) revelation devotions with family
49) laughter
50) pink snowsuits


Baked Oatmeal

1/2 cup veg oil
3 cups oatmeal
2/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon (I use Poudre Douce VE)
2 eggs
1tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
sprinkle of brown sugar over top before baking

Mix all ingredients in bowl, put in greased 8x8 baking dish. bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.
Serve warm with cream. Yum Yum!
I first tried this on our Missions Trip to Grenada when I was 16. One large dish was made in the morning, and if you slept in you missed out....great incentive to get out of bed!