extreme banana nut bread

it was raining today and brian and i were craving some comfort food.  so i threw some chicken taco stew in the crock pot and decided to bake some banana nut bread for dessert. 

ingredients needed:

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

two sticks of butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs, beaten

4 over-ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup chopped walnuts - optional

preheat the oven to 325 - yields two loafs - 9x5 

bake time: 60-70 min

method:

once the oven is preheated, grease and flour your loaf pans.

in a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

 

in a large bowl, cream your butter and sugar until smooth.

 

once the mixture is smooth, add the eggs and vanilla and beat on low until well incorporated.

 

i just added the chopped walnuts to my mashed bananas... on the right is my sifted dry ingredients

next, gradually add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients.  i used a spatula for this.  you should probably add the dry ingredients in thirds, but i was too impatient and added it all at once.

next, add the bananas and walnuts.  dont overmix.

divide the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans.  bake for 60-70 min until a knife inserted into the crown of the loaf comes out clean. 

 

i would recommend keeping a close eye on the loaves around 45-50 min.   because of the sugars, it can brown quickly.  i started to smell the bread at about 50 min, and i should have checked on it then, and didnt. a liiiiitttllee burnt. darn. *note - i think our oven is hotter than it should be, so you may not have any problems.

 

let the loaves cool in pan for 5-10 min.  transfer the loaves to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.  wrap in aluminum foil to keep the moisture in.   ideally, refrigerate for two hours before serving.  but heck, they come out warm and smelling delicious.  how can you resist?  there are two loaves... so i decided to try one hot out of the oven and put the other one in the fridge to cool for two hours.  

finished product.  yuuuuummm!  way good and way addicting.  i just wish i hadnt burned the edges.  ugh.  better luck next time.  it was still delicious though.  enjoy!

what's on my kindle?

one of my goals for this year (and forever, really) is to read more.  its hard for me to find time to read, but its something i truly enjoy, so i am going to make it a priority.  currently, there are only about 10-12 books on my kindle, and i think i have read 4 or 5 of them.  i always keep a list of books to buy for my kindle in the memo pad on my blackberry. whenever i hear or read about a great book i think i would like, i jot down the title in the memo pad and the next time i am at the book store or shopping in the kindle store, i pick up a book ive been interested in for a while.  my problem is that i have collected more books to read, rather than reading the books that are waiting for me on my shelf.  so this is the year to start reading all of the books that i have instead of purchasing more to collect dust (or archive itself in my kindle).  you may be wondering why i would even buy a hardcopy when i can purchase an e-book for my kindle.  truthfully, i just love books.  to hold them. to flip the pages.  the way they smell.  and most of all, i totally judge a book by its cover, and i love collecting beautiful books with great cover art.  AND some books, for various reasons, are still not available electronically, including the harry potter series (which i still havent read.  on my to-read list for 2011).  the harry potter series is not available electronically because jk rowling doesnt believe that her books should be read on an e-reader.  she wrote the books with pen and paper and believes the readers should read them in bound paper form.  sounds good to me.  i have all seven books waiting for me on my (overflowing) bookshelf.  so, on to it.  whats on my kindle?

freedom - jonathan franzen

i have been trying to get through this book for what seems like forever.  ughhhh its awful.  but i am trying so hard not to give up on books and read them all the way through.  in the past, i have found myself reading a third or half of a book, getting bored and putting back on my shelf to never read again.  not anymore.  i will finish this book if it kills me.  i am about halfway done and its still seems like the book is going no where and it wont get interesting.  i hope im wrong, very wrong.

the hunger games - suzanne collins

everyone has been telling me that i MUST read this book (and the others in the series). ok ok.  its on my kindle, i will read it.  i just hope its as good as everyone has been saying it is.  i havent even done any research on the book, and honestly, i dont even really know what its about.  but, sometimes thats better.  i just know its supposed to be good and other than that, there are no expectations.

no country for old men - cormac mccarthy

wow, what an amazing movie.  that is the main reason i bought this book for my kindle.  if you havent seen the movie, do so.  however, even though i really enjoyed the movie, i felt like there were a lot of details that had to be left out for filming purposes and time constraints.  that is why the book version will dominate over the film version every time - characterization and detail.  although the cohen brothers did an excellent job, cormac mccarthy should win the story-telling duel.

decoded - jay-z

this book may seem way out in left field, but i am really intrigued and curious.  jay-z is a brilliant entrepreneur.  rap music aside, jay-z is living the american dream.  he has built an empire from nothing and remains the most successful hip hop artists/businessmen of all time.  he owns clothing companies, a sports team, nightclubs, record labels etc etc.  oprah was the one who turned me on to this book (not like she called me personally, ha.  a girl can dream).  she was shocked by how much she liked it and how well written it was.  she gave the book such praise and said that jay-z really changed the way she thinks about rap music and the hip-hop culture.  cant wait to give it a go.

water for elephants - sara gruen

yet again, another book that many of my friends have been raving about.  the reviews are great and im pretty sure the movie about this book is due to be released this year.  interesting.  a book about a traveling circus, eh?  i think i like the concept.  this will probably end up being a summer read for me, considering it is almost february.  even so, i look forward to it.

happy reading.

for the love of cloth

NEVER in my wildest dreams did i think i would develop a craze for cloth diapers.  yep, i said it. cloth diapers.  you are reading this and thinking... really, cotton squares and pins?

not so fast my friend.  the cloth diapers of my obsession aren't like your grandmother's.  cloth has come a long way with regards to convenience, ease-of-use, safety, materials and even fashion.  there are SO many cute diapers out there, that if your initial reason to use cloth was to save money, you may easily find that you are spending more money than you would have on the less attractive disposable method.  however, im not saying that cloth diapers aren't economical, because they are.  buy just enough materials to get you through 2 days of diapering... rinse, wash and repeat and you will most definitely save money.  so why the cloth obsession?  i came across hyena cart, a collection of "earth-friendly" shops.  this is where the cutest, most popular handmade cloth diapers exist.  some of you may be wondering how i could ever stumble upon such a website, but i did and now i'm doomed.  it is similar to etsy in that most of the items are handmade and unique.  different from etsy in that some of the items are nearly impossible to obtain.  why would there be an online store full of products impossible to get?  simply because they are SO popular that cloth diapering moms stalk the shops and snatch up the goods in seconds (and i mean SECONDS).  i spent a couple of weeks on the sidelines, watching the stalkings.  it takes a bit of time to understand how everything works.  some of the shops only stock their merchandise at a certain day and time.  these shops are where it gets crazy.  stalking is extremely interesting and can get SUPER competitive.  it can be so difficult to buy a highly coveted item that some moms will enlist the help of other moms, friends or family just to score the diaper they have been after.  and sometimes that doesn't even work!  so, let's get a look at some of these super cute diapers.

orange diaper co.

rumple fluffly

doodle dypes

bububebe - B4

bagshot row bamboo - BSRB

bebe britches - bish

rockin' rumps

egg tooth diapers - ETD

lil' pooligans - poos

just to name a few.  so you might think i'm nuts.  understandable.  especially if you don't have a baby to cloth diaper.  but, (and i'm speaking to the ladies) these super cute diapers are comparable to cute n' sexy underwear.  you want to collect them.  you want a new pair for a special occasion or outfit.  you need different colors and patterns.  you need different kinds and styles.  you want to try different brands.  you can't just have 7 pairs of the same white cotton underwear, right?

so-vee-yohng blawnk

recently, (well not so recently, mostly at any given time) my husband and i have been in search of the best, affordably priced new zealand sauvignon blanc.  yah, its winter and most people prefer to drink sauvignon blancs during the summer.  well, the heck with them, i like to enjoy it year-round.  why sauvignon blanc, and why new zealand in particular?  new zealand is the producer of the most dry, crisp and clean tasting sauvignon blancs.  in fact, sauvignon blanc is what put new zealand on the winemaking map.  california sauvignon blancs just don't do it for me.  sorry.  why not chardonnay? (considering i do live in california, and the californians make some of the best chardonnays around the world AND chardonnay is THE MOST popular wine in the US) personally, i don't like the buttery, creamy, and oaky flavors that most chardonnays have. 

first up, kim crawford.  if i had to choose a sauvignon blanc to drink every day, this would be it.  very well balanced, crisp and citrusy.  my husband would even say "grassy" or "herbaceous"  but my palate is not as well-trained at his.  passionfruit. melon. great with light fare, salads, fish and even better alone.  so why don't we drink this everyday?  well we did, for about a month or so.  found a great deal ($10.49) at costco and bought a case (maybe it was two).  but, after a while, even my favorite wine got, dare i say it, boring.  and costco no longer had it on sale, and we are not about to spend the regular $14.99 -$17.99 everyday.  that would put us around $150 a week just for this wine.  pass.  so that's why we have been on this search.  to switch it up a bit and save a little money.

note: current vintage is 2010.  we enjoyed it, but preferred the 2009 and i think you can snatch a few up while they are still around.

next, cloudy bay.  why am i even mentioning this?  (retails between $25.99 and $32.99, definitely not in the afordably priced everyday wine category)  i felt like mentioning this because when my husband and i were in new zealand, this is what we drank.  and yes, you can get it here, but the fact that while in new zealand, this is the sauvignon blanc that most restaurants and wine shops recommend, is interesting.  maybe because it is very popular and well-liked.  again, very well balanced.  reviews of the current vintage (2010) boast flavors of gooseberries (what the heck is a gooseberry?  i will have to ask my husband when he gets home), guava, mango, ripe lime and sweet herbs.  i haven't had the current vintage, so maybe a splurge is in order.

 

king shag - $7.99 from trader joe's.  love the name, and its actually named after a new zealand seabird and not an austin powers impersonator.  this is a bargain priced wine, but has flavors that rival its more pricey competitors.  first off, it smells great. or as the winey snobs would say "it has a gorgeous nose."  my husband says he can smell star fruit and kiwi fruit.  again, i don't have as well-trained of a sniffer, and i just smell crisp deliciousness.  light bodied, but nicely acidic and citrusy.  i have grown to love the acidity of a good new zealand sauvignon blanc.  this has become our go-to  white wine.

pebble bay - $5.99 from fresh & easy.  i have been asking my husband to pick up a bottle of this for quite some time.  the other night, he finally did and was shocked by how good it was.  we have a fresh & easy right by our house and have been reluctant to try their wines.  but for $5.99, even if was terrible, you can't go wrong.  surprisingly impressive.  because i couldn't find a great professional shot of this wine, i took a quick one on my cell phone (my boss would be very disappointed in the quality, haha, oh well).  the nose has a zing of lemon and the flavor tart like a granny smith apple.  i noticed that it was a little less crisp than i prefer, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it.  this may become our newest go-to white wine, and fresh & easy is MUCH closer to the house.  

and finally, one hope - $18.99 one hope wine.  i have yet to try this, but i want to give it a shot.  pictured is the 2008 vintage, but they also offer 2009.  when you purchase this wine, $3.00 is donated to saving the planet, and $1.90 goes to charity of your choosing (from their selected charities).  so, for the price, even if the wine isn't great, you don't feel like you've thrown all of your money away.  this sauvignon blanc is from california (i know, i know...) and described as having aromas of fresh honeydew and cirtus fruits.  it's a medium-bodied crisp wine with a smooth finish.  the reviews seem to be pretty good, so i am going to pick up a bottle and i will let you know what i think.  

note:  i have also seen it at vons, and bevmo and i believe they sell it for around $14.99.  enjoy!