Not so good banana bread

As we gear up to go to the beach next week, I decided to try a new recipe for banana bread to freeze and take with us. Upon returning home from the grocery store, I began to make the bread only to remember that I was out of vegetable oil. I decided to use half lite olive oil and half applesauce as a substitute. Didn't the bread come out looking great? Well, it didn't taste as good as it looks. I was disappointed at how dry it was. I used whole wheat flour and of course the applesauce substitute, so it was healthier, but definitely not as good. The recipe might be good using the oil, but I think I'll stick with my mom's deliciously moist banana bread recipe.

Fruits of my labor

I was super excited to have found a berry farm nearby. This morning I headed out early to embark on this new adventure (I had never been to a berry farm). I gathered and ate a few, gathered and ate a few until I had 3 lbs. of blackberries and 3lbs of blueberries. I'm going to freeze some of the blueberries and on Monday I'm making jam (another first) with the blackberries. I wanted to share a great blueberry coblerry pie. It tastes amazing! I made my own press in crust that you can find the recipe for here. I then used this recipe on Alicia's Homemaking for the pie. Mmm good! Okay....I'm going to go have a piece now.

Harris Teeter bright and early

There once was a mommy who decided not to give her son his bottle before bedtime. Instead, she just gave him a sippy cup of milk at dinner, two hours earlier than usual. So, her little boy then woke up 2 hours earlier than normal at the dark, sleepy hour of 4:30am. After trying to soothe him back to sleep, he began to relentlessly scream until a bottle was placed in his mouth. After which he went back to sleep for a few more hours. This half asleep mother then decided, while fumbling through the kitchen, that she didn't care if her son had a bottle the rest of his life, she did not want to wake up at 4:30am against her will ever again. By this time, the mommy was already awake, so she decided, "Why not make the most of the morning?" She showered, read, had tea, and then headed to Harris Teeter to cash in on the Super Doubles. Yes, she became one those moms that stood at the register with her coupon notebook in hand along with the other peppy morning coupon shoppers waiting for the clock to strike 7am so that she could check out. Upon checking out, she was rather thankful that her son had woken her up early so that she could experience coupon shopping without any of the items being sold out. She was thankful that she was able to bring her $86 bill down to $43. "Maybe waking up so early isn't that bad" she thought, at least until tomorrow morning.

Tasty Tuesday, I mean Wednesday

I never got around to posting the new recipe I tried this week. I technically didn't make it on Tuesday, but it was yummy, and I wanted to share it. The travel bug bit me so I've been pretending that I'm going on a vacation and have been looking at places around NC for night away. I came across a bed and breakfast, Sabotta Manor, and got to looking at their recipes. That is where I found this fab dish that I made for Luke's Father's Day breakfast. The name is a mouthful, Pineapple mandarin cream cheese stuffed french toast. Is your mouth watering? It's a very sweet dish and the pieces are thick, so one piece is a good serving. Instead of syrup for this french toast, the recipe calls for making the glaze/sauce that uses the pineapple and mandarins. Because of it's sweetness, I would recommend serving it with something to counteract it like bacon, eggs, or sausage. It really was delicious but should probably be steered clear of if you're trying to cut calories or watch your sugar intake. However, indulgence is a necessary part of life every once in awhile.

I love Ross!

In case I haven't stated it before, I love Ross. I often find a great bargain there for something specific that I'm looking for. I got a top brand pair of sunglasses this year for only $6. They also usually have great prices on baby stuff. I've found that some of it is even cheaper than or equivalent to what I might pay at a consignment sale. Anyhow, today confirmed my love for Ross. For the past year, I've been looking here and there for a white set of dishes. I wanted something crisp, classic, and elegant. Not too modern, not too antique looking, something just right. Yesterday I found them at Ross. They are Mikasa's Antique White collection. I opened the box, checked them out, and then hid them behind other items on a shelf just in case I decided to come back and get them. I looked online last night to see what the going rate was for them and to read some reviews. The prices I found ranged from $120-$140. I knew then that Ross was offering a great deal, so today I returned, pulled them out of hiding and purchased them for $41.99! So, I've been trying to make a habit of checking at Ross first for an item before I move on to another store. I can't wait to use my new dishes at dinner tonight!

Super

Just read that Harris Teeter will be doing super doubles next week beginning 6/23. Get your $1.98 or less coupons ready. They will double up to 20 coupons. I'm not sure how strict stores are about this. I've gone over several times by 5 or so and never had a problem. You can check out Southern Savers this weekend for a match up of some of the deals.

Tasty Tuesday

This week I tried out a recipe for "sloppy lentils." Okay, so the title doesn't make it sound too appetizing, but it was good. It's a take on sloppy joes using lentils. They've got a good flavor with just the right amount of sweetness. I really liked them. Luke stated he would still rather have the meat version, but these suit me just fine. They make for a hearty and filling meal full of protein and fiber. It's also very cost efficient. With just the two of us, it's definitely enough for two meals, so I think I know what we'll be having for lunch tomorrow.

Consignment Sales

I for one love a good consignment sale. The way kids grow so quickly, it's hard for me to justify buying Nathan new clothes at full price. I think I've actually only bought Nathan a few pieces of clothing new since he was born. Most of his clothes come from consignment sales/stores or grandma (I even had to tell her not to buy him more). I found this website, Consignment mommies, that keeps track of all of the consignment sales in your area. You can just type in the city and state and get the info and websites for each sale all in one place. Good to know right?

Bananaberry bran muffins

It's tasty Tuesday! I tried a new recipe today and am excited to share. I had blueberries on hand and wanted to incorporate them into whatever I made. I tried a recipe for banana blueberry bran muffins that I scoped out on Money Saving Mom's website. I followed the recipe as is except I didn't have flax seed on hand so I substituted about 2/3 tbsp. of oil instead, and they turned out great. Oh and I also added about 2 pinches of brown sugar (I just had to know that there was some sugar in them :) They are bran muffins so don't go expecting your typical blueberry muffin. They aren't nearly as sweet, but the honey gives it a good flavor. Overall, I really like them. They are a healthy and filling breakfast muffin or snack. I like them best warm with a little butter. Nathan really loved having one for a snack too.

When living naturally becomes negative

Since having Nathan, I have become much more aware of and conscientious about what we eat and the things that we use on a daily basis. I find myself reading labels much more and trying to decipher between which items are more beneficial and less harmful. While doing these things are good and well, if not careful, I can find myself obsessing about it, which is not good. In recent culture, there is a push for people to embrace only those things which are natural and organic. This is not wrong in and of itself, in fact it is good and wholesome. However, I sometimes get the idea that people feel that these things make you a better person, better mom, etc. I realized that I was allowing this way of thinking to make myself feel guilty. I also need to be careful that I don't cause others to feel this way as a result of the choices I make for my family. To each his own. I came across this post on the blog Passionate Homemaking that I enjoy, and it hits the nail on the head for this subject matter. I hope you read it and are encouraged and challenged by it. I know I was. So, while I do aspire to make more natural choices for my family, I'm not going to obsess on it or look down on others who may choose otherwise. I love how in the post, Lindsay (I'm not referring to myself, her name is Lindsay too) points out that relationships and fellowship are more important. God calls us to walk humbly and love others. Why let a little high fructose corn syrup get in the way of that?

Yard sale on the news!

Today I had the opportunity to be interviewed for a piece about yard sales. Yes, that's right, I was on the six o'clock evening news on WRAL. I'll be honest, it was not something that I was overly excited about. Before they arrived for the interview, I'm sure I looked at myself and the house nervously a gagillion times. I hate that nervous feeling. So, if you missed it, here it is, my 30 seconds of fame. I'll post after tomorrow's sale to let you know how we did. Maybe our television debut will help boost our sales! By the way, props to my little Nathan for being so good while they were here.

Krispy Kreme

This just in! Krispy Kreme will give each guest a free original glazed donut in honor of National Donut Day on June 4. No purchase necessary.

Free Donut

It's National Donut Day! They really do have a day for everything, don't they. Well, I'm glad they do because it means a free donut when you purchase any medium beverage at Dunkin Donuts. Promotion is for June 4 only. Now to the hard part, glazed or chocolate cream filled?

Everday Pleasures

A growing garden



An unexpected new toy



And yes even messes (sometimes)

What simple, everyday pleasures do you enjoy?

A Way to Save

While standing in front of the milk cooler at the grocery store, my eyes lit up when I saw organic milk for $2.85. I moved into quick action to claim my gallon. The milk was 50% off because the expiration date was 3 days away. However, at the rate we're going through milk, I knew it wouldn't be a problem to use it within 3-4 days. In most cases, you can go past the date one or two days, and it is still fine. This made me remember and think of an easy way to save money at the grocery store. Look for markdowns on items that are nearing their posted date. Most of the time, the items are perfectly fine but are marked down to get a sale in before they have to be thrown away since the grocery store is not allowed to sell the items past their posted sell by date. I have found produce marked down for a great deal. If you find bananas, berries, or other fresh fruit that is marked down because it is a little overripe and you can't use it that day, you can take them home, chop them, and freeze them. This is great for making smoothies! I've also found really good deals on meat this way. As with the fruit, if you can't use it within 1-2 days, freeze it. Now that's an easy way to save, and no coupons required!

Tasty Tuesday

Recently I've been feeling as though I've been in a cooking rut. My meals the past month have been coming together haphazardly with not a lot of thought. So, each Tuesday this month I'm going to try out a new recipe and post the good and the bad. Up first for review is a summer harvest soup.

I liked the soup because it was cooked in a crockpot. I chopped and prepped this morning, went for a massage, and came back to a pleasant aroma of simmering soup. It was hearty with the fresh veggies, but needed a little kick. I think my mistake was in adding too many noodles. I chose to use dry noodles because I already had them on hand and added them 30 min. before serving. I however just eyeballed it and after they swelled from cooking, I think they took away from the veggies. I would also recommend adding a little salt. I shredded some fresh parmesan and added some croutons to top it off. Another plus was that Nathan really enjoyed it!

Morning Bliss

Today is one of those rare mornings. The house is quiet, my English breakfast tea is sweetened perfectly, and I'm ALONE! I don't remember the last time my morning has looked like this. Luke took Nathan to daycare on his way to work because I have an appointment later (I'll tell you about that later). So, here I sit drinking my tea and basking in this morning bliss. I'm feeling pretty accomplished too. The kitchen is clean, laundry is spinning, and my heart is full from time in God's Word. I wanted to share a thought from my quiet time(I really don't like this phrase, but for lack of another, I'll use it). Genesis 17:16 says She (Sarah)shall be a mother of nations. I was reading in a devotional book how we all leave a legacy of sorts. This challenged me to think about the legacy I will be leaving with my children, friends, family, strangers, etc. Each day we are given opportunities both big and small to leave a lasting legacy. A quote in a book I'm reading states:Don't waste a moment of your faith stewardship. Pass it on! So the question is, what will you be passing on today?

By the way, the appointment I have today is for a massage and pedicure.The best part is, it was a gift. I'm just a little excited!