Thursday, February 20, 2014

Banana Bread


I am have trying to focus on at least one big awesome thing that I do each day. Yesterday, instead of resorting to graham crackers and frosting for an afternoon snack (super tasty, but pretty much just junk. Also messy for Packer and myself), I made banana bread whilst my buddy napped.

I used the recipe from Deceptively Delicious. If you do not have this cookbook, get it. I have confiscated the one from the library and will buy one when they pry it from my hands in a few months (that's right 2 renewals equals almost 2 months of ownership). I am sure I will discuss this in further detail later.

It looked kind of like this -- without nuts. My camera is MIA -- so give it some time.
 Anyway, it was super yummy. Packer didn't go after it like he goes after frosting, but who can blame him? I, on the other hand have been munching on it like it was calorie free, which it is not. Here is the recipe:

Banana Bread (with cauliflower or if you don't have the cauliflower, an extra banana)
Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups banana puree
1/2 cup cauliflower puree
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or 2 mini pans, with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl or a zipper-lock bag, mix the flours with the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar and oil with a wooden spoon until well combined. Mix in the egg whites, banana and cauliflower purees, and vanilla. add the flour mixture and mix just until combined.
4. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes for the large loaf, 25 to 30 minutes for the mini loaves. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then turn the bread out of the pan to cool before serving.

 Please enjoy and make it for your little people, or yourself, or a neighbor! It was easy to make and loads of fun!

Banana Bread (with cauliflower)
Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups banana puree
1/2 cup cauliflower puree
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or 2 mini pans, with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl or a zipper-lock bag, mix the flours with the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar and oil with a wooden spoon until well combined. Mix in the egg whites, banana and cauliflower purees, and vanilla. add the flour mixture and mix just until combined.
4. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes for the large loaf, 25 to 30 minutes for the mini loaves. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then turn the bread out of the pan to cool before serving.
- See more at: http://familiesintheloop.com/das-digs/banana-bread-with-cauliflower/#sthash.whi77GKn.dpuf
Banana Bread (with cauliflower)
Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups banana puree
1/2 cup cauliflower puree
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or 2 mini pans, with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl or a zipper-lock bag, mix the flours with the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar and oil with a wooden spoon until well combined. Mix in the egg whites, banana and cauliflower purees, and vanilla. add the flour mixture and mix just until combined.
4. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes for the large loaf, 25 to 30 minutes for the mini loaves. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then turn the bread out of the pan to cool before serving.
- See more at: http://familiesintheloop.com/das-digs/banana-bread-with-cauliflower/#sthash.NJ6RvuOj.dpuf
Banana Bread (with cauliflower)
Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups banana puree
1/2 cup cauliflower puree
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or 2 mini pans, with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl or a zipper-lock bag, mix the flours with the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar and oil with a wooden spoon until well combined. Mix in the egg whites, banana and cauliflower purees, and vanilla. add the flour mixture and mix just until combined.
4. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes for the large loaf, 25 to 30 minutes for the mini loaves. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then turn the bread out of the pan to cool before serving.
- See more at: http://familiesintheloop.com/das-digs/banana-bread-with-cauliflower/#sthash.NJ6RvuOj.dpuf

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Park Cafe

Jameson had the day off yesterday to do our taxes. We had a gift certificate from our good friend, Mike Oyler to Park Cafe, this great breakfast/lunch place in downtown Salt Lake. We had tried going on a weekend and it was a disaster. Packer was a wreck, and there was a line out the door. So we thought this would be the perfect time to go.

We were right.

Mike raved to us about the food, but I honestly felt that I could make something that was just as good. What I really appreciated was the service. There didn't seem to be waiters assigned to a particular table (the atmosphere was very edgy/hipster-ish), but there were about a thousand waiters milling around so grabbing one wasn't too much of a task. Mostly, they were great with Packer, which was a very pleasant surprise. Due to the atmosphere, I expected to see rolled eyes and judgmental looks at my family. I have never been more wrong! The waiters immediately got a high chair for him, and brought him some animal crackers to munch on while we waited for our food. Every time a server passed us, he or she would smile and play a quick game with him. Consequently, he behaved really well in a rather busy place that would normally have him screaming to get down and run in about a thousand different directions.

I don't know if it would be great for multiple children, but it was such a fun family date for us!

*I know this looks like a post for park cafe, but it isn't. They have no clue who I am, and I doubt they really care.

Great Place to Eat: Park Cafe

Monday, February 17, 2014

Benefits of Exhaustion

First, I want to say 'Welcome Back to the World Me'! We had a rough Christmas and New Years. I had a miscarriage when I was about 10/11 weeks along - it was three days before Christmas. It was hard for me. However, it did launch me into a series of great goals that I got to start working on in January. They weren't really New Years Resolutions because they weren't really spurred on by the beginning of the year. They were really born out of a way for me to handle my grief (I realize I didn't lose a child or anything, but there was a grieving process none the less).

This picture is a fav of mine from when we did family pics in November. It makes me look deceptively thin.
Anyway, as I found out I was the heaviest I have ever been (including my pregnancy) I decided it was time I started working out. I have not lost fantastic amounts of weight yet or anything. But, I did go running today. It was today that I remembered how beneficial sheer exhaustion can be.

Yeah, he is totally adorable
I am not in great shape (heaviest of my life). In my run/walk I had to run up a hill that I hated even when I ran 3 miles a day. I was exhausted. It reminded me of when I was in track in high school. I had no business being in track. I can't run, jump or throw. So every practice was really just an exercise in how much my pride could take. Let's just say I am 5'4" and I was in high jump. I was not really destined for success there. However, I ran hard Every. Single. Day. Today as I ran up the hill, my thought process went "here we go, crappy hill . . . It's a party in the USA . . . whoo, this is hard! . . . one step. . . one step . . . one step. . ." My point being that eventually I stopped thinking and instead felt like it was sheer force of will driving me up that hill. It was glorious, and I feel like I conquered that voice inside saying I Can't. For Today.


This is how I spend most of my day. This very position. It wreaks havoc on my arms.
Good Book to Read: The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander A fantastic author and a fantastic book. My mom introduced me to this series. Full of Welsh lore, but still a totally original fantasy for lovers of the juvenile/ya fantasty genre.