weekend brunch

February 26, 2013

like i promised, we made banana bread for brunch this past weekend and like i promised, i included the recipe below. we decided to simplify our entire meal this time and just stick to the warm, moist, goodness of the bread. don’t worry, we still watched lucy. this is the same recipe i enjoyed as a kid growing up, it brought back memories while smelling it cook saturday evening. the scent is seriously wonderfully overwhelming and it filled our entire house for hours. i have really come to enjoy baking in the winter, especially this year. i love to leave the oven open as it cools and let the heat escape into our home along with the thick sweet aromas of the previously baking goodies inside. i really loved this brunch, absolutely loved it.

you will need:

1/3 cup – shortening

1/2 cup – sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon – baking soda

1 teaspoon – baking powder

1/2 teaspoon – salt

1-3/4 cups – flour

1 cup – mashed ripened bananas (about two large bananas)

a 9×5 inch bread pan

thoroughly grease your pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

in a large bowl, cream together the shortening, sugar, eggs, baking soda, baking powder and salt. mash up the bananas until smooth. alternate mixing in the banana and flour until all the ingredients are incorporated. mix until batter is smooth.

pour the batter into the greased pan and bake for 40-45 minutes. check with a toothpick or thin knife after 30 minutes. don’t over bake. take the bread out of the oven and immediately wrap in plastic wrap or place in plastic bag (while hot) and serve when cool. enjoy!

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dwelling small

February 25, 2013

Our Home

for those of us whose homes are too small or too old to have washrooms within them, a good laundromat can often come in handy. our current place is actually our first home that hasn’t had a washer and dryer within, or at least a place to hookup your own washer and dryer. i think it goes without saying but this new routine has taken us a bit of getting used to. if you are new to laundromats like us, here are a few tips i have learned that have helped make the adjustment slightly easier.

+ have quarters or small bills on hand. there is nothing worse than unloading all your laundry at the laundromat only to realize you’ve forgotten change for the machines.

+ bring your own detergent and dryer sheets. we’ve found not buying the small packets they offer onsite can help save money in the long run. plus, i love keeping our clothes smelling like the scent we’ve grown used to.

+ bring something to do. bring a magazine, a deck of cards or game to play (we like skip-bo), a laptop to work on, anything to stay busy and pass the time.

+ fold your laundry there instead of at home. after our laundry is finished, i like to fold it as i’m putting it back into our basket straight from the dryer. this way, when i get home, clothing can go right from the basket to being put away without trying to find space to fold it in our tiny room.

what are your laundromat tricks?

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i wore this to …

February 21, 2013

Miscellaneous

oh just what i’d wear to the usual day at work. you know the usual day? because some days are just that … usual. these sort of days are filled with usual errands, usual work schedules, usual dinners and usual bed times. because, well, there is just nothing unusual about them. although not exciting, i’m grateful for this kind of day, to have a normal, a routine. i sometimes catch myself thinking, if i were to be suddenly pulled out of this daily pattern, if i couldn’t return to the habitual day, if i didn’t have that balance of usual and different, of exciting and calm, well … honestly, i think i’d miss it.

i wore: jean top, j.crew // sweater, urban outfitters // gray shirt, sparkle & fade // pants, old navy // shoes, steve madden // purse, vintage coach

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spring fever

February 20, 2013

Miscellaneous

i have been longing for spring the last few weeks, especially with the overly harsh winter we’ve been having this year. this past weekend i added a few indoor plants to help mimic the feeling of spring until it actually gets here. okay, it’s no secret i don’t have the greenest of thumbs so i always try and pick plants that are supposed to be harder to do away with. fingers crossed i can keep these sweet little guys alive, so far so good! the house is now filled with reminders of spring and just in time for yet another winter storm arriving tonight and supposedly gracing us with it’s presence off and on throughout the weekend . . oh joy!

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weekend brunch

February 19, 2013

Miscellaneous

oh berries and cream (and eclairs and a few donuts), how i love you. we decided to have a “light” breakfast-brunch yesterday since we were headed to an early dinner at camden’s mom’s house for his little brother’s birthday just a few hours later. so for brunch we whipped up some whipped cream then mixed in a few fresh strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries for a little berries and cream delight. saturday i had stopped at a bakery for some eclairs and donuts while i was out running errands (seriously, i have the worst sweet tooth) and decided to include them in our morning brunch as well because, why not?? somehow what seemed to start out as a so called “light brunch” ended up being quite the opposite . . yes, we stuffed our faces! next week i’m thinking banana bread?

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