A Simple Recipe: Banana Bread

Hello hello! 

I haven't posted a recipe in a while so I thought it was about time. :)

This Banana Bread recipe has been made in our home since I was a little girl. When we first moved to Virginia, we were renting a farm and that's where we met the Lam Family. They were kind and the most selfless and giving people I know. They became dear friends with my family and we are still in touch to this day! (That's a good 20 years ago!) Mrs Lam was an amazing cook. She was also amazingly sweet, never holding back a recipe. (this is only one of the many we still make to this day!!) This amazing Banana Bread was a recipe she shared with us and it is perfection. :) This is an oldie but a goodie!

It is also super easy! If you love Banana Bread, you have now found the perfect recipe. (Thank you Mrs Lam!)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup soft butter
2 eggs
1 cup (2-3) mashed bananas 
1/3 cup milk
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup nuts, or chocolate chips {if desired} 

Directions:
1. Heat Oven to 350
2. Grease bottom of a loaf pan and coat with flour.
3. Beat sugar and softened butter until fluffy.
4. Beat in eggs (one at a time).
5. Blend in mashed bananas, milk and vanilla.
6. In a seperate bowl,  combine flour, baking soda and other additons (nuts, etc) Stir together.
7. Add dry mixture to banana mixture and mix until just moist. 
8. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
9. Cool 5 minutes & enjoy! 

(For a printable recipe card, click here!)

Some helpful tips: 

This is great when you have bananas that are starting to brown! They are much softer and make the bread more moist!

I mash the bananas in their skin by squeezing up and down on them. It seems faster than getting a bowl dirty. (Even if it's not faster, you understood you won't get another bowl dirty, right??) ;)

Macadamia nuts are fantastic! Or any kind you have around the house! I love to add nuts but my husband does not. So we usually don't add them. My sister adds chocolate chips. That's a whole different blog post!! (jk, i won't make another post about it but it's goooood)

How do you like your banana bread??

Have a wonderful day, you guys! Thanks for reading...

Stamp Print a Simple Dress Tutorial

These posts are getting less and less glamorous as my belly gets bigger and bigger! I hope it doesn't throw you off and make you think this is a "pregnancy" DIY and not for you non-preggers out there. :)

I was pretty desperate a few weeks ago. I was in search of something (anything) that fit. We live in a smaller town and cute pregnancy clothes are a rare find. I found this simple linen dress at the thrift store and loved how it tied right above the belly and although it doesn't look like much, I'll repeat: I was desperate. 

After some time of it hanging out in my closet, I realized it was too plain. It was fine but since it was a thrift store find, I felt more at ease with trying to spruce it up a bit. 

I have been wanting to stamp a print for a while now and haven't got around to it. The HARDEST thing about this DIY is deciding which print you want to do! :) Anchors or birds or triangles??! So many adorable choices! (and stamps galore in craft stores to choose from!) But I went with another print I will always adore: polka dots. And you don't even need to purchase a stamp. 

All you need is:
Fabric Paint (of your choice)
a Bottle Cap 
Cardboard to layer in between the clothing...

1. First try out your bottle cap stamp on a different fabric to get the right size and play with the stamping technique. (Hint: try to find a fabric the same as the one you want to redo. I practiced on a cotton and since my dress was linen, it turned out a bit different.)

2. Lay the cardboard in between the clothing to keep the paint from seeping through.

3. Work your way down, spreading the print out as much or as little as you want. You can also choose to go from very sparse to more condensed on the bottom. That could create a very cute look!

4. Do one side at a time. Let it dry (the paint bottle says at least 4 hours- more if the paint is very thick) before you flip to the other side.

5. At the end, do the sides on the seams as well (if you want) to make it look like a continuous pattern. 

6. Let dry and ready to wear!

Have fun with it! Think outside the dress: I have a scarf I want to print stamp and I've seen people do this on pants and tee's as well! :)

Have a beautiful day and enjoy the weekend. For us, this is the last weekend before our eldest goes to Kindergarten. We are very choked up about it and I was almost to tears twice yesterday when I met his teacher! (Who seems like an amazing teacher and I am so happy that she will be ours!) To say the least, I will have major separation anxiety. I am sure lots of you are feeling the same way if you will be sending your kids to school the first time (or even if not the first!) I will be praying for you as well! I have faith that God will not remove His wing of protection.

Thank you for reading!