I dont know what Im doing. Here, in life, or even with my coffee. See, it might be time to try a different creamer. I should probably (finally) stop using creamer, but Im not going to. Ever. I once attempted it. I lasted about 5 minutes.
And really right now Im having a hard time but not with my creamer. I decided if I want a creamer Im going to have it. Even if its flavored. A girls gotta have something to smile about. But I might go with a different flavor, who knows? Im a wild woman. OK, not really Im a creature of predictability & comfort. Messing with that causes me to become a panic stricken ball of nerves.
Instead, my nerves are already going into overdrive. Work is not something Im smiling about. I went from feeling pretty awesome about work earlier this summer to having set backs hit one after the other.
Due to low enrollment I am teaching less, suddenly, turns out when people are looking to go back to school in a down economy sociology isnt their first choice. I know CRAZY! I mean look how far its gotten me. Oh wait, I might not be the best walking campaign given the whole work reduction factor.
Because not only am I not teaching as much Im not doing enough other work. And it turns out work is something we need me to do, even if the evening teaching are not something were excited for me to do. Yes, I have complained about how hard it is to split-shift parent because I do enjoy seeing my kids with my husband & having dinner together BUT there are bills & various expenses that need to be paid. Money does that, money I earn helps pay student loans for example. My good looks, charming personality or lack of dance-off skills doesnt.
As part of the underemployed PhD route I also learned funding for a research position I have been working in on & off for a few years has not come through. Yet. Im praying Yet. If not Yet then Im going on a creamer binge to calm my nerves over money. That or another career must be opening up & this is all part of some cosmic plan to lead me to a new path. However, Im guessing I better stock up on creamer.
We actually got out, with other adults, without our kids. I know shocking! We were celebrating our friends upcoming wedding at the rehearsal dinner, the wedding happened this past weekend & was spectacular. I think we should do this getting out thing more often. AND thanks to my beautiful Italian friend Susie who took this picture we now have proof.
Banana bread is one of my favorites, as a kid I loved walking into the house & smelling it backing away. I still love that smell. It warms me from the inside out & makes me feel like a kid again. However, when I do make banana bread I also make Apple Spice Bread because Mamacita is allergic to bananas. I dont want her to be left out of having a piece of bread. In fact, I made both the banana & apple spice bread on the same day. Its pretty simple to make both & for those who arent allergic its delicious. Everyone deserves to have a freshly baked, warm, slice of quick bread with a pat of butter that just melts into it & this bread does just that. Oh, so good.
What You Need:
2 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
45 Ripened Bananas
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Stick of Unsalted Butter
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 Cup of Walnuts (chopped)
Topping:
1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Walnuts (chopped)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Cook for approximately 1hr 1hr 15minutes
How To Put It Together:
See these dont look so appealing. However, these will become a sweet bread soon! Another great way to have an on the go snack, breakfast or lunch or heck dinner. Go wild! Just dont eat the entire pan in one day, your hips wont forgive you.
After you sift together all your dry ingredients in a separate bowl put those aside. Then cream together on a medium-high speed your eggs, butter, & vanilla. Once those are creamed together add in your bowl of sifted dry ingredients slowly while the mixer is on. SLOWLY! Too fast is a face full of your dry ingredients. Then add your bananas into the mix. I like to add a few bananas at a time.
Nut time! No, not me. Well, not me this time. This time its all about the food. The walnuts are going into the mix. They are chopped walnuts. If you dont like walnuts you can substitute another nut or you can leave them out all together.
Add your batter into a buttered & lightly floured pan. You can use two 8x4 bread loaf pans or one 9x13 cake pan. I used a cake pan here. Once your pan(s) are filled sprinkle your topping on it. I mix my topping with a mini-chopper. After this put it in the oven bake for about 1hr to 1 hr 15minutes at 350 degrees. I recommend checking it around the 1 hr mark, simply use a toothpick or a knife & insert it into the bread. When you pull it out if its clean your bread is done, if not then let it bake a little longer (check again 1015 minutes later).
Now its done, let it cool & get ready to dive in. Serve it up & be prepared to fend off the family who might have been waiting (asking ever FIVE minutes is it ready yet?) and is SO ready to eat a piece. Again if you have someone who cant have a particular quick bread, like Mamacita, in your house its really simple to make a batch of something they can have at the same time. You already have the oven on & if your already chopping nuts and softening butter why not make more?
I meant to post this earlier, but I thought everyone could use a smile today. OK, I COULD use a smile today. And plus, Detroit is an awesome place, even with all the challenges & struggles it faces the City is awesome. Case in point Eastern Market. Eastern Market is over a 100 years old known for its food & flowers. In fact, this flash opera was on Flower Day. I couldnt think of a better City to be flashed with some operatic beauty.
And so we began to look around. This time we were looking to move outside the City. We were leaving Detroit.
It was bittersweet. I was excited to move. I was tired of the lack of grocery stores & strange men on our porch. I was ready for a change & after the whole Alex situation I no longer felt comfortable at my old work. Turns out Sarah wasnt fond of me, go figure. Mike was also ready for a change. He wanted to be able to go for evening walks & not think of where we should or shouldnt walk.
But at the same time in our excitement and readiness for something different we were going to miss the City we met each other in. The City we shared our first apartment in. The City we started a home in.
After looking at about 100 apartments I got a call at my new work. I was working as an optician & it was almost 9. He told me that he had seen a small apartment with two bedrooms, a basement space with laundry in it that wed have free access to. Plus, it was just over a $100 more than our current rent, something we could actually afford.
It sounded like a dream.
Especially since all the other places wed seen had been 1 bedrooms, with no storage, laundry was an arm & a leg (first-born for using the dryer) at twice the cost of our current place. I think if we had each sold a kidney wed have been golden for those places.
I could go & see it on my way home. He gave me the number & after I finished talking to him I called. I was on my way to see the apartment within the next 15 minutes.
It was one of two apartments on the back of a building being used for the landlords real estate business. The neighborhood was quiet but near everything. I walked up the stairs into the apartment. It was small in its layout, not as much space as the current Detroit place but the basement area & laundry made up for that. I mean a washer AND a dryer! And we didnt have to pay extra for it. It was included.
It was perfect. I told her that I loved it. Within a month we were moved in. Little did we know this was the apartment that wed change & grow in ways that we could only dream of.
I saw these at Target yesterday in the $1 section. I cant pass up that section. EVER! Sometimes I find nothing of use there but sometimes I find useful gems. Ive never been so happy to see blocks in my whole life. Mr. J tends to have a hard time looking at the numbers on a page & I noticed day one that he gets frustrated doing his math because of it. Enter the Counting Blocks.
He did his math pages today with a smile. He & I sat on the floor while he showed me how to do math problems with the blocks. I think he relished feeling like he was teaching me something, I let him have that moment (I know Im generous like that). Seriously though I had forgotten about how kids really do need hands-on at this age & stage. I had planned to get some manipulatives for him & the other kids to use. I just hadnt done it yet.
With the blocks he could stack, sort & count without feeling stressed while looking at the math problems. He laughed. He relaxed during math. I laughed & relaxed with him.
While he worked on his math. I noticed Mr. G & Mamacita hard at work on their own project. They were building pyramids. Talking about the colors in their pyramids, the shapes of the counting blocks & the pyramid all being triangles, & they counted out how many counting blocks it took to make different sized pyramids.
They then used the counting blocks to create patterns. The patterns started simple & became more complicated as they played. They also sorted through the blocks matching the colors into piles. I really enjoyed these because they had so many uses & that the uses emerged without a lot of me forcing it. As the kids all were doing their work Id hop into the conversation every now & again, to help or offer a gentle correction if needed. Really, I just love when kids are learning without realizing it. I also think these are a a great thing to have in your home regardless of where your kids go to school because they are so versatile. Im wishing I had bought some sooner.
A friend mentioned you can find companies who make specialty items that will ship anywhere & I thought hmmmwhat about cupcakes? I love the idea of sending cupcakes, I mean its not something you get surprised by every day in the mail. And as yall know I LOVE online browsing. So, of course, I set off to look up some amazing cupcakes. I have no idea how these Smores Cupcakes taste from Crumbs Bake Shop, a shop that has no idea I exist but has made my day by just looking at their cupcakes. I think every one I saw made my mouth water. Its also truly wonderful idea to brighten a day with cupcakes. If you head over to their site youll be dazzled by all the choices, I swear I think I gained weight just looking at them.
