Banana-licious!

I am not a fan of most banana breads.  I like bananas a lot, but not most things banana-flavored.  However, my husband got this recipe from a co-worker and I have to admit, it is REALLY good!  So here is my now favorite recipe for banana bread.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon  baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups mashed bananas
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup macadamia nuts, pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, mix butter and sugar until creamy.

It ends up looking like this.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.

Blend the dry ingredients with creamed butter/sugar mixture,

which should look like this.

Add mashed bananas, eggs and nuts (optional).  My family doesn't care to have nuts in anything, so I left them out of this recipe.

Grease and flour a loaf pan.  Pour batter into pan.  Bake for 1 hour or until a knife comes out clean.  Mine bread was not done after one hour so I reduced the heat to 325 degrees and left it in the oven for 10 more minutes and it was completely done.  I was afraid if I left it at 350 degrees it would burn the outside.

Let cool on a cooling rack and enjoy moist, delicious banana bread!  Doesn't it just look scrumptious!?   Add a little butter to a hot slice and you just might think you are in heaven!  Thanks for stopping by to take a look!

Star Card

Here are a couple of star cards that I made.  I got the instructions from http://cliona-at-night-owl.blogspot.com/2011/10/star-card-tutorial.html.  I made a file to cut them out on my Black Cat Lynx, but decided it was just easier to do it by hand!  They are very easy and a lot of fun to make!  The blue one I made for our neighbor's birthday Sunday.  He just turned 85!  Woo Hoo for him!  The second one I don't know what it will be for.  You can't see the inside verse in my picture.  Have I ever told you what a terrible photographer I am?  Well, here is proof!  Anyway, inside it says "Beauty in Bloom".  I can use this for any number of occasions.  I hope you enjoy these photos.  Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Yummy!

This is a recipe that I repinned from Ronda Christenson on Pinterest that she got from www.stylishcuisine.com.  It is Peanut Butter Cup Bars.  Oh man!  If you like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, you are gonna love, love, love these!  They are phenomenal!  I dream peanut butter because I like it so much!  This is an answer to my dreams!  Actually, I think I like it BETTER than Reese's.  Here's the recipe as seen on www.stylishcuisine.com.  Hope you enjoy them!

Peanut Butter Cup Bars
Recipe from Michelle at One Ordinary Day

1/2 cup butter
1 3/4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

(Line a 8×8, 9×9, or 7×11 pan with foil for easy removal of bars later.)

Melt 1/2 c. butter of low heat. Remove from heat and stir in confectioner’s sugar. Add peanut butter and graham cracker crumbs, stirring until creamy. Spread mixture into pan, patting down evenly.

In same pot, on low heat, melt butter. Add chocolate chips and stir until chips are nearly melted and very soft. Remove from heat and continue stirring until chocolate is smooth and shiny. Spread over peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut into bars.

Store peanut butter cup bars in refrigerator.

Yield:  16 or more bars (depending upon how big you cut them).

Jackpot!

Yesterday I stopped by Deseret Industries to see if there was anything I couldn't live without.  I bought these two beautiful plates.

I looked a little further and found these two vases.  I thought the blue one was beautiful, and I really liked the other because it reminded me of a beehive, which in my state of Utah is very important because it shows up EVERYWHERE on buildings and monuments, etc.  (Oops!  I forgot to take a picture of them before gluing to the plates!)

Finally, I used E6000 to glue them  (Well, actually my husband did because I wouldn't have gotten them in the center!)  and now I have two VERY BEAUTIFUL cake/serving plates!

Aren't they wonderful?!  And they only cost me pennies!  When the glue is completely dry, my husband will take rubbing alcohol to get rid of the black marker he used to show where to glue the vases.  Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!  Please feel free to leave a comment if you would like!  Have a great day!