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Happy Halloween Everyone!
We had a very long and fun day.
First we went to Color Me Mine, again. LOL! They still didn't have a lot to choose from, so I'm hoping when Sean's mom and dad get here, we can go again.
But, Sean painted a bank for Keira, Keira painted a kitty and I painted a plate for Christmas Cookies.
And then we wento Keira's daycare for the Paper Bag Costume Parade.
Then it was time to come home for Trick or Treating.
If you haven't followed my blog for the last couple years, you're probably wondering what the heck I'm talking about, paper bag costume. Well, its a tradition that Keira's daycare center does every year. I finished hers for this year told and for the first time, I got a few pictures before the day she actually wears it.
And if you wanted to see the last 2 years, here they are.
Cheesesteak over Rice
1 lb beef for stir frying
1 large bell pepper
1 medium onion
1 8 oz can of mushrooms or 8 oz fresh mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
Put a little olive oil in the bottom of the pan, stir fry the beef.
Remove beef, add more oil to the pan, stir fry veggies, then add
the beef back to pan. Add soy sauce and soup. Heat through, the top
with cheese and give it time to melt (or you can just stir it in).
Serve over rice.
Last week I worked days, so I didn't really get a chance to scrap. I'm so behind, its really drivnig me nuts and I don't know when I'll get caught up. Anyhow, today we Keira and I had a girls day out, it was really fun. We went to Color Me Mine and met our friends Amber & Katie for some painting fun.
I was pretty disappointed with their selection though, I wanted to paint a Jewelry Box or something like that for Keira, but they didn't have anything. I wanted Keira to maybe paint something for Christmas, like an ornament or something, but they didn't have any. They said some stuff should be in on Wednesday, so we might try to go back on Friday morning, if I can talk Sean into it. But we had fun. The next time we do go, I'm going to let Keira paint a dog or cat for her room.
I did do a few pages today and one last week.
The last page is from Saturday, I took a long lunch and we took Keira & Cooper to Trick or Treat town, its a big indoor trick or treating thing for all the kids that local businesses in town put on in a warehouse in midtown. It was pretty neat. Keira had a ball.
You've so got to try this recipe if you love Banana Bread. I only made one batch, but man, was it good.
Julie’s Bestest Banana Bread (smaller batch)
---bread ingredients---
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas, lots of brown spots on them)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoons vanilla
7 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup chocolate chips (the best are the mini chocolate chips)
1/2cup chopped walnuts – optional
---icing ingredients---
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1. heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour loaf pan (1 large loaf pans, or use in muffin tins without papers)
2. in first bowl: pour and stir flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. in second bowl: pour and stir mashed banana, sour cream, and vanilla.
4. in third bowl (large bowl) : beat room temperature butter until creamy. Slowly add in sugar, beating several minutes until light and fluffy. One at a time, add eggs, beating into mixture after each egg. Add 1/3 of the flour mixure, beat in, add 1/3 of the banana mixture, beat in. Repeat until all are beat in. Add chocolate chips and/or nuts and stir into mixture. Fill loaf or muffin pans.
5. Bake at 350 degrees. Regular loaf take about 60-70 minutes, smaller loaves take about 42 minutes, and muffins take about 20 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting toothpick down into the middle- it is done when toothpick comes out clean. (sometimes you have to try twice because you hit a chocolate chip!) Remove from oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before you remove them from the pans. Place on counter and cool completely.
6. to make the icing-
Melt butter and milk in saucepan over medium heat. When butter is completely melted, remove from heat and slowly whisk in powdered sugar until the icing is a good drizzling consistency. Drizzle by spoon or whisk onto the cooled banana bread.
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
3/4 Cups Cocoa
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) Butter or Margarine, softened
2 cups Sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2/3 cups (10oz pkg.) Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; set aside.
2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla;
beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in chips.
Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8 to 9 minutes. (Do not overbake; cookies will be soft. They will puff while
baking and flatten while cooling.) Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.
Cool completely. About 4-1/2 dozen cookies.
I made these cookies today and they were awesome!
Chewy Molasses Crinkles
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup for rolling
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon backing soda
3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Put butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in the bowl of an
electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachement. Mix on medium speed until smooth,
about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs one at a time, follwoed by the molasses and oil.
Reduce speed to low, gradually mix in flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
Cover dough with plastic wrap, refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl. Using a 1 1/4 inch
ice cream scoop (or just measure 24 equal parts) form balls of dough, roll balls in sugar to
coat, space 3 inches apart on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake, rotating sheets
halfway through, until cookies are flat and centers are set, about 17 minutes. Let cool
completely on wire racks.
And I had to share a new picture of the kids.
Just a few new pages this week.
I'm so tired today. I keep falling asleep on the couch. Can't seem to keep my eyes opened, I need to clean house and do laundry, but I have no motivation. Hopefully I'll have some tomorrow.
And, if you didn't hear, Karah Fredricks has switched stores and is having a big sale. You can find her designs at Oscraps now. Her Shop
Look at what I made last night.
2 and a half years in Alaska, and the snow was finally nice enough for me to make a snowman. Sean made the bottom ball, but I did the rest. Cute, huh?
