Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Banana Bread Bundt Cake

I always made banana bread when I was younger. I found a few banana bread recipes in a company recipe book my father bought when he worked in the hospital. There were at least 6 recipes for banana bread, and each one had added ingredients or different measurements. I decided to take all these recipes and make my own. After making it for more than 10 years, I am finally writing this recipe down. It's fresh in my mind from baking a bundt cake this weekend for a friend's new home.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter (margarine or oil)
  • 1-1 1/2 cups sugar (white or light/dark brown or combined)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 or more bananas
  • 1 tsp vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg
  • optional: pecans, walnuts, chocolate chips

Materials: 
source

Metal bundt cake pan. (My pan is similar to this one pictured. I figured out at a younger age that it cooks faster in a bundt cake pan instead of a loaf pan.)

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees.
  1. Mix sugar and butter until it's creamy. (I was out of margarine this weekend, so I used vegetable oil. Glad the recipe still worked!)
  2. Add eggs. (I used a mixer to get the sugar chunks out.)
  3. Add one cup of flour and mix well. Add the second cup of flour and mix well. (Use the mixer if necessary.)
  4. Add 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt. I made the first cake without salt and 5 bananas, and it was sweeter than what I was used to.
  5. Smash the bananas and add to the mix. The batter gets pretty stiff with the flour, and adding the bananas gives it a more fluid consistency. If the batter is still tough, add more bananas, or a splash of milk will work too.
  6. Add any additional seasonings. I usually add vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. And you can use more than 1 tsp. I think I used a tbsp of each.
  7. Add your favorite nuts or chocolate pieces. The first cake I made on Sunday didn't have nuts. I found some pecan pieces after I made the cake, and I added it to yesterday's bundt cake. I really want to try this recipes with lots of semi sweet dark chocolate pieces. Yum!
Spray the pan with cooking spray and pour the mixture in the cake pan. Bake the cake for 30 minutes (Told you it was fast). Check to make sure it's cooked thoroughly by inserting a butter knife in the cake. If it's still wet, cook for a maximum 15 minutes. If it comes out clean, the cake is done!

I also realized if you use white sugar, the cake bakes lighter. For the second cake I only had a little less than 1 cup of sugar, so I added some light brown sugar. The cake cooked darker (the way I like it!).

Do you make banana bread/cake? Let me know if you try this recipe!

I linked this blog entry to:
Lil\'Luna Her & Nicole Stringtown Home

What Are You Doing? Wednesday Blog Hop #14

Time for another blog hop? Wow this week flew by!

Today's featured blogs are from Hot Commodity Home Decor and My Personal Accent.

Hot Commodity Home Decor
Krissy shared her love for matryoshkas (Russian nesting dolls) and all the lovely crafts she has discovered.

Finished Cherry Pie
My Personal Accent
Amber Galore shared her favorite cherry pie recipe on My Personal Accent. It's made with REAL CHERRIES and a homemade crust! I will never have fake cherry pie again!

Congratulations to the featured blogs!

What have I been doing?
I am still working on the market bag. (I love telling you my projects because it keeps me focused.) I hope to finish it this week and write a post about it!
I planted some seeds yesterday: tomatoes, beets, and two types of lettuce. It''s been raining daily here in Florida, so I will try to check on my seedlings daily. I covered them up so they would not be drowned by the monsoon rains we're been getting.
I made some banana bread over the weekend (more like bundt cake). I will share this recipe this week as well.

I also found out some big news last Thursday. I have been working on my resume. Things may be changing big time, and I may be moving to the West in the next couple of weeks. It all depends on the job. So send a prayer that everything will go smoothly! Whatever the outcome is, I will write about it when I find out the results.

Now it's your turn! What have you been doing this week?

  • Please post the link to a specific blog entry, not just the blog. I look at every link posted, and I comment in every entry. If you don't post a specific entry I can't comment!
  • Adding your email address will add you to my blog hop email list. I will only send you an email once a week informing you of the blog hop. If you don't want to be emailed, just let me know.
  • If your blog is featured on this blog hop, I will be using the picture you posted on the linky.
  • *NEW* I will share all blog entries on my Facebook page: http://facebook.com/contentinthemeantime
  • All blog posts will also be pinned on my pinterest board, so others can see the awesome things you are doing!
  • Family friendly posts, please!

Grab a Button!
Content in the Meantime

Follow me for future blog hops!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

What Are You Doing? Wednesday Blog Hop # 13

Welcome to WEEK #13 of my blog hop!

This week's featured bloggers are Modern Hippie Momma with her Homemade Scrubs and Masks and Fit Frugal Family with her Organic Vanilla Latte Body Scrub. I am all in for natural homemade beauty products!

Modern Hippie Momma
Fit Frugal Family

Congratulations to the featured blogs!

What have I been doing?
I have been recovering from vacation bible school and a long weekend of playing music. I have another long weekend of music, but it's won't be as stressful.

Crochet-wise, I am still working on this great market bag pattern. I'm in love with this boho design!

Image of Market Bag

Garden-wise, my tomato plant is no more. I am hoping to grow some more seedlings and then transfer them to hanging pots, like this picture. I just need to figure out how and where to hang them. I might have to build a stand and crochet some nice holders for my recycled jug planters. It may be a bigger project than I am anticipating.



Now it's your turn! What have you been doing this week?

  • Please post the link to a specific blog entry, not just the blog. I look at every link posted, and I comment in every entry. If you don't post a specific entry I can't comment!
  • Adding your email address will add you to my blog hop email list. I will only send you an email once a week informing you of the blog hop. If you don't want to be emailed, just let me know.
  • If your blog is featured on this blog hop, I will be using the picture you posted on the linky.
  • *NEW* I will share all blog entries on my Facebook page: http://facebook.com/contentinthemeantime
  • All blog posts will also be pinned on my pinterest board, so others can see the awesome things you are doing!
  • Family friendly posts, please!
Grab a Button!
Content in the Meantime

Follow me for future blog hops!

Friday, July 19, 2013

Lunch Options: Lean Cuisine


This week I tried the Lean Cuisine meals for lunch. I was pleasantly surprised with the Santa Fe-Style Rice and Beans. It might not have looked appetizing at first. It smelled really good though. I loved that it had 2 types of beans, and the sour cream and mild chile sauce made my lunch taste just right. This is one of the best frozen meals I had yet.

Nutrition Information:

  • Calories: 290
  • Fat: 5g
  • Fiber: 4g
  • Protein: 11g
  • Sodium: 590mg
  • Carbohydrates: 50g
  • Diet Exchange: 1/2 Lean Meat, 3 Starch,  1/2 Skim Milk
  • Weight Watchers® Points: 7
I also tried the Alfredo Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli. It was great too, although I wish there could have been more chicken and broccoli. (I don't have a second picture for this meal. I was so hungry I ate it so quickly!) One of my favorite meals, but I think the Healthy Choice meal was better. 

Nutrition Information:

  • Calories: 260
  • Fat: 5g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Protein: 17g
  • Sodium: 600mg
  • Carbohydrates: 37g
  • Diet Exchange: 1 Lean Meat, 2 Starch, 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Skim Milk, 1/2 Fat
  • Weight Watchers® Points: 7

Disclosure: I was not compensated for writing this review.
I linked this blog entry to:
 photo ThisMommasMeanderingMondays_zps5366bef9.jpg

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Remington Ready: Win It Wednesday - Men's WetTech Rotary Shaver


It's Win it Wednesday at Remington Ready on Facebook! This week, 1 lucky winner will win a Men's WetTech Rotary Shaver!

ENTER HERE!

How to Make a Crochet Button



This crochet button is from the Perfect Purse Pattern on LionBrand.com (You will need to register to see the FREE pattern). I thought this would be a cool project to share with you. You could make it in any color to match any handmade or re-purposed clothing.

Materials: (from the Perfect Purse Pattern)

  • Crochet Hook size G
  • Lion Brand® Cotton-Ease® (or any basic acrylic yarn of your choosing and color)

Abbreviations:

  • ch = chain
  • Rnd = Round
  • sc = single crochet
  • sl st = slip stitch
  • st = stitch
  • sc2tog = single crochet 2 together

HOW TO MAKE A CROCHET BUTTON

  • Ch 2.
  • Rnd 1: Work 3 sc in first ch, join with sl st in first st to form a ring.
  • Rnd 2: Ch 1, work 2 sc in each st around; join with sl st in first st.
  • Rnd 3: Ch 1 *sc in next st, 2 sc in next st; rep from * around, join with sl st in first sc.
  • Rnd 4: Ch 1 *sc in next st, sc2tog; rep from * around, join with sl st in first st.
  • Fasten off.
  • Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread tail into large-eyed blunt needle, sew around edge of Button, pull tightly to gather, fasten off. Use remaining tail to sew Button to Purse.

You can also try taking a clear button and crocheting around it with embroidery thread or fingering thread (yarn weight 0, 1, or 2) like this pattern for crochet beads. That way you could use it for heavier items like jackets and sweaters. I might write a pattern for these type of crochet buttons in the future.

Grab my button!


I linked this blog entry to:
This Silly Girl's Life Manic Mondays at Serendipity and Spice Sumo's Sweet Stuff

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