Chiiillll Family Fourth

Independence Day. Fourth of July.  A celebration of unity; of people coming together for a united cause; for the official inception of the United States of America with the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. A day of family and friends, barbecues and parties. An evening of loud-works and fire works.  Ooohs! Aaahs! Wows! Awesomes!

With an under-the-weather Daughter, near-couch bound sick Hubster, and ankle-sprained Son-o, our plans for 2012 were pared down to what we decided were the most important high points: Homemade ice cream.

Books! Fabulous, Beautiful, Awesome Books!

Do you read? Oh, silly me. Of course you do. You're reading this right now. .  .But do you read magazines? Books? *Real* books? Or virtual books? I gifted Hubster with a 'book device' and, at first, he wasn't sure if he would enjoy it quite as much as holding a book of paper and glue. . . I have noticed over the past six months that he evidently does as he rarely puts it down - he has taken his Avid Reader label to new heights - and his stack of books to new lows. . .

Banana Bread Made With Love

Love. It comes it all kinds of forms - true love, friends, brother or sister, grandma. And it's shown in all kinds of ways, by a hug, kind word, token gift, or homemade banana bread-muffins.

Yes. I said banana bread. And I personally don't think anything says love quite like Grandma's Banana Nut muffins. . . with a sprinkling of extra Robin Z love mixed in, of course:-)

Banana Nut Love Muffins

8 oz Cream cheese (neufschatel is a great lower fat subsitute)
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
2 Bananas (should equal about 1 cup when mashed)
1/2 tsp Vanilla
2 cups Flour
1 Tbsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Cream of tartar
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
whole pecans or walnuts (optional)

Make sure your cream cheese is room temperature before turning your mixer loose on it.

Add sugar to softened cream cheese and beat until smooth.

Add eggs, peeled ripe bananas (if still somewhat firm, mash bananas in a separate bowl before adding to batter), and vanilla

Beat until smooth.

Add  flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, salt, and cinnamon to cream cheese mixture

and blend just until all dry ingredients are moistened.

Spray your muffin pan (mini, regular, jumbo, or two loaf pans, or one 9 X 13) or line with some cute little muffin cups then, using a spoon, drop batter to fill each cup.

Top with a pecan

and bake for 20 minutes until tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Grandma suggests making this in a 9 x 13, frosting with cream cheese frosting, cutting into squares, serving with a side of vanilla ice cream (would you guess homemade?) and a glass of iced tea.

Oh, BTW - this recipe makes about 48 mini-muffins:-)

Egging It On. . .

Quick and easy is the name of the game when it comes to preparing meals most of the time. And, during the summer months, nothing heavy or 'hot'  with lots of fresh ingredients sounds the tastiest.

Deli Egg Salad sandwiches is one of our favorites that goes together fairly quickly and is especially good when as many ingredients as possible come from the garden. Not to mention - it's pretty with all of its bright colors.

Bloomin' May

May was a Bloomin' blur. . .

Hubster on business trips, school out for the summer, college graduation, doctor appointments, Birthdays, gardening. . .