Banana Crumb Muffins

I needed something quick for a brunch and just so happened to have some ripe bananas on the counter. I love when bananas get dark. I kind of secretly hope the kids won't eat the bananas so I "have" to make a banana treat. I wanted to try a new recipe and found these little treasures. I love the streusal on top. They make this muffin perfect.

Banana Crumb Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 bananas, mashed

3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup butter, melted (Sometimes I use applesauce)

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Source: All Recipes

These are perfect for a quick breakfast or after school snack. Hope you're having an awesome week. Fall is in the air. I love Fall. I just wish it would stay Fall for awhile. Here's to hoping!

Make sure you enter our Giveaway! Chances are good right now! Do we have 12 entries yet Erica? ;)We are giving a gorgeous apron made by The Rubied Apple. Check out her Etsy store here.

Love,
Monica

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Do you know how long I've been waiting for Fall, and all the wonderful things that come along with it?  FOREVER!  I love Fall.  The smells, flavors, leaves changing, cooler air, warm clothes...everything about it! 

I thought I'd ring in the new season with a pumpkin cake.  I have a recipe for a giant sheet cake too, but knew if I had that sitting around my house all week, I would consume the entire thing.  This one is perfect. You bake it in a small 8x8 pan, and it's usually gone the night you serve it.  YAY!  It's flavors go together so perfectly.  The cake is so soft and moist.  Almost wish I had a piece to eat right now.  *sigh*  O'well. 

Amazing...and oh, so beautiful!

 

 

Pumpkin Cake

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup pumpkin puree

In your mixing bowl combine oil, sugar, and eggs.  Whisk together until all combined.  Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Stir around until there are no more lumps.  Add in pumpkin and stir until well combined.  Pour into greased 8x8 baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let it cool completely before icing it.


Cream Cheese Frosting
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. milk

Beat your cream cheese, and butter together until light and fluffy.  Add your vanilla and sugar, and mix until well combined.  Add your milk.  If it's too thick add a tiny bit more.  Ice your cake, and ENJOY! 

Source-Kitchen Simplicity

Have you entered our giveaway yet?!  If not click HERE and go enter ASAP!  You have until Thursday night to do so. 

I love this!  Ha ha!  I don't even have 12 entered.  So go do it!

 

Have a happy Tuesday!

Love, Erica*

 

 



GIVEAWAY from The Rubied Apple

Did I catch your attention?  I hope so!  I'm so excited about this sweet giveaway.  One of our sponsors was so gracious to send us some of her beautiful creations to giveaway to some of our readers.  Her name is Nakia.  And she has a shop on etsy called The Rubied Apple.  She is so talented and I absolutely LOVE her aprons.  They are fun, sexy, and sophisticated.  Who doesn't want to feel that way when they are whipping up something yummy in the kitchen.  Make sure to check out her fun etsy shop and her Facebook page.

Here's her bio-

My name is Nakia. I am a mom, wife, friend, photographer and student. I spend most of my time with my little one or at my sewing machine making aprons.

I LOVE TO MAKE APRONS and I love to capture memories with my camera.

The Rubied Apple came about for the purpose to help pay for my son's medical expenses, he has a disorder called Tuberous Sclerosis. I woke up one morning and there it was Rubied Apple. It is fitting because health and wellness(Apple) is so precious (Ruby (ied) ).

I first started with making aprons. When I look at an apron it is not just a piece of cloth that covers you from stuff getting on you, but I honestly see love, and care in those who wear them.

I feel like someone who wears an apron will take the time to care for me.

Another way you can like my Rubied Apple is at my FACEBOOK page. 

Hope to see you there!

Here's the style of apron we will be sending our lucky winner.  I don't have a picture of the one I have to send out, but it will be in this style.  

How gorgeous, and sexy is this little number?

I know you want one as much as I do!

You can enter up to 3 times.  Here's how-

1st entry-If you are a follower on our blog, leave a comment.

2nd Entry-If you follow us, and The Rubied Apple on Facebook, leave a comment.

3rd Entry-If you share this fun giveaway on your facebook page, or twitter account or anywhere that people will see it. Make sure to leave a comment.

And there you have it!  Good luck!  You have until Thursday of next week to enter.  We will announce the winner on Friday, the 28th.  Yay!  

Have a happy Thursday!

Love, Monica and Erica*

Chocolate Heath Cake

My sister in law used to make this cake quite often when I joined the family. She is such a great cook and I know she has influenced me in many ways to be the cook and baker I am today. I was looking for an oldie but goodie to make for my son's 9th birthday (9!!!) and wanted a special treat.

This cake is an easy doctored cake mix and always produces a moist cake with the perfect touch of chocolate. The whipped cream frosting and crushed Heath Bars are the star of the show. It was the perfect end to a great celebration. Thanks for the recipe Jame!

Chocolate Heath Cake

Yellow cake mix (with no added pudding, you'll add this next)

6 oz. box of instant chocolate pudding

Mix cake according to directions with the addition of an extra 1/2 cup of water. (The batter will be thick.) Bake according to directions in a greased 9x13 pan.

Frosting:

Mix 1/4 cup softened butter with 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1/2 cup of Cool Whip until smooth. Stir in the remaining 8 oz. tub of Cool Whip. Spread on the cake. Crush 3-4 Heath Bars and sprinkle on top.

This cake is perfect for a potluck or get together. Quick, easy, and delicious!!

Have a great Tuesday!

Love,

Monica

Beef and Broccoli-Guest Post

Happy Friday, everyone!  I'm so excited to have the weekend here!  Fall is in the air!  Woooooo!  Love when it starts cooling off and the leaves start to change.

My good friend, Candis, has offered to do another guest post.  Her last one was amazing!  My husbands new favorite dessert.  You can find that recipe HERE. 

This is one of my favorite light, quick meals. It has a delicious flavor and is filling and healthy. It calls for fresh onion, garlic, ginger and broccoli, but I've used dried spices and frozen broccoli and really enjoyed it.

Blanch or steam:

4 cups broccoli florets until tender and bright green (usually about 5 minutes).

While that's steaming, saute:

1/2 sliced red onion

1 tbsp minced garlic

in 1/4 c soy sauce until the garlic and onion are opaque

Add: 1 1/2 lbs top sirloin steak, thinly sliced into 1" strips. Saute for 7-10 minutes.

Add: 1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp vinegar and

1 tbsp minced ginger

Add the broccoli and stir together until the broccoli is coated.

Eaten on it's own, Beef and Broccoli has only 218 calories in a 1 cup serving. Or it can be served with any rice or pasta you like best.

Enjoy!

Yummmmmmy!  This is going on my menu for the next week.  Nothing like an easy, delicious meal.

Don't forget to leave us comments leading up to our giveaway next week.  We will enter in every single one from this week on.

Have a fun and safe weekend!!

Love, Erica*

Thank You Tags

Recently I went on a work trip and needed help with my kids. I am so lucky to have wonderful friends who are supportive and love my kiddos. I wanted to give them a little something special to show my gratitude for them.

So I happened to go to Hawaii for this work trip (I know, I know! It was awesome!) and I picked up some Hawaiian Hershey's Kisses. They have a macadamia nut inside. I filled a cup up with the kisses and added a handmade tag. I love how it turned out.

Cute, Right?

I don't think this photo is true to the colors. I printed out the paper from a digital paper pack by Glitz Designs. It is called Vintage Blue Paper. You can find it here. This is my first time using their products. I love the yellows and blues in this pack, just my style. I then used my lovely Silhouette Cutting machine to cut the different parts of the tag. I love it! I really need to learn how to use it better. I know there is sooo much more I could do with it. The flower is designed by Lori Whitlock, tag itself is by Sophie Gallo, and the thank you word art is by Loni Stevens. You can find all these files in the Silhouette Store.

I think they turned out rather well. I love paper crafting but hated looking for purchased embellishments, sticker sheets, and spending too much time hand cutting. You might be seeing more of this kind of stuff from me. ;)

Hope you're having a wonderful Thursday!

Love, Moni

Lazy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Anything that is easy to throw together with awesome results at the end is great in my book.  I made these for a Sunday dessert and we all loved them.  I think it would be easy to throw in some extra things like nuts, or marshmallows.  Yum!  Mix it up a little bit.

Lazy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
1 box of yellow cake mix
2 eggs beaten
5 Tbsp. melted butter
2 c. chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix everything up and place in a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool and enjoy with a big dollop of vanilla ice cream! 

Source-Lazy Mom

Hope you are all having a great Tuesday.  Let us all remember 9-11-01. I bet you can remember where you were when you heard the news.  I know I do. 

Love, Erica*

P.S.  I feel a giveaway coming on.  You all deserve it for still reading our blog after our summer off.  Every comment left this week will be entered in the giveaway for next week.  Yay!  Happy day!

Digi Day

Hello!!! It's September! Can you believe it!? The kiddos are in school and I'm working on getting my home clean and organized. I miss them when they aren't home but I'm getting some things done! Bittersweet, indeed. :)

Before I get into my show and tell, I just wanted to say that I made the Spanish Rice Erica posted yesterday. Easy and Yum! I'll never buy a Spanish Rice mix again. I also made it with these enchiladas and my son LOVED them. Need a quick yum dinner, check them out!

Okay, so here are my recent digi adventures...

This layout features a good mix and match of some work from the designers at JessicaSprague.com. I love being on the creative team there. It is such a pleasure to get to work with them. This layout features me trying to get a good photo of Miss Abi. This girl is going to give me a run for my money. She is on the go, go, go! Full credits Here.

This is a template from Jessica's Photoshop Friday series. I love them. Easy and beautiful. I'll take that. All photos are taken by Erica. Full Credits Here. I love this fun kit by Dani Mogstad too! It's called Imagination.

This is another template in the Photoshop Friday series. I needed more photo frames so I added a few. Love all these pics and this fun patriotic kit by Dani Mogstad. Full Credits Here!

Okie Dokie! Happy Monday! I hope it is wonderful! :)

Love, Monica

Spanish Rice

Hey!  Miss me?!  I hope so.  I think things are finally starting to slow down around here.  Holy busy summer, BATMAN!  I hope you all had a great summer.  I don't know about you, but I am so excited for Fall and everything that comes a long with it!

Last night I cooked up my yummy chicken enchiladas and spanish rice for my Dads birthday dinner.  It was a big hit.  Especially the rice.  It is so easy to throw together, and I'm sure you have all of these things sitting in your fridge or pantry.  I also whipped up some heavenly german chocolate cupcakes!  YUM!

Spanish Rice
2 Tbsp. veg oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 c. white uncooked rice
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. chunky salsa

Heat oil in a medium saucepan.  Add garlic and stir it around a bit.  (Don't burn garlic.  It's nasty.)  Add your rice and stir it around to coat it with the oil.  Let it sit for a little while until it gets good and hot.  Add your chicken broth and salsa.  Stir to combine.  Bring to a boil.  When it's boiling stir it once and reduce your heat.  Cover and let it simmer 20 minutes.  Don't remove the lid at all during this cooking time.  It will result in some sticky rice.  When it's done fluff it with a fork and serve.  YUM!

Hoping we can start blogging a bit more!  Welcome to all the new followers!

Have a great weekend! 

Love, Erica*