Recipes: Banana Bread

Today I made some WONDERFUl banana bread! It came from a cute little church cookbook, and my mom and I make it all the time. Use the recipe to experience its WONDERFULNESS! ;)


Banana Bread


1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 tbsp. sour cream (or milk)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. flour
3 bananas (1 c. mashed)


Mix together and bake in bread or muffin pans for 1 hour at 350º. Add chocolate chips or nuts for extra flavor!:)


... And of course, PICTURES! 

The ingredients you will need...

Ready for the pan!

The cute (very umm... used) cookbook the recipe came from.

And the finished product looks a little like this...!

Bon Appetite! 

-Sophie! (:

"The Natural Ham"

Has anyone ever seen "Julie and Julia"? Well the movie was based on a famous chef; Julia Child. She is mostly known for bringing French cuisine to the American public. She wrote a cookbook called Mastering the Art of French Cooking and starred in her own TV show, the French Chef, which debuted in 1963. In 1948, her husband's work swayed them to Paris, France where her love for French cooking budded. She took classes at the world-famous cooking school there Le Cordon Bleu (where I would LOVE to go some day ;)) Julia had a spunky personality, and was never afraid of making mistakes. “Remember, if you are alone in the kitchen, who is going to see you?” she reassured her television audience. She was also known for her "tallness" because she was over 6'2"! Julia Child died just two days before her 92nd birthday, on August 13, 2004. 

Julia Child at the Cordon Bleu in France.

Julia Child's kitchen (which is on display at the Smithsonian... I would love to see it!)

...And as Julia Child would say, "Bon Appetite!"

:)

Being Fit Can Be Fun!

The amount of child obesity in the U.S. has TRIPLED in the last 30 years! So many people think that exercise is "boring" and that healthy food "tastes bad"... But that doesn't necessarily need to be true! Here are a few fun tips to keep you fit! 


1. Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily food selection should include bread and other whole-grain products; fruits; vegetables; dairy products; and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods. 


2. It doesn't exactly matter WHAT you eat as much as HOW MUCH you eat! You can still eat what you'd like, just be sure to keep on eye out on the portion size... The recommended serving of cooked meat is 3 oz. , similar to a deck of playing cards. 


3. Balance your food choices over time. Not every food has to be "perfect." When eating a food high in fat, salt or sugar, select other foods that are low in these ingredients. If you miss out on any food group one day, make up for it the next. Your food choices over several days should fit together into a healthy pattern.


4. Video games can actually make you thin! DDR ( Dance Dance Revolution ) is a GREAT way to exercise! 


5. Get outside! Going for a short bike-ride is fun, easy, AND good exercise! If I feel like I need some exercise, but don't really feel like doing it, I reward myself with biking to a nearby gas station! Also, a short run ( less that 1 minute ) followed by a short walk is pretty easy and helps if you want to lose weight! 


6. Workout with a partner! Working out with a partner is always a great idea! You'll have someone to keep you company, as well as to motivate you.


Strawberry Banana Smoothie


10 oz. strawberries (without stems)
2 ripe bananas
3 tbsp. sugar or honey
1 c. ice cubes
3/4 c. milk


Wash strawberries and remove banana peels. In a blender, process all ingredients until smooth. 

Crazy Cake Paintings!

So... On this rainy, somewhat BORING day, I decided to do one of my favorite past-times...PAINT! I love to paint pretty much ANYTHING, but I am not THE BEST at detail...(;  I also love cakes, so might as well combine them both, right?! ;) 

Say hello to my painting buddy! (: It consists of acrylic paints, oil paints, watercolors, canvas, and multiple kinds of brushes! 

My first painting! ...What do you think?! 

...And the second! A little whimsical right? ... Just like the one I did a couple days ago! 

Soul Surfer Movie Review

Has anyone ever heard of Bethany Hamilton? If not, she is a 21 year old (now professional) surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack when she was only 13! She has written a few books as well as a couple devotionals for young girls. Recently they came out with a movie about her life and how she got back in the water after the attack. The movie is called called Soul Surfer. I saw it a few weeks ago and LOVED IT! If you are interested in reading more about Bethany, and what she does visit her website below. I DEFINITELY recommend the movie, her books, and devotionals to anyone, especially a teenage girl! 

                              

Soul Surfer Website:  http://bethanyhamilton.com/

Bethany Hamiltons's Blog: http://bethanyhamilton.com/about/bethanys-blog/

                                           

Soul Surfer Movie Website: http://www.soulsurferthemovie.com/page/surf.html

Recipe for Oatmeal Scotchie Cookies

Here is a recipe for some DELICIOUS cookies I made today! I hope you enjoy them as much as my family and I did! ;)


Oatmeal Scotchies
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange
3 c. quick or old-fashioned oats
1 2/3 c. Butterscotch chips (11 oz. bag)


Preheat oven to 375ºF. 


Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and butterscotch chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.


Bake for 7-8 minutes for chewy cookies; 9-10 for crispy cookies. 


Best served hot and gooey! (:


AND... TA-DA! 

Along with baking, I also painted a "pretty picture" today! Here is the end result of my painting...