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Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread ~ recipes

Written by Joy
6 Comments
Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread ~ recipes

It never fails.  I always end up buying way too many bananas and they end up turning mush right in front of my eyes.  I wasn’t about to waste another banana and decided to make banana bread this time.

Since it is the fall season, I love to bake and make the house smell all yummy and warm.  I love to spice things up a bit.  To spice up this banana bread, I added a little pumpkin spice to it, just to give it a touch of the fall season.

I hope you enjoy it!

Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread 

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
4 egg whites (wwhipped to stiff peaks with 1 TBSP sugar)
4-5 medium bananas (mashed)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups self rising flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 300.  Grease and flour your pans.  I used a bundt pan, but you can use 2 loaf pans.
I first beat the egg whites to stiff peaks with a tablespoon of sugar.  I sat them aside.
Mix  your butter and sugar, until they are creamy.  Add the eggs, one at a time and mix well.  Then add in the milk, vanilla and mashed bananas.  Mix well.  Next, add in your flour and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until it is blended.  Next, I took the bowl of eggs whites and put in a 1/3 of the white to the batter and folded in the egg whites.  Once that was mixed in, I added in another 1/3 and folded and then finished off with the rest of the egg whites.  Once you have the egg whites blended in with the batter, you then pour the batter into the pan(s). Bake at 300 for at least an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread.

What is your favorite dessert to bake in the fall?  If you try this recipe, I would love to know how it turned out for you!  Hope you enjoy it!
2012, recipes, , , ,

Tiramisu recipe

Written by Joy
Tiramisu recipe

This year for her birthday, my daughter Sarah, asked me to make her Tiramisu instead of a traditional birthday cake.  Considering she never really ask for anything, I was happy to accommodate her.  The only problem?  I have never made Tiramisu before.  I had heard of this dessert, but have never even eaten it before either.

So what do you do when you have never made this particular dessert before?  You send out an S.O.S to your friends for a tried and true recipe.  My friends did not let me down.  I received a couple of recipes by the end of the day.  The recipe I am using came from a friend who bought the cookbook from Italy.  The recipe was in Italian and he translated the recipe for me.  I do not know the name of the cookbook, but will add it as soon as I find it out.  I will also be substituting almond extract for the amaretto.

 

Tiramisu
3/4 cup heavy cream (200ml)
5 tbsp sugar
4 egg yolks
1 lb mascarpone
24 ladyfingers
4 tbsp strong espresso coffee
4 tbsp amaretto (could use coffee syrup or something if you don’t want the alcohol) **Used 1/4 tsp of almond extract.
cocoa powder
Beat the cream with 1tbsp sugar until stiff. Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until creamy. Stir in the mascarpone one spoonful at a time and then, at slower speed, stir in the cream.
Line a flat dish with ladyfingers. Mix the espresso and amaretto and sprinkle over the ladyfingers but do not soak. Spread a layer of cream on top and cover this with a layer of ladyfingers sprinkle with the espresso and amaretto mix and spread the remaining cream on top. Sprinkle with cocoa powder and chill for at least one hour in the fridge.

Tiramisu.

For my first time making Tiramisu, I think I did alright.  It had a good flavor to it with the almond extract.  Next time, yes there will be a next time, I will use the amaretto that the recipe originally called for.

However, it really didn’t matter what I thought about it.  The one that I was worried about, was my daughter, since she had asked for this instead of a birthday cake.  Guess what?  She loved it!  I am really happy that she enjoyed it.  Like I said, we will definitely be having this again.

Have you ever had Tiramisu?  Have you ever made it?  I would love to know if you have used this recipe before!

2012, recipes, , ,

Apologia Astronomy project #1 – Balloon Solar System

Written by Joy
6 Comments
Apologia Astronomy project #1 – Balloon Solar System

I am excited about our science this year.  My younger kids decided they wanted to learn about Astronomy.  What better curriculum to use than Apologia’s Exploring Creation through Astronomy! This past week, the kids and I have been reading lesson one in the Astronomy book.

Project #1, Balloon Solar System from Apologia’s Exploring Creation Through Astronomy.

 

The kids have learned what Astronomy is and why God created the Universe.  We talked about God making the planets and what scientists have named them.  We also talked about why scientists don’t consider Pluto a planet anymore.

We have learned words such as; gravity, constellations, instinct and gravitational pull.

The kids and I read about the scientists Nicolas Copernicus and Galileo Galilei, who believed the sun was the center of the solar system and the planets revolved around the sun.

However, I think the best part of the lesson was at the end and getting to make our own Solar System.  The kids and I had a great time trying to blow up the balloons to the dimensions that they gave us.  While we didn’t hang the balloons like they suggested, still had a fun time with the project.

The kids are really enjoying the Apologia Astronomy and can’t wait to read the second lesson and work on the project.   I am just happy that we are having fun and learning about science!

What are you using for science? Are you and the kids having fun?

 

 

2012, homeschooling, , , ,

a celebration of life ~ happy birthday, daughter!

Written by Joy
a celebration of life ~ happy birthday, daughter!

Today, we are celebrating life. Celebrating the birthday of our 2nd child, our oldest daughter. We are celebrating Sarah’s 15th birthday.

Sarah loves Jesus and her family.  She is very artsy and creative.  She loves to draw and is very good at it.  she loves to dance and take part in musical theater.  She is also enjoying the riding lessons and taking care of the horses.

Sarah, age 5

Sarah is a joy to be around and is always making us laugh with her different accents and impressions.  She has asked to be homeschooled through high school.  She is already looking at Art schools to attend.

Sarah, age 15.

Sarah never asks for much.  For her birthday, she asked me to make her a Tiramisu (recipe to come later)  instead of a birthday cake.  She also asked for roasted pork loin, mashed potatoes and green beans.

She is always thinking of others and putting others before herself.  She loves her siblings dearly and is always doing something for them.  Sarah is a blessing to me and helps me keep the house in order and running smoothly on a daily basis.  We are truly blessed having her as a daughter.

Sarah, we love you so much and are wishing you a very happy birthday!

2012, family, , , , ,

so thankful and blessed, celebrating 20 years of marriage..

Written by Joy
4 Comments
so thankful and blessed, celebrating 20 years of marriage..

Ephesians 5:22-33

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.[a] 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Last week was pretty amazing and memorable for me.  My husband and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary on October 3rd.   Now a days, you don’t see marriages lasting for this long.  We started dating when I was just 15 years old and a sophomore in high school.  He had already graduated high school and was attending a local community college.

We went to the same school and were in the band together.  He and his mom had even started coming to our church when he was a senior in high school.   His mom was also my English teacher in middle and high school.  We saw each other around and even hung out at youth nights together at church.  I always thought he was cute and did have a little crush on him, knowing that we would never date because I was younger than he was.  You can only imagine how surprised I was when I received a single rose on Valentine’s Day at school on Feb. 14th, 1991.  That day was the beginning of our life together.

Has it been easy?  No.  We married when I was 17 and expecting our first child.  I was a senior in high school.  I had people disappointed in me.  However, I knew that he was the one God had sent to me.  Yes, we have argued and have had many disagreements.  The important thing?  We put God first in our life.  We should have done it sooner than what we did, however, you learn from your mistakes.  On occasion, we get a little selfish and God sends us a reminder that we have slipped.

I am thankful and very blessed to have him in my life.  I know he loves me unconditionally.  However, I know he loves God even more and that is what is important.  As long as he keeps God first in his life, then I know our marriage will last.   As long as I keep God first, I know our marriage will last.  I am looking forward to many more years with this wonderful man.

Yes, I have a lot to be thankful for and I give God all the glory for all of the many blessings He has given us.

1011. 20 years of marriage to my husband.

1012. the 4 blessings (children), that He has given us.

1013. a faithful husband.

1014. a God-fearing husband.

1015. a husband who helps around the house.

1016. a nice dinner and evening out with my husband.

1017. the changing of the seasons.

1018. the cooler weather.

1019. older kids watching the younger kids so we could enjoy an evening out.

1020. family drives and time spent together.

My husband and I on Mother’s Day is 2010.

I would love for you to join in counting the many blessings that God gives. Stop by A Holy Experience and visit others who are also sharing their many blessings.

2012, multitude Mondays, , , ,