Banana Bread

We eat lots of bananas here, and they usually get eaten long before they get too ripe! Over the long weekend, though, I left a few at home and they were too mushy for our taste! 

I looked up a banana bread recipe and it turned out to be delicious, so I thought I'd share. I am so far from a good cook, but this recipe only had ingredients that I already had in my pantry, plus it was extremely easy. This recipe was from www.simplyrecipes.com.

BANANA BREAD

• 2-3 very ripe bananas, peeled
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar (1/2 cup if you would like it less sweet, 1 cup if more sweet)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 4x8-inch loaf pan.

In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas.

Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour.

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour at 350°F, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool completely.

I actually added a little sugar and brown sugar on the top before I put it in the oven to give it a crispy topping, and it was yummy!

My middle son especially liked it (probably because he is our biggest banana fan). It's a delicious way to use those over ripened bananas! Give it a taste!

Have a wonderful day!

Tips in the Kitchen: freezing onions

Here is another tip for making your cooking a bit easier!

I buy a bag of onions when they are on sale. I peel the onions, then put one in my food processor.

I let it chop away, then I scoop the onion into a freezer bag. You can also chop the onions by hand if you don't own a food processor. There are several choices that are not too expensive, and I use mine more often than I thought I would. I label the bag "one onion" and lay it flat in the freezer. Laying them flat to freeze usually makes it easier to store, especially in a smaller freezer.

I do the same thing for each onion in the bag. When I am using a recipe that calls for one onion (lots of my soups and pastas do), I just head to the freezer and grab a bag of onions and toss it in. Usually there is no need to thaw them because they're heating up on the stove anyway.

If you're in a hurry and don't want to go through all that, you can also buy frozen onions in the freezer section at the grocery store.

MIA / PSL

So sorry I have been MIA for the last little bit! We had a family trip, then Fall Break, then our internet was down for several days. All is well now, so I'll have a fun post or two for you guys this week. Although, this perfect weather has me wanting to sit outside and sip pumpkin space lattes ALL DAY LONG!
If you don't feel like forking out $4.50 for one of those, try this recipe out. Fall = PSL

Pumpkin Spice Lattes

1 - 2  cups milk

2  tablespoons canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 - 2 tablespoons sugar (to taste - or 8, if you're me..)

1/2  teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1  tablespoon vanilla

1/2  cup hot brewed coffee                                                                                               

Directions

• 1 In 2-quart saucepan, heat milk, pumpkin and sugar over medium heat until hot (do not boil). Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, the vanilla and coffee.
• 2 Pour into 2 large mugs. Garnish each with whipped cream, sit outside and watch the beautiful leaves fall while you enjoy not sweating.

 

 

Taco Seasoning

We usually have tacos or taco soup every week, so I make my own taco seasoning. It's delicious and I just make a big batch (usually quadrupling the recipe) when I get low and it's so convenient to have on hand. Give it a try!

 

Homemade Taco Seasoning

 

Garlic Powder -- 1/4 teaspoon

Onion Powder -- 1/4 teaspoon

Dried Oregano -- 1/4 teaspoon

Red Pepper Flakes -- 1/4 teaspoon

Paprika -- 1/2 teaspoon

Black Pepper -- 1 teaspoon

Sea Salt -- 1 teaspoon

Cumin -- 1 1/2 teaspoons

Chili Powder -- 1 tablespoon

 

Pour it all into a container and mix well.

 

I store a few of my spices in baby food jars that I spray painted the tops. I tried to make my pantry really pretty one time, but I gave up for now!

This jar is a salsa container.

I keep my taco seasoning in a small OXO container.

Yum! We're having tacos tonight!!!!

Welcome

Welcome to

Watching Over the Ways!

 

I have started this blog to learn and share how to be a better wife and mother, while having lots of fun along the way!
My name is Laura. I am a 31 year old Christian, southern lady with a handsome, hard-working husband, three beautiful children and two sweet pups. I have the joy and privilege of staying home full time and caring for our home and all who live there. I'm glad you're here!

The title comes from Proverbs 31: 27

She watches over the ways of her household,

And does not eat the bread of idleness.