Low Fat Banana Bread

Description:
I tweaked recipes from both my husband's family and mine and came up with a perfect low fat banana bread we all love.

The secret is to roast those bananas before you mash them. It really brings out the flavor of the bananas.

Ingredients:
4 large ripe bananas
2 large eggs
2 t vanilla
1/2 C applesauce

1 3/4 C flour
1/2 C sugar
2 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 C chocolate chips

Directions:
In a 325 F oven, roast the bananas in their skins for 20 minutes. They will turn black. Allow them to cool, and then peel and mash them.

Beat the eggs with the vanilla and the applesauce. Add in the mashed bananas.

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until mixed. Add the chocolate chips.

Spray your loaf pan with non stick spray or grease it. Add the batter into your loaf pan and bake the bread at 325 F for 50-60 minutes.

Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the bread pan.

I've been summoned for FEDERAL JURY DUTY! Last summer they sent me a questionnaire, and I was hoping my occupation, "homeschooling mom", would be excused. A few years ago I got out of local jury duty this way. Apparently the federal government doesn't understand I can't call in a substitute teacher.

Another Babble (Blogger's Block)

Why is it, when I have my turn on the computer, I can't organize my thoughts and make note of the blog worthy events that have transpired in my life?

Phone's been ringing and DH's had more interviews but no offers yet. I don't know how much more unemployment twilight zone I can take. It seems like we're heading in a direction, but I don't know which direction that is.

I beat back my cold virus. I was grateful what could have been 10 days was only 2.

I'm back on the Wii, but haven't attempted to throw air punches. My boxing injury did take over 2 weeks to go away. My latest favorite is the virtual biking around the Wii Island, trying to find the flags.

Except for figuring out how to fix our snow thrower, I haven't had time to flex my autodidact muscle and that has to change soon. I have to work on organizing my time better. I've been too busy trying to steer the raft through the rapids. I haven't had a chance to enjoy any scenery.

I need to seek out inspiration. I'm suffering from a lack of exposure to nature and art.

Time's up. The Sleepyhouse is awake and its time to put on my Mancake apron.  I think I'll add blueberries and cranberries to my Womancake.

Have a great weekend!

Its not quite blogger's block. Life just doesn't feel cohesive.

Wish I could relax. I need a distraction. Preferably one that brings blessings.

WPA Homeschooling Conference

Start:	May 7, '10
End:	May 8, '10
Location:	Oshkosh,WI

Wisconsin Parents Association's homeschooling conference in Oshkosh. Our family is hosting Apples to Apples, Letterboxing and Artist Trading Card workshops.

http://homeschooling-wpa.org/

Fluids, rest, a little activity to get the lymph moving, garlic, apple cider vinegar, Emergen-C, it all seems to be working and the Rhino is losing!

I'm fighting off the rhino. I'll be chopping garlic, gargling with apple cider vinegar and eating veggies trying to beat this cold back. I don't have the time or money to get sick.

Fixing The Snow Thrower

I was dragging by the end of the week. The combination of work, stress, recovering from injury and fighting off illness really slowed me down. All I really wanted to do is perfect the art of couch potato. I couldn't completely zone out. Our snow thrower wasn't working and with a storm predicted, we really wanted to fix it.

After researching online, (what would we do without Youtube?), we think we diagnosed the problem and set about the fix. This is huge for us, because we aren't normally mechanically inclined.

The auger and fan would turn until you threw snow at it. Then the fan would stop. We took apart the machine and replaced the auger belt, even though at first glance, it didn't look like it needed replacing. We put the thrower back together and ta daa.... it began to throw snow again. Of course the real test comes tomorrow after the storm arrives.

I'm proud we troubleshooted and attempted to fix it ourselves. Of course it helped knowing we couldn't take it anywhere to be fixed in time for the snow storm. We could have committed ourselves to snow shoveling the old fashioned way while waiting for a professional to fix our problem, or we could take a stab at it ourselves and perhaps find a solution on our own. If the machine truly throws the 6-10 inches we're expecting to get, I'll be so happy! If not, at least we learned a great deal more about our snow thrower.

We conquered our fear of the unknown and didn't allow our inexperience to intimidate us. We'd have to take the machine apart anyway to fit it into the car to drive to a repair shop. What was the worse we could do? It was already broken.

Actually, we did practically break another small part, but we're ready to fix that if it breaks all the way. The auger cable was really poorly designed, using a too soft metal for the holding pin. The pin is cracked, but we have a fix ready if or when it decides to give way.

Sometimes finding solutions, uncovers more problems, but the autodidact learns from them and with that comes confidence. We just can't give up. We have to keep learning.

Garden Planning Notes- Building Cloches

I'm already planning for spring. I vow to go bigger and better with how much we can grow. I'm finding inspiration from tons of books and magazines, and lately the bee in my bonnet is building cloches.

I would love to have a greenhouse, but have no money to build one. I think we're going to try building a cloche or mini green house. Many cloches are constructed by simply draping plastic over wires or flexible tubing, but I found a website that suggests you go even smaller, making tiny cloches out of plastic CD cases. I'm not sure yet how we'll connect them, but I thought the boys could help me build cubes out of old CD cases and our baby plants could each have their own mini cloche.

Another idea I want to try is using hanging baskets wrapped with that plastic you use for insulating drafty windows. I envision several hanging cloches catching early spring rays, hoping to get some strawberry plants growing. Once the danger of frost is gone, I will unwrap them, although I can see the plastic CD cube idea being more reusable.

In regards to the photo, although I'm interested to see if this would work, I doubt my neighbors would be that understanding. Plus, do I want my family drinking that much soda?

"If we continually try to force a child to do what he is afraid to do, he will become more timid, and will use his brains and energy, not to explore the unknown, but to find ways to avoid the pressures we put on him." - John Holt

African Supper Plate- My version

Description:
I don't really know how this is "African" but I adapted a recipe my aunt uses.

I chose to serve it over brown rice to make it a bit more healthy, and I used NO sodium beef bouillon. I didn't miss the salt at all.

I also chose to use my slow cooker and make this over the course of one day. My aunt's recipe takes two days, marinating the meat on day one.

Ingredients:
Meat with marinade:
2 pounds of beef, cut into 1-2 inch cubes- I saved money by purchasing a round tip steak at $2.49 a pound and chopped it up myself, but you could just purchase "beef stew" meat
2 C of water
2 beef bouillon cubes - I used no salt beef bouillon packets from Hormel.
1/2 t curry powder
1/2 C white wine

Brown Rice:
1 1/2 cups of brown rice
3 c water
1 T butter

Toppings:
tomatoes- chopped into bite sized pieces
cucumbers- chopped into bite sized pieces
green onions- diced
mandarin oranges- I use unsweetened, canned in pear juice, drain the juice
pineapple chunks- unsweetened, drain the juice
cashews- chopped
flaked coconut

Directions:
In your slow cooker, add all of the meat & marinade ingredients. Slow cook on medium to high for 4 hours.

An hour before you want to eat, mix the brown rice and water in a pot with a tight fitting lid and bring the rice to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the rice for 45 minutes or until done. Add 1 T of butter to the hot, cooked rice and stir.

While the rice and meat are cooking, chop up your veggies and drain your canned fruit. Place each topping ingredient in a separate bowl to allow your guests to build their African Supper Plates, salad bar style. This way if you have a picky eater, they can choose what they want.

To assemble your African Supper Plate, begin with a base of brown rice. Add your meat, spooning some of the marinade over the rice. Add cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, pineapple, oranges, cashews and top with coconut. It will feel like you're making a Sundae for supper! Enjoy!

(You could choose to thicken your marinade by adding corn starch before serving, but I didn't bother since we spooned it over rice.)

Our Valentine's Weekend..rolling into a ramble....

We invited G-Ma to visit for the weekend. We introduced her to 1 vs.100 and now she is hooked as well. Its absolutely crazy how time flies when you are playing 1 vs.100 on XBox live.

I snuck away for a short while to visit with my Diva sisters. The other Divas were not feeling well, so it was just me, my cousin and my aunt. They made me African Supper Plate. It was amazingly delicious. I snagged the recipe because I knew I'd have to make this again very soon. In fact, here it is 48 hours later, and I'm planning it for Monday night's supper.

Its white wine & curry marinated beef which you serve on top of rice. You top the beef with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions, pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, nuts and flaked coconut. I can't explain it, but the fruit works with the veggies & meat very well.

We watched a great chick flick movie, My Life In Ruins, and now I want to travel to Greece.

Sunday, Valentine's Day, the menfolk took G-ma & I out for lunch at Laredos. I scored some amazing guacamole. They serve it in this authentic stone bowl, which if you want, you can take home with you for $30. Would I really use this bowl for anything else? Probably not. I decided to take my leftover guacamole home in Styrofoam instead. 

Overall, we had a great weekend, but it was over shadowed by unemployment stress. For at least the next two weeks, we have to go without filing for an unemployment check. DH is considering working on a potential project for his ex-boss. He won't actually get paid for it until May, but even so, because he "works" on it now, he can't file for unemployment. Whether you get paid now or later doesn't matter. Its the time frame when you do the work that matters.

We don't want to commit fraud and I don't want my husband to go to jail, so we're opting to be honest and not receive a check for a few weeks. We'll live off of the tax return and hope and pray DH's ex-boss actually does pay him in May. Its scary. I don't feel we can trust the man.

I'm still trying to focus on moving forward and keep hoping and praying there will be more opportunities to rise up out of this. Despite how great our family is and how blessed we are to have what we do, there is still this dark shadow over everything. You can't really enjoy anything fully, because underneath, you know the stress and uncertainly is still there. I can embrace my family and the fun we share, but when the pleasant distractions are over, reality bites you. Its the last thought you have before drifting off and the first conscious thought that greets you the next morning.

Every few days you break down, have a good cry, but then you pick yourself back up and keep looking for hope and opportunity. I have to keep telling myself this is making us stronger, but some days that's a tough sell.

Sometimes, you just dream about how you wish your life was going instead. It can be an escape, but it also teaches you what's really important. For me, my heart's desire is to be home with my boys, homeschooling them through high school. I'm happiest in my nest.

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you all have the chance to share love with those around you today. "Love ain't love until you give it up," - Vedder

There's No Place Like Home...

This is Yumi's way of saying, I've been away too long. She doesn't want me to put on my coat and leave again.

This week was too busy. I had to spent too much time away from home, away from those I love and from the work I enjoy doing the most, taking care of my family. I'm really hoping someday to be able to get back to only working 3 nights a week, part-time.

Part of my work week had me in daycare centers, doing water safety demonstrations. I thought my presentations went pretty well, but I can't help but feel for those children. I know this will offend some, but there really is no place like home for child development. I can say this because I've been on both sides of the fence.

The three years my oldest spent in daycare still haunt me. Its my only regret in life. If I could go back in time, I would have left the corporate world sooner. No one can love your child the way you do, unconditionally. And discipline without unconditional love doesn't work.

I have nothing against early childhood education centers, but children shouldn't have to spend the majority of their conscious awareness hours with a teacher rather than a parent. Daycare centers have to structure the entire day in order to handle so many children, and all that structure doesn't allow for respecting a child's individual needs.

Its too bad we don't have more options for parents to stay home with their children. I would love to see early childhood learning centers where both parents and children could learn together. How fun would it be to attend preschool, enjoying games, arts and crafts, and stories together and then be able to continue the fun at home? Preschool teachers could be mentors for new parents showing them how to motivate creative learning within the home as well. Moms and Dads could meet others to establish supportive friendships.

Why does our society push for the separation of child and parent so soon? Is it because the government wants you to work to fuel the economy? How well is that working out right now? Is it because parents can't be trusted?

Or is it that many parents had children without realizing how much work it was going to be and they just want out?

I'll get off my soapbox now. I can be a downer when I'm stressed and depressed.

The boys and DH are addicted to 1 vs 100 on X-Box live. The past several nights they have been playing with great success, scoring many rounds in the top 100 out of over 10,000 plus players. If only they could play on a real game show and win us lots of dough! :) For trivia fanatics like us, this game is perfect.

DH's interview went very well, but he probably doesn't have all of the qualifications they are looking for. When he asked why we was chosen to interview since he clearly didn't have the required skills listed on his resume, the president of the company said, "Frankly, you wrote a cover letter. You would be surprised how many resumes we get without cover letters. It was your cover letter that made us want to meet you." Even if he isn't called back, it was reassuring to know he can interview very well and his resume and cover letter writing skills are above par. It was the boost I think he needed to keep going and not give up the search.

Tonight I think we'll do pizza and watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. All I want to do is get into my comfy clothes and de-stress. I really need to recharge this weekend because next week will be similar to this past one.

Another crazy day with no time for computer fun. I miss you and will have to catch up Friday afternoon.

DH's interview will have to wait until tomorrow. The snow is strong enough to be annoying, but not strong enough to warrant me staying put. I swear my city is running chlorine pool water through my tap and our second car is breaking down, but I will persevere. I've got just enough fight in me today, there's no chance stress will break me.

Random Babbling....

Can you crave smells? Right now I want to smell candles that have been snuffed out. Is that strange?

I've read recently when it comes to heart disease, not drinking enough water is as damaging as smoking. Teas and other beverages don't count. It has to be plain water. Guess what's always going to be within my reach now?  I'm hoping to become a chain water drinker.

We're under a severe winter weather warning for tomorrow. We could end up with 11 inches of blowing, drifting snow. You would know it, DH has an interview tomorrow, and I'm suppose to work at the pool. I need spring soon.

I decided to try Wii Gold's Gym Cardio while jumping on the mini trampoline, (re-bounder). My legs now hate me, but I keep telling them Capri weather will come back soon. It will all be worth it. Plus, I did greatly improve my jump roping count. I think the trampoline helped with my rhythm. I hope I can keep it up.

We watched Whip It before the Superbowl yesterday. Now I want to unpack my long lost roller skates, and tear it up. My children are mortified. I can remember being young and spending virtually all weekend on those skates. My dad bought them for me because I saved him the cost of a hotel, agreeing to drive 12 straight hours home instead.

Why does Netflix mail travel so quickly but it takes several days to send a letter? Does Netflix pay the USPS more? Don't get me wrong. I think its awesome we're saving over $80 on our cable bill and still able to watch all these movies. I'm a complete Netflix convert.

Wish there was a Bookflix. Or would that be "Netboox"?

DH is going to call soon and tell me he's on the way home. This means I'm going to have to figure something out for supper. Hope I can sell everyone on leftovers.

What's been going on 2/7/10...

Breathing a sigh of relief this morning. I fixed our internet and phone outages. My men will be very happy to learn this when they wake up.

Yesterday we headed to K-town to visit with DMIL. She spoiled us with quite a delicious feast, hot beef sandwiches, shrimp scampi, pizza, mojoes, french fries, spinach dip, and donuts for dessert.

Too full to move much, we watched several scary movies, some more cheesy, some more scary. Fear House- started out cheesy, but it didn't last. Plague Town- good scary potential, but it didn't deliver as promised. Our favorite- The Locals- more of a mystery that gets you thinking about what's going on.

We've been asked to host a few workshops again for our state's annual home schooling conference. I had a feeling we'd be invited back, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to do it again this year. The conference falls on our anniversary and who knows if we'll still be in unemployment survival mode?

We decided to plan on helping out, and I'm sure we'll find a way to make it all work. The conference is something we look forward to every year, and we enjoy being able to help the Wisconsin Parent's Association because they do so much to ensure Wisconsin keeps our great homeschooling law. Our family's admission fees will be waived for volunteering so its only our hotel cost, gas and food we have to come up with. It will be a fun weekend away.

Our workshops help other home schoolers meet each other and have fun at the conference. Last year we introduced an Apples To Apples game gathering and it went over very well. We're also bringing back Letterboxing. This year will be our 3rd year hosting this. We're worried we're running out of hiding spots, but we'll just have to get more creative with clues.

I'm really excited that WPA asked us to bring back the Artist Trading Card workshop. Last year they didn't request this one, and I had families stop me at the conference asking me why we didn't have one. Of course this means I have to get back to making ATCs, something I've really stopped doing. It will feel good to bring my artsy side back out. She's been hiding away for too long during all this stress.

Today I'm also planning to de-stress with a little domestic goodness. I started spring cleaning on Friday and I want to continue on that. Of course we'll watch the game tonight as well. We'll be rooting for the Saints.

I better get moving. I can hear my men folk starting to stir. 
 

Wednesday's Ramble Into Unschooling Thoughts...

I'm trying not to freak out. DH is away doing a favor for his old boss and of course, a potential job lead calls. Oh, the irony. It is impossible for DH to call this recruiter back because he is currently sitting just feet away from Mr. Ex-Boss. I have this sinking feeling DH will miss out on an opportunity because he is trying to help bring work back to his old employer. I told him the first chance he gets, break away to return that call!

I came down with a nasty headache last night on my drive home from work. I tried to sleep it off, but by 3:30am it was so painful, I couldn't sleep. I took a few Advil and calmed my meningitis fears. A local college student lost their battle with meningitis, and because I work with so many college kids and being in a lack of sleep state, I worried irrationally that I may have contracted meningitis.

This morning I woke with a duller ache and a more rational thought. I'VE BEEN STRESSED OUT- ITS NOT MENINGITIS!! I don't normally get headaches or even sick for that matter, but with all the stress I've been under, this is perfectly normal. I need to focus on taking better care of myself.

I asked the boys to start thinking of something they could do that would produce tangible evidence of their learning. (Will I be forever deschooling myself?) I didn't care what they did, but I just felt like we needed something to show that unschooling does indeed work. (Again, I'm sure this is because I've been stressed.)

DS14 decided he would like to produce videos. At first he asked for a new camera, but I reminded him we're in unemployment survival mode. There's no room in the budget, work with what we've got. He impressed me with his resourcefulness. He found a computer program I didn't realize we even had, and he taught himself how to use it. He now has a few short clips under his belt, and he's asking for permission to post them on Youtube. Unschooling does work.

You may already realize the unschooling benefits, but forgive me for wanting to point a few out. (Like everything in my blog posts, its mostly for my benefit.)

1. What he wanted couldn't be given to him. He had to go and get it for himself. (motivation)

2. He taught himself a new computer program without anyone's help. (creative thinking)

3. He enjoyed the work he put in to the project. (satisfaction and confidence)

4. He used his sense of humor along with his intelligence. (joy)

5. He has a desire to share his work with others. (community)

6. He wants to produce more, even bigger and better. (continued growth)

Its not difficult for me to see the future benefit of "playing" around making video clips either. If he doesn't end up in movies or television, he could have a future in advertising, archiving, or technology. This could branch out in any direction he wants to take it.

As for DS11, his fascination with Canada took him to a place I didn't expect. I knew coming off of watching the Winter X Games, he had his mind on the winter Olympics. I thought he would be more interested in learning about Vancouver, but one of his first bits of information he shared, "Mom, We need $10,000 if our family wants good seats at the opening ceremony. If we're going to watch Shaun White, we'll need another $3000." He's also figured out its going to take us over 33 hours to drive there. (He doesn't want to fly in airplanes because they crash.)

I had to remind him as well, we're in unemployment survival mode. He said its okay if we just watch the Olympics on TV.

So does this mean DS11 is headed towards a career in financial planning, accounting, travel agent, chauffeur, airline safety expert? Who knows. The point is to focus on how their interests will lead them to possibilities you may not expect. This is how I need to deschool myself. My job is to help them realize they have all the power if they want to claim it. Its not about meeting the expectation of others, but about exceeding the expectations of yourself.