Easy-Peasy Banana Bread

While visiting my sister this past week-end, we decided to bake some banana bread to share. It's a busy week for me--Jonathan has 9 AM swim lessons every day this week--and this makes a perfect quick breakfast for on the go mornings! This was very easy to make and very delicious! Here is the recipe:
Banana Bread
1/2 c butter, melted
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c all -purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c sour cream
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350*. Stir melted butter and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine the dry ingredients,stir into butter mixture until smooth. Fold in sour cream, mashed banana and nuts , if using. Bake in a loaf pan 60 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. on wire rack.

We used mini loaf pans and the recipe made four loaves. If you have bananas beginning to get too ripe, or if you buy overripe bananas for a song, stick them in the freezer until you are ready to bake.

Road Trip!

Jonathan and I took a little trip this week-end to visit my sister. It is the first time we have been away from home overnight for nearly a year! It was a very relaxing week-end. We really didn't do a lot and that was fine with me.
Saturday evening we had pizza by the pool and then swam for a little while.

After dinner and some pool time, we headed to the tennis court. Jonathan and his aunt played a couple of games. He likes to play, even though he really doesn't know how. I am planning on tennis lessons for him next summer.

Sunday morning found us back in the pool before the day became too hot. It was fun to just kick back and enjoy some sunshine! We came back home yesterday evening feeling refreshed and ready to get back into the everyday groove.

Smilebox Party Overview

Personalize your own picture slideshow

There are a lot of pictures here, some you have already seen, but it does give a good overview of the party. I was also chosen as the featured party of the day on "Catch My Party"! Exciting--for me, anyway!

Garage Sale Shopping

Summer Saturday mornings, and often Friday mornings, too, are usually spent at garage sales. Not so much this summer. This has been an unusually rainy spring and summer as well as a busy one for me. As a result, I've only been to a handful of sales. I miss them! Not only do I look for things for Jonathan, myself and our home, I am always on the look out for items I can resell on eBay or at the antique mall.

I did find some things for Jonathan at a sale near our home. Boys' clothing is more difficult to find in good condition as they get older. At this one I found several long sleeve shirts, jeans, athletic pants and about four pairs of pj's, all for fall. I think I spent about $7 for everything in the picture. A bargain!

Do you like to go to yard and garage sales? What's your best deal ever?

Independence Day in Independence

Waiting for the parade to begin

I know that Independence Day is actually tomorrow, but our town celebrates the Saturday closest to the 4th. Yesterday our town, which is Independence, held a parade, with a festival yesterday evening and fireworks display last night. Jonathan loves the parades!  And truthfully, so do I. I love the sense of community that comes along with them. Local bands, businesses and beauty queens create a bond among all the residents standing on the sidewalk in the July heat, cheering for the veterans and the minor league baseball teams, all represented in the parade.

After the parade, we went home to prepare for our annual 4th of July gathering of friends. We are able to see the fireworks very well from the vantage point of our backyard. For a small town, we get a very nice 1/2 hour or so of spectacular fireworks! Prior to "show time", we share a cook-out with friends. Some people are here every year, some attend when they can, and I usually have 15 or so people.

This year we were a group of 10. I had two grills going with hot dogs and burgers and also had a number of side dishes. I have a small collection of red, white and blue quilts that come out for the party. We always spread on them in the grass to watch the fireworks.

Quilts on the deck railing 'til fireworks time

Jonathan takes a rest on a quilt in the yard, pre-parade

Red, white and blue ribbons adorn everything

The table was covered with a quilt and held the desserts and some side dishes, the rest were on the counter for a casual, self-serve buffet. With the burgers and dogs (and all the fixin's for them) I served deviled eggs, macaroni & cheese (a kid favorite), watermelon, potato chips and baked beans from a recipe found on this blog, Pleasant View Schoolhouse. Dessert was a fun cheeseburger cake and chocolate cupcakes.

Sunflowers just say "Summer!"

This is a great way to serve watermelon

Cheeseburger cake--from Fantasy in Frosting

Cupcakes with red & blue pinwheels

The table

A little before 10:00, we all made our way to the quilts in the backyard to enjoy the fireworks.

After the fireworks, the kids had some supervised fun with sparklers, which I purchased on clearance after last year's holiday .

It was a very casual, relaxing evening, a tradition we all enjoy. Jonathan was very, very tired when all the guests left, he was up WAY past his bedtime!
Tomorrow I will pack away all of the patriotic decorations and serving pieces until next year, and start searching the clearance aisles for one new thing to add to the collection for next year's party.

Getting Ready For the Parade

Our little town is preparing for the annual 4th of July parade this afternoon. We were out running a few errands this morning, and I noticed how so many houses on the parade route are showing their red, white and blue pride! Here's a few pictures:

The county court house

A Victorian beauty

A charming cottage

 A beautiful farmhouse

We will be attending the parade, and later in the evening friends will arrive to share hot dogs and hamburgers with us. Then we will watch our town's firewoeks display from the comfort of our backyard!

School Entrance Physical Exams

We are making the rounds to all of the health care professionals in preparation for kindergarten. In Kentucky (and probably everywhere), children must have a dental, vision and general health exam in order to attend kindergarten. I knew they had to have a health exam and up to date immunizations, but I wasn't aware a visit to the dentist and an optometrist were mandatory.
Of course, Jonathan has always had on time well child and dental visits, but he'd never had an eye exam other than the one given to him by the pediatrician, which is not acceptable for school entrance.
Tuesday we visited the dentist for his regular six month exam: no cavities! Yesterday was a visit to the optometrist: 20/20 vision!
Next Thursday we visit the pediatrician for his regular 5 year old exam.
I just registered him for his Kindergarten Jump Start day in late July.
I am finding I need a secretary to keep up with all of the forms and paperwork needed to enroll a child in school!