How I Roll...Er I Mean Blog

Do you like this picture? I sure hope it gave you a good little chuckle. A little Monday pick you up.This is how it looked from Hubby's view. He found it quite entertaining. Entertaining enough to sneak a Instagram pic whilst I was busily answering emails. I am guessing that not many people over the age of 20 can be found just sitting on the couch, typing on the computer with their head 80% covered by a hoodie.

Anyone have any theories as to why I look like a sullen fourteen-year old boy while I am typing away?

Well let me put an end to your curiosity, which I know is practically getting the better of you.

I am wearing my hoodie because I am FREEZING. Even though I was wearing cozy socks and wrapped up in a blanket, I was still super chilly. So consequently the hood came up...I mean doesn't it say somewhere that 80% of your body heat comes out of your head. So I flipped up my hood and trapped in all that heat.

Winter may not be officially here according to the calendar, but no one told the weather.

With all this winter, the only desire I have is to snuggle up on the couch and just be warm and lazy. So over the weekend I accomplished all of the family stuff during the day, and then at night instead of being productive and accomplishing all my projects, I just snuggled up on the couch.

In fact at the moment I am typing this I am so cozy that I actually am nodding off to sleep.......

My original post is gonna have to go on hold. It will have to wait until I am warm and at least partially awake.

So happy Monday. Enjoy a good chuckle on my behalf.  Come back tomorrow for some Thanksgiving projects.

Double Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I don't think I have wished you all a very happy November. How remiss of me! Here we are already 8 days in (PS HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOTHER DEAR).

Please do forgive my tardiness. I will make it up to you with a super yummy delightful...hmmm any other adjectives I should throw in there???

I digress...

So I will make it up to you by sharing this ultra (see I knew I could come up with another adjective) Double Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.

I am really a fan of quick breads. For one thing, they are well er...QUICK. I can just toss all the ingredients together while helping with homework or supervising lunch. For that matter, I can also throw a loaf together in between sweeping the floor and washing dishes. I don't know about you but sometimes I get a little chore ADHD and I have to switch to something else.

A loaf of quick bread is the perfect solution...especially if I still have a sink full of dirty dishes.  I mean why not add a couple more bowls to the sink of suds if it means that in an hour I am going to get a loaf of yumminess.

For another thing the name is "quick bread", but what they really should say is "loaf of bread that is really dessert that I feel completely okay about eating for breakfast". Just sayin'.

Now banana bread helps my justified indulgence even more because, duh...there are BANANAS in it. That is totally fruit. I basically can eat bread and count it as a serving of fruit, right?

Just say "Yes, Larissa" and move on. Don't pop my balloon.

To be honest, I am kind of stretching the serving of fruit with this actual loaf of Double Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. Two kinds of chocolate chips kind of defeats the whole benefit of the fruit.

Shhh I won't tell if you don't.

My only complaint about quick loaves...

Well that would be that a recipe often only yields one loaf. Um, that doesn't last a girl and her house full of boys more than 20 minutes half a day. At the same time, that is probably good if I want my fanny to still fit in my jeans.

So yes, I am in love with quick breads. I have shared recipes for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread and Cinnamon Chip Zucchini Bread. Both of these recipes I have already made several times this Fall.

Now I can add this loaf to the repeat appearance list.

The regular milk chocolate chips and the larger milk chocolate morsels combine forces and make this banana bread choco-heaven. I am totally a milk chocolate chip girl, but there is no reason that one could not mix it up with semi-sweet or even dark chocolate chips.

The toasted pecans add, shall I say it...a nuttiness (sorry I had to) to the bread that helps is also feel hearty. Thanks to the addition of sour cream the sweet and hearty loaf is also very moist. Gotta love what sour cream does to quick breads.

Can't forget the loveliness of the bananas of course. Thank you children for not finishing off all the bananas, leaving a few to over-ripen, consequently forcing me to make banana bread. I can't just let those poor bananas get thrown away.

SO yes, thank you children for giving me no choice to make this bread. Thank you for contributing to my serving of fruit/chocolate for the day. Thank you for giving me a super yummy and completely justified dessert breakfast.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Double Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
makes one 9 inch loaf

Printable Recipe

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
2 very ripe bananas, mashed well
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate morsels (larger chips)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9" loaf pan.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in pecans. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix mashed bananas, sour cream, eggs, butter and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Then stir in the chocolate chips.

Next, slowly fold in the banana mixture to the flour mixture until just combined.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan evenly.

Bake for 55 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Then transfer the loaf to a wire rack.

Eat warm...aka can't wait to have a slice...or eat at room temperature...possessing a little self-control.

Both are delightful.

Enjoy Friends!

As you may have noticed I have actually made this recipe printable. I am trying to add that feature and this is my maiden voyage. Hopefully it will work. Please let me know. If everything is hunky dory then I will slowly...SLOWLY try to do the same to my other recipes.

Love Ya!

HULK Smash: Avengers Birthday Party

This was the favorite game at our Avengers party. The HULK Smash.

The game's existence was rumored and anticipated by several of the boys. When they came in and saw the cardboard buildings, they knew what was coming.

Even in the presence of eminent danger, we had to hold our Hulks off until the other games had been played.

Thank heavens the city-taking-over little monsters didn't do too much damage while our Hulks played other games.

Then it was time for our Hulks to avenge the city.

Since we aren't crazy and didn't want complete chaos, we had one Hulk smash one building at a time. To make it fair we had numbered the boxes buildings. Each Hulk got his own building to smash. He was cheered on by the other Hulks.

They punched, kicked, and jumped on those buildings until they were a squashed heap on the floor.

Not only was this the most enjoyed game, but it was a pretty easy one to put together.

I gathered boxes for months. Closer to the party I painted all the boxes with a cheap house paint. I also cut rectangles from black and yellow paper for windows. I very haphazardly taped them on. Somewhat instant buildings.

Then in a matter of minutes they were happily pummeled.

Nothing like 7 boys smashing buildings!

Ahh, good times.

Avenger Assemble: Birthday Party

First, for all my American readers today is the day. GO AND GET YOUR VOTE ON.

Avengers Assemble.

Totally.

Assemble they did. Birthday party it up they did.

This was a fun, if not slightly stressful party to throw. I had ideas about what I wanted to do right away. Middle totally approved and was only too helpful to come up with more ideas.

Party ideas, check.

Party colors picked, check.

Now, like the Avengers, I just had to assemble. Whew! Everything got done, and Captain America had a successful birthday party.

Here is a little run down of our Supertastic Avengers Birthday Party.

                        

The main table was decorated with Marvel Avenger comic fabric. I made a simple banner from paint cards. I chose the colors I wanted. Then I simply ran them through my machine and sewed them together.

I chose to buy gumballs and Sixletes in the main party colors: green, blue, red, and gray.

One of my favorite things is the cardboard box buildings in the background. I made the ones on the table and several more for one of the party games...which I will talk about in just a sec...

The cardboard boxes were gathered over weeks and just stored happily in my garage. I bought a low-end cheap house paint from The Mart in a stone gray color. I covered the boxes with a couple of coats. I also cut out windows in yellow and black paper. Then with the help of little hands, I taped on all of the windows.

Besides the store bought candy, I also made Rice Crispie Treat Pops.

One of the highlights of the party were these Avenger felt masks.

I got the idea for these masks HERE. I didn't follow her template, I just kind of winged it. For me that worked out just peachy. I did have to stare at the picture of the Thor mask quite a bit. I am surprised I didn't go blind.

The potential loss of eye sight was totally worth it, because the boys loved the masks.

These Thor Pez dispensers were also quite a hit.

Besides the main treat table, there was another treat station.

I brought up the red dresser from my boys' room. I continued with the color theme, of course. I pretty much have a problem!

I displayed the comic book letters. 

I opted out of doing a cake. In years past I have gone nuts making big old creative cakes. However, we always have way to much cake left over. So I made a simple vanilla flavored cupcake, frosted it with a light and fluffy buttercream frosting, and topped it with Sixlets.

Easy peasy and totally cute.

I decorated the room we played all our games in with hand painted posters totally copied from these postcard prints I LOVED.

The party games were rowdy and fun. 

The boys flew around our cardboard buildings in a timed obstacle course like Iron Man.

They also armed themselves with their cardboard Captain America shield and protected themselves from the enemy.

Next was the Thor hammer toss.

They each got their own hammer thanks to toilet paper tubes, small boxes, and lots and lots of duct tape.

They really enjoyed throwing their hammer (one at a time of course) at a running Loki (Hubby).

BUT, the best game...

The game that they all loved...The game that caused the most rowdiness...The game that they had a hard time coming down from...

...well that was the game that involved our cardboard buildings, some green gloves, and a little bit of unbridled anger...

HULK smash.

Nothing like embracing your inner HULK. I will share a little bit more about the favorite party game tomorrow.

We certainly had an Avenger-tastic afternoon.

The best part of the party was the birthday boy's smile.

That is all I needed for this party to be a success.

Rice Crispie Treat Pops

We just had an Avengers party over here.

I am hoping to have all my photo edited and ready to show you by Monday. Costumes are done and Halloween is over, so the chances are a lot better now.

Today I am sharing just one little bit of the party. I am showing you these Rice Crispie Treat Pops.

Cake pops are all the rage. Unfortunately, I seem slightly inept at making the oh-so-awesome cake pops. I can't roll them smooth enough. The sticks never stay put. Then the chocolate goes on haphazardly. Hours later I am nothing short of miffed. How does the famous Bakerella do it? I bow down to her awesomeness.

So from cake pop frustration, these Rice Crispie Treat Pops were born.

So easy. So pretty. So yummy!

For about 20 pops, here is what you will need:

6 cups rice cereal
1 bag mini marshmallows
4 Tablespoons butter
2 bags candy melt chocolate
food coloring
straws

Melt the marshmallows with the butter for 1 minute at 50 percent power. Stir. Repeat for 30 seconds at a time until melted.

Have cereal in a bowl set aside waiting for it's dear friend melted mallow.

Pour that melted mallow over the cereal.

Mix well. Press the mixture into a greased 9x13 pan.

The rice cereal mallow mixture needs to set up for 20-30 minutes. Long enough to be set up, but short enough to still be soft and pliable.

While you are waiting, gather some extra lovely and especially awesome straws.

Cut them in half.

Now that the cereal treat is ready, take a small palm full. Please feel free to ignore my E.T. hand. Just focus on the yummy cereal goodness.

Place a straw in the center of your palm full of treat. Mold the cereal around the straw into a ball shape. Press firmly so that the cereal/mallow adheres to the straw.

Place them on a sheet of waxed paper to set up for several hours.

Forgive me for not having pictures for the next couple of steps. I was half out of my mind trying to get all the party stuff ready and seemed to forget I needed pictures.

So just picture it with me...

Melt your chocolate according to the package. I did one bag at a time. When one bag of chocolate was completely melted, I divided it into two bowls.

I used Wilton food coloring with the best results. Simply add some into the chocolate and stir.

Once the color was right, I dipped the bottom of the Rice Crispie Treat Pop into the chocolate. I used a spatula to help cover the pop a little more and to help smooth the surface out better.

Repeat with the other bag of chocolate and the other colors (that is if you are a nut bar like me and did four colors).

Let set up for a few hours.

Now they are ready.

Lovely.

They keep for about 24 hours uncovered. In an air tight container they keep for several more days.

Look for more Avengers fun next week.