Time For A Change!!

I am not sure why, but around this time of year I start thinking about remodeling. Not the tear down walls, make hubby cry kind of remodeling, but what I like to call "little touches". Such as, painting, installing wainscoting (which I lllooovvveee), adding crown molding, etc. I have been wanting to change my pantry doors for a while now. I wanted a selvaged half glass/half wooden door. You know...kind of like a back door. Nine panes of glass on upper part and regular style door on the bottom. I would need two doors, since I have a double pantry. Something similar to this:

Above: That was until I found this!!!

Above: HOW ADORABLE!!! I had a fit when I saw this! I love it. Look at the handle. Wish I could do it to my pantry. Dear hubby thought I was having some kind of fit when I stumbled upon this photo. I might have squealed, not sure, but I know I started talking real fast and kept saying "Look, look, how adorable!!". He just didn't really understand my excitement. But look below. Adorable!!

Above: Really....can it get any cuter <3  I know that I really couldn't keep my pantry that neat, but with that apron practically covering the disaster inside, why not!?! 

Put a few more things in the Etsy shop. I really had so much fun designing these. I have a million ideas bouncing through my head right now. Next on my list: a Fall one!

Above: Not sure what they are? A pincushion :)

This past week I wanted to make some banana nut bread. I keep my ripe bananas in the freezer. I just place them into a gallon size zip bag and add to it as my bananas ripen. Side note: bananas tend to ripen really fast for me. I like them with a little green and slightly firm. As soon as they get a brown spot on them, into the freezer they go. I tend to have a weak gag reflex and will gag really bad on a riping banana. 

Here's what they look like when you remove them from the freezer:

Above: Yuck!! Total gagness!!! They turn real dark when you freeze them. I do freeze them with the skin on and then just pop them in to the microwave for about 20 seconds and peel the skin right off. I them put them in a microwaveable bowl for another 20 seconds and then I reserve about 1 TBS of banana juice to add to the bread batter.

Above: Yummo!!!

Above: Sure wish you could smell it. Something so comforting about banana bread smell.

The recipe that I use is a little different. It calls for sour cream. This makes a wonderful moist, very moist, bread.

Banana Bread

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan (use butter for pans! )
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts, and pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Hope you enjoy this recipe! We sure did! It's raining cats and dogs here.

Stay dry,

Holly