Banana Nut Muffins

I volunteered to make a few batches of muffins for a Family Readiness Group (FRG) fundraiser for my husband’s company. When I started preparing for my bake-a-thon (seriously, I made several dozen), I decided to add in one of my favorite muffin recipes—banana nut muffins. I swear, you can’t go wrong with homemade banana nut muffins, especially when they have the yummiest secret ingredient….espresso! The little jolt of caffeine will surely be a welcome surprise for an entire company of soldiers after they finish a PT competition tomorrow morning!

I adapted the recipe below from one I found on www.allrecipes.com ages ago.

Ingredients:

3-4 bananas

1/3 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tbsp. espresso (or strong coffee)

1 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

1 ½ cup flour

1 cup chopped walnuts

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with baking cups.

Mix melted butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in sugar, egg, espresso, and vanilla. Mix in baking soda and salt. Add flour until it is just incorporated, then fold in the walnuts. Scoop mixture into muffin cups until about 2/3 full. Bake 25-30 minutes. Then, enjoy!

Yields: 12 (however, I usually end up with about 15-18).

Xo,

Meg

Simple DIY Projects

My parents came down to visit us this weekend and it was s u c h a great change of pace! Matthew’s time at home is often limited and unknown due to his training schedule; far too often we use every precious minute of our free time during the weekends to tackle unfinished home projects. Instead of putting my parents to work and taking advantage of two additional pairs of (very handy) hands, Matthew and my dad played golf on Saturday while my mom and I decided to hit up some local boutiques. Who would have thought that changing your normal routine could be such a breath of fresh air?! Although my parents’ trip was short but sweet, it was so nice to relax and enjoy being with family, even if just for a day or two.

So, after my parents left-- in our normal fashion—Matthew and I changed into our “workshop” clothes and headed outside to work on some simple DIY projects. I put the finishing touches on a few spray paint projects that I had begun last weekend and took a picture of an old window herb box that Matthew and I built (more to share on that later!). We picked up some simple wire bins at Dollar General earlier in the day and I planned to spray paint them with white and gray paint in an attempt to make them look rustic and old; it may not have turned out exactly how I wanted but I am happy with them.  Matthew also made some progress on my Ana White farmhouse table that will eventually replace the existing table in our dining room...so excited!

Here’s a photo recap of our Sunday afternoon projects [again, most of these were just snapped quickly on my iphone-- sorry!]:

I hope y’all had a great weekend, too!

Xo,

Meg

Favorite Things Friday

I am following suit of one of my favorite bloggers—The Liz Marie Blog [www.lizmarieblog.com]—and posting my first ‘Favorite Things Friday’! These pictures provide me with ideas for styling our home and serve as inspiration for future projects. This post is nothing fancy but it gives you some insight into some upcoming projects that we will be beginning (very) soon! ;)

Note: all of the pictures were found on Pinterest.

                                                                 [favorite barn door]

                                                  [favorite half bath with bead board]

                                          [favorite built-ins. love the blue paint for contrast]

                                                         [favorite bedding. h&m.]

                                              [favorite pallet bed for a screened-in porch] 

                                                        [favorite pallet headboard]

Our next (semi) major renovation is the bonus room and Matthew is going to do custom built-in shelving on one of the walls; I am a little nervous but I trust in Matthew's vision and his craftsmanship. It'll be a few weeks in the making since my sweet hubby will be getting eye surgery next week but we are in no rush with this project.  And if you couldn't tell already, we have some pallet projects planned...I am hoping they turn out half as great as these! Happy Friday, friends!

Xo,

Meg

Apple, Pecan and Butternut Squash Hash

I am sharing a delicious and healthy breakfast recipe today that is Whole30 and Paleo compliant; the Apple, Pecan and Butternut Squash Hash is a staple breakfast dish in the Brady household. I make this a few times a month-- I prepare and cook this dish on Sundays and prep portions for the following week. Matthew and I both eat breakfast at work, so popping the Tupperware in the microwave for a minute each morning makes this dish an easy and yummy option. C’mon, who doesn’t love a nice, hot breakfast to start their day?!

I double the recipe below to make ten (10) portions for a weeks worth of breakfast portions for Matthew and myself. I adapted the recipe from http://urbanposer.blogspot.com/2012/01/apple-butternut-squash-bacon-breakfast.html and took some pictures while making the recipe yesterday.

Apple, Pecan & Butternut Squash Hash

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh, diced butternut squash

1 cup diced granny smith apple

2/3 cup diced yellow onion

2/3 cup chopped pecans

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Fresh cracked pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat the oven to broil (you will be precooking the butternut squash before adding it to the skillet). After prepping the ingredients, heat a large skillet over a medium heat.

While the skillet is heating up, spread the diced butternut squash out evenly onto a cookie sheet sprayed with a cooking spray (I use Pam with Canola Oil). Place the cookie sheet under the broiler; broil the butternut squash until it just starts to brown on the edges, which takes about 10 minutes. Flip the squash once half way through cooking. Watch it carefully to ensure it doesn't burn too much though! Remove from the butternut squash from oven. 

While the butternut squash is baking, add about two tablespoons of EVOO to the preheated skillet. Add the apples and onion to the skillet and let cook until they start to get soft. Add all the butternut squash and pepper, continuing to cook and stir the hash over medium-medium high heat until the onions begin to turn translucent and the butternut squash softens. It helps to spread the hash evenly around the pan, and then let it sit for a moment before continuing to flip/stir it around again; this will help it to 'brown' instead of steam itself, which could result in a soggy hash. Add the pecans for the last 1-2 minutes of cooking time.

Remove from the heat and add any additional cracked pepper to taste.

I hope you decide to try this recipe and enjoy it as much as we do! The hash is a nice alternative to the sweet breakfast recipes that most of us are accustomed to—the rich and savory taste will be a welcome change and the hearty ingredients will keep you full for hours!

Xo,

Meg