Microwave Banana Bread

I know that some of you cringed when reading that title. So did I, at the thought of it. But it's hot today. Like, really hot. Too hot for the oven. And even if it wasn't too hot for the oven, my oven is broken.

So what do you do when you have brown bananas and no oven? You make microwave banana bread!

I have had my Tupperware Oval Microcooker for nearly 10 years, and I love it!

I don't use it nearly as often as I should, but there's really a lot you can do with it. I have made chicken enchiladas, rotiserrie chicken, and a German Chocolate Cake that frosts itself. I steam vegetables and cook ground beef/turkey in it as well. So, I figured I could make a banana bread in it too!

Success!

MICROWAVE BANANA BREAD

1 1/2.c flour

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. plus 2 tbsp. soft butter

1/3 c. milk

2 eggs

2 med. bananas, sliced or mashed

1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. pumkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine ingredients in order given. Mix well. Lightly butter a microwave pan. Sprinkle with remaining nuts. Pour in batter. Cook for 7 to 9 minutes on full power or until done. Let stand 5 minutes before turning out of pan.

You could of course us any microwavable pan. I'm actually thinking of using coffee mugs next time and making muffins!

Follow Me on Pinterest

Cooper's Carnival Birthday Party!!

The weekend of Cooper's birthday passed as quickly as it came.

For his actual birthday, we celebrated with dinner at Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel. If you haven't been to a Character Dining Experience at either Disney Resort, you should! It's amazing, the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and, while a little on the expensive side, it's well worth it. More of our family party in my next post.

Today is all about the big CARNIVAL PARTY!

Using inspiration from Adriana at and baby makes three as my jumping point, I planned and prepared for nearly four months, and I'm happy to say that the party went off without a hitch!!

Enjoy the pictures! (I will include a list of resources at the end).

STEP RIGHT UP, COME ON IN...

The tables were covered with yellow tablecloths and topped with white butcher paper. Centerpieces were just some simple greens in a vase tied with balloons. I set out crayons for a little creative expression.

Even the grown-ups enjoyed the coloring.

 

 

I placed some bright blue pails around the treat table, filled with candy. (the tags on the lollipops say "Thank you for coming. Hope you had a sweet time!").

The Menu:

The food was a hit! We cooked the hot dogs beforehand and wrapped them in foil to keep them warm. I also made a pasta salad for the adults (I'll be sharing that recipe soon - it's my favorite go-to for potlucks). Caramel apples were sliced apples with caramel dip.

Of course no carnival is complete without fresh popped popcorn! We filled retro popcorn bags with microwaved popcorn for our guests to munch on.

I found these red cups at Target, that came with lids and straws (not the ones pictured). $2.99 for 15! They were perfect for the cute clown straws I had purchased.

For the cupcakes I borrowed this three tiered stand from a friend, who found it at a local flea market.

It was perfect for displaying Mama's Homemade Cupcakes.

I made the cupcake toppers in Publisher. I printed them on cardstock, cut the two inch squares and attached them to coffee stir sticks with double sided tape.

I still wanted Cooper to have his own special cake, so I purchased a giant, plain cupcake at my local grocery store and iced it like a cake.

 Cooper thought it was pretty cool.

My friend Vanessa is multi-talented. Since she loves my Cooper too, she offered to provide face painting for his birthday party. She did an amazing job and we were so grateful!

 Cooper's Snake.

We also had a jumper to help balance out some of the quieter activities!

 

Even some of the mommies got in on the action...in dresses no less!

 

Yes, that's me, getting knocked down by a seven year with way better balance!

Now, for my favorite part of the party, we also had a Photo Booth! I saw a few of these around blogland and thought, "I can do this!" But, I didn't want to spend the money for fabric for the background that I would probably never use again. Then I remembered that Grandma has a cute polka dot blanket, and voila! Instant background! 

Everyone really enjoyed the photo booth, but I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!

 I even kept Cooper's big birthday present to the "Carnival" theme:

 

Seriously, this Roller Coaster by Step2 is one of the coolest toys ever! The kids all had a great time taking turns on it.

To end the day, everyone got a party favor bag filled with carnival prizes to take home.

Cute Rice Krispie Treats courtesy of Grandma.

This party was probably the most detailed I've ever put on, and everyone had a great time! Cooper especially enjoyed himself - I don't think the smile left his face all day. I hope you enjoyed the pictures!!

 

Resources:

Digital Party Pack (used for the party favor tags and Happy Birthday signs):

Typewink on Etsy

Cooper's Birthday Shirt: Made Cute Just 4 U on Etsy

Framed Signs: Made in Publisher by me, using backgrounds from the digital party pack

Blue Buckets: Target (dollar aisle)

Roller Coaster: Amazon

Clown Noses: Small Toys

Party Favors/Prizes:

Clown Straws, Bird Whistles, Retro Popcorn Bags: Hey Yo Yo on Etsy

Ice Cream Shooters, Super Balls, Lollipops, Sticky Hands, Mini Pinwheels: SmallToys

Follow Me on Pinterest

Family Values Subway Art Printable

I'm a follower. Yes, I've jumped on the subway art bandwagon.

You might remember this post, where I made some inspirational art for my kitchen. I really am loving the simplicity of the written word in black and white as art.

Like everyone else out there in blogland, I've seen a lot of DIY Subway Art. I'm a printable kind of gal rather that a paint-it-yourself-er, so I sat down in front of my computer, played around in Publisher (my favorite program, btw) and came up with this.

I chose some phrases that I felt were important for our kids (and us) to remember. This is what it says:
Laugh Out Loud
Love One Another
Keep Your Promises
Help Others
Say Please and Thank You
Don't Whine
Work Hard
Say I Love You
Share
Be Grateful
Use Kind Words
Always Tell the Truth
Do Your Best

I stuck it in a frame that I had on hand, and there you go! Free art!

Here's the printable for you if you'd like. Just click on the image, right click and save. Size is 8x10.

For PERSONAL USE ONLY. Not to be claimed as your own or sold for profit. Thank you.


What would your family values sign say?
Follow Me on Pinterest

Cooper's Carnival Birthday Party Sneak Peak!

The big day is almost here! We're on countdown around here with just three short days to go. Cooper's getting so excited...we had his buddy Gracie's birthday party last weekend, and he's been asking ever since "When's my party???" Lucky for him, they're a week apart so he doesn't have to wait long!

My baby was pretty sick earlier this week, but thankfully is feeling better...now it seems as though it's my turn, as I'm starting to feel a bit mousy. AND with only three days on the big birthday countdown, this is NOT a good thing! Say a little prayer for me, would you?

So, I know you didn't come here for the commentary, so I'll give you a little sneak peek at what I've been up to...

Come back next week to see how we pull it all together!
Follow Me on Pinterest

Hello Kitty Cupcake Toppers & Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

My girlfriend's daughter had a birthday last week and I offered to make the birthday cupcakes. Of course the first order of business was to find a great recipe for chocolate cupcakes. I did.

Oh. Yeah. Check it out. There's also a recipe for chocolate butter frosting, but this little girl wanted Hello Kitty pink and white. Wish granted!

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes

I made a buttercream icing to top them with, but it's a basic. I double the recipe and it generously frosted all 26 cupcakes.

Easy Buttercream Icing
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
6 Tblsp milk

Whip the butter until fluffy. Gradually add in 1 cup of the powdered sugar and reduce speed to low, add in the liquid, salt and flavoring. Last the rest of the powdered sugar. If firmer icing is needed, add in a bit more powdered sugar, if softer icing is needed, add in a bit more of the milk. Flavor as desired.

And here's the finished product:

I also created the Hello Kitty cupcake toppers in Publisher, since buying the download alone would have cost me $6-$10 on Etsy, and buying them completed would have been upwards of $15 per dozen.

I found some free images on google search, created a 2 inch square and designed away! I printed the toppers on cardstock, cut them out out and attached two cards to a coffee stirrer with double stick tape. Simple! I thought about adding some ribbon to the sticks as well, but ran out of time.

I think she'll like them. What do you think?

Happy birthday sweet girl!

Cooper's birthday is a week away...I'll be back next week with an update on that party!
Follow Me on Pinterest