Dairy Wife Wednesday...Banana Cupcakes (or so our 4 year old thinks!)

First off...this is the best banana MUFFIN you will eat.  I have called it a "cupcake" only to trick our 4 year old into eating breakfast!

This recipe is a mish mash of a few different recipes that I like...one from a church cookbook, one that I stumbled upon on the internet and yes, Martha!

I have omitted the oil and added butter (of course!) AND added the sour cream that Martha puts in hers.

The reason this recipe is titled Banana "Cupcakes" is only to trick our 4 year old into eating!  She is a VERY light eater (I would wonder if she were mine...except I remember EVERY bit of delivering her!) 

So, we set off this morning and with her help, we gathered, mixed and baked the "cupcakes."  

Oh, my goodness...she can NOT wait to eat a "cupcake" for breakfast! 

 (I think I am on my way to winning this battle...)

 I have found this combination to be the best tasting and most moist recipe for banana bread/muffins.  Give it a try!

Start with 1/2 cup of REAL CA butter at room temperature... 

2 eggs...

1 cup of granulated sugar...

Mix butter, eggs and sugar until light and fluffy...

In a separate bowl... mix 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour...

1 tsp baking soda...

1 tsp salt...

Blend the dry ingredients into the butter mix...mix well.

Add 1 cup of mashed ripe bananas...about 3 medium bananas.

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

Fill up about 3/4 of the way full...and we added walnuts to a few...

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-18 minutes...maybe a bit longer...

Don't forget a cold glass of REAL CA milk!

Love & Junk~

Julie

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Transformation Tuesday....Poof! Gone with the ugly brown curtains!

Okay...so, here is a quick drop cloth curtain tutorial (if you can even call it that?!?)  

 I have mentioned that I am DESPERATELY wanting to lighten up (in more ways than one...personally, too!)  our home.  We live in a really cool...ranch style home...with a barn wood brown ceiling (see below.)  Our brown leather couches, cow hides and dark brick are some of my favorite things about our home.   But....Spring is almost here and I am really want to decorate with whites/ecru and apple green!

Brown door, brown ceiling, brown curtains (ick, really Julie?)  Are you feeling my desperation???

This is JUST the start to the makeover on this room...here is the finished product on the curtain panels.

A little burlap loop at the top...for a shabby rustic way to hold them up!

I started with a clean, pressed wheat color drop cloth...yep, just from the hardware store.  Look at it for a second...and let the hemmed edges work for you!  I let those hang on the bottom...so, my curtains were finished for me!

Next, I pinned them to my brown curtains I had.  Yep, I put those to work for me, too!  The brown panel will serve as a "black out" and make these curtains darken the room more (we get a TON of hot summer heat from that BIG window!)  I folded the edges in, and that will serve as my hem (remember, my baby is napping and the oldest is working with dad...this HAD to be FAST!)  I left the brown loops at the top...you will see how we "doctor" those later...

I really just placed the drop cloth over the brown panel, folding in all edges...and started sewing those edges together.  I told you this was easy!

Back to the brown loop thingy's....okay...I just grabbed some burlap ribbon I had and placed it right over the brown loop...and sewed that on.  I left my burlap edges rough and frayed... I like the rustic, not perfect feel...

My ribbon was wider than the original brown loop...just gather it and sew it down.

Right over the brown loop...leaving that brown loop to actually be what the curtain will hang from is  better...because the weight of this panel now is much too heavy for that burlap alone.

That's it...quick, simple and the brown is gone!  I am finishing up the curtains on the sliding glass door, painting some brown and black furniture in the room...and will have more pictures later!

Have a FABULOUS week!!!

Love & Junk~

Julie

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Motivation For Monday...Grab A Little Gratitude!

Chances are you have seen this poster floating around Pinterest lately.  

I have.

Pinned it.

LOVE it!  

Sometimes reminders come in hearing others' stories of loss, heartache and hurt.  Last night I wrote this on a chalkboard in our home where I write lots of important and meaningful sayings.  

This one is going to find a permanent spot in our home.

We all know this saying to be true...we just need to remind ourselves once in a while. 

I have shown you bits and pieces of our home...our home right here in the middle (yes, cows on all four sides) of the dairy.  Sometimes...I can be a bit of a clean freak and get irritated by all the dust the trucks, four wheelers and tractors kick up around here.  Well, I am grateful for that dust and those trucks...because that means my this dairy is alive and well.  Grateful for that.

I LOVE our home and my husband works hard everyday (and has since he was about 4 or 5 years old) so we can live here.  I am beyond grateful for that!

I am grateful for the time we got to spend together this weekend.  Just us...nowhere to go...nowhere we had to be...just us...at home!   We got to enjoy an afternoon ride on the golf cart around the dairy.  Yep, I LOVE that.  Our family was together...all four of us...even our sweet Millie, our chocolate lab was along for the ride.  Grateful that these fun, silly moments are enough.   

Natalie was our driver...

Lauren was busy...

Millie...well, she was just along for the ride...

Our girls are healthy, happy and beautiful!  For that, I am GRATEFUL!!

I am grateful today, and everyday...for what we have...is enough...

Love & Junk~

Julie

Furniture Friday....Funky Magazine Table

I was a little excited when I found this table.  So excited...that I jumped right in painting it and forgot to take my "before" pictures.  You will get a "during" picture here....

I found this table from a friend...she found it at a yard sale and didn't want it.  Mine...thank you!

I started by cleaning it really well...wiping all the dirt and grime out of the grooves in the legs.  Then gave her a nice coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Florence.  Let that dry well and came back and distressed it lightly with a warm, clean wet rag.  Off to let that dry well...laundry calling my name!





Next, I put on an even coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax....this only has to sit for at least 30 minutes.  I had a closets to clean out...so it sat for a couple of hours...no harm done.  I always come back and buff with a clean, lint free cloth...elbow grease needed!


After working the wax in well...I am left with a nice, rich shine!




Just enough distressing...for an authentic worn look.


I love the legs on this...




This picture made me nutso!!!!  I have o idea why it is so fuzzy...tried everything.  Oh well, I love this little table...not sure whether I am going to let her go or not!

I hope you have a fabulous Friday!  My girls and I are headed to the park to play with some friends and have a little lunch!

Love & Junk~

Julie

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