Fantastic Banana Bread Recipe

This banana bread recipe is so good I had to share it. If you don't like almonds you can use any nut you like or you can leave out the nuts. I use almonds because they are my favorite nut.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium)
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup slivered almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease  2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches.

2. Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, yogurt and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in almonds. Pour into pans.

3. Bake 8-inch loaves about 1 hour, 9-inch loaf about 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

Tip of the Day

I have been taking my daughter out with me since she was 2 months old. I waited a long time to take her out because I was very afraid of germs. She was a preemie and weighed only 4 lbs and I was afraid she would get sick. She was born right before flu season started and I didn't want her catching anything. All newborns are very vulnerable to germs and can't take any medication until 6 months. I was afraid if she caught anything she would have to be hospitalized so I was very cautious. They told us at the hospital to make sure everyone washed their hands before touching her. I am sure that anyone who has had a baby has been told this by the hospital staff. When I started taking her out I was amazed at how many people would touch her without asking my permission. They would do it so fast that I didn't even have time to tell them to stop. I found out about these car seat signs from my support group.

My Tiny Hands Signs

My Tiny Hands has very bright plastic signs that tell people to please wash their hands before touching your child's hands. I only wish the sign said please wash your hands before touching me period but they are still good signs. If you're looking for a please don't touch sign you can find them at Healthy Little Ones. These signs are much longer and not as bright so I am not sure how effective they will be.

 

My Hands Are Clean, Are Yours?

I recently came across some signs that are non-toxic and eco-friendly at My Hands Are Clean, Are Yours?. They come in a variety of cool designs and shipping is free! They are around 5 inches so they are very hard to miss and a portion of all sales is donated to a local charity.

Cloth Diaper Review - Thirsties All-In-One Pocket Diaper

I recently bought the Thirsties All-In-One Pocket Diapers because I wanted a cloth diaper that my husband would be comfortable using. These diapers were so much better than I ever imagined. They are as easy to use as disposables and my husband is finally comfortable using cloth diapers. They have a great absorbency, I use them on my daughter at night. They have a pocket so I can add an insert for extra absorbency. They have a stay dry top layer that keeps the moisture away from my daughters bottom. They fit my daughter very well and I have not had a leakeage issue. They have velcro tabs so they can grow with my daughter very easily. They come in lots of great colors as well. I only have one issue with diaper, they are a bit bulky, not as bulky as prefolds though. Since the diaper is so great, the bulkiness is not a very big issue. In order to dry faster I turn the diaper inside out before I place them in the dryer. They are a bit expensive, around $16, but I was able to find them on sale at GoGo Natural.

Tip of the Day

I am always looking for ways to save money and I came across Baby Half Off. This website offers baby related items at 50% - 80% off. A new deal is listed each day at 8am. Some of the past deals listed where for pocket diapers, baby shoes, baby blankets, baby toys, cloth diaper wet bags, and much more. They have very reasonable pricing for shipping and they ship to Canada as well. They also have free local pickup if you live by Gilbert, AZ. If you join their Facebook page they occasionally give hints about upcoming deals.

Starting Your Baby On A Schedule

At my daughter's four month checkup my pediatrician recommended that I start her on a schedule. She said that at four months a baby is ready for a schedule. I was eager to start, a schedule would make it easier for me to plan my day. I wasn't sure where to start but I decided that the best thing to do would be to observe her for a couple of days and see if she had her own routine. I initially thought my daughter didn't have any routine but after watching her I realized I was very wrong.

This is the schedule I came up with based on my observation.
7am - Wake up and Feeding
7:30am to 9am  - Playtime
9am to 9:30am - Nap
9:30am - Feeding
9:30am to 11:30am - Playtime
11:30am - Feeding
12pm to 1pm - Playtime
1pm to 2pm - Nap
2pm - Feeding
2:30pm - 5pm - Playtime
5pm to 5:30pm - Feeding followed by Nap (Only Naps sometimes)
5:30pm to 6:30pm - Playtime
6:30pm - Bath (Start bedtime routine)
7pm - Feeding followed by Bedtime

Some important notes that I wanted to mention. First you need to be flexible with your schedule. Their are days when she wakes up later and this affects her morning routine. Obviously I feed her as often as she needs to be fed. I just put the main feeding times down in my schedule. Their are some days when she needs more naps a day or they last longer. I usually place her down for her nap when she shows me signs of sleepiness. She will get very cranky and start rubbing her eyes. It is important to set a bedtime routine and to follow it every night. After a week of following this bedtime routine my daughter falls asleep at 7pm every night without any problems. It is important that your child has playtime where they entertain themselves, such as a mobile or play pen with toys, as well as playtime with you. Sometimes I run errands during her playtime hours. I have noticed that since I put my daughter on a schedule she has been happier.