Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

It's been awhile since I posted a good recipe on here, so here's a little something I made today...and it's healthy!



Johnny's Favorite Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
(adapted from "Simply Delicious," the College Church cookbook)

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
3/4 Cup of Sugar
1 Egg
3 Ripe, Mashed Bananas
3 T. Skim Milk
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease muffin tins (Recipe makes 18 regular muffins or 12 regular muffins and 12 mini muffins)
2. Combine Applesauce, Sugar, and Egg in large mixing bowl
3. In separate bowl, mash Bananas and Milk
4. In a third bowl, combine Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt
5. Alternately add the banana mixture with the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture in the large bowl.  Don't overmix.
6. Mix in Chocolate Chips and Walnuts
7. Scoop into muffin tins and cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven and what size your muffin tins are.  Insert a knife into the middle of a muffin; if it comes out clean, you're good to go!

Baby Mail

Just got the cutest package in the mail for Baby Hutson.

Thanks Cousin Shana and Cousin Tommy.  Murphy too!

34 Weeks

Gulp!

Baby Hutson is currently 34 weeks along.  He/she weighs somewhere around 5 pounds and is around 18 inches long (according to thebump.com).  He/she is moving around like a mad person and enjoys sticking his/her feet right under my ribs on the right side and pushing really hard.  Baby Hutson also likes to move all of his/her arms and legs at the same time and has been getting the hiccups lately.  Mommy Hutson can't sit for more than 15 minutes at a time without getting horrible back pain from all the extra weight up front.  It's all worth it, though, because in just a few short weeks we'll be on our way to the hospital!

**I do apologize that all of my recent posts have been baby related.  I'll do my best to get some variety in the future.

Don't Believe the Lies

Johnny and I met with Baby Hutson's pediatrician yesterday.  She's did a great job of answering all of our questions.  One question I asked was whether expensive baby laundry detergent was necessary.  She said, "Absolutely not."  Apparently there's nothing super different about baby detergent.  So as long as you already use detergent without scents or dyes, you're good to keep using it.  A penny saved!

The Hutsons Go Old School

It's true.  We are attempting to use cloth diapers with Baby Hutson.  I mean how could we resist something so cute?  Johnny did the research, and we will have 12 different cloth diapers at about $15 a piece. 12 x $15 = $180.  It seems like a lot up front, but when a pack of 50 diapers costs about $15, and you're using ten a day...it will only be 60 days until we break even.  And look at all the cute colors they come in.




I am also going to make my own baby book for Baby Hutson.  It's been awhile since I've scrap booked...basically since Johnny and I got married because all of our pictures only have us in them, and that gets boring.  But Hobby Lobby was having a 40% off sale on all their scrap booking stuff, so I decided to go for it.

And finally, stay tuned for this DIY.  You know those Moby Wraps that moms wear to carry their babies in?  You know how they're also $45 for what is pretty much a long piece of fabric?  I'm planning to turn the fabric below into a few of these.  Mama Williams, you want one?

Baby Hutson's New Crib

Allow me to let you in on a little secret: Cribs are expensive! Johnny and I decided after our first trip to Buy Buy Baby that we would most likely be looking for a crib on Craig's List in order to cut costs with all of the new baby things we would need to buy. After just a little bit of time spent looking around, I found a brand new, never before used crib and mattress on Craig's List for $200. All in all saving us at least $300.



We took my mom's minivan to pick it up from the seller. After dropping Johnny off at work, I decided I would drive it home, put it in the house, and then give my mom her car back. I got all the way to my driveway when I realized that my keys to my house as well as the garage door opener were with my car at my parents' house. So rather than drive 20 minutes back there to get the keys, 20 minutes back to my house, and then 20 minutes back to drop off the car, I knocked on my elderly neighbor's door and asked if I could stick it in her garage until later. She kindly obliged.

And look how cute it is!  Daddy Hutson did a very good job of putting it together.  Next on the Craig's List list is a rocking chair (no way I'm paying $600+ for a new one).

Hutson Kitchen Before and After

Now that Baby Hutson's arrival is less than eight weeks away, Johnny and I are trying to get some last minute projects done.  One of those projects was painting the kitchen (remember the awful yellow?).  We still plan to paint the cabinets white, but that will be a spring time activity.

Hutson Kitchen Before:



Hutson Kitchen After:



I'm also planning to paint the pantry door with chalkboard paint.  There's a great link on my Pinterest (button on the left) for how to make your own chalkboard paint.



Hutson Kitchen Before:

Hutson Kitchen After:



Do notice that one of those blue lights managed to stick around.  I'm trying to find an antique chandelier to hang there instead.  Though, Mitchell says he likes it because it reminds him of Chili's, so we might need to keep it for the ambiance. After we paint the cabinets, I'm also wanting to find a way to cover up some of the tiles that have random teapot designs on them.  Anyone have any experience with cheaply changing a kitchen backsplash?

Next project will be either stripping and painting the dining room or painting the entire front and upstairs hallways.

The Walking Pregnant Woman Strikes Again

Ever since I reported these events I haven't had a problem with sleepwalking...or so I thought.

The last few days, I have been waking up and doing chores around the house and noticing that someone was using the guest bathroom and not flushing the toilet.  Now I would normally blame Johnny for something like this, but boys don't use toilet paper.  This could only mean that I had been doing it and not remembering it.

I mentioned this to Johnny, and he said, "Yeah, I heard you open and shut the bedroom door really loudly the other night and go into the bathroom.  I just assumed you didn't like our bathroom since the toilet wobbles."  So apparently, my unconscious, sleeping self prefers to use the guest bathroom at night.  The really weird thing is, though, that I also wake up in the middle of the night and go to the bathroom in our room, consciously.  

Johnny has decided that he's jealous of me because he thinks it's a pretty sweet deal to be able to get up in the middle of the night, in the dark, without tripping over everything on the floor, and go to the bathroom, all without waking up.  I'm just hoping I don't decide to go outside or something. 

What Parents Wear According to Sydney

Sydney: We got to see our dance recital costumes today.

Rachel: Oh yeah? What do they look like?

Sydney:  Well the first one is like all white.

Rachel: ...That sounds nice.

Sydney: I know.  And the second one is kind of, um, kind of not for six year olds.

Rachel: You mean it's kind of mature?

Sydney: Yeah, it's like what parents wear.  And I'm really happy about that.  It's like black and gold and what parents wear.

I'm just hoping this means she's dancing in a suit and tie.

Baby Hutson's First Quilt and Our First Class

I finished Baby Hutson's first quilt yesterday.  I had to use the iPad for the pictures, so forgive the quality.



It's flannel, and the light green color matches the color of his/her room.



In real life, the light green is a lot more green and less ugly tan.



We're ready for you, Baby Hutson!

Speaking of being ready, Johnny and I went to our first birthing class on Tuesday night.  We were supposed to bring two pillows and a blanket...which we didn't really use, so I'm not totally sure what that was about.  But we found our way to the hospital and figured out where to park when the baby comes.  The class itself was good and informative, but we couldn't make it out without seeing a closeup video of a birth...yikes.  And I'm not sure what the women were thinking who allowed photos of themselves during labor to be used in our PowerPoint.  There will be absolutely no photos of me during labor in existence.

Now we have breathing exercises to practice, and we know what signs to look for to know when it's time to go to the hospital.  I'm also starting to think about what to put into our overnight bag as well as the baby's.  Any suggestions?

January Book Club

http://quickwitlitniks.blogspot.com/2011/11/joy-luck-club-by-amy-tan.html

January's book club book was The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.  Fewer people were able to get through this one because of the holidays, and some of those who did get through it seemed to find it kind of confusing and a little boring.  Personally, I really enjoyed it.  Amy Tan highlights the difficulty of mothers understanding daughters and vice versa through the separate but interwoven stories of eight different women.  I really liked learning about Chinese and Chinese American cultures, and I also liked the challenge of keeping all the stories straight.  I would highly recommend it.

For February, we had a few requests for something "romantic."  Since I couldn't reconcile with reading something of Nicholas Sparks's caliber, I consulted the Wall Street Journal's "Best Fiction of 2011" reading list.  There was only one novel that had anything to do with love, so that's the one I picked.  We will be reading The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright.  Here's a link to the New York Times Book Review of the book.  It looks intriguing and hopefully not too trashy.

If you're participating in book club from afar, feel free to comment on your opinion of the books thus far.

New Favorite

Old Favorite:

http://www.amazon.com/MayFair-Games-MFG3061-Settlers-Catan/dp/B000W7JWUA

New Favorite:

http://www.amazon.com/Rio-Grande-Games-RGG170-Carcassonne/dp/B00005UNAX/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1326064467&sr=1-1

Johnny and I enjoyed playing strategy games with our friends in Philadelphia.  We have slowly tried to carry on the tradition here in Kansas, but that pretty much just means teaching my brother how to play and him beating us every single time while also distractedly playing with his Kindle.

Carcassonne is our new favorite; though, it's not the same playing without Fred and Laura.  We are on the lookout for new game night buddies, however.  Tempting anyone? (eh Tate and Abby?)

Happy Anniversary!

Happy third anniversary, Johnny!  

The Time I Stole Two Tacos

To begin this story, we must start at the beginning.  Sydney woke up this morning asking if we could go to Kaleidoscope.  I have spoken of Kaleidoscope before.  It's a FREE (this is important later on in the story) activity space run by Hallmark where kids can go paint, make puzzles, and hang out in a black light room.



So we decided to go to Kaleidoscope this afternoon and had a grand old time.



We had such a grand old time that we decided to stay at Crown Center for lunch.  After a brief scuttlebug as to where the girls wanted to eat in the food court, they finally decided on Mexican.  Each girl ordered a taco, and I was so proud of them because they each politely asked for lettuce and salsa while most kids, including some 25 year olds, only like meat and cheese.  Meriahna even asked for guacamole.  The lady behind the counter told me that it was extra, but I thought, "Hey, you only live once. Pile it on! How about some nachos on the side as well!"

The girls grabbed their drinks, and just as Sydney was asking if she could have Orange Crush, I reached my hand into my purse and realized that my wallet wasn't there.  We're talking no wallet, no credit cards, no cash or change to speak of.  Visions of my wallet sitting on my desk at home flashed through my head.  I hadn't needed it all afternoon because Kaleidoscope is FREE.  Through my red-faced shame, I mumbled something about how this has never happened before, while the lady behind the counter eyed me up and down as if I did this all the time.  I talked to the manager and convinced him to let us eat under the agreement that I'd go get money and bring it back ASAP.

Completely embarrassed, I sat down with the girls amid the stares of the other customers.  The girls politely ate their tacos, fully aware of what was going on and loudly discussing how we'll have to go ALL the way home and come ALL the way back to pay the man.  I quickly flashed through possibilities in my brain of people who would be near Crown Center from whom I could borrow money.  On a long shot, I called Katie to see if she was at work.  She wasn't, but while I was accepting her "That sucks," Meriahna leaned over to me and very calmly and politely asked, "Can I have another taco?"

I turned my head toward her in slow motion disbelief.  "Meriahna, we have no money. We can't even pay for the taco you already ate.  How am I supposed to get you another taco?"

"What...I'm hungry..."

Needless to say, Meriahna did not get another taco.  We drove thirty minutes home and thirty minutes back to pay the $12.27 bill.  In the end, I didn't steal the tacos, but I was pretty tempted to stuff those kids meals in my purse, throw one girl under each arm, and hightail it out of there, Philadelphia style.