Bananas Around Here

My crazy little monkeys that drive

me WILD some days!!

But then look at those faces when

they choose to be sweet.

Yes, the KEY word is "CHOOSE"

As usual it is always crazy bananas around here.  It is loud, it is crazy (with a crazy amount of laundry), 18 meals a day, 12 snacks a day, and countless refills on drinks.  I am one tired waitress...

She is such a monkey.

Can't you see the stubborn streak 

in those eyes?

We are trucking our way through this school year slowly, but surely on schedule.  That is what counts, right??  We are on schedule and retaining information learned.  That is the true clinker.  Carson started Kindergarten this year too with Logan, to make it easier on me for future years of schooling.  I then decided a few weeks ago that was not a wise idea.  So, we stopped Kindergarten work and went to preschool work...he was bored and knew everything.  Back to Kindergarten he went.  He may not retain everything, but I believe whatever he doesn't get, he will still be farther along and will catch it next year.  He is doing so well and is reading too!!!  Long days of complete frustration when you are trying to teach little ones to read.  It is a major accomplishment to any Mama for their child to learn to read, but it is an extreme accomplishment when that Mama is the one who teaches them to read.    Logan had a rough start, as I think every boy who has to start Kindergarten does, but in the last 3 weeks has blown me away with what I thought he was not getting.  PRAISE the LORD!!  I was really seriously thinking maybe we should wait another year.  Then he started reading to me.  Olivia is doing so well in 2nd grade and is now able to read her Bible on her own with help here and there.  LOVE!!!!  It made for a very happy heart the other night while cooking dinner she was reading to her brothers and sister while I was cooking dinner.  Those moments are the ones that I try to remind myself of when I am having very frustrating days of schooling.  I remind myself that we can do this, we are doing this.  They are learning!!

I think they really do love each other...

And, yes, we have lots and lots of crazy banana days.  Days that I would like to forget and fast forward through.  I know, people remind me to cherish the moments while they are small for all too soon they are gone and grown.  I cannot lie though, there are days when I frantically tell myself I have like 16 more years of schooling them (all 4 of them) !!!!!!!!  What will I ever do?  How will I ever make it?  An ever present reminder for me everyday with everything is Philippians 4:13.  I think I can pretty much say that is my anchor verse right now, it is the one that I think about daily, a lot during the day, especially of late.

And on those days I am ever so happy to have another school day complete, lessons checked off, the schoolroom closed and the kitchen opened!!  Oh, how I love to be in the kitchen...well, most of the time, especially when it involves something sweet.

These are MYRABOINS!!

CRAZY

LOVING

LOUD

MONKEYS

SWEET

MISCHIEVOUS

(you know all the things that make you, mama, crazy but love them all at the same time)

We are overrun with bananas here and they are super cheap.  I keep trying to come up with different ways to use them because when you buy them you get like 15 of them for $1, and you can only eat so many fresh bananas before you are sick of them.  And I don't like throwing out bananas that are perfect for making something super yummy and sweet.

A friend of mine posted a recipe for a banana chocolate chip muffin recipe the other day, and I had bananas that needed to be rid of soon or the ants were going to overtake them.  And they do, which is why the bananas are not allowed in the house.  They must stay outside on the table, so the ants can stay out there.
Anyways, I looked at the recipe and thought it very strange that it called for mayo or miracle whip.  Hers looked yummy, but I had just made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and wanted something different.  So, I ended up changing the recipe and they were PERFECT!!!!!  I wanted something with more of a bran texture but still super moist and not hard as rock, which most bran muffins are bricks!!

Banana Oat Muffins

2 C White Flour

1 C Wheat Flour 

1 C sugar (I think next time I will decrease to 3/4 or maybe even 1/2)

1/2 C Brown Sugar

2 tsp Soda

2 tsp Salt

1 C Miracle Whip

2 eggs

2 tsp Vanilla

6 very ripe mashed bananas

Cooking would not be complete without the mess I make

and the toys helping me!

(I made these again the other day with a little bit healthier spin....I used light mayo and cut the sugar in 1/2, and they were even better than I remember).

Mix all the dry ingredients in mixing bowl and mix all wet ingredients in another bowl, then mix all together just until all ingredients are combined.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease 24 muffin tins.

You will then want to top these with approximately 1/2 C of premixed streusel topping  and 1/3 C of oats (not the instant ones) that have been tossed in 1 TBS of melted butter.  Once topped bake for 20-25 minutes.  Just watch them.  We are at a higher elevation and my cooking times have varied a lot since we moved here.  Maybe it is the oven, but some things cook a lot quicker and other things cook a lot slower.

Here is my streusel topping recipe that I always have made up and on hand in the freezer.  It will keep in a ziploc bag in the freezer for months.  Mine never stays in there that long though.  

1/2 C White Sugar

1/4 C Brown Sugar

1-2 tsp Cinnamon (depending on how you like it, and I omit for other kinds of muffins)

1/2 stick butter, room temperature

1 tsp water

Mix sugars and cinnamon, then cut in butter and add water.  Cut in until you have pea size crumbles.

Hope you enjoy these as much as we did.  It made me feel like it was fall the day I baked them.  It was cool outside and cloudy, just like a crisp fall day at home...well, it wasn't crisp but I wasn't sweating ; )