Black Bottom Banana Bars

Sometimes I get tired of making banana bread or banana muffins with my too-ripe-to-eat bananas, so I make this recipe.

Black Bottom Banana Bars

1/2 cup butter-softened
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium will do)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup baking cocoa

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla--beat until thoroughly combined. Blend in the bananas.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Divide batter in half. Add cocoa to 1/2 of batter and spread in greased 9x13 pan. Spoon remaining batter on top and swirl with knife or fork.

Bake 350 for 25 minutes or until done. Cool. Enjoy.

Sometimes if I am especially in a hurry, I just mix the cocoa in with the whole mix and it makes a nice chocolate banana bar.

Have a great day.

R~Mary

Beautiful Fall Monday

It was truly a beautiful day today! We went to the woods this morning for a load of firewood and noticed that the trees are finally beginning to change in our area. Many of the leaves have already fallen, but I'm still hoping for lots of pretty color.

We still have many loads of firewood to go, but our week ahead is looking fairly warm, so we'll probably only have fires at night. Winter is still a ways away from us. Not that a cold snap can't happen at any time, once November is here.

I did not buy any craft supplies on Friday. I looked and looked through the small selection at our local Wal Mart and just could not find anything. I'll probably make a trip to a bigger town by next weekend, so maybe I'll be able to find something then. I do have some craft books that I am looking through in hopes I'll find a project that I like.

I like that some of you are already thinking about Christmas. I want to do more homemade items for this Christmas than I have done in the past few years--simple projects--but I need to get working on them SOON!

We started building my little craft pantry/cabinet today! We hope to have it finished by the end of the week. I will post a picture when it is finished.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

R~Mary

Christmas Talk

So many blogs are talking Christmas! I am wanting to start on some decorations, but haven't decided exactly what I am going to make. I am off for the day to look at some craft supplies and get some ideas.

Have any of you started your Christmas shopping? I tend to do a little at a time throughout the year. We've already purchased a few items, but still have some to go.

I'm already listening to Christmas music, too. Honestly, I tend to do that most of the year, but lately it seems I've been listening more. If you like the Irish sound, I can recommend the Cherish* the *Ladies Christmas album~I've been enjoying it quite a lot this last week. It is called *On* Christmas *Night* and has a wonderful mix of songs.

Everyone have a great day and a fun weekend!

R~Mary

Wednesday

Not much going on around here lately. We've had a lot of rain~which has produced a crop of toadstools, as you can see above.

Today, I am finally getting around to packing away my summer clothing. I think that fall has finally arrived. It is in the 50s outside right now and is supposed to make it up to 66. This will be our warmest day this week. We will be back in the 50s tomorrow. We'll probably have our first fire tonight or tomorrow.

Hope all of you are enjoying your fall weather.

R~Mary

It's Friday!!!!!!!

Good morning. It is a beautiful day here today. We had a lot of storms come through on Wednesday night. We were under a tornado warning for a half hour or so, but other than a few scattered branches on the ground, we didn't have any damage.

This is a sweet, funny, short video for the day before the weekend. Be sure and read the short intro to the video and stay to see his 'bow' at the end. Enjoy!

http://birdloversonly.blogspot.com/2007/09/may-i-have-this-dance.html

Happy Friday,

R~Mary

Prayers for Luke

I found about about Luke yesterday on Betty's blog. This precious little boy has been diagnosed with leukemia. One of his wishes was to have 500 prayers said for him. Please take the time and visit Luke's site and say a prayer for him~and continue to hold him in your prayers.

R~Mary

Foggy Morning

Good morning. It is cool and foggy here this early morning. I think the sun is about to start burning through and give us a sunny day.

Yesterday, we cleaned out the wood stove pipe and readied it for our winter fires. I don't think we'll have any of those fires this week, though. We will be staying in the mid 70s to mid 80s. Not bad temps for this time of year--and it gives us a little more time to prepare for winter. We'll probably be hauling a lot of firewood, starting next weekend.

I just love those little pumpkins in the bowl above. I am trying to resist buying more of them, as they are taking over my house! They are not only on top of the table, but on the Hoosier cabinet, in a little pumpkin holder in the living room, and on the bar that divides my kitchen and dining area. Next year, I would love to grow some of them~that way, maybe, I will have all of them that I want!

Have a great day.

R~Mary

Sweet Friday

Now that the cooler air seems to have set in, I'm in the mood to bake again. This is one of our favorite desserts, and something quick to make when unexpected company shows up. I have several versions of it, but it is the one I make most often.

Cheesecake Bars

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream butter and brown sugar in mixing bowl. Add flour and walnuts and stir together. Reserve a heaping 1/2 cup of mixture for topping. Press remainder of mixture into an 8x8 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes--just until lightly browned.

Blend sugar with cream cheese. Add egg, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla--beat well. Spread over baked crust and sprinkle with topping. Bake in oven 25 minutes. Cool, cut into bars--Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

R~Mary

Good Morning

Big waves to all of you out there! Yes, I am still here. Life has a way of getting busy and I let things slip by that I shouldn't--like visiting with all of you.

It was 48 degrees here this morning! I went out for a walk and enjoyed all the cool air. Don't you love fall? This is the coolest morning that we have had this autumn and I'm looking forward to many more of them.

The spiderwebs were so beautiful with the morning dew clinging to them. I took a few pictures, but I guess the light wasn't right to make them show up very well. My purple basil, above, is still looking great, as are all my other basils.

My petunias turned out to be a flop this year. They didn't do well in early summer, due to all the rain and cloudy days. Then, after I cut them back in mid-July, they've bloomed, maybe, two times. I usually have them up to the week before Thanksgiving~so I am missing them this year.

Hope you are all having a great day. I'll be around to 'visit' with you later today.

R~Mary

October

A scarecrow family-- from Silver Dollar City.

October's the month

When the smallest breeze

Gives us a shower

Of autumn leaves.

Bonfires and pumpkins,

Leaves sailing down -

October is red

And golden and brown. -

Can Teach Songs

I'm looking forward to a beautiful month--Happy October, everyone!

R~Mary