Whole Wheat Sour Cream CC Banana Muffins

I hope it's not too disappointing to see some plain looking muffins around here! After spending all day piping decorations on cakes, I'm usually not in the mood to make something fancy at home. In fact, I'll usually try to choose a one-bowl type thing that's mixed by hand because I can't face doing the dishes and cleaning the mixer when I'm done.

These banana muffins are my favourite right now. JJ is a fan of them too. It's a recipe from Cooking Light, but I'll post the adapted quantities of ingredients right here. As far as baked goods go, I think these are a little healthier without tasting like a mouthful of dry fibre. I might start making these into carrot and zucchini muffins too!

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup veg oil

2 egg whites
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup light sour cream
3-4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Chocolate chips

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with papers or grease and flour tin.

Whisk together wet ingredients in a bowl. Combine dry ingredients and mix into wet ingredient bowl. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake 15-20 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

These freeze really well too...

JJ got a sandbox for her birthday...it arrived today. We still need sand, but she's having a pretty good time in it already!

 

Simplicity 5695: Dragonflies and butterflies

Last summer I bought an armful of 99-cent sewing patterns at Joann's, thinking it would be fun to make JJ some pretty summer dressed and tops. She's about 18 months in this photo. It's Simplicity 5695 (view D) in size 2, which was actually pretty snug around the chest and hard to get over her head and arms. I'd probably cut it a little wider next time. It was easy enough and I just shortened the dress to make a top. The elastic though, was a major pain in the butt to snake through such a teeny narrow hem! I used a safety pin at first, and then switched to a big knitting embroidery needle and after much grumbling the elastic was through. It was the most time consuming part of this pattern.

In hindsight, it wasn't that good a fabric choice because it didn't soften up like other quilting cottons after a few washes. Even though it looked cute, I didn't dress her in it often because it wasn't soft and comfy like her other play clothes. At least I got a photo of her in it. :)

 

Winter Kitty Hat

A little late, but here's a finished project: JJ's two-year winter hat. She wore this all winter long and it keep her head toasty and cute, and she received so many compliments on it. Funny how the plainest looking things get noticed. Anyhow, given how often we lose things around here (socks...mittens...toys) it's amazing we held onto it all season!

Pattern: Kittyville Hat (free! And also found in Stitch 'n Bitch)

Yarn: Tahki Yarns Lana, 1 skein (92 yards) in cream

Needles: US8 dpns

For her 21-month old head size, I cast on 77 stitches and knit a narrower seed stitch for the head band. I knitted 3.5" of stockinette before beginning decreases every 11 stitches. To make smaller ear flaps, I just decreased the total number of cast on stitches by 2-3.

I used almost the entire skein exactly - only 6 inches leftover! I love when that happens.

So glad the weekend is here. Have a good one!




 

A break in the lengthy hiatus!

Is anyone still there?!! Someone out there is still reading. Thank you for still checking in even though I've been away for such a long time. I was so surprised by the sitemeter stats showing that my blog was still getting hits daily. My last post was in February 2011, right around the time JJ started toddling around, and life pretty much became all about chasing her around and preventing mischief.

I just got an iPad though, and a new blogging app, so hopefully I'll be showing up a little more frequently than I have for a while. So much has happened in the past year, and I have actually managed to dig up some small finished objects to show you. I'll have to space them out so that I'll have a new post once in a while.

JJ recently turned two (!!!) She is such a funny kid. I still look at photos and videos of her almost every night after she goes to bed. Not surprisingly, I have about a million photos of her that I can share given that she is the recipient of most of my hand made projects.

After being a full-time mommy for 16 months, I went back to work part time. Not in psychology but in pastry! I've been a cake decorator for the past year, which has been great creative outlet. We are doing great with the daycare and work life balance.

 

I'll leave you with this hat I made for JJ last year that matches her Tulip Cardigan (yet to blog, it's coming). It's Knitpicks Shine Sport, On US3 and US4 needles. The pattern is free from Looking Glass Knits. I made it last year and it's already too small, which is sad! It's such a good hat and perfect between seasons...not too itchy or warm, and goes with everything. JJ wore it all the time and the flower was also detachable for a second look.