Cooking Thursday: An Easy Banana Recipe & Summery Goodness

 Hey Friends!

How are you this lovely Thursday? 

It's a lovely day in the northwoods - sunny and breezy and mild. 

We had some recent summer fun with Annie's bf, Kris ... we went on a pontoon ride, played cornhole ("bags"), played board games, had treats and just soaked up the time with him. He had to head back to FL early this morning. And my Annie heads back there to college next week (hold me please 😢) 

But on a happier note, I thought I'd share a few cooking related things with you. 

First of all, here is some summery goodness for you. 

We have been able to pick some cukes and lettuce from our garden. We grilled burgers the other night along with some veggies skewers.  I made a big salad with some of our garden veggies. And we had also picked up some fresh sweet corn and grilled that up too. We also had some summer melon and cherries, and some fun chips. It sure was a yummy dinner!  

But what I really wanted to share with you today is the brand for these mixes I found when I did my monthly order through Thrive Market. If you are not familiar with Thrive - it's an app/subscription I have been using for years. It's a yearly fee and then you have access to tons of products that need to fit Thrive Market's standards (organic, healthier, etc) They have everything from frozen food, pantry things and snacks...to beverages, makeup and cleaning products. I find some of the best goodies on there and it all gets shipped to my door. I don't have to order every month - just when I want to. 

I found these mixes that are a wonderful solution for using up your bananas that are going bad. You add mashed banana and a few other ingredients and you can make a quick bread or muffins. The base is gluten-free oat flour. I had gotten the cinnamon roll one and the fudge brownie one. The other day I made the cinnamon roll one and you can have the option of what ingredients you want to add (see the pic with the back of the package below). I used healthier ingredients and made mine with mashed banana, coconut oil, and protein milk. Also just a tbsp of maple syrup (there is a tiny bit of brown sugar in the mix). They turned out SO good!! They truly tasted so much like cinnamon roll and they weren't too dense - just moist and fluffy. I think the little white chips in them gave them the cinnamon roll flavor. The kids loved them! I think Matt & I each only had one and there's only 2 left. Lol 

They are only about 100 calories per muffin or slice of bread. I think next time I'll make the fudge brownie one in a loaf pan. I highly recommend this mix - great to keep on hand for when you want to use up bananas. 

*And I am not affiliated with Thrive Market or the Go Nanas mixes or receive anything from them. Just sharing something we found and loved.

I feel like this is me. I am making out my grocery list and there are things I want to grill and summer fruit I want to get etc. But it's also been cooler here at night (50's and 60's) and Annie is talking back to school things - and I did pick up a few fun Autumn things recently. So basically my mood keeps switching 😂:

Blessings to you 

xoxo

Happy Homemaker Monday

Hi there Friends! 

Happy new week to you.

For those in the States I hope you had a lovely Independence Day weekend. 

We went to the lake to spend it with Matt's folks and Annie came with us. They love when kiddos come and especially love the fact that my kids have embraced Matt's folks as other grandparents to them. 💗 Matt and I love that too! 

The weather was a little rainy/stormy on Saturday. But we had fun playing games, watching a movie, and then later it cleared enough that we could watch some of the fireworks across the lake. 

Then Sunday was gorgeous out and we got in a pontoon ride before lunch and then heading back home. 

Another lovely July 4th in the books ❤️🇺🇸

I know my fellow Autumn loving Friends feel the same way I do though. That once July 4th comes and goes we allow ourselves to let in a little Fall thought here and there. Lol In the northwoods July is the epitome of summer and then August becomes pre-Fall so it's easy for me to think that way. 

But don't worry my Summer loving Friends. I am still all in on Summer vibes. I still have a lot of flowers and garden to love, walks to be had, iced coffee to be sipped, golf to be golfed, BBQ's to be grilled, sunsets to be watched by a fire, swimming to be swam in the lake, and pontoon time to be relaxed upon. I just needed to be honest for a moment about who I am and that I do enjoy the allowance of an Autumn thought because it's always in my heart. As well as, I plan on some Christmas in July to be shopped and celebrated too. 😉❤️💚

But that's another story....

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:

ice protein coffee, whole grain toast with a little natural peanut butter

ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:

errands & groceries, getting ready for an Aunt to visit that is having surgery in the area and will convalesce here overnight (need to work on menu as she has a gluten allergy), check in with my Mom, projects, yard work, hospice work

THINKING ABOUT: 

As a Taylor fan (my daughter & I saw her in concert before and she was amazing!) - I'm glad she got her happy ending and that she had her big wedding with Travis over the weekend. It will be fun to see photos when they release pics of the big day. 

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY:

fun bonding chats with my Annie boo

CURRENTLY READING

I'm happy to report I'm back to the book I was reading a month ago and making a dent on finishing it. Then I can dive into my new pile. (still finishing it 🙈)

 

ON THE TV TODAY:

  Jeopardy, old seasons of big brother Castle Impossible (we have several yet to watch), AGT, Sweet Magnolias (I need to finish this one), new Big Brother starts this week!

ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:

    MONDAY - green goddess pasta salad (for Annie & I), Matt will probably have a turkey sandwich too as he doesn't like to eat only vegetarian Lol😂

TUESDAY - maybe breakfast for dinner? (eggs, breakfast potatoes, I will make pancakes if Annie wants, fruit)

WEDNESDAY -  chicken salad low carb wraps

THURSDAY -  grilled chicken, roasted regular or sweet potatoes, romaine salad with fruit veggies & feta with balsamic viniagrette, gluten free rice krispies bars

FRIDAY - out for dinner?

TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:

projects, maybe read, work on a craft for a future Christmas gift

TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:

 

FROM THE CAMERA:

A few shots from around home - including my goofy Hubby's humor. He put this monster plant in my garden for me to find. Lol Also some pics of the pretty glow at night. I love solar lanterns everywhere. 

Some pics from July 4th weekend at the lake. Crazy clouds before it got stormy. And the July 4th tradition Matt loves is to watch and see if Joey Chestnut can defend his hot dog eating contest title each year. I made some patriotic goodies for the weekend including chocolate covered strawberries. And this cream cheese berry french toast bake that was SO good. I will share the recipe this week. 

Sue (my MIL) wanted to take a pic of all of us to send to her Bestie back in AZ who always sends pics of her grandkids to Sue. I love that we always need take 2 because in the 1st one Matt is always being such a dork. That's my goofy Hubby. ::sigh:: It's never dull. 😂 

Also, you gotta love that I always look like I'm standing in a hole because I'm so short compared to everyone else. Lol 🙈

The weather cleared up enough to give us a pretty sunset and allow for us to watch some fireworks going off across the lake. 

Then Sunday was nothing but blue skies and a lovely day to take a ride on the pontoon. I love the last pic of a Mama Loon we came across that had a baby on her back:

PRAYER LIST:

 For an end to the conflicts all over the world and anyone living in war & fear, especially everything going on in the middle east right now. For peace and unity in this country, especially from hate and shootings or violence.  For anyone sick, suffering, in pain, fear, loneliness etc ... that God bring them comfort and peace. For healing for my Mom. For my Aunt's surgery this week to go well.

For the Lord's love and peace to fill 2026. ❤️ 

For Christ's Light and Love to cast out the darkness everywhere and help the world find its way to loving our neighbors as ourselves. 🙏🏻

PRAYER, INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OR DEVOTIONAL:

See, still mostly iced coffee and summer thoughts around here. 💗 Blessings on your week ahead. 

I'm sharing this with Sandra of Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.

Wednesday Wonder

 

Hello Friends!

How's the week going so far? I hope you're having sunny, but not too hot, lovely days. 

It's been sunny and warm here. It was in the 80's yesterday!! Today in the 70's and I'm going walking with my bestie Mrs. C and her sweet granddaughter in a bit. 

With the hot weather yesterday it awoke all the little peepers and they were singing away last night. I'll share a little video below. 

I've been out soaking up this late summer warmth and goodness. But don't worry, my fellow Autumn enthusiasts, my heart is still right here:

🍁🧡💛

But last night the peepers were loud and proud and it sure felt like summer yet. I still have pots of flowers and lanterns on the deck...though many of the flowers are fading now. Here's the peepers if you want to give a listen:

Whether you're clinging to summer, or embracing Fall with open arms...wishing you blessings and peace. 

xoxo

Cooking Thursday: Slow Cooker Curry Chicken and Italian Meatball Soup (comfort food time)

 

Hello Dear Friends! 

It's a nice chilly low 60's today and it gets me so in the mood to think comfort food thoughts. I'm picturing moments I loved last Fall:

We would take Ruby for a beautiful long walk. The air crisp and cold enough to need a sweatshirt. The trees really putting on a show with their glorious colors. And I'd have something in the slow cooker back home that had been simmering all day long. And we'd come in from the cold and smell the wonderful aroma of whatever was cooking and know that something comforting was going to warm us and feed our souls. 

Here are a couple of recipes that would be warming and comforting to make this Fall. 🍁🧡💛

The first is this slow cooker curry chicken recipe we had several weeks ago. I found the recipe on instagram and I don't remember exactly where? It was so flavorful and comforting and we both loved it! It reminded me so much of a takeout curry I used to get from a favorite Asian restaurant that isn't around anymore. It will definitely be a go-to on repeat over the season ahead!

slow cook the chicken and yummy veggies in a chicken broth that includes peanut butter, soy sauce, coconut milk, onion, garlic etc.  

take out the chicken towards the end and shred it...

then add in some sliced red pepper and cook a little longer and serve over rice of your choice (we had it over cauliflower rice) and we topped ours with some chopped peanuts for extra crunch

Here's the recipe for Curry Chicken:

The next recipe is one I made just last weekend up at the lake. It was a chilly 60's kind of weekend and this soup was perfect for it. I had taken a pic from this cookbook I had gotten in one of my Taste of Home boxes. 

Here it is cooking away in the slow cooker at the lake - I didn't take an after pic but the recipe shows part of a pic of the finished bowl. We topped ours with some parmesan cheese to serve. And we ate it with crusty french rolls right out of the oven with the pats of butter melting inside. The were perfect dippers for this tasty soup. Another one I will definitely make again! 

Here's the recipe for Italian Meatball Soup:

On a side note: please pray for MN. The horrendous shooting yesterday continues to sit on my heart. This one hits so close to home because it's only a few hours from where we live. And my son lives right next door in St. Paul. Also, the fact that I'm Catholic too. 

My heart breaks for those poor families and that this continues to happen and nothing changes!! What lawmakers are doing now isn't enough as it continues to happen with far too much regularity. I pray for real change to happen in some form - to at least try something different that may help with this constant terrible problem in our country. 😢🙏🏻