Leaving the Asylum

Well here goes nothing, today is the first official work day back of the new year. The holidays have come to an end and now its time to get the house, our schedules and our lives back to normal.

This year the transition from the holiday season, defined by me as running from just after Halloween to the new year :), is easier for me than usual and it makes me wonder why? What different this year? Is it that this year’s festivities were more fulfilling for me? Or is it that my “normal” schedule is not so horrible to return to as it used to be for me? Honestly I am not sure but its a nice feeling to not be pouting that my Pandora shuffle is non-Christmas music.

Today’s To do list:

Laundry – the never ending story as an adult

Dishes – I took yesterday off so all of the Christmas dinner dishes need done. I was at least smart and tried to use nice disposable plates, cutlery and cups this year so all I have waiting for me in the sink really is the casserole dishes and pots/pans.

Vacuum – my floor looks frosted in places from all the Glitter off the presents, bags, tissue paper and such.

Bake Banana Bread: A few days after Christmas Giant Eagle had Bananas in a produce bag for .52 per bag, a deal that could not be passed up. So I grabbed a bag, and surprisingly my family put a pretty good hurting on the amount of bananas I grabbed but I still have four that have surpassed the eating point but are squarely in the “perfect for bread” range. Its been years since I pulled out my mom’s banana bread recipe but I remember it being amazing as a kid so we shall see if I can be as successful with making it as she.

Here’s the Recipe:

Mom’s Banana Nut Bread

⅓ cup shortening

2 eggs

1tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ chopped walnuts (optional)

½ cup sugar

½ tsp baking soda

1 ¾ cups sifted flour

1 cup mashed ripe bananas

Cream together shortening and sugar, add eggs and beat well. Sift together dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the mashed banana, blending well after each addition. Stir in nuts.

Pour into well greased 9x5x3 loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees 45-50n minutes or until done. Remove from pan to cool on rack. Wrap in plasticwrap or ziplock bag to store.