Banana Bread

Would you like a delicious Banana Bread recipe that you will use over and over again? :)

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1/3 cup of milk with 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• approx 1 cup of mashed bananas (I usually just use 3 large bananas mixed in my Magic Bullet)
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 tsp of baking soda (forget this and you make "Banana Brick" hehehe)

Then you'll need to:

• cream together your butter and sugar
• add the eggs and milk with lemon juice
• mix in the eggs and bananas
• slowly add your flour and baking soda
• pour into a loaf pan, or 8x8 baking dish, doesn't really matter
• cook at 350F for approx 45 minutes.  If your oven is hot you might want to check it at 35 minutes.

Then you make the topping!! (the BEST part)

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup melted butter/margarine
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds (optional)
• I like to add a couple tbsp of maple syrup too

After you bake the banana bread, take this delicious sugary mixture and pour it over top - then put it under the broiler for about 5 minutes until it starts to bubble and take it out.
IF you can wait, let it cool, slice it up, and enjoy :)  The topping makes the bread the perfect balance of sweetness and moistness, you don't even have to spread butter on it!! :)

Lucky!

Dakota found a 4 leaf clover yesterday, of course it's all wrinkly and dried up now.  But perhaps it'll bring us some good luck anyway :D

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As for p90x, I'm back at it!  I restarted the 4th week of my 1st phase (each phase is 4 weeks) last night with Yoga-X.
Tonight will be Core Synergistics!!

Cabbage Roll Casserole

Do you like cabbage rolls?
I love them!!
But I've never made them myself.  Apparently it's an art lol.
Thanks to my fabulous next door neighbour, I can now make this delicious casserole, and it's just like I'm eating cabbage rolls!
You have to try it! :)

Here's what you'll need;  

• 1 head of cabbage
• 2 cups of minute rice
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can tomato juice (i think it's a 1liter can of Heinz that I use, but I'm sure they have a store brand)
• 1-2lbs ground beef (I switch this for ground pork or turkey bc I can’t tolerate red meat)
• 1 chopped onion (optional)
• + your own seasonings.

 Then you follow these super-easy steps:

• Fry ground meat with onion and your choice of seasonings. 
• Remove tough pieces and core of cabbage, chop the rest and put in a large roasting pan.
• Add rice, tomato juice-sauce-and soup. 
• Stir in ground beef mixture and bake at 375 for 1 hour.

YUM! :)

Miles, Points and Rewards - Oh My!

I love earning free things just for buying things I need!
I'm nowhere NEAR as good at this as MrsJanuary - but I still take advantage as much as I can!


In my wallet I have :

• Air Miles
• HBC Rewards Card
• Shoppers Optimum Card
• Esso Extra (these can be converted to HBC points!)
• Petro Points Card (used to buy gas, anti-freeze, windshield washer fluid etc)
• La Senza Bra Club
• Mike's Subs (free sub after 5 stamps)
• Midas - free oil change after 5 stamps card. (click the link for a $5 off coupon in Hamilton only)
• Once Upon a Child -  20% off your purchase when you fill up the stamps, Wed. is double stamp day, and if you bring your black reusable O.U.A.C. bag you get an extra stamp!

There are amazing ways to use some of these cards!  (again - see MrsJanuary)  You can get hundreds of dollars worth of free stuff!


The cards I use the most are Air Miles, HBC, and Shoppers.


I cash in my Shoppers and HBC points during the Holidays for free gifts!

Our Air Miles are much more fun to use!!!
Every year we trade our Air Miles in for free passes for our whole family to the Toronto Zoo and Ontario Place!
We have a blast, and only have to pay for parking (stupid parking fees) because we pack a picnic lunch.

So, we get 2 full days of fun, for free just because when we shop we carry an extra card with us!  Yes, I think I'll suffer the inconvenience of carrying that little card in my wallet!!!  (can you taste the sarcasm?!)



Last year my mom came with us because Dave was (again) in Winnipeg...and yes she is short enough to ride the kids rides!!!




I can't wait to go back this summer!! :)

Do you use rewards cards??