Thanks A Latte {Thank You Gift with Free Printable} {Great for Teacher Appreciation Gifts}

People amaze me. Yes, I find myself sharing company with crazies who seemingly strive to make things difficult just for the joy of it, but I also find myself surrounded by tons of caring individuals who use their amazing talents to extend kindness and happiness into the lives of those around them. I love witnessing these moments, especially when I am lucky enough to catch small acts of kindness, because despite how little they may seem, they often have gigantic and lasting effects. We often reserve thank you's for special occasions, sending them in response to gifts, but what about those times when someone gives a simple gift of their self - of time, energy, or in kind words or praise? Sometimes we not only fail to recognize these moments, but take them for granted as well. How sad. I try to remember to be mindful of those around me and of the gifts they extend. Whether it be the school crossing guard as he wipes tears from the eyes of a child who just scraped their knee, a friend simply showing up just because they are needed, or a teacher dedicating extra time and effort to make students feel like the treasures they are, there are so many people out their making differences and changing lives. Often, they go unnoticed. A simple thank you is all it really takes, but its fun to add a little something special. Which is why I love this "Thanks a Latte Gift" - it's an easy, fun, and inexpensive way to let someone know they have made a difference in your life. You can just tie these tags to a cold coffee beverage as shown (I've done them individually or even tied to the carton of four beverages), attach them to a coffee house gift card, or stick one on a reusable coffee thermos filled with treats and you are bound to bring a smile to someone's face. It's that simple.

All you have to do is download the document, print it onto card stock, cut or punch your tags out, and attach them to your gifts. Fast. Fun. Easy. I use this 3-inch circle punch to cut my tags out, but you could always use a glass to trace around or cut them into squares if you would rather.
Latte Printable

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Banana Oatmeal Bread

The sun is starting to shine a little more and more each day, trees are budding, and bulbs are spouting. Hooray! Spring is here. I cannot wait for warm weather and sunny afternoons with my boys, even if it means breaking out the shorts.... or dare I say bathing suits.  Which brings me to this recipe. I have already posted my most very favorite banana bread. It's the one Momma Daisy has always made and probably one of the most perfect comfort foods I can think of! So why post another? For several reasons. First, my kiddos have this weird allergy to the dairy protein as infants {they magically outgrow it around the age of 2}, and with our little Baby A on the way, I am on the quest to add some dairy free recipes to my collection. I also like to have a stash of healthier recipes (which you'd never know from the length of sweet things in my recipe box) to treat my family to. I stumbled across this recipe and was intrigued... bananas, oatmeal, and without dairy. However, I wanted to beef things up with some whole wheat flour, and didn't want to mess around with throwing any part of the eggs out, so I adapted the recipe to suit my needs. This isn't a super sweet bread, not that I minded, but most of all, my kids didn't seem to notice as they gobbled it down. I think it would be fabulous spread with Nutella, or dotted with chocolate chips, particularly because it's not overly sweet as is, but we enjoyed sliced warm and plain jane. Maybe next time. Supposedly, this bread freezes well when sliced and wrapped tightly into individual pieces. I haven't tried it yet, but intend make a loaf for my son's school lunches and will let you know how it works out.
Banana Oatmeal Bread
*Adapted from Joy of the Baker

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats
2 medium eggs
3 large ripened bananas
3 teaspoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a loaf pan, set aside. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients including oats and cinnamon.

In mixing bowl, beat eggs well. Add bananas one at a time and beat until smooth and mixed well. Add oil and vanilla and beat until mixed well. Add dry ingredients, in three additions, mixing until well incorporated.

Pour batter into pan and bake until loaf is firm to touch, 45-50 minutes. Remover from oven and cool in pan for 5 minutes. Turn out and cool on wire rack. Slice and enjoy.

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Southwestern Colored Easter Eggs {A very simple easy way to add a little more color and depth to your Easter eggs}

I'm always looking for simple ways to shake things up. Let's face it, in our world of craziness, there's just not always time to be "Martha." Last year while visiting my in-laws, we dyed Easter eggs as part of our holiday festivities. When my mother-in-law broke out the brown eggs, I thought she was certifiably crazy. "Like those are really going to take on any color..." I thought quietly to myself. Thank goodness I never uttered my thoughts aloud, because not only did they take the color, they turned out beautifully. Perfect for Sante Fe styles of Saint George, where we were enjoying the sunshine coloring eggs outdoors, as the eggs turned into different southwestern hues. Instead of the pastel or candy colored eggs we're accustomed to, the brown eggs ended up in deeper sapphire, ruby, emerald, and other jewel colored tones.  I laughed when my son saw these eggs and exclaimed the very same thought that I had the previous year, "Mom, you really think those brown eggs are going to actually change color?!?"

It has thrilling to watch as he experimented with the eggs. He'd dye a white egg one color, and then a brown egg the same color just to see the difference. He was delighted when the brown eggs did actually turn colors, and had such a great time comparing and contrasting the differences between the two.

The eggs in the top row started as white eggs and were dyed using the same color as the brown eggs on the bottom. See how much deeper the colors are?

Not only did he end up with a basket filled with tons of different colors, traditional and southwestern, he set his little brain to work, and made quite the experiment out of our Easter festivities. 

There's not much of a tutorial for this one - simply boil some brown eggs either with or instead of white eggs and color your eggs as directed on dye package.

We've also had fun making speckled eggs and also using vinyl to personalize our eggs. What tips and tricks do you have for coloring Easter eggs?

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Baby's Quilt

You may remember that we are expecting a little one this spring... a little girl. This is her quilt. I used fabrics I had left over from this star quilt, simply because I love them. "Happy," they say happy to me. I know it's not your traditional baby quilt of pastels, but that probably doesn't surprise you either. I wanted something vibrant, full of life, color, and energy - everything I wish for her.

I love how my fabulous quilter, Marge, stitched dragonflies into the design. I like to think that dragonflies remind us to embrace the beauty we already have, rather than to remain in a constant search for something we aren't. While I acknowledge there is always room for growth and improvement, I think it is vital to recognize the amazing gifts and talents we are blessed with, and to value the treasures we already posses because if we constantly search for what we don't have we may never find happiness or be content with ourselves. Again, more of what I want for this little girl, to always see the beauty that I already know she has - even before she's born. 

Can you see it? They are stitched throughout the entire quilt. I lined the back with a raspberry sherbet minky fabric - ultra soft. In fact, it's so soft that sometimes I wish the women at the fabric store would just roll me up in the fabric straight off of the bolt  - now that's my idea of the ultimate cocoon of softness.

To frame everything with a little extra pop of color and add some texture, I used the same minky fabric for the binding.

I don't have a decent picture of the entire quilt to post, and almost didn't share it as a result. But I decided that if I waited for the universe to cooperate, it may never happen, so I apologize in advance for the last picture. Hopefully someday, it will get updated. 

I didn't want to chance my husband having a heart attack if he caught me standing on a ladder right now, so that's about as good as it gets. I think it's good enough that you get the basic idea. Now that her quilt's done, all we need is her. But I don't mind if she takes her time..... I have a feeling she's going take this world by storm :).

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Shamrock Bars {AKA Mint Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Bars}

I'm not sure what you feed the leprechauns in your world, but these went over pretty well in mine. It seems like those little green fellows favor anything minty, and with one layer of cookies and cream cheesecake and another of chocolate fudgie goodness, how could you go wrong? If mint isn't your cup of tea, simply use your favorite Oreo substitute. You are sure to find a winning combination.

Shamrock Bars {AKA Mint Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Bars}

*Recipe by Jasey's Crazy Daisy, Adapted from Cookies and Cups White Chocolate Butter Bars

1/2 cup cold butter

1 box devil's food chocolate cake

2 eggs

1 (8 oz.) block of cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

20 Mint Oreos, chopped into fourths,  15 for for the cheesecake layer, 5 for the topping

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325. Spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. In mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix and butter. Beat on medium until crumbly. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Spread mixture in prepared pan. Sprinkle 15 Mint Oreos, chopped into fourths, evenly over bottom layer. In another mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Pour evenly over chopped Oreos. Make sure to pour as evenly as possible across the crust. It may not look like there is enough, but the batter will expand upon baking. If you need to, use a spoon to scoop batter from thicker spots to those that seem a little thin. Sprinkle reserved cookie piece over the top of bars. Pop in oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven. Set aside. Place chocolate chips into a zip-loc baggie and put into microwave for 20 second intervals. Squish the bag with your fingers to mix and smooth the chocolate between intervals. When melted smooth, snip a tiny piece off of the corner of the bag and drizzle over bars. Cool until set, the fridge can hasten this process. Cut and enjoy!!!

I think I'll have another. Thank goodness they are so easy to make!

Speaking of leprechauns, have you started thinking about how you might catch one this year? There's still time if you hurry. Maybe this is the year we'll get our hands on all that lucky gold!

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