Thanks A Latte Teacher Appreciation Gift {Thank You Gift Idea For Just About Anyone With Free Printable}

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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