While Baby Was Asleep... Healthy Banana Bread

I am obviously not a food photographer and certainly not a pastry chef. I ended up with a sweet tooth this afternoon while Asher was napping, and in trying to stick with my healthy eating plan as much as I can, I decided to see if there was a healthy option I could whip up. I saw the quickly browning bananas sitting idly in my kitchen and knew they would be perfect for some good ol' banana bread.

It is definitely always easier to make the full-of-fat-and-gooey-deliciousness desserts and pastries than the healthy ones. At least, it's easier to make them turn out well! (Also, I only had wheat flour, so I had limited options. Shh...) I scoured Pinterest for wheat flour banana bread recipes and lo and behold this RECIPE from the blog A Full Measure of Happiness. I substituted the milk with almond milk since that's what I had on hand. 55 minutes later, I had a perfectly browned loaf of banana bread on my hands - complete with wheat flour, almond milk, and the superfood walnuts.

{  QUICK FACT: Walnuts are powerful antioxidants and can help reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Studies have also shown them to BOOST BRAIN POWER with their omega-3s that help with visual memory, multitasking, and problem solving. Yes, please!  }

Mine came out a little more lumpy than the beautifully pictured bread on Pinterest, but it was delicious anyhow. I did alter it a bit with the almond milk, so that could have been the culprit. I brewed a fresh cup of coffee and spread some cococut oil on my delicious, healthful slice of banana bread. Next time I might just try substituting coconut oil for the butter altogether!

You may already know, but coconut oil has so many health benefits and uses. I'm not one to go soaking my hair in it or anything, but using it here and there when it can yield great results and smell like a yummy coconut, it sure sounds like a win-win to me!

Here's some info on coconut oil:

Coconut Oil: Your New BFF
101 Uses for Coconut Oil

Asher was awake by the time I got the bread into the oven, but I'm always amazed at how productive I can be while he is sleeping some days. I also unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher, put in a load of laundry, and got some work done on Etsy. I'll hold on to that on the days that I want to do nothing more than lay on the couch while he's napping. We all need those times like that, too!

What things have you gotten done while baby is asleep?


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10 Fingers, 10 Toes

There are things in life that we take for granted. Many of us tend to get sidetracked from the simple yet valuable aspects of our lives and are distracted by day to day annoyances and trivial things that seem so important while they are happening.

I ran across another mother's blog today about her baby who had a terminal illness and didn't live past age 2. He would have been 4 just a few days ago.

Reading the story of this brave mom and her precious child brought me to tears and made me think about how grateful I am to have a healthy baby. I don't think this is something we actively think about enough. When you are pregnant or when your baby is just born, you say and others will say to you, "Just happy and healthy, that's all we're hoping for!", or "10 fingers and 10 toes!", but I think many of us don't even grasp the reality that a baby of good health really IS something to be hopeful and incredibly thankful for.

I don't know what I would do if I was unable to watch my baby grow and smile and laugh and learn… I can't even imagine it. I don't want to imagine it. I can only hope that I would have the same incredible strength that these admirable parents exhibit on a day-to-day basis if I was ever faced with such a life altering challenge. I pray that I would. I don't think I would have much choice.

I love my baby more than any words I could conjure up to try and describe. I am so thankful for him everyday, every minute, every second. I love him and am thankful for him when he is overtired and cranky and just needs a good cry. I love him and am thankful for him when he spits up all over me, the couch, the floor, the dog. I love him and am thankful for him when I have only had 3 hours of sleep. I love him and and thankful for him when I just can't figure out if he needs dairy milk or soy milk and won't sleep because of gas pains or that his hiccups just won't go away. I love him and am thankful for him during the hardest of times that we've had, which, let's face it, are nothing compared to what they could be.

Asher, baby, you are my life and my heart. I love you more than you will ever know. I love your smile and the squint that your eyes get when something is so funny to you that you just can't smile big enough. I love that you are here and that you are happy. I hope that I make you proud that I am your mommy and I know that you have and always will make me proud that you are my son. I hope you reach your every goal and every dream. I hope you live your life to the fullest and love with all of your heart. You are my baby and I am so thankful to have you, all of you, every day. You can count on me to stick with you through the thickest of thick and the thinnest of thin. That's what moms are for.



I want to share the blog that touched me so deeply and inspired me to write this. I can't even begin to imagine how it would feel to go through such a painful experience and I pray for this and any mother…or father, grandparent, brother, sister, friend… that has to, as well. Moms, be grateful for your healthy child. We are so lucky. Kiss them, hug them, tell them you love them. It's too easy to cry over spilled milk.

Here is the story of baby Tripp who was born with Epidermolysis Bullosa and his incredibly brave, incredibly strong, and admirable beyond words mother who is now and forever in my prayers.

http://randycourtneytripproth.blogspot.com/p/tripps-story.html

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