Banana Coffee Cake!

Okay, so I had two overripe bananas...naturally I had to make banana bread!  However, I was lacking on some key ingredients for the recipe....so I improvised! 

First of all, we don't have a loaf pan in my new house so I used a round cake pan.  Also, the recipe calls for buttermilk but I'm not one to keep buttermilk on hand so I used Organic Vanilla Yogurt...GREAT alternative.  It made the cake fabulously moist.  Lastly, since it was a coffee cake versus a loaf, I wanted to make crumble topping.  Unfortunately at this point my brain went to "la-la-land" and I SOFTENED the butter....big mistake when you're shooting for "crumble" topping.  Softened butter doesn't crumble, so what I ended up with was more of a sweet, crunchy crust on the top of the cake!  So no complaints.  It turned out deliciously. :)  Enjoy!

My Favorite Zucchini Walnut Muffins!

 

They're Martha Stewart's zucchini cupcakes from her "Cupcakes" cookbook.  My sister gave me the book for my birthday a couple of years ago and the first time I tried this recipe I fell in love.  I may never be able to eat any other zucchini bread/muffin. 

In the book she recommends frosting the cupcakes but since I wanted to be able to eat them for breakfast or dessert, I saved some toasted walnuts and brown sugar for a sweet, crunchy topping instead.

I couldn't find the exact recipe online which calls for lemon, nutmeg, and cloves, but here's the closest thing...

Sweet Zucchini Cupcakes

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• Prep Time 20 minutes
• Total Time 1 hour, 30 minutes
• Yield Makes 12

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1 zucchini (10 ounces), coarsely grated (1 1/2 cups)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cups of a standard (12-cup) muffin tin with paper or foil liners. Set aside.
   
2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix in nuts.
   
3. In another bowl, combine zucchini, oil, eggs, and vanilla; add to flour mixture, and mix just until combined (do not overmix).
   
4. Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
   
5. Cool in tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes; turn cupcakes out, right side up, and cool completely. Meanwhile, make frosting. Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread frosting on cupcakes. The frosted cupcakes are best eaten within 1 day.
   

Cupcakes and Teddy Bears

Today I celebrated my one year anniversary with my sweet, red-headed man.  I got him two cupcakes from a nearby bakery (we weren't impressed with them but now we know), and he surprised me with a dozen red roses and a cuddly, hazelnut-colored teddybear.  It was a lovely afternoon despite the fact that he had a full day of work amidst it all.  Later tonight we're looking forward to watching a movie or beginning the final season of "Lost" on Netflix!

As the day approached I was doing alot of reminiscing over the past year.  From the first day we met, through all the goodbyes, and all the anxious, butterfly-ridden hellos.  How precious the letters, the songs, the pictures, the plane tickets, the dried flowers, all the things we've collected from this lapse of time we've been in a relationship.  It was pretty surreal to think that we had been together for a whole year.  It was flying by way faster than I sensed it was.

We're getting ready for another tough goodbye.  I'm a little out of practice so it's been a struggle to keep my emotions at bay.  But it's interesting, because I'm not crying the same tears that I was before.

All the times we said goodbye before I wasn't just sad, I was terrified.  Each time I got to laugh and smile and enjoy being near him, I was gripped with the fear of never experiencing those things again.  The tears that soaked my cheeks were of fear and doubt and insecurity.  I was so afraid that it wouldn't last.  I was so afraid of standing alone for any period of time.

But folks, I'm proud to tell you that I haven't been crying those tears of insecurity this time.  If only I could express to you how faithful our Jesus has been to refine me over the past six months.  I feel like I have a new heart that is far more capable of loving people than it ever was before.  I have experienced the well of living water filling me from the inside out and pouring Himself on those around me.  It is amazing.

So as we celebrate our first year of falling in love with each other, and falling deeper in love with our Jesus, we prepare for another season of separation.  The Lord is preparing us for big things.  I am so excited about the many possibilities on the horizon.  However, I want to strive to live in this moment, the precious "here and now" where I find warm nights, starry skies, "Lost" marathons, and iced coffee.

Until we meet again...