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Muffins, Muffins--Using up bananas and pumpkin


Today we had some overripe bananas and some canned pumpkin my mother sent home with me. We decided to make two kinds of muffins. This would be perfect for anyone having a party or a bake sale. We also used a large carrot and a large zucchini grated up.

Banana Muffins & Pumpkin Muffins
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup almond meal (if making for bake sale may want to use flour instead due to allergies)
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup flax seed meal
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
dashes of ground cloves
2 eggs
1/2 - 1 cup of canned pumpkin
2-3 overripe bananas mashed or pureed
1 large carrot & 1 large zucchini pureed together
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 3/4 cups milk (I use non-fat)
1 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
1/2 - 1 cup sliced almonds or chopped nuts (optional)

To make both at once, you will need four mixing bowls. In the two largest ones add half of each of the dry ingredients (1 c flour, 1/4 c almond meal, 1/2 c oatmeal, 1/2 c flax seed meal, 2 t baking powder, 1 t cinnamon, 1/2 t nutmeg, dash or two of ground cloves) and mix. Set both bowls aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In next two bowls beat an egg in each. Then add the pumpkin to one and the banana to the other. Add half of the carrot-zucchini mixture to each bowl and 1 Tablespoon of oil and 1/2 cup of applesauce to each. I found the pumpkin was a bit dry and needed 1 cup of milk and the banana only needed 3/4 cup of milk. Mix this all together. Then add each bowl to one of the dry ingredient bowls and mix. You can mix in the almonds or nuts if you are using them.

Spray 24 muffin cups with cooking spray (paper liners often stick since there is not much oil in these recipes, so if you want liners use foil ones). Scoop each batter into 12 of them. We made 12 of each.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes and let cool. Enjoy!!

Sharing Saturday #36

This morning I had to go for a routine fasting blood test. So I was awoken and knew I couldn't eat anything for a couple of hours. I always hate going for these blood tests because I always feel so hungry. However then I remember the poor children in the United States (and around the world) who are often hungry. The most recent statistic says it is one in five in the US that are not fed enough. Imagine having to try to focus, function and learn without enough food. I find it so hard. This month I'm joining other bloggers and moms to help fight hunger. I posted about it here (and will post more in the future) and you can click the button to the right or below for more information or to join us!

Ok, now on to Sharing Saturday. Last week was an amazing week and there are so many wonderful ideas shared!! I hope you will take some time to visit a few more and leave some comment love. Here are a few of my favorites!!


In the United States we celebrated Labor Day on Monday. This is our unofficial end of summer and often the start of the school year. I am not completely ready to let go over summer so here are some summer features. (I also added a few of the must-see ones to this list, so please check them out!)

2) From Sunny Day Today Mama: Picnic Party Nature Walk Favor Bags (LOVE this!! She shared 3 posts on this party and all of them could be here!)
11) From We Made That: Magic Tree (Oh, so neat!!)

But since it is the start of school here are some school-related features.
4) From Earning My Cape: Homeschool vs. Traditional School (A great reminder that we each have to choose what is best for our children and family!)
10) From Keitha's Chaos: First Day of 1st Grade (Love some of these traditions!)
Thank you to everyone who shared last week!! I hope you will join us and share again!! If you are featured here, please feel free to grab a featured button to display proudly on your blog.
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From Your Hostess:
My first Waldorf Doll and she if finally dressed!
 

Now for This Week's Party   
A Few Simple Guidelines:
1)  Please follow both hosts via GFC (or one of the other ways that work for you).  

Hosts are Crafty Moms Share and Mama Mia's Heart2Heart. A reminder: Mia is taking a blogging break. Hopefully she will be back soon to host again!!

2)  Link any kid-friendly, child-centered post. Please no etsy shops or giveaways, etc.  Remember to link to your actual post.
3) Post the button on your sidebar or somewhere on your blog to help spread the word.

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4. Optional: Like us on Facebook and Google+
Disclaimer: By sharing here, you are giving Crafty Moms Share and Mama Mia's Heart2Heart permission to use your photos for features and to pin your craft at Pinterest
All right everyone...This is a PARTY!! Have Fun!!

My First Waldorf Doll & Pumpkin Pie

I would like to introduce you to....

Well actually, we haven't decided on a name for her yet. I also have not made any clothes for her yet, but she is my newest creation. I ordered a 16-inch doll kit from Weir Dolls. One of my goals was to make a Waldorf doll. Now that I have, I have to say I found it much easier than I thought it would be. I can see myself making more dolls. I made her in a matter of a few days mostly at night after Hazel (and often Steve) went to bed. I finished her hair this week at the Cape. Hazel and I went to visit my parents one last time before school started. I used the money my parents gave me for my birthday to buy the kit. Now I have told Hazel that I will share the doll with her since she is after all my birthday gift. Plus I don't like how she is assuming everything I make and buy is for her. For the doll's hair I followed this wonderful tutorial at Crafty Sheep. I loved that it was a bit different than the traditional ones. Tonight I hope to make her some clothes!!

Update: She is dressed!! I made her a dress and underwear. I have to say I did not like the pattern much so I will be designing her some new clothes soon.


While at my parents, Hazel had to check on her vegetables. My father has been giving her pumpkin reports. Well she of course wanted to pick one and bake a pumpkin pie. She seems to have Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman on her mind. My mother bought a pie crust and some canned pumpkin and they made a pumpkin pie together. My mother followed the recipe on the can of pumpkin. Now my parents' house is not air conditioned and the kitchen gets HOT!! So my mother did not want to bake the pumpkin first nor did they really have the time to do it all. So we brought the pumpkins home so we can do it here. Sorry I didn't take any pictures of them making the pie since I was enjoying a bit of relaxation time knitting in the other room.

I have to say we all enjoyed the pie. Hazel liked to eat the filling and not the crust!

Fighting Hunger


How do you know when you are hungry? I have sat through many Weight Watchers Meetings listening to this discussion of the answer to that question. How do you know when you are really hungry versus something else like emotional eating, boredom or habit? Do you ever have that problem? The answers usually are things like stomach rumbling, easily agitated, its been awhile since you ate, fatigue. Try to imagine your hungriest time and how you felt. Now imagine feeling that way most of the time. How would your life change? 

The High School Youth Group at my church does a 30-Hour Famine every spring. These high school students go for thirty hours without eating. They first start with a nice large breakfast and then go to school for a Friday. Then they return to the church and sleepover. On Saturday they usually do some sort of service project and then end the fast with Communion and a meal. Now you may ask yourself why a group of teenagers would go thirty hours without eating. It is to raise money for World Vision to help feed the hungry around the world.

As I was thinking about this post, I started thinking about the 30-Hour Famine. I actually just messaged one of the students who did this 30-Hour Famine all four years of her high school career (she is now in college) and was lucky enough to get one of the positions to visit a country where World Vision works to see how the money raised was helping. I first asked her for her first feelings on the 30-Hour Famine. She said, "You feel empowered, like you are making a difference in the lives of children you may never be able to reach otherwise." Then I asked her specifically about the hungry feeling. She responded, "Of course you lose focus and it makes the school day seem like ten times longer."

Next I started looking at the statistics. According to data released on September 5, 2012 by the Department of Agriculture, last year more than 16 million kids struggled with hunger in America that is equal 1 in every 5 children. (Source) Also, 62% of American teachers say they regularly see kids who come to school hungry because they are not getting enough food at home. (Source)

As a former public school teacher this statistic saddens me and scares me. I know what the lack of focus can do to a student as well as to a class. If the child is not getting fed enough, their ability is down and they will be less likely to succeed in school and thus less likely to be able to support and feed their family in the future. But what saddens me further is there is enough food for everyone in the world. Our society/world is not getting it to the people who need it. I am sure we all remember hearing about the starving people in the third world countries as children (usually Africa in my memory), but these people are starving in our country as well! We need to take care of them.

So what can we do? Well here are some ideas (many obvious):
  1. Donate to an organization like No Kid Hungry $1 can connect a child with 10 meals!
  2. Donate to a local soup kitchen/food bank with money, food, and/or time
  3. Cook a meal for a local soup kitchen
  4. Organize a food drive
  5. Organize a bake sale or other fundraiser
  6. Dine Out for No Kid Hungry September 16th - September 24th! For more information and to find participating restaurants check out here.
  7. If you are a member of Weight Watchers (like me) do everything to lose as much as you can for the next 12 weeks during their Lose For Good Campaign (They donate a quarter for every pound lost to Share Our Strength and Action Against Hunger.)
So join me this month in helping end hunger and in celebrating National (End) Hunger Month!

Children's Museum, Friends & Zoo

We had a very busy week last week. On Monday we met my friend in the town we grew up in for lunch and then the three of us went to the Children's Museum there. Now the friend we met and I have known each other since we were around six months old. Yes, we are lifetime friends. We both now live in different states and our hometown is about halfway between us. Her youngest is my goddaughter who is looking at colleges for next year. Well, we took Hazel by the houses we grew up in and went to the New Children's Museum. Of course anyone from around the area of West Hartford, knows the museum by the giant whale in front of it. See above. After we went through the museum we went into the whale. Remember the picture I asked where Hazel was? She was inside the whale.