Sunshine In The Sky

top: Old Navy (similar),  pants: Target,  flats: J.Crew (similar),  bag: Kate Spade (via TJMaxx), glasses: DKNY 

When I was a young girl, I wasn't very... ummm... stylish. I didn't like cords. I didn't think that black tights looked good. I didn't want to wear blue top with brown pants because I thought it didn't match. Basically, I wasn't into clothes and my mom had to fight with me to put something on. 

Until about 12 years old. Then I discovered boys and pretty shoes. 

One day mom told me something I will remember for the rest of my life - if the color combination is in the nature, then you can wear it. Examples include black and yellow (bumble bee), green and blue (ocean and sky) and pink and red (lilies)

So here is sunshine (yellow shirt) in the sky (blue pants). 

By the way, pattern mixing is not part of my mom's lesson - she's very classic lady but you get it. 

So what's the point of this rambling? Your mom does know something about life and taught you many valuable things. Too bad most of us realize it only when we grow up.

I wish, I listened to my mom more when I was young. I would've been one stylish kiddo. 

Instead I have pictures of myself in black skirt with white tights. I mean, c'mon!
Have a great Monday! 

Favorite Photo

This post is part of Blog Everyday In May Challenge

Day 17, Friday: A favorite photo of yourself and why

As I was looking through the many pictures I have saved on my computer, I couldn't decide on the favorite. I asked my husband if he had a favorite picture of me and he said that no one picture describes me. And that's very true. 

All pictures have stories behind them. They are all telling something. 

And this one speaks volumes.

It's a favorite pictures of myself, as of  right now. 

It shows one of the most important roles I'm going to play in my life.

I'm about to become a mama.

I love the cute little belly and the nice colors.

I also can't help but notice the fondness with which I gaze at this new life forming inside of me.

It's so precious that my heart almost aches.

It also brings back many memories of long pillow talks with hubby about our future and our boy.

The many fears and uncertainties and reminds me how blessed I am.

Right now. This very moment.

And I can't help but to thank the Lord above for giving me this wonderful life, many blessings, 

a loving husband and my little boy.

P.S. Head over to Always Maylee to see my guest post...

A Little Fluffy

top: Loft, cords: Lands End, heels: Guess, bag: H&M

This post is part of Blog Everyday In May Challenge and although I'm starting kind of late, this is totally relevant and something I have been thinking about for a while. 

Day 16, Thursday: Something difficult about your "lot in life" and how you're working to overcome it

As you may have noticed, after having Jonathan, I've retained some of the baby-weight, a.k.a maternal stores. It's only been 3 months since I gave birth (via C-section) but it just doesn't feel like the weight is coming off fast enough. 

Right now my lot in life is this slightly over-weight body and all the remnants of big belly (stupid ugly stretch marks). I woutwould go on a diet and start a rigorous workout regime if I wasn't nursing. But when I have to make sure that my baby gets enough to eat, it's a whole different story. 

I'm pretty good at eating healthy, taking long walks with while Jonathan naps in the stroller and avoiding junk food but it's still not happening fast enough. All my pre-pregnancy clothes are safely tucked away in the basement waiting to be released by my newly slimmed down self.

In my mind I do understand that it takes time.

That my body went through a lot.

That it's not healthy to loose weight rapidly.

That some weight loss is better then none.

Then I look at myself in the mirror. 

Emotions come rushing in and I'm filled with sadness and disappointment.

Then there was yesterday. Yesterday was different 

 I step on the scale and there it is - the number has finally moved in the downward direction. 

YAY! I think I jumped and checked it twice. It's true.

I'm consciously thinking about every single thing I eat and make myself go the extra few steps, while skipping whipped cream at Starbucks, and it's FINALLY paying off! 

Nobody said that it's easy. I'm not one of those girls who gives birth and five minutes late she's in her skinny size 0 jeans. I have to work at it. 

. 

It's hard not to hate my body at this stage and not to throw into towel only because I don't see immediate results.

It's hard to pass up on that dessert when everyone is having some.

It's hard switching from regular to almond milk. Still debating if it's worth it.

It's hard getting my butt out of the bed and out the door when it's hot/cold/windy. Trust me, there is always an excuse not to exercise.

But one thing I know, it's ALL going to be totally worth it when I fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans. 

And although right now, I'm not in the best shape, I'm happy to say that I'm doing everything in my power to get there. And one day soon I will. 

Lentil Soup {Recipe}

I have been eating this lentil soup since I was about 10 years old. When we were living in Russia and struggling to make ends meet, my mom became very good at creating delicious, filling and cheap meals. The thing is - there isn't much of anything in this soup. All the ingredients are very basic and you can probably find them in your fridge right now. Lentils are very filling and have lots of protein. They are also cheap and almost everyone likes their taste. So here is a recipe that's a favorite of ours, which we make very often. It's very VERY easy to make and is absolutely delicious! 

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup green  lentils
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- 1 pint of chicken broth
- 1/2 of chicken breast
- 2 carrots
- 1 medium onion
- 1/4 cup of pickle juice
- 2 tbsp of Ajvar paste
- olive oil
- salt, pepper


***If you want to make your own chicken broth. It is hundred times better then store bought.
- 1 chicken breast
- 2 pints of water
- 1 celery stick
- 1 carrot
Put all ingredients into a pot. Pour boiling water and simmer for one hour. Drain through a sieve and set the chicken aside.

Method

Chop onions, peel and grate carrots. Pour 2 tbsp of oil on hot skillet and place onions. Saute onions n medium heat until translucent, add carrots and cook for another 5 minutes. 

Add ajvar paste and mix together, set aside.

Bring chicken broth to boil and add pickle juice. Wash lentils and add them to the broth. Let the lentils cook for 10 minutes. 

Add the onions & carrots, stir. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 30 minutes.  Set aside and let soup stand for another 30 minutes.

To serve

Pull apart chicken breast and add to each individual bowls with a dollup of sour cream.

Enjoy!  

Jonathan //Three Months//

Dear boy,

I can't believe how fast time flies...

I can't believe how fast you are growing and changing...

You are a cute chunker and there isn't a day going by that I don't marvel at your sweet little face. You are so curious and love to explore. You love when I'm walking around with you facing the world - it's fascinating to watch you intensely inspect everything around you. 

You love chewing your fists and won't take a pacifier instead. Even though I don't mind you exploring your little hands, I don't want you to suck your thumb, so I'm on look out for that.

Also, you started reaching and grabbing things. When you lay on the floor play mat, you reach for the toy and hit it so it starts spinning, then you do it again. I think you understand what you have to do to get the toys moving. 

I love your cute babble. It has got to be the cutest babble talk out there! When I change your diaper in the morning, you just want to talk and talk and tell me all about your troubles. It's so sweet! 

When I'm blowing raspberries on your tummy you laugh. It's a real genuine laugh and not just some squeals which makes it such a precious time just for the two of us. 

One thing you don't like is noisy people. We had some relatives over and you just didn't like being smothered and carried by others. But as soon as everyone left, you were sitting in the swing and making googly sounds and smiling  Go figure! Although, you do very well in the nursery. 

We went out to eat for Mother's Day and you didn't make a peep, yet the day before we were hanging out at your grandparents and you were such a stinker. It seems that everyday is different and there isn't a set pattern with you.

You didn't like tummy time and would get really mad (read cry) when I put you on your belly. But it's good for you baby so you are getting better at it. Now you really try to lift your head up high but I think it's kind of heavy so I understand - it takes a lot of work.

Honestly, I couldn't ask for a better kid. You sleep through the night and eat well. Rarely have any colic and don't mind being in the swing for hours - you love falling asleep in it. 

I'm so blessed to be celebrating Mother's Day as your mama and thank God everyday for such a blessing in my life. You truly are God's gift and I love you!

Celebrate Mothers {Gift Guide}

elegant women's Emporio Armani watch
sleek and bright Kate Spade NY wallet
rose gold pave bracelet 
cat eye DKNY sunglasses
leather neon envelope clutch
gorumet rose petal petits fours

Mother's Day is just around the corner and for some of us, it's a last minute shopping spree, where we frantically run from store to store trying to find something special. 

Thankfully, I have already got our moms (my mom and MIL) something very special (read: photobook of Jonathan's baby pictures. Awwwwww.), so I'm all set. Although a box of gourmet chocolates and bouquet of fresh flowers is a must. 

So for those of you who haven't picked up a gift for mom, or the woman in your life who you consider to be your mom, or that first time mama who is over the moon in love with her baby, or the tired and worn out mama, who hasn't had a day off in ages - here's a gift guide that will please them all.

 Including myself. //hoping hubby is reading this//

This weekend is all about honoring the women in your life who do so much, who sacrifice and give. And give. Let them know how much you appreciate their care and constant unending labor of love. 

Mothers. They do so much! They deserve a day in a year all to themselves! 

Have a great weekend! 

P.S. And don't forget a card. She will love those thoughtful little details.

Everyday Life

tee: H&M, pants: Target, necklace: Burlington Coat Factory, clutch: TJMAxx, shoes Vince Camuto

Everyday life gets boring.

 Its mundane existence sometimes just drags between grocery shopping, running errands, working and making dinners. 

But then there are days when you realize how fast the time is going. One day you wake up and you are married, with a fancy college degree (that gave you a fancy student loan) and have a baby to take care of. Then you decide to make the most every moment of every day. That lasts about a day until the mundane and the boring gets to ya. And the cycle repeats.

But what's different now is that this new life that you brought into this world has forever changed everything. Seriously! Life is never dull anymore, it's full of glorious ups and downs. 

Every day is never boring. Ever again.  

Love Me Some Maxi

Considering that I'm on the budget now, I HAVE to think about every item (I mean every single thing) when I buy it. So to make sure that my buys are good investments and will serve me the entire season or two, I have been doing a lot of scouting. It used to be if I needed a maxi dress, I just bought whatever I saw first and then if something better came up, I bought that too. And on and on. 

Now, it's a whole different story.

So there are couple things I'm considering purchasing next month and one of them is a versatile maxi dress. Therefore I have come up with a few choices that fit my budget. Take a look.
Maybe you will find something you like?  

1. Tank Maxi - perfect for a beach vacation, can be dressed up with a cardigan or down with jean jacket for a night out. Love the Ikat stripe and different shades of blue

2. Grey Floral - the neutral color pallette makes it so versatile and you are ready for anything in a minute. I love the print and it will be great on any curvy figures.

3. Long-Sleeve - I love everything about this dress! The colors! The floral print! The modest neckline and the sleeve length! The only thing that's stopping me is the price - do I want to shell out a month's  budget on one dress? #undecided

4. Casual Jersey - this is an everyday, going to the store, running errands or lunch with girlfriend kind of dress. Love the subtle print and that it has short sleeve.

5. Kimono - this dress reminds me of Japanese style dresses, with wide sleeves. Although it's more modern and has a lovely floral print.

6. Date Night - this dress would be perfect for a any special occasion and has a very flattering bustling. Plus Navy blue is not as boring as another black dress.

7. High-Low - although this dress is from the Maternity Collection, it's got great color and colorblocking going one. Then it's high-low, which has caught my eye. Just gotta wait until it goes on sale! 

8. Lemon Lime - This color is absolutely gorgeous! It's a simple yet stunning dress, perfect for summer BBQs and road trips.

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER GIVEAWAY TO WIN J.CREW GIFTCARD HERE! 

HURRY ENDS TODAY!

Long Awaited Spring

top TJMaxx, skirt: Thrfted, shoes: Forever21, necklace: Macy's, clutch: H&M

I'm so happy to report that the New York State has caught on to the idea that it's spring! And it's absolutely stunning! The beautiful flowers in bloom, the gorgeous trees budding with tender green leaves and absolutely every kind of bird is out there at 5am singing its harmonious song (and not letting me sleep). I'm loving it! I feel like this winter was so long and I have waited for sunshine my entire life. 

We (Jonathan and I) are talking long strolls in the park, taking in the scenery, lounging in the backyard and doing everything possible to spend as much time outside as possible. 

He is loving the sun. And the kids love him. He's like a magnet for every little girl out there - they just want to touch him, kiss him and just plain eat him up. I mean, who wouldn't? Such a heart breaker already!

And because this week it's going to be roasting hot, we are planning on baking out on the sun until 'medium well', or maybe even 'well done'. Well, more like me baking and Jonathan enjoying the cool shade and breeze. This guys has got it made! 

Have a Happy Monday! 

P.S. Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY which has been extended until Wednesday, May 8th! 

First {ever} Giveaway (CLOSED)

EXTENDED UNTIL WEDNESDAY! 

Dear friends, followers, random readers and those who just read my blog because you have nothing else to do at the moment, THANK YOU! 

I have been blogging for a whole year now and loving it!

Thank you for sticking with me and letting me share a small part of my life with you! 

I enjoy blogging and taking pictures of my outfits - it pushes me to new creativity levels.

Well, in appreciation  I am giving away a small gift - (if you noticed, I'm not advertising therefore not making money of this thing, therefore all expenses come out of my pocket), J.Crew gift card. It has to be my favorite store (not according to my wallet though), so I want you to enjoy something small on me (even if it is a skinny belt on super clearance sale). 

Thanks again! 

It has been fun!

HOW TO ENTER:
1. Leave a comment in the comments below about your favorite outfit that I wore.
2. Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin
3. Pin any image from this blog (it could be your favorite outfit but doesn't have to) on Pinerest
And that's it! Good luck...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

April {Budgeting Series}

1/2/3/4/5/6

We are here again! I mean, time just flies!

I don't know how it happened but I ended up doing some shopping this month. Couple trips to the mall to get a birthday gift and Jonathan's outfit for his blessing, then shopping trip with sista and I'm maxed out!

Time to fess up. And I did pretty good! YAY ME!

I was in desperate need of chambray top and scored one with polka dots (major bonus!) at TJMaxx for only $19.99 but here is a similar (and three times more expensive).

The trip to Forever21 produced skinny dark denim, lemon cardi, white blouse with black trim (worn here not online) and a lace top for under $70. Talk about a score!

Then shopping for Jonathan I scored polka dot top (#6 similar) on a major sale $22.60. 

Adding to my collection of mint things are these flats, which are very comfortable. I think of all the flats I have ever owed, these are the best. They have a small platform which you can't see but which makes walking for long periods of time a breeze. Best investment so far.

Budget Total: $100.00

Spent: $126.60

Well, before going shopping I shared with hubby my projected budget and he said that I should go and enjoy myself (whaaaat? he wasn't trying to stop me?), as well as add $20. 

So I stayed within my budget with only $6 over.
I'm happy to be at this point and glad I stuck to it! 
I'm currently in a process of re-organizing my closet and figuring out what I need for the summer so I can do smart shopping this month. But it's going to be so hard with amazing summer deals and gorgeous dresses all over. More trips to the park and less trips to the mall.
That should do it.

P.S. P.S. I am linking up with my monthly shopaholics budgeting group hosted by Franish, 

see more budgeting bloggers right over here. Enjoy!

Tired

top: Forever21, skirt: JCPenny, shoes: BCBGirls, bag: Kate Spade NY, 

I'm  really tired. 

You know when you are tired and all you can think of is hitting that pillow? 

Well, this is it.

But it's the good kind of tired, knowing a lot was accomplished and planned ahead, so that later on, I can be less tired. If that's going to be ever possible.

Also it's the feeling of not enough sleep, and busy weekend.

Although, that sunshine sure made it all worthwhile. 

And just to let you know, a quick nap on my freshly sprung green lawn was amazing! 

So I'm off to enjoy my delicious homemade breakfast (hubby is home this morning) which includes French Toast, egg casserole, bacon and sausage. So maybe that's why I'm tired? Yep that must be it.

Although I'm not too tired for another piece of toast.

Neva!

Have yourself a nice day!

Casual Mommyform

top: Old Navy (similar), cords: Land's End, flats: Target, tote: Gap

Since becoming a mom, flats, cords (love those things) and easy-to-throw-on tops, that give easy access to merchandise,  have become kind of my thing. Especially if I have a million places to go to. 

Between groceries, dry cleaners, bank and post office it's a lot of times in and out of the car WITH the car seat. I have to get out of the car, take the car seat out, haul it with me, come back, put the seat back, all while making sure Jonathan is not too hot or cold. 

You mommies out there know the drill. 

So as you can tell, heels have become more of a Sunday thing - going to church all dressed up while hubby carries the stupid thing. 

Jonathan is growing fast and it's already hard for me to get up two flights of stairs from the garage to our main floor, with my purse and his diaper bag. (I actually consolidated the two recently) 

 Thankfully, places like Old Navy, Forever21 and Target are selling some cute flats and clothes that I don't have to worry about being too neat (i'm still a perfectionist and a neat freak).

So here I go sporting my mommyform, conveniently having nowhere to go today. 

Wait, I think I need stamps.

Have yourself a great weekend!

Strawberry Cake {recipe}

 I mean, it's obviously a recipe post. Take a look at the picture. Duh. But I went ahead and put {recipe}in there just for kicks. Just to make sure.

So here it is. The cake I was raving about. 

Honestly the first time I made it, I was going to take pictures but forgot and it disappeared too quick for me even to take a shot of one piece. After making it second time and forgetting to take pictures AGAIN I had to finish the cake all by myself. It was too good. This time I was afraid to forget again, so I left a note on my phone telling me to take pictures. If that's not getting old, I don't know what is. 

Let me know how you guys like it. And if you like it at all.

Ingredients:

for the cake

- 2 cups of Bisquick

- 8 eggs

- 1 cup sugar

for the frosting

- 1 cup heavy cream

- 1/2 cup powdered sugar

- 1/2 tsp vanilla

- 1/2 package cream cheese (softened)

- 1 stick butter (softened)

for the syrup

- juice of 1/2 lemon

- 4 tbsp sugar

- 3 tbsp cognac

- 1 cup of warm water

for garnish

- strawberries

-chopped pecans

Method:

Preheat oven to 300 F

Beat eggs and sugar on high until light and fluffy. Add Bisquick and mix just until combined, don't over beat. Divide the mixture between two pans.

Pour 2/3 of the batter into well greased round 9'' pan and bake on 300 F for 45 minutes. Let it cool until able to handle, then take out of the form. When the cake is completely cool, cut it lengthwise in half. 

Pour the other 1/3 into 8'' round pan and bake for 30 minutes at 300 F. Take out and let cool completely. 

Beat  heavy cream and powdered sugar until stiff picks form. (To get best results with whipped cream, place the bowl, whisk and cream in freezer for 5 minutes). Set aside, but not before getting a nice taste of that deliciousness. Yummy!
In a different bowl, beat cream cheese and butter together until uniform mixture forms, add whipped cream and vanilla and combine.

Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients for syrup together and set aside until the sugar dissolves completely. Pour the syrup evenly over the two halves of the cake.

Take the other cake and tear it apart into small pieces. Cut strawberries into small pieces and mix with about 2/3 of the frosting. Just careful not to get carried away with the strawberries and eat them all. They do look good though.

Take the bottom half of the cake and spread a little frosting on it. Then put the cake/strawberry/frosting mixtures and top off with second half of the cake. Spread the rest of the frosting over the cake, covering the sides.

Cover the edges with pecans and top with cut strawberries. Then scrape the bowl of frosting clean, while complaining to your husband that your old pre-maternity jeans don't fit your perfectly too round bottom. Let out a big Sigh. Move on with life.

Let the cake stand in the fridge for at least 3 hours, better yet 12. 

Enjoy a piece. Or two. 

Then sigh about your long lost size 4 jeans.

You Don't Know Until You've Been There.

It's amazing how fast time flies.

Although I have learned a lot in the last two and a half months of motherhood, one thing is for sure - you cannot say you will do this or that, or know better when you haven't had children, or experienced exactly the same situation, or had 'that' kid. 

 Until you've been there. 

Until you've done everything possible to have natural delivery and ended up with C-section.

Until you've been through the sleepless nights and colicky cries.

Until you've tried everything to calm the baby and it just seems that nothing works. 

Until you've stood over his crib trying to put him to sleep and he just wants to smile and play with you.
Until you've realized that all he wants is to be on your chest.

Until you've heard every kind of cry and KNOW what your baby needs at them moment.

Until you tried to introduce the bottle so you can leave him for more then two hours but he wouldn't take it.

Until you've followed the schedule and failed.

Until you've tried to nurse but the baby just won't take the breast but does fine with the bottle.

Until you've lost your milk supply very early on and hated that you had to switch to formula.

Until you've tried to give the formula but baby refuses.

Until you've realized that babies are people, and people have bad days. 

As friends, family members and just acquaintances, I think we all have offered advice in one form or another. 

But until you've at least been there, you can't say what works and what doesn't. 

And even then, all babies are different. 

Some want to be held all the time, others are completely satisfied without being smothered. 

Some want to eat every 2 hours for the first year of their life, others sleep through the night at one month old.

Some take pacifier, others like to suck on their thumb.

Some will be potty trained by 8 months, others still wet their pants at 3 years old. 

Honestly, every mother has her own struggles and until you've been there, until you've had that child, until you've tried everything under the sun, you have no idea what you would do.

So let's stop judging (which I'm guilty of as well) and start encouraging because God knows, we need it the most.

We, mothers, need to support and encourage each other in the fine job that we are doing, because we all know that it's hard enough without being criticized every step of the way.

Brutiful Reality

Here is behind the scenes look.

"I just want to have that boob already" 
Parents trying to take pictures when baby wants to have lunch 

 "Stop with the pictures and take me out of this stupid 
car seat already" 
Pictures after a long ride in the car 

"I was cute and cuddly, and I wore your stupid bowtie Ma, 
now can we get this over with?" 
Too many pictures when everyone wants to hold the baby 

 "Seriously folks! You put me into a jacket and a collared 
shirt and expect me to like it?"
 Taking pictures after a long day at church and out  

It's not always pretty.

Sometimes, babies don't make those adorable, precious and beautiful pictures happen.

Babies have a mind of their own and absolutely no schedule.

Parents are trying to go by the clock and babies... well, who knows what they go by. Mostly, the positioning of the moon and their hungry tummies.

When the two try to co-exist in one world, life gets messy.

And I am a real mama trying to navigate in the midst of dirty diaper, couple sleepless nights and an always-hungry stomach in high heels and couple designer handbags.

My life is not a perfect Instagram picture.

My life is sometimes brutal and always amazingly beautiful.

It's Brutiful.

And I love it. Well, Most of the time.

Have a great weekend!

Beautiful

top: Gap (similar), skirt: J.Crew, shoes: Aldo (similar), bag: Kate Spade NY ,

How beautiful you think you are?

What do you think of your appearances?

If someone asked you to describe yourself to a blind person, what would be the image in his mind? 

Would it be an image of a beautiful person, so someone unattractive? 

Our perception of beauty is so distorted, thanks to Victoria Secret ads. If only we knew the amount of work it takes to make those women look like that, we would be shocked. 

On some level we do know that the magazine covers, fashion shows and billboard ads have been digitally altered to look like that but who said that computer-produced image of a woman is true beauty?

This  video is a real eye-opener to us as women. Honestly, the amount of self-destructive thinking and negative attitude that we have, it's really amazing we think anything of ourselves at all.

 Beauty really does come from the inside because if you think that you are unattractive, others will you see that way. 

We are beautiful because we are real. Real women with real bodies and real lives. 

Don't forget to love yourself and channel that inner beauty for the world to see. 

"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken." Oscar Wilde 

On Perfectionism

top: Ann Taylor, pants: thrifted, heels: BCBGirls, bow: Old Navy (belt from dress), bag: Target

I must admit: I'm a perfectionist by nature. With people-pleasing, every-person-approval-seeking tendencies. Sometimes it gets a little nuts in this head of mine. 

My desire for the 'right' way sometimes gets in the way of what's more important - things like friendships, personal relationships and love.
The most difficult part about motherhood (and life in general) is finding balance. The balance between a disciplinarian and too permissive parent, accepting friend and judgmental one.
In an effort to find that balance I'm trying to go a little easier on myself and on my child.
There will be bad days. That's just a fact of life.
Sometimes he will be fussy and I won't feel like going by schedule.
Sometimes you just have to let go and let it be.
Those are the times when you figure out that life will go on with unwashed dishes in the sink and take out dinner, so that mama can get some rest and relaxation.
As you know, when mama is happy, everybody is happy.
So go ahead and have yourself a perfect day.

Banana Bread {recipe}

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and now that the nice weather is actually making its appearance over in our area, I'm so ready to get outside and enjoy it. 

The most exciting part is that I can finally go walking in the park with my munchkin and start getting back into shape faster. I do have a treadmill but running in the garage, while staring at my husband's tools, is not fun or does it make me want to do it over and over again. 

If you notice, all my recipes haven't really been 'diet' type. I don't know why, but I have such a sweet tooth lately. I've always been more of savory kinda gal but I think breastfeeding, working out, or what have you, is making me crave sweets. Yeah, not good. 

So I'm trying to curb my cravings a little bit while not indulging in too many sweet things. One of my favorites is banana bread. Our pastor's wife has been making most delicious, moist and decadent banana bread for years and always shares with us during Christmas time. She did give me the recipe but it never came out right. I decided to give it a try one more time with a little tweak. It was pure perfection. 

Go get some bananas. Let them sit on your counter for a week and make yourself a banana bread. 

Trust me. It's gooooood.  

INGREDIENTS

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar 
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

HOW TO:

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). 

With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

***My oven tends to be on hotter side so I bake it on 325F for an hour and then leave on 300F for another 30 minutes. It seems to do the trick - comes out moist and perfectly browned. Work with your oven.