Strawberry & Banana Muffins

Strawberries are my all time favorite fruit! For as long as I can remember they always have been. I guess not just the fruit but also the flavor. I have always loved strawberry milk, strawberry cupcakes/cakes, strawberry koolaid, Straw-ber-rita's!!

And bananas are pretty close to the top of my list also.

Please tell me I am not the ONLY person whose bananas end up looking like this? I swear, my kids will eat them like they are going out of style, demanding more. Then one day, nobody wants them anymore and they end up looking like those poor things! And then it dawned on me! I wonder if you can make Strawberry/Banana Bread? I was tired of making the same old Banana Bread that I always make when my bananas look close to death. So I decided to google and I found this recipe here!

Here is the cast of characters! Flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, eggs, butter, cinnamon, vanilla, smooshed bananas, strawberries and sugar! (not the sugar above, the one below!! I didn't read the recipe correctly, be sure you do that!) Also don't plan on using that many strawberries and bananas for one batch. I got a little crazy and made three batches!! Luckily I was able to take some to work and I really think my coworkers enjoyed them! Oh yeah, my kids were super excited too! They loved having them for breakfast and then a snack when they came home from school!!

Use brown sugar instead of white!!!!

All right! Time to get started! Melt your butter in a small saucepan and then let cool to room temperature.

 Smoosh your bananas up!! (Yes that is a real word to me! I don't care what auto correct tries to tell me!)

Cut your strawberries into bite size pieces. And feel free to snack on them while you are cutting them up!

Get your medium sized bowl and whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract and mashed bananas. 

Add the melted butter and stir to combine.

Doesn't that look good?!?!?1

In a separate larger bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

Beautifully combined!!

Now dump those beautiful berries onto your flour mixture.

Gently fold the berries into your mixture, making sure each berry is coated with the flour mixture. The directions stated this was important because it would help the berries from sinking during baking. I wasn't sure if it would make a difference. I wasn't going to get my hopes up, but I was not disappointed in the end!

Now add your wet ingredients to the flour mixture.

And start stirring until the ingredients are combined. Do not over mix or you will end up with tough muffins!

Lookin' Good!!

Line your muffin tins with some pretty paper liners!

( These beauties came from the Dollar Tree!!)

Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups.

(or 50 if you get a little overzealous like I did!!)

Slide your muffins into your preheated 350* oven.

Check on them around the 20 minute mark. Look at those beautiful strawberries just hanging out on top!

I guess that flour trick did work!

Mmm, Mmm, Mmm

Delicious!!

Strawberry Banana Muffin Recipe

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter,melted
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup fresh strawberries (cut into bite sized pieces)
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place oven rack in the center of the oven. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.

In a small saucepan melt the butter. Let cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs,vanilla and mashed banana. Add the melted butter and stir to combine.

In a separate large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gently fold in the berries, making sure they are coated with flour. (This helps to prevent the berries from sinking during baking.) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are just combined. Do not over mix the batter or tough muffins will result.

Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Place in the oven and bake until a tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Can be stored for a few days at room temperature.

Makes 12 regular sized muffins.

Prep time: 20 mins

NCAA Tournament Preview-First Four

All games in Dayton, OH. All Times EDT. TV:TRUtv

• Tuesday
• 16S Albany(NEC Champ) vs. 16S Mt. St. Mary's(America East Champ)-6:40
• All this game will be is a fight to determine who will get slaughtered by 40 points on Thursday. These two are evenly matched with MSM tending to get involved in more high-scoring affairs while Albany is used to playing small ball. My Prediction:Albany 72-70
• 12MW North Carolina State (ACC At-Large) vs. 12MW Xavier (Big East At-Large)-9:10
• NC State was most likely the last team in as their resume was not nearly as strong as the consensus first team out, SMU (who likely got snubbed based on a very weak non-conference schedule). Xavier suffered two seperate three-game skids including one late in conference play and needs to take advantage of their strong assist game. My Prediction:Xavier 71-69
• Wednesday
• 16MW Cal Poly(Big West Champ) vs. 16MW Texas Southern(SWAC Champ)-6:40
• Cal Poly was 13-19 and only got in on a hot streak during their conference tourney. My Prediction:TSU 70-68
• 11MW Iowa (Big 10 At-Large) vs. 11MW Tennessee (SEC At-Large)-9:10
• They saved the best for last as these two teams could have easily gone straight to second round without a stop in Dayton. Iowa got bounced from the B1G tourney in the first round after dropping their last two regular season games.They need to put that behind them or the Vols will throttle them. Tennessee was in a nose dive but managed to right the ship just in time to go deep in the SEC tourney and slide in to the big dance. My Prediction:Tennessee 72-71 (OT) 

Can't miss for the weekend of Mar. 14-16

Here are the eight sporting events you can't afford to miss this weekend. (All times EDT)

1.NCAA Men's Basketball-Selection Show: Sunday 7 (CBS); Does this really need any explanation?

2.NCAA Men's Basketball-Conference Tourneys (Check local listings);The major one to check out is the Big East Tournament (Fox Sports 1) which has seen some amazing play already, but you can't go wrong, no matter what conference you decide to watch.

3.30 for 30-Requiem for the Big East:Sunday 9 (ESPN);30 for 30 has become the gold standard for sports documentaries, and based on early reviews, the story of college basketball's most legendary conference appears to be just as intriguing as expected.

4.NHL-Pens/Flyers Home and Home doubleheader: Sat(Philadelphia) 1 (NHL Network)/Sun(Pittsburgh) 12:30 (NBC); The Pennsylvania hockey rivalry continues with a rare home-and-home, consecutive days doubleheader. While the Penguins have all but clinched the Metro Division and are just looking for home-ice advantage, the Flyers are still hovering between an automatic spot out of the Metro and having to hang on in the Eastern Conference wildcard race, needing every point possible.

5.Barclay's Premier League-Manchester United vs Liverpool: Sunday 9:30am (NBCSN);Liverpool is looking to pull ahead of Chelsea in the fight for the title while a Man U side that many thought had given up mid season has clawed its way back to within two spots of the UEFA qualifying places with just 2 months left to play.

6. UFC 171 (Dallas)-Prelims 7 (Fox Sports 1), Main card 10 (PPV); The main event almost became meaningless before Hendricjs made weight around 5:55 central on Friday. This fight for the Welterweight title is one of just several great bouts on a stacked card.

7.NBA-Rockets vs Heat Sunday 3:30 (ABC); With Houston trying to pull ahead of the Spurs in the Southwest and Miami trying to stay ahead of the Pacers for control of Eastern Conference home court, this is an important matchup with a  decent shot at getting a few eyeballs while everyone waits for Selection Sunday.

8.NASCAR Sprint Cup Series-Food City 500 (Bristol Motor Speedway):Sunday 12:30 (Fox); Will a fourth different driver win this season, or can somebody clinch an automatic slot in the Chase?

Hot Springs

I think I found my most favorite vacation spot of all time this past week. I found it in the most unlikely of places, Arkansas. More specifically, Hot Springs. My wife and I went there on our honeymoon and we had very few complaints and tons of fun things to do. 

The thing that made this vacation very enjoyable was the place we stayed. I have found the place you stay on a vacation is the foundation of the vacation. We stayed at the Hilltop Manor Bed and Breakfast. I have never stayed at a bed and breakfast in my life so I was weary at first. In my head, I pictured Dwight and cousin Mo at a creepy old house. Instead, the owners were very professional and very helpful. They made sure that we knew about area attractions. They also had complimentary champaign the first night we were there and then the next night for my birthday. They also were very personable. They would talk to us about normal things. They also made sure to do the little things like tell me happy birthday on my birthday. The room was very nice and made us feel like we were at home. The breakfasts were very good as well. They were home cooked and very tasty. They also had snacks put out every afternoon and would offer you a beer or some wine with the snack. The house itself was very beautiful. It was built in 1898 and backs up to a national forest. There is an area with an outdoor fireplace to sit next to at night and enjoy the stars. I really could go on and on about this place. It was spectacular. 

We went to quite a few places in the area. The first place we went was Garvan Woodland Gardens. They have some great trails to hike. There were plants from around the world. Many were not in bloom yet, so that was a bit of a downer. However, it was still a great place to visit. The best part of the gardens was the chapel. It is made of mostly wood and glass. I really did not think I would be that amazed by a building but when I saw it I was stunned by its beauty. The Garvan Gardens are a must see and a great place for those who love photography. 

Another place we visited was the Gangster Museum of America. It was very interesting to see how Hot Springs became a great place to visit via the criminal underworld. You'd be surprised how many famous criminals came through Hot Springs. It was "neutral" territory so that mobsters could have a place to vacation. Even the infamous Al Capone would visit Hot Springs. The tour guide wasn't exactly exciting and needed a lesson on how to use a DVD player but it is well worth it to visit.

We visited one spot that most people would not believe that I went. It was the Hot Springs Mountain Tower. It is a tower on top of a mountain. It is over 1,200 feet above sea level. It is one of those things that you need to do just so you can say you did it.

The one thing that everyone who comes to Hot Springs must do is to visit a bath house. We went to the Quapaw Bath House. The water is very relaxing. It is apparent why people have thought these springs were very cleansing for the body for thousands of years. There were four pools each with different tempatures ranging from 96 degrees to 104 degrees. The staff at the location where we went was very helpful and professional. The architecture was very unique as well. It had that 1920's feel to it. We enjoyed the time we spent at the bath house.

Speaking of relaxation, we had a couples massage at Sabai Massage Therapy. I have never been to a professional masseuse. I am not a huge fan of folks touching me but I will say that I was impressed and walked away very relaxed. 

How could I not mention one of the best resturants that I have ever been to in my life? It was Luna Bella. Being from DFW, I am use to going to some of the best resturants known to mankind. This place blew me away. They serve mainly Italian. It was so good that back at the bed and breakfast, a guy from The Woodlands was telling us how much he loved it. The best part was that it was not overly priced. It was about the same price as going to Kaze. 

We also had a beer at Superior Bath House Brewery.  They make their beer using the spring water. It was good beer with decent service.

We had a great vacation and a wonderful time. I highly recommend everyone making it out to Hot Springs at least once in their lifetime. 

  

http://mobile.hilltopmanorhotsprings.com/?tracker=googlelocal

http://www.garvangardens.org/

http://mobile.dudamobile.com/site/GangsterMuseum?url=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.tgmoa.com%252F

http://lunabellahotsprings.com/

http://www.sabai-massage-therapy.com/

http://quapawbaths.com/

http://m.immarketing.me/Superior?m_Source=redirector

How to Properly Deal with a Potential Tragedy

     By now everyone is well aware about the incident involving Stars center Rich Peverly last night at the AAC. As scary as it was, everyone from the officials to the broadcast teams to the league office in Toronto handled it as calmly as possible, with as little speculation as possible. This should be the blueprint for how off-playing field events are dealt with in sports.

     For those who are not in the know, here's some background and a recap of what happened. Peverly, a 31-year-old center who was sent to Dallas by Boston in the Tyler Seguin trade last year, was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrilation during training camp and missed the first month of the season after surgery for the issue. He again missed a game last week (coincidently a road game at Columbus) due to a flare-up of symptoms while his medication was being adjusted.

     Fast forward to last night. After ending a shift, he came off the ice and some time after collapsed, leading teams on both sides to frantically try to get the attention of the linesman to stop the game. Here's where the professionalism of everyone involved took over.

     As play was whistled dead, he was rushed into the tunnel by the coaching staff, the Stars in-arena medical team began working on him. At that point is was unknown what was going on and to whom, and the Dallas broadcast team of Ralph Strangis and Darryl Reaugh did not try to speculate until they knew for sure (Though Reaugh correctly assumed it was Peverly after seeing he was the only one not milling about around the bench). For most of this time they stayed quiet, with cameras panning around getting reaction shots of players and fans, who should also be commended for understanding the gravity of the situation and keeping just as silent as Strangis and Reaugh. In all my years of being a Stars fan, I've never once heard dead air for that long on the radio.

     Once it was learned that Peverly was conscious and in stable condition, the focus then shifted to whether or not the NHL would choose to continue the game. It was quite obvious from comments after the game by Dallas coach Lindy Ruff and Columbus Blue Jackets President of Hockey Ops John Davidson that the only option was to postpone it rather than make two teams of visibly shaken players finish.

     This could have been handled much differently and would have led to the story this morning being either the first in-game death in the NHL since Bill Masterson or how someone screwed up or how fans in Dallas are insensitive. Instead, this became a template for how incidents like this ought to be handled, and stories this morning focused on Rich Peverly and his condition, as they very well should.

Baked Ham & Cheese Sandwiches!

 Every time I think about these ooey-gooey little sandwiches my mouth starts to water! I always put off making them because I think they are more difficult to make then they really are. I can remember back when I was in High School and my mom would make two or three pans of these for our family. My brothers could sure eat their fair share!! As a side note aren't those strawberries redonkulous?? I picked those bad boys up at Sam's Club and I could not get over how huge they were! Of course my girls thought they had to try and devour them in one setting!!

Okay, are you ready to get started making these sweet things? The next picture is everything you will need to make them! (I will post the recipe at the end of the post so you can have the measurements.)

Preheat your oven to 350*F

You will need Hawaiian Rolls, thin sliced ham, Swiss or provolone cheese, stick of butter, 

brown sugar, Worcestershire, mustard and Poppy Seeds (optional)

 Go ahead and put butter, mustard, Worcestershire, brown sugar and poppy seeds 

in a small pan on medium-low heat. Bring it to a soft boil.(not bubbling or rolling boil)

 While your sweet buttery goodness is melting together go ahead and 

tear your rolls away from each other.

 Then start slicing them in half.

 Lay all the bottoms in the pan and throw the tops over in a pile.

(I'm sorry, that sounded a little risque'!)

 This is what your sauce should look like. Go ahead and slide your pan off the burner so it 

doesn't continue to cook while you finish up your sandwiches.

 I bought ham out of the Deli and had them slice it at a #1. Go ahead and slice it 

into quarters.

 I also bought Provolone out of the Deli and had her slice it at a #1 . Cut each 

slice in half.

Stack four triangles of ham on each roll.

 Now add 2 halves of cheese to each roll.

Time to put those tops back on!!

Now comes the yummy part!! Pour that buttery-sweet mixture all over those 

little sandwiches!!

 OOOOOOOO, doesn't that look wonderful?!

 Cover the pan with foil.

 Bake for 20 minutes.

 And this is the nice little mess I made!

(Might as well keep it real!)

 Yes! I think they are done!!

 I can't quit looking at these delicious things!

 Scoop one out! My favorite is the middle!

Yummy!! That was so good!!

If you have a very keen eye, you may have noticed there are no poppy seeds in any of the pictures except the one with all the ingredients. I just want to let you know that I did not forget to put them in. My husband will not eat them in anything. He is certain that if he ingests even a single poppy seed he will be called in for a random drug test. He is adamant that he does not want a single poppy seed in his system for fear of a false positive occurring. 

Baked Ham & Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 lb deli ham thinly sliced
• 12 slices Provolone or Swiss
• 1 pkg (12 count total) Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
• 1 stick butter
• 1 tsp mustard (I used spicy brown mustard)
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire
• 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
• ⅓ cup brown sugar

Instructions

1. Make sandwiches with rolls, ham and cheese -fill a 9×13 pan with these (you can squeeze them in)
2. In a medium sauce pan on the stove bring to a soft boil: butter, mustard, worcestershire, poppy seeds, and brown sugar.
3. Pour sauce over top of sandwiches
4. Cover with foil and bake at 350* F for approximately 20 minutes

I hope you enjoy!! Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments! Also if there is anything you would like to know how to make let me know and maybe I can do a post for you!

-Jess

Abbott v Davis?

It's time to choose a new governor of Texas. I think we can all say thanks to that and breathe a sigh of relief that Rick Perry is leaving. 

On the Republican side, it'll be Greg Abbott. He is running as a conservative that takes on Obama and liberals who want the government to take care of them cradle to grave. As many know, he is disabled and is bound to a wheelchair. That is something that I would never want happen to anyone. I do sincerely feel bad for the guy on that one. However, I do find him to be hypocritical. The accident occurred when he was jogging and a tree limb fell on him. He sued the owner of the property and the tree company for 6 million dollars. He has gone on as attorney general to fight to limit the amount of money that people can sue the state. His logic is that he has to represent the interests of the state. He is correct in that but then he should have been smart enough to know that before getting into the job. Also, most conservatives rail against lawsuits. It seems that he is a hypocrite.   

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20130802-greg-abbott-has-received-6-million-so-far-from-suit-over-accident.ece

Then there is Wendy Davis for the democrats. She became famous for standing up to those angry, male conservatives who were trying to violate women's rights. What did she filibuster? The bill that would eventually pass banned abortions after 20 weeks (approximately 5 months) and set up more regulations for abortion clinics. So she thought that standing for terminating the life of fetus that could live outside the mother (albeit with some help) was standing up for women's rights. Ensuring the woman can choose what she does with her own body. I don't know any other part of her voting record but I would bet as a democrat she typically supports more government regulation. In this case, she stood against regulating facilities where humans perform "medical" procedures on other humans. She also was upset that Rick Perry called a special session for the bill. That was in the rules just as was her filibuster. Seems like hypocrisy to me.

So there are your candidates. Well except there are third parties out there. Look for a third party and vote for them. That will send a message to the two main parties that they do not control all the power.  

Does perfection matter as much in College Basketball?

     31 and 0. That's what the Wichita State Shockers accomplished in their

 regular season. But for all the hype, is going undefeated in college basketball, in the regular season, really matter in the long run? Does it have meaning in regards to what happens on the court or does it just become a piece of statistical trivia that comes up every few years on Sportscenter? To be honest, I think it means very little.

     Now don't get me wrong, winning 31 games and not losing is far from insignificant. It takes a combination of skill and luck that very rarely comes together. It's not like in college football where all you need is two or three key players to go beast mode for three months to achieve the perfect season.the feat is so rare that this is only the fifth time in past 35 years that it's happened.

     But that is where the perfect season loses it's luster. Of the four previous times, only Larry Bird and the '78-'79 Indiana State Sycamores have even reached the national title game. This is why, in the end, even if the Shockers can breeze through the MVC Tourney and lock up a one seed, their perfect regular season will likely end up  being meaningless.