Friday Favorites

When one lives in upstate New York in January, the lack of sun can really get to a person. Combined with ridiculously cold temperatures this year, it has been easy to fall into the trap of focusing on the negative aspects of life. Looking to get out of that trap I decided to shake off the doldrums and take a moment each week to focus on my favorite parts of life, and what I am enjoying at the moment. Not only does it make me thankful for what I have, but reminds me to take a step back and enjoy the simple things...

Here are my favorites from this week!

Green smoothie after a workout, so delicious! Definitely one of my favorite breakfast foods as well. Recipe coming soon!

My reading selection for the week. So far so good.

My bathroom rug that I made out of an old bed sheet. Who knew strips of material could crochet so well! Reminds me of one of my favorite children's books.

So what are some of your favorites this week?

Stick a pin in it!

I have recently embarked on doing more projects with my sewing machine. I've always wanted to be able to sew well, and since practice makes perfect, a variety of projects have now infiltrated my craft table.

With this new found hobby, came the need for fun accessories. One in particular was a pincushion. In the past I would keep needles in a container, which proved to be easy storage, but not effective for use. As a result I decided to make a place for my needles to reside that was easy to use and looked nice on my sewing table. I really liked the final result and it has worked very well as I continue to stitch on! Here's how to make your own!

Materials
Picture frame (make sure it has a back with a stand)
Hot glue
Stainless steel scrubbing pad
Material

I was originally going to use stuffing as filling for this project, but then I read that if you use a stainless steel pad it will keep your needles sharp. Figured it couldn't hurt, and I had one on hand. Perfect!

Begin by taking the glass out of your picture frame, and cut a piece of material that will cover the back of your frame with several inches to spare.

Stretch and pull your scrubbing pad until covers at least 3/4 of the backing of your frame.

Place the pad on the cover and wrap your material over the top. Glue the edges down, making sure it is all firm and secure.

 Slide the cover into the frame and stand it up. 

 Push in your pins and you are ready to go!

Happy sewing!

The Best Banana Bread

I'll admit I'm a bit of a carb fan...I mean how could you not be? It comes in so many delicious forms! One of my favorite recipes to make is banana bread. There are so many ways to create it, I am pretty sure I've never made it the same way. However, after much trial and error, I think I've finally found my favorite
way to create this classic recipe. Now it's your turn to try it!

Banana Bread

4 ripe bananas
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups flour

Mix the melted butter in with the bananas. Add the sugar, egg, vanilla and spices. Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into a bread pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Eat and enjoy!