THINK SPRING contest

I thought it would be fun to start spring off with a contest with a chance to win this cute hotpad made out of a bunch of import novelty cottons:

It's made to go under a loaf pan in honor of my favorite recipe - Banana Bread - yummy!

All you have to do to be entered in this contest is comment here from April 1st to April 30th.

To get a little extra luck you can reply with your favorite recipe along with why it's your favorite, and I will enter you to win twice!  Here is my favorite recipe that I learned from my mom:

BANANA BREAD RECIPE

• PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 * F  
• GREASE & FLOUR A LOAF PAN WITH BUTTER & BIT OF FLOUR  

{YOU CAN REPLACE THIS STEP BY USING A CUPCAKE TIN & CUPCAKE PAPERS IF YOU LIKE INSTEAD} 

  INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 1 cup sugar 
• 2 eggs {beaten} 
• 3 ripe bananas {mashed with a fork} 
• 2 cups all purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 3 tablespoons milk 
• 1/2 cup walnuts {optional} 

1. beat oil and sugar together on medium speed 
2. add eggs & banana pulp and beat well on medium speed
3. add flour, dry ingredients, milk & vanilla and mix well on low to medium speed 
4. stir in nuts by hand 
5. pour into loaf pan 
6. cook for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until middle of loaf looks dry 
7. cool well and store overnight 
8. wrap after cutting to avoid drying out 

{ when I make in cupcake tins I think I only cook for 20 to 30 minutes, 

  but you will know from look when they are done }

It's become a family favorite and even my 14 year old daughter now makes it all by herself to impress her friends {and to get a tasty treat ... she's the one that likes to make it in the muffin tins}.  It makes the whole house smell amazing and it's all we can do to wait until it's cool before we swarm on it like a flock of vultures!  It makes a wonderful breakfast, though I'm pretty sure it's murder on the waistline :)

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In art news, I received notice from Somerset Home yesterday that they would like a How To article on some Tea Cake Pincushions I sent off a couple months ago.  This is REALLY exciting for me because I haven't been in this publication yet and have really been trying to get articles in more of their magazines!

The second bit of amazing news is that I'm FINALLY done with my book proposal and will send it off to Tonia Davenport at North Light books on Monday!  She does some amazing things with plexiglass so go check out her blog. Everyone octopus their fingers and toes for me ... I'm a  complete ball of nerves and could very well have a nervous breakdown before I even hear back!

I also did a short post over on the Glitter and Grunge blog Tuesday about uses for your art journal. 

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Other than that, I'm getting ready for my teenagers to have the next extended week of for Spring Break.  Pray I make it out alive!  If you don't see another blog post from me for over a week you can assume they ate me and call the police.

NOW GO MAKE ART!

Comments

[Jeanie]

Well, I missed the deadline, but the bread sounds great!

[Roseanna Bogley]

My goodness...this is the recipe I have been using for over 30 years. It was originally in the "Family Circle Encyclopedia of Cooking" , B. My mother use to buy them at the grocery store in a promotion type thing. Every week, you would get a new one...something like $1.99. At least that's where I found it.
I have tried many a banana bread recipe, but this is the easiest and best.
Love your hot pad...what a good idea!

[Lije Handmade]

I am a biscuits enthusiast and I love cinnamon, so here goes :)

Cinnamon biscuits
You will need:
Eggs - 3
Sugar - 300g
Flour - 700g
Cinnamon - 1 soup spoon
Olive oil - 3 soup spoon
Liquid butter - 1 soup spoon

Put the eggs, sugar and cinnamon into a bowl and mix everything until becomes a smooth paste. Mix the olive oil with the butter and add it to the smoothy preparation.
Join the flour, bit by bit, until the preparation becomes more solid.

Now you can do biscuits with different shapes (your hands should have flour, otherwise the preparation will glue into them).

Prepare an oven dish with liquid butter, using a kitchen brush. Spread some flour over the butter. Put the biscuits into the oven.
After 10-15 minutes they are ready! :D

[annax]

Oh it all sounds so exciting! The banana bread! The Somerset Home! And the North Light proposal!
I intended to do the same with Tonia a while ago (well actually quite a while ago, as she had asked me to put in a proposal) but since I left the mix media scene, I thought it a bit pointless. Still will do a book one day... haha.... just not now.
Oh do do do sent your package. Honestly. I have a reply box for you with stuff stacking up here woman!! I want to get going with it, and get goodies, and loveliness and all that.... so

*please*

xxx