Banana Bread

What kiddo can resist the squishy fun of mashing up bananas? This is our favorite recipes. Oh (big inhale) the smell is so delightful!  I hope your family enjoys it as much as ours! You may want to double the recipe. :)

2 1/2 cups flour 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup softened butter

1 /2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

7 ripe bananas (smashed by kiddos)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup nuts or choc chips (optional)

Preheat to 325 degrees. Grease 2 loaf pans. In medium bowl  combine flour, soda, and salt; set aside. In large bowl cream butter and sugar with and electric mixer. Add eggs, bannanas, vanilla; beat at medium speed. 

Add flour mixture & optional mix-ins then blend on low until combined. Do not over mix.

Bake for 60-70 minutes. Enjoy the smell as it fills your house. :) Let cool for 10 minutes. Freeze one loaf for a yummy treat later.

sew young?

Q: What is the right age to begin allowing kids to sew?

A: There are many sewing activities that kiddos can enjoy as early as two years old. I began allowing my kiddos to machine sew(with supervision) at age 6. Here is what the progression looks like at our house:

Age 2-3: Card Sewing - Cut out a cardboard shape, using a hole puncher go around the edge and punch holes approximately 1/2 inch apart. Tie length of string to around one hole and the edge to secure it to the cardboard. To help little fingers be successful I wrap the sewing end with clear tape. I love using food boxes from the recycle bin. To lengthen the activity let them color the card before you add the holes. Don't worry about the way they sew (across the card, skip holes, etc), just enjoy!

Age 2+: Fabric Markers & Sewing - If your kiddo can draw they can participate in this fun project. Iron butcher paper (shiny side down) to the back of any natural fabric. I used cotton for this project. After protecting the table with a tablecloth, let the artistic kiddo draw. Follow the directions on the marker box to heat set the design (if needed). Using their design the list of projects are endless! My oldest used two of his designs to make a pillow. A few years ago I used the same technique to make the cover for a "Grandparent's Journal". We placed a blank journal along with a list of questions that we knew the kids would enjoy reading someday. We gave it as a Christmas present, but we got the real gift when it came back with so many amazing family stories.

Age 3+: Hoop sewing - Place the fabric in the embroidery hoop and secure it in place. For the littlest kiddos I use burlap with a yarn (dull) needle. Using embroidery tread, tie the string to the needle (prevents retreading over and over again), and tie it to the material. Just let them have fun! As their skill increases, change the material and needle type needle as appropriate. Learning the embroidery stitches may begin as early as 6. Just make sure the introduction of stitches doesn't limit creativity. This is a design on felt that my eight year old kiddo created using  hoop sewing. You can see he added a bead (the eye) to embellish the design. He later added velvet to the back to make it into a pillow to give to his cousin.

Age6+: Machine Sewing - I love starting with pillowcases or kiddo-created projects. For more detail on introducing the sewing machine check out an earlier post on cleverkiddos.com

Happy Sewing!

What makes music?

To quote elmo, "Everything makes music!" These are some of our favorite homemade musical instruments. 

1. Box with a circle cut out of the front with rubberbands.

2. Container with lid filled with beans or pasta.

3. Anything that can be hit. With a new baby at the house we have found a lot of new uses for formula cans.

4. A terrible ruckus machine. I had seen something similar in a book called The creative family.

May your day be filled with the sweet sound of music!

Getting a grip on dinner...

When the clock strikes 4:00 and dinner isn't "in the works" restaurants begin looking more appealing than they should. Back in the day when we had five little ones three years old and under, necessity required that I think about dinner before that daunting "4:00 'til daddy gets home" window. I am very passionate about my meal system because it has had such a positive impact in my life. My sweet friend Alyson took time to start me on the right path in the kitchen and for that I am forever grateful. There are a few basic truths that I built my meal system on: 1. It isn't much more work to double or triple a recipe that I am already making. 2. Some nights all I want to do is boil water or open the oven door but still have a great meal 3. Well planned meals make me feel successful as a wife and mommy 4. When I am using my meal system I cut my grocery bills by about 50%!! The calendar, shopping list, and recipes work together to make it oh so easy. This is the calendar for the first two weeks of the six week program: Coming Soon: shopping list, recipes, and extras