Family
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Sweet snacks in the summer are a real treat. When you have little ones that are eager to bake and even more eager to EAT a SWEET TREAT…why not make a healthy snack for all to enjoy. The Spoelhof girls and I tried this recipe over the weekend and it was a HIT!!!
HERE ARE THE INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS….
4 medium sized VERY RIPE bananas
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup coconut oil
¾ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup all purpose flour or TJ’s white wheat flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ cup brown sugar firmly packed
If you feel creative and want to increase the nutritional value of your bread, substitute ½ cup of cauliflower puree for ½ cup of the banana puree.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix all the wet ingredients; banana puree, eggs, vanilla and oil. In another medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients; flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined but DO NOT OVERMIX! Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour into a well greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes. Test with a toothpick to make sure it is done in the middle. Remove from oven and let cool for about 30-45 minutes. Turn out onto a platter and cut slices. It is delicious warm. You can store the leftovers if there are any leftovers wrapped in foil or saran and store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
A perfect ending to a perfect day including pizza night and a movie!!!
S’mores at the End of a Sunny Summer Day
Lots of sun and swimming and even a nice walk to the neighborhood park. all in a fun summer day. It seems like a perfect night to have S’mores for dessert. If you have the supplies on hand and an outdoor fire pit it is easy to roast some marshmallows and make a batch of s’mores. But what if you do not have a fire pit?…..Here is a fun and easy way to provide that campground dessert experience for you kids or grandkids by making pocket s’mores.
What you need:
aluminum foil
1 bag of large marshmallows
1 box of graham crackers
one milk chocolate bar for each 2 pouches of s’mores (Hershey’s works well because the bars are thin)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Or if you have a BBQ going for your dinner prep you can have your pouches ready and put the pouches directly on the BBQ.
For each pouch of s’mores you need a large piece of foil (about 12 x 16 inches). Give each person
1 large graham cracker and 2 marshmallows and ½ of a milk chocolate bar for each pouch of s’mores. Break up the graham crackers into medium pieces and place in the middle of your foil. Place the two marshmallows on top of the graham crackers. Break up the chocolate bar into small pieces and scatter over the graham cracker and marshmallow mixture. Wrap the foil around the ingredients you have placed on the middle and make a little pouch that looks like a Hersheys Kiss-twisting in the middle. Make sure there are no spaces where melted chocolate or marshmallows can drip out. Place pouches onto a cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until marshmallows and chocolate are melted. Open up the pouch and enjoy!!!
YUMMY in the TUMMY!!! WE had …
Sock Puppets
How many of us wonder why we have so many orphaned socks throughout the years, as we do our laundry? I seem to loose one sock of a pair (usually my new favorite pair) on a regular basis? So for years when the girls where at home and younger, I would use the orphaned socks to curl their hair-in old school ringlets. Now that they are grown and gone and at this point all but one of my grand daughters has curly hair, I needed another option for “what to do with the orphaned socks???”…VIOLA, SOCK PUPPETS!!!!! It is easy and fun to do when your grandkids come for a visit. We made some this last week when Rachel and her husband and daughters were visiting. The girls got to design their own puppets and Gammie did the sewing. You can actually let the kids do some of the sewing if you have more time and the kids are a bit older.
Supplies needed
1. old socks
2. felt in assorted colors
3. colorful buttons for eyes
4. fabric scissors
5. fabrics scraps
6. thread
Take each sock and cut a slit at the end of the toe box, big enough for a mouth. We cut our slits in the adult women’s white tube socks about 2-3 inches on each side from the middle point of the toe box. Lay the open mouth on top of the color of felt that each child picks and trace an oval shape that will be he mouth. Cut about 1/4 inch larger on all sides than the oval you traced. Turn the sock inside out and pin the oval right sides together inside the mouth cut so that edges of oval meet edges of the cut in the sock. Sew on the machine …
Read MoreGod Bless America
We had an amazing and fun 4th of July. There is nothing better than family, community, and good food!!
A highlight of ours is going to the Danville 4th of July parade. Mostly it is so fun to be out with the community, but also we love the freebies and candy!!
One of our favorite traditions is making homemade ice cream (post coming soon). We also love to swim as a family and this year was extra special because Gammie and Poppa heated their pool for the first time EVER!!!!!!!
We feel truly blessed to live in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave this year and every year. We want to extend and extra special thank you to all the men and women that serve and have served our country, and to our first responders!
Thank you!…
Read MoreAnnouncing the Newest Growing Weisser Member!!
The Growing Weisser family is THRILLED to announce the birth of Weisser Grandbaby number 11, second child and first daughter to Bethany and Mike Wilkes…
Madison Rose Wilkes
She was born July 3 at 3:23am. Weighing 7lbs 4oz and 20 inches tall.
Madison (Madi for short) and family are doing great and we are over the moon. GOD IS SO GOOD!!!
…
Read MoreSummer Bucket List
SUMMER! It’s here!
Father’s Day Encouragement
Here are some fun Father’s Day quotes….Ask your kids to write a special something for their dad and make it into a card or Father’s Day note to bring encouragement to Dad. You can use these if you want.
Some examples of encouragement messages….
1. A father is someone who you look up to no matter how tall you grow.
2. A father is neither an anchor to hold us back, nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way.
3. Any man can be a Father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.
4. We never know the love of our parents for us; till we become parents.
5. A Father holds his child’s hand for a while, but holds his heart forever.
Love messages for dad this Father’s Day.
1. Dad, I may not need you to hold my hand anymore, but I’ll always need you to hold me in your heart.
2. To the first man to ever hold my hand, buy me a dress, smile at me, tell me how to be strong, and teach me how to love, Happy Father’s Day. I love you, Poppa.
4. One of the greatest gift I ever had came from God; we call him Poppa.
Here are the SUPER Dads in our family!!!!
“I have written to you, fathers because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you…” 1 John 2:14
A friend wrote a beautiful tribute to her father using this compassionate and insightful quote….”We are born into families with either a dad who heads his family with breathtaking responsibility or with dads who struggle their entire lives …
Read MoreSpringtime Survival Tips for Moms
Summer has begun for many families. Some weeks will be filled with camps, Vacation Bible Schools, swim lessons, other sports teams and tournaments……Regardless of your situation, there are going to be long days when you need some ideas in your pocket to make it to bedtime.
We asked some friends to share their favorite ways to survive long days.
Here is a list of our tips and suggestions:
– Easy Dinner – make sandwiches or pancakes.
– Utilize free events and story times at your local library.
– Create an art show with all your kids art projects from school and invite some friends to come!
– Host a play date. Then you can still have company without leaving your house!
– Join a Mommy Group. This is definitely what saves me most days. You can join shared interest groups, find groups on Facebook or Instagram, or a become a part of a church group like MOPS. I have many virtual friends that support me through our talks and sharing on Facebook.
– Utilize technology: text, FaceTime, Skype. Kids love to see family. Ellie, Hanna and Mikah love to FaceTime with their Aunts and Uncles.
– Do a house project to pass the time and stay focused on a task.
– Plan something for yourself at the end of a long day: a Mom’s Night, wine and a good book, a prerecorded favorite show, or a nice warm bath all to yourself.
– Campout in the living room. I can’t wait for my girls to be old enough for forts and campouts.
– Read a good book or watch those guilty pleasure shows your husband won’t watch with you.
– Go on walks or a nature walk. This is one of my favorites.
– Reward the kids with a frozen …
Read MoreFather’s Day Coupons
What better gift is there than coupons! Coupons for quality time, coupons for a special gift, coupons for a favor, or coupons for a special event… Coupons can cover almost any idea. And you can be as creative as you want! Making tangible and useable coupons makes sure that each specific coupon can be “cashed in” for the gift or service. Coupons make the special birthday or holiday last even longer! For this blog post we are going to talk all about Father’s Day and what we can do for dads! You can make a sheet of coupons, a jar of coupons, a book of coupons, an envelope filled with coupons… the options are endless. Coupons are always one of my favorite gifts to give, because coupons usually end up as TIME spent together, which we all love! But let’s make this Father’s day a special one by filling days and weeks with special things for dad! So here are some ideas…..I wonder what the Growing Weisser dads will be getting for their Father’s Day?
Things to think about when choosing your coupons for Father’s Day:
What are dad’s chores and duties?
What are dad’s favorite things?
Are they coupons from a daughter or a son?
What is the age of the child giving the coupons (for you moms that are helping with gifts)?
How can a child help their dad?
What will make a dad’s day?
What is something a dad may not expect?
Chores Category
Mow lawn
Wash car
Take trash out
Vacuum
Help in yard
Help clean garage
Food Category
Make him his favorite dessert
Breakfast in bed
Favorite snacks packed for work
Packed lunch
Pick favorite meat to grill
Special Date Category
Movie date
Ice cream date
Coffee date
Video game challenge
Do whatever dad chooses…
Books for Growth, our favorites.
I love to read, but as a mom of littles and in a home that seems to always have something to be done or to clean up, reading has not been fitting into my life like it once could.
Reading can be such a source for growth, whether it is for personal growth, spiritual growth, or even growth for your mind to be at peace, to get lost in a different world, or to be engaged in a stage of life you are currently in.
Here are a list of some of our favorite books that have brought each of us growth in different times of our lives…
KERRY
Desiring God by John Piper
Growth was learning that God desires my delighting in Him, not doing things for Him, just being with Him and finding joy in relationships
Nothing to Prove by Jennie Allen
I loved the reminder that we do not have to strive to please God or prove ourself to earn His favor
Erasing Hell by Francis Chan
a Biblical based response to the current culture’s desire to believe there is no evil and no hell
RACHEL
Greater by Steven Furtick
Learn how to dream bigger and ignite God’s greater vision for your life
High Performance Habits by Brendan Bouchard
Developing six habits for success
Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
Living a life of meaning and connection instead of perfection
JESSICA
Love Unending by Becky Thompson
On marriage in the midst of motherhood
Life Giving Table by Sally Clarkson
Using the table in your home as a place of discipleship
BETHANY
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
A book on changing your perspective on thankfulness
Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning
Stretching our view on trust and what God has for us in trusting Him
Love Does by …
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