Between He and She

Jane’s Banana Nut Bread with Chocolate Chips

She — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 07:00:24 +0000

Let me start this by saying this isn’t your mother’s 30-year-old boring banana bread recipe (even though it is my mother’s recipe). Jane’s infamous banana bread has a slight crunch and the inside is deliciously moist, sprinkled with walnuts and chocolate. It’s the perfect treat if you have a sweet tooth and a great gift to give neighbors and whoever else stops over during the holidays.

I’ve never really been a fan of breads with fruit and nuts in them, like, why wouldn’t I just eat candy? But this stuff is like crack and the loaves are small enough that I convince myself eating an entire one isn’t that bad. (They’re mini-ish, right?)

My friends request Jane’s bread every time they come home and she doesn’t need to make a new batch every time someone comes to town. Awesomely enough, you can wrap these in plastic wrap, stick them in the freezer, thaw and tie some ribbon around them any time you need an impromptu gift.

We baked a few this weekend. It took about 20 minutes to mix these up, I ate an entire loaf and I’m PROUD OF IT!

(Recipe below)

Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
10 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe, soft, darkly speckled large bananas, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
6 tablespoons of butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups walnuts, chopped course
Cinnamon and sugar (to sprinkle on top before baking)

Directions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3, 5 by 3-inch loaf pans; set aside
Whisk flour, baking soda, chocolate chips and salt together in large bowl; set aside
Mix mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with wooden spoon in medium bowl. Lightly fold banana mixture into dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined and batter looks thick and chunky. Fold in walnuts. Scrape butter into prepared loaf pans and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Then sprinkle cinnamon and cane sugar on top for a nice crunch.
Bake until loaf is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Gold and Silver Sparkler Star Bobby Pins

She — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 02:46:56 +0000

I almost always wear bobby pins: to secure unruly frizz, fix braids, fasten twists and just about everything else. But sometimes I need a little more spice from my pins. Don’t get me wrong, I love a plain blond bobby as much as the next frizzy-headed, non-brush owning gal but it’s always fun to mix it up. I saw these glittery pins all over the place for a ridiculous amount of money so I made my own this weekend instead, out of scraps from this project. I traced stars on the back of the glittery paper, cut them out, hot glued them to the bobby pins and viola! they went from plain jane to sparkly…charlie? You get the idea.

I love how easy these were to make and will certainly start wearing them out when I need a little extra pep in my step.

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Cranberry-Walnut Rugelach

She — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 22:38:25 +0000

First off, I hope I’m not the only one who had no idea what rugelach was before I made it. Rugelach is a treat made in the form of a crescent – like a little croissant - flaky on the outside and filled with chocolate, cinnamon and sugar, walnuts, dried fruit or jam. A.K.A. Delicious two-bite rolls of flaky, warm bliss.

My mom’s friend, Marylouise (hey ML!) stops over a lot and leaves irresistible baked goods for us to devour. She’s the one who gave us this recipe and although her rugelach looks way more professional than ours turned out, they tasted just as delicious. We used dried cherries and walnuts as filling on one batch and chocolate and raspberry preserves in the other but the combinations are limitless.

We shipped most of these off in boxes to my brothers and sister-in-law and took care of the rest on our own. Do you bake with your family members around the holidays? I don’t think I’ll be able to wait until next year to eat these again but they will definitely be part of the Burton baking schedule next Christmas.

Ingredients

Dough

2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tablespoons of sugar
1/4 teaspoons of salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled
8 ounces cream cheese, chilled
2 tablespoons of sour cream

Filling

1 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
1 cup of walnuts, finely chopped
1 cup of dried cranberries, chopped
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter

Equipment

Rolling pin
Food processor
Large sharp knife or pizza cutter (to cut dough into slices)
Cookie sheets
Parchment paper

Get the directions here: page 1, page 2 and let me know how your holiday baking went!

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Happy New Year’s Eve!

She — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 16:29:42 +0000

Hey guys! We’ve taken a few days off for some rest, relaxation and to eat mass amounts of food made by our moms. However, in between meals we would like to say how fortunate we have been in 2012. Our year was filled with graduation, exciting job opportunities, trips all over the place and time with the people we love most. Thanks to all who have been so supportive of us this year.

If you’ve got time between now and when the clock strikes midnight, this Fast Company article is well worth the read. It’s titled “10 Resolutions to Make 2013 Your Best Year Ever”. But don’t let the name fool you, it isn’t just another New Year’s resolution article about skipping carbs and taking care of your skin. We found it really inspiring.

Here’s an excerpt:

“Go into the New Year living consciously and connected to the inner strength that can affect how you think about and act on each and every day.”

Have an exciting and safe celebration tonight. See you in 2013!

Photo credit: Inforgraphic

Photo credit: Featured image

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Florals & Polka Dots

She — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 16:22:45 +0000

Obviously this post is not timely considering it’s snow/sleeting/raining outside right now but I found this old outfit post and it made me feel hopeful that we will have warm weather again. These photos were taken when my mom came to Lansing for a day. We walked around Old Town, going in and out of shops, sampling delicious popcorn and eating mexican food, and enjoying the last bit of warm weather.

I decided to bring my camera but did not factor in my mother’s height – she’s about a foot shorter than I am (see below photo) so my head is cut off in about 90 percent of the images. Nonetheless, we had an awesome day together and I love being able to reminisce on that day (and the weather) through photos.

[MAMA MODEL!]

Stay warm and enjoy some R&R with family, friends and pets this holiday!

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DIY Confetti Wall

She — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:02:20 +0000

I’ve been looking for a project to replace the old DIY art on my dining room wall and I finally stumbled upon this on none other than Pinterest. (I don’t think I’ve written a post in the last three months that doesn’t use Pinterest. Annoying?) I loved this idea but I’m more of a neutral gal so instead of using the bright colors like they did, I used neutral paper with interesting textures. I bought all of the paper from Michaels in the scrapbook aisle for no more than $1.25 each.

Important side note: did you know Michaels has an app? Instead of trying to save those coupons, pull up the app and that day’s coupon will show up. Boom, you’re a supersaver.

Anyways, I love the end product but holy shit was cutting out every one of these circles a tedious task. I didn’t invest in the Martha Stewart circle cutter because A. I’m too young to own a circle cutter B. I’m cheap. But, in the end that was a terrible decision and if you ever attempt to cover your walls in circles, BUY IT.

Have you ever made your own wall art? Is it worth the time or is it easier to just go buy something?

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Winter Stripes and Studs

She — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 20:25:02 +0000

When Andrea and I took these photos last week it was the first real chilly winter day in Michigan and I was so happy I picked out a somewhat practical outfit for our shoot.

I drooled over this Zara coat for three months before I actually bought it and it was one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. Some (most) weekends I find myself looking like a total slob kabob but once I put this bad boy on I look like a normal, almost fashion-forward human being. I’ve never had a winter coat that is such a perfect mix of practical (thick and high collar) and stylish (navy and studded).

I also love these leather leggings. I’ve been looking for affordable faux-leather pants for a long time and finally found these at Pitaya when Nick and I went to Royal Oak last weekend. The combo of neutrals and, patterns and textures is my favorite look – simple, interesting and easy.

Being pale, having dry skin and never wearing enough layers pretty much defines my winter but having an outfit like this to throw on when I feel like coming out of the cocoon that is my apartment is awesome. Do you have a go-to winter outfit? A favorite winter coat?

Photos by Andrea

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Cinnamon Eggnog Cookies

She — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 07:00:19 +0000

I’m not an eggnog girl. It’s always grossed me out, from the sour aftertaste to the soft-serve ice cream thickness (it takes me an hour to drink a glass). But this year, with a little help from good ole’ time-waster, Pinterest I can be a part of the eggnog club without the fear of vomiting in the middle of the party.

I had my pick of eggnog recipes, from french toast to muffins to cheesecake, but I’m no Ina Garten so cookies were the safest and wisest choice. These took an hour to make from start to finish and are the perfect holiday treat to dip in milk while glued to 25 Days of Christmas (Home Alone II or Christmas Vacation?).

Note: these ingredients don’t include the icing ingredients AND I forgot to put vanilla extract in here. See the recipe at the bottom.

Dry ingredients are boring

Does anyone else find it hard to resist eating the sugar and butter mixture or am I alone on this one?

My handheld mixer was on steroids this weekend. Seriously, the low speed was spinning so fast I still have dough on my walls.

I ate half of this.

Next time I would make these a little less thick, maybe 1/4 inch.

Once cookies cool, drizzle the icing on and sprinkle nutmeg on top. Then, Instagram. Then, devour.

These cookies were a hit with Nick and his roommates and with my sweet tooth. Also, I want to try to make my own eggnog but I’m increasingly scared that I’ll give myself salmonella so maybe I’ll save that one for next year. If you’re daring, here’s Alton Brown’s recipe.

Do you have a favorite recipe you and your family make every year around this time?

P.S. Where eggnog comes from.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup SALTED butter, room temp
1/2 cup eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 300F.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter with an electric mixer. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined.

Roll out dough so it’s 1/2-1/4 inch thick onto ungreased baking sheets, 1″ apart. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg or skip this step and sprinkle on the nutmeg after you ice the cookies. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown.

Transfer to cool, flat surface immediately with spatula.

Eggnog Icing
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cups softened butter or margarine
1/3 cups commercial eggnog

In small mixer bowl, beat confectioners’ sugar and butter or margarine until well blended. Gradually beat in eggnog until icing is smooth. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Drizzle on cooled cookies and sprinkle on the nutmeg.

Original recipe

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4 DIY Gift Wrap Ideas

She — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 09:00:20 +0000

I know, I know, this looks like I’ve been spending a little too much time lost in Pinterest. And I probably have, but I swear there’s some meaning behind spending more time than usual wrapping gifts.

My mom is the most sentimental person I know. She saves birthday cards from years past, those terrible clay creations from art class in 1997 and unique ribbons and wrapping paper attached to holiday memories. I notice this trait in her most during the holiday’s. To my dismay, when we were little, my brothers and I were never allowed to rip open all of our presents at once. We had to take our turns, and torturously open our gifts one at a time, then give ribbons and cards to my mom to save. (Sidenote: although this may sound like it, my mother is not a hoarder.) I now realize that taking our time opening gifts helped us appreciate the gift inside and the details on the outside. I love seeing the old name cards used in a different way every year.

This weekend I decided to experiment with materials I collected from past projects. I came up with these four DIY gift wrap ideas. Although Nick gave me the “why are you acting like a desperate housewife” look, I knew my family, and especially my mom would appreciate these. Now I just have to work on buying the gifts that go inside the empty boxes I wrapped…

Do you rip open your presents all in one chaotic round or take your time? My family started an unspoken competition to see who can open their gifts the slowest and have the most at the end. My dad has actually waited until the next day to open his last. Needless to say I’m always the first one out of gifts.

Enjoy!

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[Guest Post] Easy & Cheap: Simple Fall Tablescape

She — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:03:58 +0000

Christina of Tinie Spark and I switched blogs today! I’ve known Christina for a few years now and when she proposed the idea of collaborating I was geeked. Tinie Spark is packed with mouth-watering recipes and inspiring words, and now, my post: 4 colorful, chic and cheerful DIY gift wrap ideas. But first, in the post below Christina reminds us that you don’t have to break the bank to wow your guests with a stunning fall tablescape.

Thanks for having me over today, Naomi!

The phrase tablescape is scary. Pictures you see of them on Pinterest, magazines and blogs are these elaborate, grandiose things that aren’t real; real people don’t put mounds of pretty painted pumpkins, candle sticks, burlap, a real bird and one hundred candles on their table. Right? Then, there’d be no room for food!

I was at Target last month browsing in their Dollar Spot. It’s so enticing because it’s right there! If you’ve never entered the Dollar Spot, do it next time you’re at Tar-jay. You’ll walk out changed.

They have THE CUTEST THINGS there. I picked up a little roll of polka dotted wrapping paper and a set of alphabet stamps. With fall in full swing and Thanksgiving just days away, it was time for our little four-person square table to join the rest of the pumpkin-consuming world and celebrate the season!

I wanted to stay away from the typical fall look of pumpkins, gords and leaves, and go for a little more modern and colorful table top.

The size of the wrapping paper made for a perfect solution to a placemat alternative. I just taped two pieces to the bottom of the table. Each guest will have a placemat, but won’t have to worry about it sliding around and taking up too much of their eating space.

I used the stamps for simple placecards. Everyone loves when their name is used, so why not make your guests feel a little more special and add some personalization to dinner? I just stamped their name on a piece of paper out of our printer. Nothing fancy over here!

Other than the wrapping paper and stamps, I already owned everything else on the table. The napkins added that pop of color to keep the brown from being too boring. The metallic gold pinecones add a little glamour to the potentially bland pinecones. And the carmel corn in the teal-dipped bowls are just a little snack for your guests to eat before the actual dinner gets started.

This simple fall table will make meal you’re having just a little more special. The total cost for this project was $3 (I found the pinecones while thrifting- but they could easily be made for no money too!). The total time used to assemble the table was about 20 minutes.

This is proof that real people can have pretty tables too. And still leave room for the food!

Unfortunately, Target doesn’t have this line of products anymore, but they just restocked with more holiday and Christmas items. I’m pretty sure there are several different kinds of wrapping paper too! Hello, pretty tables every day of the week.

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