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The best banana bread ever!

I LOVE banana bread for so many reasons! I mean whats not to love about a bread you can eat at any time of day for breakfast, lunch or dinner!  It’s also an awesome way to use old bananas that are too mushy to eat.  I have perfected the art of making this bread, and there are a couple things that make it amazing!

  1. Use very ripe bananas!  The more ripened the better, as this makes the bread really moist.  Of course sometimes our bananas don’t always ripen at the time we want to make the bread.  So I have a simple solution, bake your unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet @ 250ºF until there soft, 15-20 minutes.  Let them cool, peel and start baking.

  1. Throw in a dollop of sour cream!  If any of you know me, you know my secret ingredient for everything is sour cream, and thats because it adds a hint of tang and moistness that makes baked items pop.  Trust me you have to try it!

Ingredients:

  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 Tbsp sour cream
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup butter

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Grease a 9×5 loaf pan.

Cream butter and sugar together, then add sugar and eggs.  Add milk, bananas, and sour cream.  Mix in dry ingredients and beat until combined well.  Fold in chopped walnuts.

Bake banana bread for 45-60 minutes.  Remove from the oven when the top is golden brown, starting to crack, and a tester is inserted into the middle and comes out clean.

Let cool for at least 15 minutes and then enjoy.

Have you tried this recipe?  Let me know how you liked it by commenting below.  

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2 Days in Bruges, Belgium

Bruges is an ancient city of cobblestone streets, medieval architecture, marketplace squares, and canals.   It is a UNESCO world heritage site, and is one of the most popular cities in Europe, because of this it can be quite touristy.  We visited Bruges in March, and it was surprisingly quiet and un-touristy (if thats a word),  so I highly recommend visiting in the off season, in spring or fall.  This city is extremely charming, with photo ops around every corner.  Its a quiet city with a few museums, and plenty of shopping, perfect for a 2 day visit!

Where to stay?

Bruges is a tourist town, so there are a ton of options when it comes to hotels or BnB’s.  While traveling through Belgium we decided to visit Bruges the day before, so we booked our BnB that day.  We used Airbnb to reserve our stay, and we couldn’t have been more happy with our choice.  We found a BnB for 107 euro per night, including breakfast.  The best part about our BnB, it was literally a block away from the town center.  When booking with airbnb make sure you do your research on where you want to stay, and be sure to check the reviews.  If you prefer to stay in a hotel, there are a ton of modern European and American hotels to choose from.

Transportation

This city is so compact that you don’t really need to rent a car, everything is walkable.  If you need to catch a taxi it can be anywhere between 8-12 euro to get to your destination in the city.  The above ground tram system is really convenient and easy to use, its only 3 euros per trip.  Biking is also a great option, the streets are mellow so your completely safe, and bike rental is about 10 euro a day.

Cost of Food

There are a ton of great places to eat in Bruges, from fast food, to cafes, to higher end restaurants.  You can expect to pay about 12 euro at a cafe, and average dinner at a restaurant was 20-25 euro per person.  Because Bruges is a tourist town, we found the food at restaurants were pricier then other small towns.  Do your research on the restaurant before visiting, we searched  trip advisor, checking reviews and the price range of the restaurant.  As with most tourist towns, by avoiding restaurants on the main streets and sticking to the local areas, we found some hidden gems that were reasonable.

What to do?

  • Take a brewery tour at De Halve Maan.  This brewery has been around for centuries, and you can learn the history and beer making process with a tour.  They offer two types of tours, a 45 minute tour that includes a glass of beer at there restaurant, and they also offer an XL tour which takes about 90 minutes.  In the XL tour recommended for beer lovers, you will visit the brewery in a smaller group, followed by a professional beer tasting in the cellars of the brewery.  The basic tour is 10 euro, and the XL is 19 euro.

  • Tour the city on bikes.  This was the ultimate highlight of our trip to Bruges!  There are a ton of places to rent bikes in and around the city, we paid 7 euro for  a 2 hour rental.  I recommend riding around the perimeter of the city, there is a nice bike path and you will come across windmills and various gateway forts that once protected the town.  You can weave in and out of the inner city and its a great way to explore.  Biking in Belgium is extremely safe, cars give cyclers the right of way, there are no traffic lights and all streets are bike friendly.

  • Visit Bruges historic markt.  Make sure to check out this beautiful open square surrounded by medieval architecture, restaurants and cafes.  Grab a sandwich or coffee and sit in the center of the square to watch the tourists and locals bustling through the square.
  • Eat chocolate and lots of it!  I have never seen so many chocolate shops, it seems like every third business is a charming little chocolate heaven.  In Belgium they are famous for there chocolate, so grab an assortment of chocolate for an afternoon snack or make sure to bring some home for your loved ones.
  • Visit the museum St Janshospital.  I was really bummed I didn’t get to see this museum while we were there, all museums are closed on Mondays in Bruges, and we just so happened to be visiting on a Monday!  This isn’t an ordinary hospital, it has an 800 year old history of caring for pilgrims, travelers, and the poor and sick.  The hospital is beautifully restored with open beams and art masterpieces, and there is a restored 17th century pharmacy.  The museum is 12 euro per person.

Don’t miss this picturesque medieval fairy tail town!  Looking for other towns in Belgium to visit?  Check out “5 Things You Must do in Ghent, Belgium“.

Have you been to Bruges?   If so, please leave your comments below on what you enjoyed most.

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The one habit that changed my outlook on life

It’s easy to say that you show gratitude and are thankful for your life, and another thing to actually believe it and live it.   You can go through life day in and day out and think that you are thankful for the things you have, but get so distracted with everyday life that you don’t fully live thankfully. Actively practicing gratitude is to deliberately and vigorously be thankful, having a readiness to show appreciation. Unfortunately our brains aren’t always wired this way, and it takes a constant effort to keep a positive thankful attitude.   This is why I was inspired to start a “thankful journal”, and I cannot express to you enough how life changing this was for me!

Don’t get me wrong it wasn’t an easy process at first because it was just another thing for me to remember to do, but after awhile of making it a habit I completely saw the benefits. On the days that I wrote in my journal I felt a sense of contentment throughout the day, I was happier, and if anything went wrong that day I could handle it better, let it roll off my back so to speak. It was actually kind of weird, the days that I missed writing in my thankful journal I noticed I tended to be grumpy, felt unsettled and was quick to snap at the littlest things. There are a ton of benefits to being grateful everyday, here are just a few.

Benefits

  1. Helps you relax and de-stress.
  2. Puts you in a positive mind frame for the day.
  3. It really gives you perspective in life by showing you what is most important and what you are truly appreciative for.
  4. You become more self-aware and gain clarity on what you want more of in life and what you can cut from your life.
  5. Your gratitude journal is only for you, so you can write whatever you want without any judgments.
  6. On days where you just don’t feel grateful and can’t think of anything to write (you will have these days, we all do) read back through your journal and remind yourself of all the things you are thankful for. Trust me, you will be surprised how much this lifts your spirits!

Everybody does it differently, but I choose to write in my gratitude journal in the mornings, it became kind of like a peaceful “me time.” I enjoy it so much that at times my 15 minutes of writing has turned into 30 minutes or more because my words will keep flowing.  If you need a little inspiration, check out the Desire Map by Danielle Laporte!  This book/journal gets you inspired and reminds you about what’s most important to you, and your goals for the future.

How to Maintain a Gratitude Journal 

  1. Plan to write in your gratitude journal everyday, whether it be in the morning or before bed. At first you might want to set a little reminder for yourself, until you get in the habit.   You could leave your journal on your night stand so that you’re reminded to write before bed. I like to leave my journal next to the coffee pot so that after I get my cup of Joe I can settle in with my dogs and feel grateful.
  2. Write anything you want in your journal, I like to write 3 things that I am grateful for. I also include any personal goals that I want to accomplish and inspirational quotes that inspire me.
  3. You don’t have to write a long detailed list of what you’re grateful for and why (of course you can if you want to). What your thankful for can be something as small as “the air that I breathe” or “my fur babies.”
  4. If you forget or skip a day, its ok, just don’t give up! Journal when you can and you will see how beneficial it is.

I hope this will be a little inspiration for you to take up the habit to practice gratitude everyday, so that you can improve not only your own outlook on life but your relationships with others.

I love to hear how others practice gratitude, please comment below and give us more inspiration.  

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5 Reasons Having a Dog is good for your health!

As a child I always wanted a dog, but because we were always moving and renting a home we were never allowed to have one.  It wasn’t until I was going through a terrible divorce that my sister surprised me with my first bundle of joy.  Her name is Cupcake and she’s the light of my life (haha, I sound like a corny dog mom).  But seriously, having a dog has changed my life, and I don’t think I will ever live my life without one again.  They are more then just companions, they are part of our family!  If you have a furry friend you can agree that there are so many reasons to thank them.  And if your thinking about getting a dog, consider these 5 reasons how a dog will keep you healthy!

  1. YOU WILL EXERCISE MORE!  This is a fact, even when Im feeling lazy and don’t wanna exercise, seeing your pup waiting at the door for his daily walk is motivation enough.  Just a 30 minute walk with your dog a day can improve your health.
  2. YOUR LESS LIKELY TO BE DEPRESSED!  You heard that right, dog owners are less likely to be depressed then non-pet owners.  The love received from your dog and the interaction with them can help a person stay positive.  Even just looking at your pet can increase the “feel good” chemical oxytocin.
  3. STRESS BE GONE! Ok maybe not ALL the way gone, however studies have shown that when people were managing a task, they were less stressed with there dogs by there side.  Thats why therapy dogs are so effective in hospitals.  We cant help but smile when our pups cuddle up to us or crawl into our laps.
  4. Having a pet is better then drugs! Even though ACE inhibiting drugs are used for reducing  blood pressure, studies have shown that owning a dog is better then taking drugs because your more likely to have a healthy heart.  In fact, dog owners are 4 times more likely to survive a heart attack! WOW!
  5. YOU WILL HAVE A BETTER IMMUNE SYSTEM! I know this one sounds crazy, but its proven!  Dogs expose there owners to a heck of a lot of germs, which can build up our immunities to disease.  In fact children who are raised with dogs are less likely to get allergies because they have an increased immunity to pet allergies later in life.

Of course owning a pet isn’t for everyone, it comes with a lot of work and responsibility (especially having 3 dogs like me).  However, make no bones about it the benefits of having a pet far outweigh the drawbacks! 

How does your furry friend keep you healthy? Would love to hear from you, comment below.

                                                                              

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What is the oil cleansing method? And why you have to try it!

A couple of years ago I noticed my skin was looking old (ok news flash, I was getting old!) but what I mean is, it was looking dull, dry and tight even after moisturizing.  So I went searching for a new cleanser that wasn’t harsh on the skin and was free of any bad chemicals.  Thats when I discovered the oil cleansing method, and after years of using it, I cannot recommend it enough!

Heres how it works.

I know it sounds pretty crazy to clean your face with oil, after all doesn’t oil cause break outs and clog pores?  That couldn’t be farther from the truth!  Trapped bacteria, dirt and hormones are what causes break outs.  Skin produces oil to protect it from the outside environment, and when we wash our face with harsh soaps, we are removing all the natural oils, resulting in the skin making more oil and breaking out.  And I don’t even wanna get into how much cringe-worthy junk is in face cleansers.

Now i’m no chemistry whiz but anyone thats taken chemistry in high school knows that “like dissolves like”, thats why oil and water don’t mix.  The best way to dissolve oil is, you guessed it, with oil.  Of course you don’t wanna just put any oil on your face, our skin is the biggest organ in our body, and what you put on it will be absorbed.  By using good quality oil, preferably organic,  you can remove the dirty oil and clean your face of dirt and bacteria naturally by replacing it with clean nourishing oil.

So what kind of oil should you use?

There are a ton of oils that you can try out, but a lot of people start with olive oil.  Its a very gentle oil, thats super nourishing, and great for prevention of premature aging.  If you have acne or oily skin always mix in some castor oil.  Castor oil has a ton of benefits, but mainly its great for inflammation and used for its antibacterial properties.

Here is a simple recipe to start with:

  • 1 TBSP Organic Castor Oil
  • 5 TBSP Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For normal skin its 1 part castor oil to 5 parts olive oil.  If you have oily skin you might want to add a little more castor oil, 2 parts castor oil to 5 parts olive oil.  You can also throw in some essential oils like lavender, melaleuca, or frankincense.  This gives it a nice scent and essential oils have a ton of health benefits, I especially like frankincense because its good for wrinkles and improves elasticity.  

What I use on my skin:

  • Jojoba oil (gentle with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties)
  • Avocado oil (softens skin, reduces age spots, and heals sun damaged skin)
  • Almond oil (contains beneficial fatty acids, vitamins A, E, and B)
  • Castor oil (antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties) 
  • Lavender & frankincense essential oils

Equal parts of each oil and about 15 drops each of the essential oils.  Honestly, when I’m portioning the oils out, I just eyeball the amounts into a little glass bottle with a dropper.  Its not an exact science.  Whatever oils you choose to try out, give your skin some time to adjust to the oils.  Everyones skin is different and if your feeling that your skin is too oily or dry, you might want to adjust the ratios or try a different oil.

How to do it:

There are a ton of articles out there giving a long description on how to clean with oil, but I gotta admit, I do the lazy girl method!  Apply about 6 drops to a cotton ball and wipe your whole face with it.  If I’m wearing makeup, I might do this twice.  Once to get all the makeup off, and the next to get any remainder.  I leave the oil on my skin to moisturize, and voila, thats it! The simple lazy girl way works great!  Every once and awhile I will do a deep cleansing method as shown below:

  • Pour about a Tbsp. of oil in your palms and rub them together to warm the oil.
  • Apply it to your face, gently making small circles all around for 30 seconds.
  • Soak a washcloth under warm water and squeeze out any excess water.
  • Apply the washcloth to your face letting it warm your skin.
  • Gently wipe the oil from your face with the washcloth.

For those of you that aren’t into DIY projects, and mixing your oils sounds like too much time and effort (I’ve been there trust me).  Check out Living Libations, there products are AMAZING with no artificial crap added.  My favorites are the Seabuckthorn and Everybody Loves the Sunshine.

Don’t forget to exfoliate!

Another important step in the oil cleansing method is exfoliation.  Because the oil cleansing method is only oil based, your skin needs to be exfoliated once or twice a week to remove any dead skin or debris. Check out the reasons  you need to exfoliate and how to do it here!

Beautiful skin isn’t that hard to obtain!

No doubt perfect skin isn’t going to come over night, but you will notice a huge difference after the first use. Give your skin a few days to adjust and adapt to being clean and clear of all that built up dirty oil.  Remember that new oil coming from your skin is a good sign and give it some time to balance out.  Your gonna notice the redness and irritation subsiding and clear, soft, supple skin emerging. 

Have you ever tried the oil cleansing method? Did it work for you? What oils did you use? Would love to hear from you! Please share below.