Hey everyone! Happy Monday of the first normal week of "2013!" School starts here today, and I look forward to watching from my blogging spot as the children walk, skateboard, bike & scooter their way to school. It's a chilly morning here in the Arizona desert, 37 degrees, so I'm glad I can watch from the cozy warmth inside my home!
1/6/13
My "2013" Plan and Word!
Hey everyone! I hope the first week of 2013 has gotten off to a good start for all of you. I really do like to start a new year with goals and plans for all areas of my life, including "Blogging," so I thought I would share a few of my ideas and clear up something that has had a few people confused.
Let's start with that, shall we --the CAS vs. Carol name-thing. When I first started blogging, I was a bit reserved about putting myself out there in this foreign-to-me territory, so I thought I wanted to maintain a bit of anonymity. Hey, I didn't know what a wonderful and nice bunch of people I had stumbled upon. CAS is simply my initials, and I kind of liked it. As time went on, and I got to know some of you a whole lot better, I would use my given name of Carol. Then, because I'm older and forgetful, I would forget which name I was using with whom.....lol! I know, pitiful. So anyway, a few months ago I just started signing off everything with Carol, and it feels better, less confusing -- much more "authentic."
That brings us to a big part of my New Year plan -- the word. I have been choosing a word for several years now that has significance and meaning to me. Some of my passed years' words have been Cherish, Adore, Family, Unconditionally -- well, you get the picture. Whatever my word is for the year, I try to incorporate it into the way I live my life and be aware of it every day. Sometimes my word has come easily, other times it has taken a while to choose. This year's word came very easily and holds a great deal of meaning for me. My "2013" word is Authentic, meaning good, just, real, true, legit, actual, trusty, certain, factual, genuine, accurate, credible, faithful, realistic, believable, dependable. The words I've highlighted hold the most meaning for me. As you probably noticed, I added my "word" to my blog header and will also be adding it to other places of significance around my home as an added daily reminder.
Now that you know about my word, I'd like to share my plan for my blog this year. As many of us lament on a daily basis, we tend to spend a lot of time on our blogs, and I am definitely "guilty." My blog is purely for pleasure, I do not advertise or have sponsors. I just enjoy visiting and seeing what ya'll have to share and then sharing with all of you. After setting my project goals for the year, I realize I will have to curtail my blogging a bit or I will not get much accomplished. I absolutely adore all of you and would visit each one of you every day if time permitted, but that cannot happen. I have to be "authentic" to myself and set some guidelines and hope that no one is offended. So here goes:
1. If you have "word verification," I won't be visiting -- sorry, but it has gotten ever more difficult &
takes too long to read those silly letters and numbers.
2. If your comments come through my email, but you are a "no reply blogger," I will only respond to
your comments in the "Comment" section of my post.
3. I'm going to limit myself to just one "party post" a week and limit the number of parties that I
join. I truly love the parties, but I don't feel I can be a realistic participant if I've joined too many.
4. I will do some random posts throughout the week, as time permits, to share a recipe or something
fun, but I won't be linking these to a party.
5. I really am going to try to cut back on "picture overload." Stop laughing! I'm REALLY going to
try!
6. If you've become a follower, please leave a comment so that I can return the favor or at least
thank you.
7. I definitely try to visit and comment as much as possible, but if you have left me a comment, I will
ALWAYS reciprocate.
8. If you are feeling left out and that I haven't visited you in awhile, then leave me a comment and
tell me.
9. I want to be a good blog friend, but it is a 2-way street!
10. I believe in what my Grandmother always said, "If you don't have something kind to say, then
don't say anything." I've never had an issue with negative comments on any of my posts, but I have
read a few here and there on other blogs. Let's just respect one another.
I kind of feel like the teacher in me has surfaced here, but I just needed to share my "vision" for this wonderful new year as far as Blogging is concerned. I hope all of you have as much fun with this craziness as I do, and I hope that we can all glean lots and lots of inspiration and wonderful ideas from each other. I hope I can be a truly "authentic" person in 2013!
Let's start with that, shall we --the CAS vs. Carol name-thing. When I first started blogging, I was a bit reserved about putting myself out there in this foreign-to-me territory, so I thought I wanted to maintain a bit of anonymity. Hey, I didn't know what a wonderful and nice bunch of people I had stumbled upon. CAS is simply my initials, and I kind of liked it. As time went on, and I got to know some of you a whole lot better, I would use my given name of Carol. Then, because I'm older and forgetful, I would forget which name I was using with whom.....lol! I know, pitiful. So anyway, a few months ago I just started signing off everything with Carol, and it feels better, less confusing -- much more "authentic."
That brings us to a big part of my New Year plan -- the word. I have been choosing a word for several years now that has significance and meaning to me. Some of my passed years' words have been Cherish, Adore, Family, Unconditionally -- well, you get the picture. Whatever my word is for the year, I try to incorporate it into the way I live my life and be aware of it every day. Sometimes my word has come easily, other times it has taken a while to choose. This year's word came very easily and holds a great deal of meaning for me. My "2013" word is Authentic, meaning good, just, real, true, legit, actual, trusty, certain, factual, genuine, accurate, credible, faithful, realistic, believable, dependable. The words I've highlighted hold the most meaning for me. As you probably noticed, I added my "word" to my blog header and will also be adding it to other places of significance around my home as an added daily reminder.
Now that you know about my word, I'd like to share my plan for my blog this year. As many of us lament on a daily basis, we tend to spend a lot of time on our blogs, and I am definitely "guilty." My blog is purely for pleasure, I do not advertise or have sponsors. I just enjoy visiting and seeing what ya'll have to share and then sharing with all of you. After setting my project goals for the year, I realize I will have to curtail my blogging a bit or I will not get much accomplished. I absolutely adore all of you and would visit each one of you every day if time permitted, but that cannot happen. I have to be "authentic" to myself and set some guidelines and hope that no one is offended. So here goes:
1. If you have "word verification," I won't be visiting -- sorry, but it has gotten ever more difficult &
takes too long to read those silly letters and numbers.
2. If your comments come through my email, but you are a "no reply blogger," I will only respond to
your comments in the "Comment" section of my post.
3. I'm going to limit myself to just one "party post" a week and limit the number of parties that I
join. I truly love the parties, but I don't feel I can be a realistic participant if I've joined too many.
4. I will do some random posts throughout the week, as time permits, to share a recipe or something
fun, but I won't be linking these to a party.
5. I really am going to try to cut back on "picture overload." Stop laughing! I'm REALLY going to
try!
6. If you've become a follower, please leave a comment so that I can return the favor or at least
thank you.
7. I definitely try to visit and comment as much as possible, but if you have left me a comment, I will
ALWAYS reciprocate.
8. If you are feeling left out and that I haven't visited you in awhile, then leave me a comment and
tell me.
9. I want to be a good blog friend, but it is a 2-way street!
10. I believe in what my Grandmother always said, "If you don't have something kind to say, then
don't say anything." I've never had an issue with negative comments on any of my posts, but I have
read a few here and there on other blogs. Let's just respect one another.
I kind of feel like the teacher in me has surfaced here, but I just needed to share my "vision" for this wonderful new year as far as Blogging is concerned. I hope all of you have as much fun with this craziness as I do, and I hope that we can all glean lots and lots of inspiration and wonderful ideas from each other. I hope I can be a truly "authentic" person in 2013!
1/3/13
Sharing a Recipe!
Hey everyone! I've been busy, busy "re-dressing" my home after the Christmas take-down. Whew, it took me a few days of "deer in the headlights" staring before I even started getting any ideas of what I wanted to do. Does that happen to ya'll? Finally the ideas started coming, and I quickly started writing them down so I didn't forget my game plan before I could carry it out. Ya know, I'm older, so those memory-lapses happen more often than I'd care to admit.....lol!
Anyway, things are coming together, but I'm not quite ready to share any of that; but I would like to share a recipe.
This was one of the desserts I made for our family's Christmas Eve celebration -- Banana Bread. I know you are probably thinking that you've read and tried like a gazillion banana bread recipes, but this one is sooooo good! I've been making this same recipe for almost twenty years, and it's always a crowd pleaser. So, without further ado, here is the recipe:
6 mashed bananas
1 1/3 cups veg. oil
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
4 cups sugar
4 cups flour
2 Tbsp. vanilla
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Lightly beat the eggs, and then mix with oil, sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Add mashed bananas.
Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.
Gradually add flour mixture to egg/sugar mixture, and blend well.
I like to use my Pampered Chef Stoneware Mini-Loaf Pan, plus a regular-size loaf pan. Yes, this recipe makes a large quantity. I just spray all the pans with Pam. Bake at 325 degrees -- about 1 hour for the regular-size pan and 45 minutes for the stoneware 4-loaf pan. These rise quite a bit and then get a beautiful split across the top and brown to a rich dark golden brown. When I remove them from the oven, I sprinkle them with some sugar-cinnamon and cover with a clean tea towel for a few minutes before I remove them from the pans. This bread freezes extremely well, which is why I don't mind having a couple to toss in the freezer for unexpected guests. Top each slice with some whipped cream or cool whip -- great dessert! I hope you'll give it a try!
Thanks so much for stopping by and allowing me to share one of our favorite recipes with all of you! I'll be back soon to share some of my winter decor. I sincerely hope "2013" has gotten off to a great start for each of you!
Anyway, things are coming together, but I'm not quite ready to share any of that; but I would like to share a recipe.
6 mashed bananas
1 1/3 cups veg. oil
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
4 cups sugar
4 cups flour
2 Tbsp. vanilla
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Lightly beat the eggs, and then mix with oil, sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Add mashed bananas.
Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.
Gradually add flour mixture to egg/sugar mixture, and blend well.
I like to use my Pampered Chef Stoneware Mini-Loaf Pan, plus a regular-size loaf pan. Yes, this recipe makes a large quantity. I just spray all the pans with Pam. Bake at 325 degrees -- about 1 hour for the regular-size pan and 45 minutes for the stoneware 4-loaf pan. These rise quite a bit and then get a beautiful split across the top and brown to a rich dark golden brown. When I remove them from the oven, I sprinkle them with some sugar-cinnamon and cover with a clean tea towel for a few minutes before I remove them from the pans. This bread freezes extremely well, which is why I don't mind having a couple to toss in the freezer for unexpected guests. Top each slice with some whipped cream or cool whip -- great dessert! I hope you'll give it a try!
Thanks so much for stopping by and allowing me to share one of our favorite recipes with all of you! I'll be back soon to share some of my winter decor. I sincerely hope "2013" has gotten off to a great start for each of you!
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