Banana Bread Recipe

I was on a play date with someone at my table recently, and she had some amazing Banana Bread.   When I asked her for the recipe, she told me she had gotten it from Pinterest.  This is seriously the BEST Banana Bread I have ever had, and I love to bake, and have baked tons of different recipes.  I went and found it and thought I would share it with you.  She added chocolate chips~ yum! I did to. This recipe is so moist and delicious. I'm embarrassed to tell you that we ate all of it in 24 hours :) I'm 9 months pregnant, ok?

{Buttermilk Banana Bread}

YIELD: Makes 2 loaves.

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp baking soda
½ cup chopped pecans (optional) (I used mini chocolate chips)
2 cups sugar
½ cup unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk (or substitute 1 cup milk with juice of one lemon)
5 - 6 very ripe bananas

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Grease 2 loaf pans

Sift or whisk flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Add pecans if using, then set aside. In a separate bowl, cream sugar and butter. Mix in eggs, one at a time, then add the bananas. Add dry ingredients and buttermilk, alternating until incorporated.  Try to end with the dry ingredient addition, and be sure not to over mix.

Bake in buttered loaf pans for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

*Note- I only baked mine for about 45 minutes, my oven may run hot, but an hour would have been way too long!

This recipe is from http://kitchenconfidante.com, found on Pinterest.

MOPS Christmas Party

Let's Celebrate!

Please join us for our annual Christmas Party and Ornament Exchange

Tuesday, December 11th at 7:00pm

Whitney Ranch  Club House

851 Old Ranch House Rd.

Rocklin, CA 95765

Our wonderful Mentor Moms are providing delicious 

hors d' oeuvers, desserts, hot apple cider and other beverages

They are such a Blessing to us!

If you wish to participate, please bring a wrapped Christmas Tree Ornament

$5.00 maximum value.

We will have a fun Ornament Exchange!

Can you help?

We have a need  in our church family,  perhaps we can help.
There is a family that just moved here, that is currently homeless.  They have a 2 year old little girl who is in desperate need of winter clothing. If you can, would you please help?
If you have any clothing that she can use, would you please bring it to the next MOPS meeting, next Thursday and give it to me?  My name is Nancy and I sit at the Shimmering Starfish Table.  You can also give it to Wendi Holland.
Thank you so much for blessing this family in their time of need.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding Ooo~la~la

Did you girls get to try that Pumpkin "stuff", "french toast",  Deliciousness that we had at the last MOPS Meeting?  Oh my!
Danielle- Thank you for sharing!!   Here is her recipe for Pumpkin Bread Pudding:

{Pumpkin Bread Pudding}

1 cup heavy/whipping cream
3/4 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
1/4 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t vanilla

5 cups of cubed ( 1 inch) challah bread (or similar braided egg bread)          3/4 stick of butter (melted)

Preheat over to 350 

Whisk first 10 ingredients in large bowl . Add bread to separate bowl and toss with melted butter to coat. Add bread to wet mixture and combine. Transfer mixture to ungreased baking or casserole dish. Bake until custard is set, about 30-40 min. Occasionally brush of caramel sauce on top of pudding (reserve about half). Serve with the remaining caramel sauce (see below).

{Caramel Sauce}

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
Pinch of salt

Melt butter in small sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add all other ingredients and bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce coats back of spoon ( about 5 minutes). 

Enjoy! 

Recipe

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

{For the cookies}

3¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract

{For the coating}
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
Dash of allspice

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the pumpkin puree. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour. 

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend. Scoop the dough (about 2½ tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart. 

Bake the cookies for 8-10  minutes, or until just set and baked through. Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. Store in an airtight container.

Yield 3 Dozen

Craft Tutorial

Our craft last week was super cute! 

Here is the link in case you want to make more or you missed it!

Thanks, Erin! 

DYI Tile Coasters

(click here)

Hey, you crafty Ladies! Do you have a home business?

It's time to start planning the

MOPS Holiday Boutique! 

Saturday, November 10th 2012

9:00a-2:00p

Adventure Christian Church Main Lobby

$20.00 per Table for MOPS Moms/Mentor Moms

$30.00 per Table for Non-MOPS Participants

We need crafty Moms, home Business's or anyone who is interested in selling their goods at the Boutique!

We are offering tables to MOPS mom's first, then we will open to outside participants. 

Direct Sales~ We are accepting up to two vendors per item from separate companies.

Example: We will accept two jewelry/candle/purse/etc. vendors, but they all have to be representing a different company.

Reserve your table now! 

Please contact Nancy Paris at 
nancy4mops@gmail.com 
if you have any questions or would like to reserve a table.

This is a MOPS Fundraiser. The cost of your table goes to support our MOPS group.
The rest is yours!  We hope this will be a great success for you!

Bishops Pumpkin Farm Field Trip

Bishops Pumpkin Farm! 

Thursday, October 11

10:00am

(We are all meeting there and going as a group, so please try not to be late)

1415 Pumpkin Lane

Wheatland, 95692

Cost is $7.50 per person, children under 2 years old are Free

Cost includes:

 Hay ride to pick your favorite pumpkin

Fresh Apple Cider to drink

Train ride around the farm

Story Time:  Mother Goose and the Three Little Pigs

Leah Bassett will be collecting cash payments at the next MOPS meeting.

Hope to see you there! 

Welcome to the MOPS Blog!

Welcome to MOPS, and welcome to our MOPS mommy blog!
 This blog will be used to keep us all in communication throughout the year.  We will post meeting recaps, craft tutorials, upcoming event details, announcements and anything else you may have missed at the meetings.
We will also post recipes, current local coupons and deals, encouraging messages and other things you may find useful.


MOPS Marketplace is a section at the bottom of this blog where I will post anything that you are selling (must be a gently used baby/kiddo or mommy item), anything that you are looking for (need to borrow a standing stroller for a week in Disneyland?) or anything that you are giving away.
I will post a picture of the item, if available, the details and your contact information.  The second party will contact you directly.  You can contact me at nancy4mops@gmail.com or by clicking the little blue flag link to the right of the page.  The one that has the envelope on it :)

I hope that you enjoy this blog and find it helpful.  Feel free to contact me if there is anything you would like to share!  We look forward to serving you this wonderful year of MOPS!