Banana's Foster

Tonight the pile of bananas on the counter beckoned to me and so I decided to try this recipe for Bananas Foster.  It was very yummy, although you really probably should divide it between four servings as the recipe calls for, not two.

Banana Teething Biscuits/Cookies

GBaby is popping teeth left and right and I'm exploring new foods with her as she begins her journey into finger-foods and table foods.  She is up to seven teeth, so I thought it was time to give teething biscuits a try.  A friend showed up today with a bunch of bananas that needed to be baked with so the challenge was on!  I went through a few recipes and settled on ingredients that were age appropriate for an 8 month old and set to work.  I also didn't want a cookie that was super sweet and wanted to let the bananas add the sweetness.  This is the recipe that I came up with and it worked out great.   GBaby gnawed the heck out of the teething cookie while we ate dinner tonight.

Banana Teething Biscuit/Cookie

2 medium Bananas

3 Egg Yolks

1 cup Powdered/Confectioners Sugar

2 1/2 cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

Directions:

1. Puree bananas and egg yolks until a smooth, thick liquid.

2. Place in mixer bowl and add powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

3. Add flours 1/2 cup at a time until you reach a thick dough - should be similar to a soft play dough.

4. Divide dough into 6 pieces and roll out into long ropes about 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into pieces 3-4" long and flatten slightly.

5. Bake at 325 for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown and hard.

NOTE: It is always important to monitor your child while they are eating any foods. While these cookies are fairly hard it is always possible for small chunks to break off and become a choking hazard.  Always check with your pediatrician or a trusted source regarding age appropriate ingredients for your child.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

All in a Day's Work: Greene Apple Fest

One major source of exposure for Charity's Candles and Crafts is craft shows.  Most of the time the ones I attend are part of larger festivals are well known dedicated craft fairs.  Both draw significant crowds.  A well established event will have attendees that will come rain-or-shine because it is a tradition.

While visitors to these shows arrive looking for their favorite gift items or foods, I arrive looking for my competition - and at these events it's not always other candle-makers.  Often times its the little things that will draw the cash out of an attendee's wallet before they ever get to my booth.  Are there admission fees or parking fees?  Will visitors hit the craft area first or the food area and be tempted by all the delicious smells of food vendors?  All of these are things I take into consideration when I'm evaluating a craft fair.

Greene Apple Festival in Greene NY has become one of my best fairs of the year.  This past Saturday I left the house at 6:45 am and had my tent and booth set up by 8:30.  My feet were freezing and I was so happy to have dry warm socks and shoes to change into once I was set up!  The day was fairly grey and dismal but there were large crowds all day.  The rain held off until it was time to break down.  So I loaded up my little car in the rain and headed home for warm, dry clothes!  Once home it's dinner, GBaby to bed, and then inventory, accounting and then to bed myself!

AppleFest is one of those events that folks come to as a tradition.  In 2008, I set up in the rain, I sold candles all day in the rain, and packed up in the rain.  Folks were pushing around mud-caked strollers, kids were stomping in the mud in their galoshes and rain jackets and those who came out were having a great time!

This year was weather was dryer, the crowds were bigger and the sales were better than in 2008 and I look forward to seeing the crowds in Greene again next year!

Sunday Sunshine: Candles and Craft Shows

Practicing contentment by remembering the graces of the week.

This has been a very full week.  I was able to slip away for a Ladies Bible Study on Wednesday which was a great time with friends.  I also managed to get everything ready for the Greene Apple Festival where I was selling candles and in spite of the chaos of trying to get everything together and then realizing once I got there that I had forgotten stuff - the entire week was covered in a wonderful peace.  GBaby has popped another tooth.  She's up to 6 now and today seems to be a "happy in between teeth day" - for that I will be thankful!  I had been saving up for a little bit to make a purchase that I was able to make this week and my new sewing machine arrived on Wednesday.  I am very excited about this and will be posting much more on this in the near future!

Blessings to you on this first day of the week!

sara