Hoping for a Healthy New Year

Here is another blog find (2 posts in one day, I am on a roll). These muffins are so scrumptious. Don't be scared of the bran and the wheat flour ingredients, they're what make you healthy.......and regular :)

Banana Whole Wheat Bran Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat bran
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (approx. 2 medium)
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 tbls. vinegar added to 1 cup milk)
1/4 cup canola oil (I used olive oil)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I didn't add these)
1 cup granola

mix all dry ingredients (except for granola) in a big bowl. Then mix all the wet ingredients in a different big bowl. Mix everything together. pour into a greased muffin pan or line pan with baking cups. Top with granola and bake for 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Isn't that easy? I made these this morning, and they were a hit. I think I will make a big batch and freeze them so they can be enjoyed every morning.

Fin on his third muffin.

Does anyone else want to join this post for a healthy new year? If you do post a healthy recipe on your blog and leave a comment so I can come and print it out and try it. (Not that I don't already check everyones blog about 5 times a day)

Expanding Our Horizons

A few months ago I saw these foreign films on a blog and thought that Cache and I could expand our horizon a little and venture out to subtitles. Here is what we watched:
We really enjoyed this movie. At first we were a little worried that we would be too busy reading the subtitles to see what was going on in the movie, but eventually we got into a flow and and we forgot that we were reading. It is about a Jewish couple who are going through a lot of challenges and how they exercise their faith to get through them. It was interesting to see the similarities of the Jewish beliefs and the LDS beliefs. This movie is one I highly recommended.
The next show was:
This is a Iranian film and it was good, but not as good as the Ushpizin (Cache fell asleep) It is about two young children from a very poor family with a sick mother and a hard working father. The son looses his sisters shoes in route to the cobbler and is too ashamed to tell their father knowing that they can't afford new ones. The son offers to share his shoes with his sister until they can find hers. The story is a little long and slow moving, but it was interesting to see the Iranian culture.

We are now moving onto to wanting to see some Bollywood movies so Cache can get geared up for his upcoming trip. Does anyone know of any good ones? I have a couple on hold at the library, but I am wary to put anymore on hold without recommendations.

If anyone watches either of these movies let me know what you think.

Words to Live by

I found this quote while preparing for a Young Womens lesson I had to teach last Sunday, it has been on my mind for an entire week now and I think I should share it. It is by Ezra Taft Benson

"I hope we can be happy where we are, be grateful for our blessings-now, here- accept
the challenge that is ours and make the most of it, and not be envious of others..."

I love this quote because I know I get caught up thinking that I would be happy if __________ (fill in the blank). I get caught up in thinking the grass is always greener on the other side of the pasture, when really it is just as green and has just as many weeds-just different kinds of weeds, which in reality I probablly wouldn't want to deal with. So one of my resolutions this year is to show more gratitude for the greenness and the weediness of my own pasture.

The First Noel

"E" (now to be named Peanuthead) is always so excited for this part of the Christmas celebrations, she is so excited to act as Mary, and since she is the only girl on Cache's side of the family this role always is hers. It was fun to see "A" (now to be known as Fin) actively participate this year, in the past it has been more of a costume party for him than a story re-enactment. The "cast". This is not the best picture, but I couldn't resisit Fin's smile.

yes, this baby Jesus had corn rolls. It was all grandma had.

Some of the best quotes from the night:

Mary's response to the shepherds and wise men as they arrived at the stable and brought their gifts was "Welcome to our home and Thank you, thank you for the gifts"

Mary receiving the gifts from the wise men

As Mary was waiting for Joseph to arrive in the stable(he was busy talking to the shepherds) before she delivered her baby she yelled "Joseph, get in here I'm hurting".

Fin's reaction to seeing one of the shepherds getting his diaper changed "naked shepherd"

I realize that these quotes probablly aren't funny to you out in blogland, they were definately a "I guess you had to be there" type of moment, but I felt I needed to record them so that I would remember them in the future.

Here is a picture to end with. Thanks for the jammie's Grandma & Grandpa! Check out the fingers up the noses, what are they digging for, diamonds or rubies? click on picture to enlarge.

Could it get any harder?

The dreaded Christmas photo. After about 50 pictures we finally got one where both looked decent, not great, but at least both sets of eyes were open and two mouths were smiling.

Merry Christmas!

I did It!

On Thanksgiving I finally ran my first 5k. I have wanted to do this for awhile, but have always chickened out. It was a blast, and thanks to my friend Rebecca, I ran the entire way. It was slow, I finished in 34.16 minutes, but i did it and I am proud of myself. whoo hoo, go me!

Move over Rachel Ray

I am feeling very domestic. I found a recipe for Pumpkin Ravioli with a Gorgonzola sauce, it sounded so good I thought I would make it for FHE. I took pictures of the process, well just half of the project I forgot to document the final steps. Here is the brief synopsis:

It was so yummy, if anyone wants the recipe I can post it. Or you can find it in the Cooking Light magazine.