Pete the Cat and the Bad Banana & Banana Bread!

Pete the Cat bites into a bad banana and decides that he never wants to eat bananas again. But Pete loves bananas! Will one bad banana cause Pete to give up one of his favorite foods? I'm hoping my banana bread will convince him otherwise!

Not only is this banana bread yummy, but its super healthy too! It's made with whole wheat flour and theres no added sugar. Mix in chia seeds for an extra boost of energy for those hard to get going school mornings. This same batch can easily be made into muffins, just cut baking time down (15-18 minutes depending on your oven- when toothpick comes out dry, you're good!)

Ingredients

1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
1cup mashed bananas (about 2)
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
*1 tablespoon chia seeds- optional

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 325° Spray loaf pan with cooking spray.

Beat the oil and honey together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat, then whisk in the mashed bananas and water.

Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt and cinnamon, and whisk together. Using a spoon, stir in the flour- don't over stir.

Pour the batter into loaf pan. You can sprinkle extra cinnamon on top!

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Let it cool out of the pan for 20 minutes before slicing.

Craft Connection

What you need;

Paper plate

yellow construction paper (or tissue paper)

brown construction paper (or tissue paper)

glue stick

scissors

Cut a moon shape out of the paper plate. Next, cut small squares out of the yellow construction paper and 2 brown tips for the banana top and bottom. Glue on the yellow squares and brown tips. Kids will love this simple craft that they can do all by themselves!

Did you ever get turned off by a certain food to never eat it again? What was the food and what turned you off?

When I Was Little & Grown Up Egg in a Hole

When I Was Little: A Four Year Old's Memoir of Her Youth is Jamie Lee Curtis's first children's book. The little girl in the story reflects on her life and how she has grown in her four short years. No more "silly hair" or wearing "floaties" in the pool, and no more eating "goo and yucky stuff"! Why eat goo and yucky stuff when you can eat all the scrumptiousness the world has to offer? Definitely one of the perks of adulthood! Read with children ages 4-8 and I'm sure they'll relate to all of the changes and to "not being a baby anymore".

Egg in a hole was so comforting as a child. I had no idea how simple it was to make, just how warm and cozy it made me feel. The ingredients were always on hand- usually one slice of white bread and an egg. I love it even more as an adult- it has evolved and matured along with me. It can be modified according to what you have in the fridge which is a great way to use up those groceries that may get tossed at the end of the week.

Ingredients

1 slice of bread (use what you have/love)
1 egg
1 slice of cheese (I used Havarti-use what you have)
5 spinach leaves (any veggie works)

Directions

Using a cookie cutter (or glass), cut a circle out of the center of the bread.
Heat the pan on a medium flame. Spray with cooking spray.
Toast up the bread in the pan for 2-3 minutes. I like mine extra crispy.
Crack egg in the hole. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place the spinach and cheese on top of the egg and sprinkle with more salt and pepper to taste.
Cook about 2- 2 1/2 minutes.

Craft Connection

I got this idea from my sons kindergarten teacher who was amazing! When I saw his 100 year old self portrait, I knew I had to make it with my Books to Belly kids! I think this craft pairs well with this story. I love that most little kids see themselves as big kids, so its fun to see how they would imagine themselves at 100!

What you will need;

Construction paper
glue stick
cotton balls
eyes
buttons
cardstock & doily optional

Like the egg in a hole, use what you have in the house!! If you want to use different colored construction paper instead of cardstock- go for it...there are no rules. No eyeballs- make them out of paper.  Just have fun!!!

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Bat paired with healthier dirt cups!

In a Halloween themed twist on the classic "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly", the old lady manages to swallow a bat, an owl, a cat, a ghost, a goblin, and even a wizard! I'm sure she would definitely swallow my healthy dirt cup that I paired with the story- we sure did!

Jello Simply Good is made with the good stuff like real fruit juice, vanilla bean, cocoa and no artificial flavors, dyes, or preservatives so I felt good using it in my dirt cups. All you have to do is mix in 2 cups of 2% milk and stir for 2 minutes. So easy- the kids can do it! Halloween- without all the bad stuff.

We do love trick or treating dressed up in costume and coming home with all that CANDY! Last year we donated some to the troops...it made us feel good and saved us from eating it all! You can donate yours too by going on Soldier's Angels Treats for Troops, searching your zip code for a location nearest you.

Healthier Dirt Cups

1 package JELL-O Simply good chocolate instant pudding
2 cups of cold 2% organic milk
1 box Annies Friends whole grain bunny grahams, crushed
1 bag of Black Forest organic gummy worms

Directions

Follow directions on JELL-O package. It takes 2 minutes to make!
Pour the cookies into a large zip lock bag. Using a rolling pin, crush the cookies.
In a cup or mason jar, add a scoop of pudding, then cookies. Repeat until you reach the top.
Add 2 gummy worms on the top.

Craft Connection

Along with the snack in each Books to Belly class, a craft is paired with the story. With There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat, we craft bat magnets to hang on the fridge or anywhere magnetic!

You will need;

toilet paper roll
black construction paper
white construction paper
glue stick
scissors
magnetic tape

First, flatten out the toilet paper roll. Cut a crescent into the top and bottom.
Next, cut 12 black circles out of the construction paper using the cap of the glue stick.
Cut 2 white circles using the same method.
Cut 2 small white triangles for fangs.
Cut 2 small black circles for inside the white eyes. You can use a hole puncher if you have one.
Cut out wings from the paper...I just "winged" it! LOL. I left extra space on the wings for where I would glue them to the toilet paper roll.

Glue the wings on first, then the black circles. Start with 3 circles on the top and continue down. Next, place the eyes and the fangs.

Once its dry, turn it over and place the magnet tape in the middle.

Have fun! And Happy Halloween to your little ghouls and goblins!

Baked Whole-Wheat Raspberry Doughnuts

Yes. I'm the mom sending heart shaped everything in the kids lunches! Don't hate me- join me! These aren't just pretty and yummy- they're healthy too! 

Popsugar moms posted these baked treats (yes, I said baked!) made from Weelicious. The raspberries were so appealing, I immediately knew I had to make them in heart form for V day. 

I'll be whipping up a couple of more batches because these bad boys went pretty quickly! I swapped out the buttermilk that the original recipe called for, for applesauce. I don't keep buttermilk in the house so I used something I had. They taste amazing and are kid approved! I'm happy to give them a healthier alternative to the greasy, fattening doughnut. 

Heart Shaped Rice Krispies Treats!

The heart wants what the heart wants. Ours wants rice krispies treats! In ode to Valentine's Day, ours come in heart form! 

If you're in the eye of the storm like myself, this is the perfect treat to make with the kiddies today. With just 3 ingredients most of you have in the house, you have the perfect edible arts and crafts project to create with the littles. You're in luck if you have Rice Krispies, marshmallows, and butter!

If you don't have heart shaped pans, don't fret. Simply lay out the rice Krispy mixture in baking pan and cut with heart shaped cookie cutters. Also- no biggie if you don't have the heart sprinkles. Just leave them out. 

You can use any sprinkles, chocolate chips, or candy pieces you have in the house. Spray the pan first to avoid sticking, then sprinkle in topping. If making bars, sprinkle out topping on wax paper before laying down mixture. If you want to do these for Valentine's Day, you can purchase the Wilton heart sprinkles and the pans on Amazon. 

Kidecals Name Labels

I cannot believe I am getting ready for back to school! I have mixed emotions about this. I love the carefree lifestyle of the summer. Summer allows us to stray from the routine that comes with the school year, kick back and enjoy the kids. I'll miss waking up and lounging around with them, spending days on the beach…just walking to the beat of our own drums.

I do, however, love labeling school stuff!  I label jackets, any clothing that can be removed, lunch items that can be lost, backpacks, folders, notebooks…etc! Kidecals makes this task a lot easier! There are so many labels with great prints to choose from. They are both washer and dishwasher safe! They are highly durable and will surely last the school year. 

The kids were so excited to get their kidecals in the mail. Max's comic book kidecals go with his Spiderman theme. Chloe's multicolor chevron print is so girly and pretty.

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