Homemade Banana Cake AND Cream Cheese Icing? oh yea I did..

So, my husband loves food. We joke that I am just not a good cook. He is an amazing cook. He says I don't put enough effort into my cooking, and that's why it isn't good, but when I do put effort in, he says he loves it. I think he's just being picky haha

This last week, I did not make a huge dinner for Xmas, but I did cook a few things. I made chicken alfredo, which he loved..I didn't think it was that hard, but whatever. I don't use jar sauce because I think it tastes like ... well I don't know but whatever it is it is NOT good. I make my own sauces for everything. That's effort right?

I also ventured out and made a banana cake with cream cheese icing.. completely from scratch. Now I'm sure there are a million women out there that probably do this every day. I'm not one. I haven't made a complete cake from scratch in years, and I have only made icing 1 other time. Yea..I don't know what came over me. However, this time it turned out spectacularly delicious!! It is soooo much better than any icing I've ever purchased, the cake is so good..like wow..I made that..I almost made myself a badge to put on my apron.  Then I remembered I need to make an apron too, so those are on my list...but I swear I'm gonna do it.

This cake recipe was in an old old OLD book I got from my mom. All the recipes are handwritten by women long gone now, that did this stuff all the time. I bet this wasn't even their most favorite recipe..I bet they'd hate my cake...but it's ok, cause they aren't here and my peeps in my house love it!

I also love the icing. It is a super basic recipe, I think, it's only 4 things mixed together. But I'm telling you if you ever make it yourself, you will ruin yourself for store bought icing.. Plus, you'll probably need a dentist, as this stuff is super easy to just eat off a spoon..not that I would do that..but my kids may have stolen some spoons.

I'll post both recipes, and I definitely recommend trying them..even if you just try the icing...it's so good! I am not a cake decorator I am a seamstress, so yea, that explains the poor frosting job on my cake! haha

Banana Cake

• 3 1/2 Cups Mashed Bananas (4-7 very ripe bananas)
• 2 cups Granulated Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 1 1/2 stick of butter
• 4 cups All Purpose Flour

Mash bananas in a large bowl, add butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla, mix on medium speed till blended. Add flour, mix well.

Pour into prepared cake pans. (I butter/flour mine, you can use your own method I assume)

Bake on 350 for about 30-35 minutes. 

I made mine in 2 8" round pans, and it took about 33 minutes in my oven. 

Cream Cheese Icing

• 1 brick Cream Cheese
• 1 stick of  Butter
• 3 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

Cream together the butter and cream cheese, then add sugar and vanilla, continue to mix on low until well blended. You can add powdered sugar if it is too wet for your liking. 

These recipes probably aren't very different from anything on the internets today, so feel free to just google it if you'd like to see other options! I know every time I look up recipes, I tend to fine 74 links to basically the same recipe haha I mean how many different ways can you seriously make a sugar cookie, right?

So, there it is, I hope you try to make your own treats! I know sometimes it makes me feel a little less sad when I bake something up and it actually turns out yummy! 

No matter how hard today seems, no matter how much you're struggling, remember, I'm here with you..struggling as well, but we have to just keep breathing, and just keep going! Hugs to you <3

November wrap up!

Whew! Made it! Ok, one more month down, one final month of 2018 to go. This means Christmas is upon us, and it's all downhill from here.. I have orders coming in pretty steady from the shop, I am sending my first order to the UK this weekend!

I'm such a fangirl of all things british haha So this was really exciting for me to see when I got the order notification.

I am getting a little ambitious and making linzer cookies this weekend. I hope they turn out as good as I think they should. I remember when I was little loving these cookies so much! I want my kids to love them too. Plus, whenever our friends come over for Dungeons and Drangons, they seem thoroughly impressed with my baking skills :D  My husband loves having me whip up cookies and such for him to take to work too. One time I hadn't made anything for about a week, and one of his coworkers asked if things were "ok with the Mrs?" since I wasn't baking that week! I thought that was adorable so I threw together some snickerdoodles the next work day.

I really am driven by others expectations too much probably. I love making other people happy. I'm sure it's part of my many afflictions, but I just love to see others happy. Even if it is just because of a cookie..how much easier can it be to please people than to make some cookies..I am pretty sure cookies, made properly, could save the world. No? Has anyone tried it yet? I didn't think so.

Today, I am finishing up the 2 bag orders from yesterday. I then plan on entering the swirling vortex of terror that is the garage (and my sewing room right now), to organize and  plan some fun projects.  I am planning to get the kids to sit down and make some Scandanavian star ornaments, and possibly some folded fabric ball ornaments. Those balls take about a million straight pins though. I only have glass ball top pins, I'll need to see what I have hidden away in all the nooks and crannys and containers and drawers...I'll probably fine a portal to world G493..who knows...stay tuned to find out!

I also need to figure out a better way to get photos in here. I have everything on my phone, like every other person in the world, but my app doesn't like to post to the blog. It's been a very frustrating realization. I'll get to that eventually. I have a bunch of cool project photos I want to post and show all of you (assuming there is more than just 1 person who ever reads this), but even if it is just 1 person, I would love to share these neat little projects with you too.

All month, I've been dreading Christmas, but now I am just accepting it for what it is, as I do every year, and I will roll with it and we will make many crafts and have lots of family fun! Yes, that is what we will do.

I hope any and all of you who may wander by, have a wonderful holiday season, whatever your holiday is or isn't <3