I am no Longer an Intern!

That's crazy to say, but it's true. Now, that doesn't change much for me, at least not for now; I came into the office 9:00 am today like usual, we are having staff meeting as is usual on Tuesday, and I will be working on various church related tasks, as I normally do. Soon however I will hopefully have an outside job so that we can afford to still do what we were doing on our internship. All I can say about that is looking for jobs is tedious work but hopefully I will find something good. I am trusting that the Lord will lead me to the right job, one that works with what I am doing at the church, and provides the income we need. You'll probably see a post from me soon about the job I end up getting. If you could pray with me until then that I get the right job that would be great.

I Rule at Making Banana Bread!

Okay, so I know this sounds really conceited but it's true. I must say however that the credit really goes to Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen who produced the best ever cookbook aptly titled The Best Recipe and the updated version, The New Best Recipe (we have both). They will do as many different variations of a recipe as it takes to find the best one and it really pays off. The recipes are always excellent; they even get into the science of cooking like why you should put the butter in your mashed potatoes before the milk. If you can only get one cookbook I would recommend this one; at the risk of sounding sacrilegious it is the Bible of cookbooks.

Why am I talking about banana bread? Well, it all started when I bought yogurt only to realize when I got home that I had almost a whole container in the fridge. Ugh! But, all was not lost as we have been finding ways to use yogurt all week. One of my favorite ways to use yogurt is in banana bread so I bought bananas at the store and made it today. I am including the recipe so you can all experience the goodness that is this banana bread. It is moist, fluffy, banana-y (I realize this is not really a word), and just so good! If you like banana bread I guarantee this will be the best you've ever eaten.

P.S., It says to adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position but I find that makes the bottom a little dark. I leave the rack in the middle and it works great. It calls for unsalted butter but I usually use margarine and it tastes great. It also calls for walnuts but Ryan doesn't like walnuts so I leave them out usually. I think the flavor is really enhanced with them in so I would recommend using them but if you don't use them it will still taste really good!

The Best Recipe for Banana Bread
Makes one 9-inch loaf
For best results, be sure to use a loaf pan that measures 9 inches long, 5 inches across and 3 inches deep.

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
1 1/4 cups walnuts, chopped coarse
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe, soft, dark speckled large bananas, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan; dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
2. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and walnuts in a large bowl; set aside.
4. Mix the mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with a wooden spoon in a medium bowl. Lightly fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined and the batter looks thick and chunky. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
5. Bake until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. (The bread can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

I'm making a change

I'm not sure that there are a lot of people left who read my blog, and of those who still do there may be an even smaller amount who care about this but I just have to say that I am making a change. One of the things I have been known for is being "in the know" about a lot of things in culture. Whether it's fashion, home decor or food, I am up on what's going on and this due in large part to the amount of TV I watch. I've always been proud about this; pleased that I know so much in so many areas, but recently the Lord has been showing me that it's not as great as I think it is because you see, as I have been getting more and more knowledgeable about food, fashion and decor, I have barely increased my knowledge about the Bible. And, while my relationship with my TV and the people on it has strengthened, my relationship with God and my family and friends has suffered. So, as much as I can hardly believe I am doing it, I am going on a TV hiatus. It might seem a little extreme but it's what I need to do. I'm hesitating calling it a New Year's resolution because I don't know how long it needs to last and somehow calling it that seems to cheapen it. My prayer with this change is that my new found time will be put to better use deepening my relationship with God and my family and friends and, of lesser importance, be put to use keeping my house looking the way I would like it to. A few more things which I would like to develop this year which could probably be called New Year's resolutions are drinking more water, eating less food that has little nutritional value and more healthy, whole foods, and getting into a routine of regular exercise. I hope that you all find ways to better yourself this year and that the Lord challenges you greatly and blesses you immensely. Happy New Year everyone!