Do you have a shelf full of cookbooks that looked great in the bookstore but have collected dust ever since? If so then here is the cookbook for you! Make Me Something Good to Eat a cookbook by Tamara Davis has answered my prayers. This small cookbook is full of kid friendly recipes suited for adults as well. The recipes are healthy and quick promoting simple living at its best. I ordered the cookbook after getting hooked on Tamara's online cooking show and have since plowed my way through the book making everything from orange and green muffins to pasta with pesto sauce. OK so here is the challenge, clear out the clutter! Donate any cookbooks that have not been used recently and only keep what you love and use. If there is a cookbook with one or two recipes you like tear them out and place them in your recipe binder. Out with the old in with the new.....

Check out Tamara's Web Site at http://www.tamradaviscookingshow.com/

Bon Appetite!

Batman's After-School Snack

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread/Muffins

Ingredients

3 or 4 ripe bananas, mashed up

1/3 cup melted butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 organic egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups of spelt flour

Chocolate chips (a many as you like)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Melt butter in bowl. Add bananas and mash them up with fork. Stir together. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over top of mixture & stir together. Add the flour & mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan or muffin pan. Bake for about 1 hour, muffins about 15-20 min. Remove from pan, slice, and enjoy.

The Library - Save on Cash, Clutter, and Waste

A while back I wrote about my love of books. I also discussed my self-imposed restriction on my purchase of books. So far it has been a success. I have continued to utilize the local trade-a-book to get new books while I trade in the old. I have also expanding my library use 10 fold (you know you are a frequent visitor when you don't need to show your library card). With a bit of delayed gratification the library is not only free but efficient as well. Here is how it works. I go online reserve the books and movies that interest me and when they are in I receive an email notification. Usually it only takes a few days to get what you are looking for unless it is a new release & you are way down on the list. The NY Times Book Review online is a great resource for new books that you might want to reserve. Now I am able to read as much as I want without the expense, the waste, and my shelves are relatively clutter free.

The Land of Little Cars…..

It has been 8 years since my last trip to Germany. We traveled there for my husband’s cousin’s wedding. My husband is part German decent and lived there as a child and later as an adult. With two children under age 3 in tow we traveled around for a week or two exploring villages and the countryside. As many of you know a lot goes unnoticed when you have babies. The focus is when they were last fed and if a nap is going to happen that day. We recently had the opportunity for a return visit. This time with three children ages 10, 8, and 4, a bit more self-sufficient and flexible. I arrived with eyes wide open, noticing all the differences in the way most Americans live compared to Europeans. The most profound being how progressive they are and yet how simply they live. From the Wind Mills and Solar Panels lining the Autoban, to small cars and community composting. This progressive and accountable nature is surrounded by a sense of simplicity that permeates their way of life. Clothes lines, kitchen gardens, walking and biking as a primary mode of transportation, small homes, and afternoon naps. Here are some pictures of our adventure...