'Tis the season

Two of my favorite treats have made their debut these past couple of weeks and I'm going to try and use as much self control as possible when it comes to purchasing these:

And these:

Without me???

All this week I was traveling for work. I was sad to leave Betsy alone for 3 days but I bought a web cam so we can video skype each other at night. But little did I know that when I am gone Betsy bakes amazing goodness.
Look how excited she is to bake! She made monkey bread!
Look how Cinnamony and gooey it looks. I guess your supposed to grab a chunk and eat it. Which is what she did on Skype. So mean.
Apparently she makes this goodness for our neighbors and not for me. I don't know what that's all about.
But its my fault for working a job where I miss Lost night every Tuesday at Lincoln Way.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! Thank you Sweet Pea for being in my life. I love you.
I love you even when you get in my nature shots.
I love you so much that I get you roses even when I believe they are not natural, but its worth it to see your smile!
I love you even more now that we have a bun in the oven!

Hope you have a great v-day!

Banana muffins

I don't have a favorite banana bread recipe. I love banana bread but everytime I make it I feel like I search online until I find a recipe that strikes my fancy and I'm never blown away with the results. Last night I had four of the blackest bananas ever ready to be turned into something delicious. I stumbled upon this website. I'm excited to check out more of her recipes because this banana muffin recipe was perfection. Super easy. Super moist. Super yum. I replaced 1/2 the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour and I added chopped walnuts and they worked out great.

(worst iPhone pic ever)


Banana Muffins (makes 12 muffins)
3 or 4 Large bananas, mashed (the blacker the better & I used 4 for extra moisture)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 slightly beaten egg
1/3 cup melted margarine or butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour

Mix the mashed banana, sugar, egg and margarine together. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Mix wet and dry ingredients all together! Pour into greased muffin tins, and bake in 350 degrees F oven for approximately 20 minutes.

The batter seemed really thick as I was spooning it into the muffin tins but the texture of these came out perfectly. I also filled them right up to the top and they didn't puff up all the much so this batter made 12 exactly for me. I made up a little crumb topping for mine as well but in the end it wasn't necessary and I don't think I'll do that next time. Enjoy!

Cooper Young

My best friend Lindsay and her husband Patrick unexpectedly lost their beautiful little boy Cooper last Friday morning. It's been a difficult week but the rallying support of friends and family help everyone through tough times like these. Steve and I will miss little Cooper greatly and our hearts are full of love for Lindsay and Patrick at this tough time.



I love this picture of Cooper eating cheese that Lindsay recently posted on her blog. It makes me laugh every time I see it.


And when we got to spend some time with Linds, Pat & Cooper over Christmas at my parents house in Utah, Cooper discovered his favorite place was my parent's plush new dog bed.


Lindsay & Patrick have set up the Cooper Young Memorial Children's Book Fund in honor of Cooper. Anyone who is interested in contributing to the fund can do so via one of two ways: 1) Mail check to Cooper Young Memorial Children's Book Fund, PO Box 60211, Sunnyvale, CA 94088-0211 2) PayPal transfer to "patrickdyoung@gmail.com". Lindsay & Patrick plan to either make a one-time donation to a local school or library in Cooper's name, or to work on funding an organization that would provide books to children on an on-going basis - similar to the Imagination Library Program.

Below you will find Cooper's obituary and information on memorial services.

Cooper Patrick Young has returned home to our Heavenly Father. He passed away January 29, 2010 from what appears to be a form of meningitis. Cooper was born on June 13, 2008 to Patrick and Lindsay Johnston Young and lived a short, yet vibrant life which touched people from literally around the world. Cooper loved to talk in long, unrecognizable sentences, play in or around anything resembling a fountain, laugh with his friends and family, and play any game that involved a ball. Cooper loved the beauty of nature and especially any kind of furry or fuzzy animal he encountered. His quick moving illness shocked us and has filled us with sorrow, but we have hope in the eternal nature of our souls and in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Cooper's absence will bring us sadness and grief, but our memories of him fill us with joy.

His parents would like to thank the dedicated doctors and nurses at El Camino and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital for their brief, but loving care of our sweet baby boy. Their efforts inspire us and bring us hope.

Friends are invited to visit with us to remember Cooper at an open house from 6-8 PM on Friday, February 5th, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 771 West Fremont Ave, Sunnyvale, CA. Friends may also visit with us at the same location on Saturday, February 6th at 11 AM, with a Memorial Service to follow at 12 noon. We invite you to wear colorful clothing. In lieu of flowers, please contribute to the Cooper Young Memorial Children's Book Fund (PO Box 60211, Sunnyvale, CA 94088-0211) as we try to honor his legacy by blessing the lives of children in our community.

Science

Steve just started working for a little environmental consulting firm in Berkeley this past week and he's so in his element it's not even funny. He's been spending long days out at different sites in the bay area doing things like capturing frogs, sorry honey, toads. They are toads. He's also doing overnight trips at sites which leaves me all by my lonesome. I miss him desperately. But I also sort of enjoy being able to watch Grey's Anatomy and eat fish sticks and tater tots without judgment.

My scientist.


Capturing toads. Sick.