Aidan's Favorite Banana Bread

Aidan LOVES banana bread!  Last year, his class created a cook book, to which each kid contributed, and it's what Aidan wanted to add.  He's gotten really good at helping, and especially loves smashing the bananas.  Over time, we've perfected a pretty great recipe, and today I'm going to share it with you.

You'll need:

- loaf pan

- mixing bowls 

- measuring cups and spoons

- (or) kitchen scale

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (115 gr) butter at room temperature

1 cup (200 gr) sugar

2 eggs beaten

3-4 ripe bananas finely crushed (this is a great way to use up those bananas on your counter you no longer want to eat, because they're getting too brown.)

1 1/2 cups (192 gr) flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

(optional) handful of chopped pecans or walnuts 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F / 180 °C (or 325 °F/ 170 °C for convection oven.)

2. Cream together butter and sugar.

3. Add eggs and crushed bananas.

4. Combine well.

5. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and add to batter. Add vanilla extract.

6. Mix until just combined. (Do not overmix.)

7. Butter and flour loaf pan, and pour batter in.

8. Sprinkle chopped nuts on top.

9. Bake for 55 minutes (or 45 in convection oven).

10. Remove, and allow to cool on wire rack.  We like to eat it warm, but it's also great at room temperature.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

It's perfect for breakfast, or snack time, or as a dessert.  We like to put jam on it, or fruit, honey, butter... but really, it's tasty enough just on its own, too!

And here is my trick for keeping to fresh.  Last year we bought some Bee's Wrap, and the bread one is a great size for the banana bread loaf.  It keeps the banana bread soft and moist!

We're bananas for this banana bread!

Classic Lemon Bar

Lemon bars. They are one of Dan's favorite desserts; his grandma used to make them.  When we were newly married, I made them from a box, and... well, he didn't like them, and didn't eat them.

We've both come a long way since then - he knows to be kinder in criticism, I've learned that honesty really is the best policy, and I've since learned to bake.

So, I decided to revisit them, now that I've got some "legitimate" baking experience under my belt.

I searched the internet, and found this recipe.  I loved that it had both American and European measurements!

What you'll need:

- mixer with whisk attachment (standing or hand held) or pastry cutter and whisk

- 9x13 baking sheet

- baking paper

- non-stick spray

- kitchen scale (optional)

- measuring cups

- lemon squeezer

- sifter for powdered sugar (optional)

Ingredients:

Shortbread base:

• 1 and 3/4 cups (220 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 1/4 cup (32 grams) cornstarch
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (230 grams) unsalted butter, softened and cubed

Lemon filling:

• 1 and 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (32 grams) all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (120ml) fresh lemon juice (for me, that came to about 2 1/2 lemons)

+ powdered sugar and lemon slices for garnishing.

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 °F / 180 °C (325 °F / 162 °C for convection oven).

2. Line pan with baking paper or aluminum foil.  Spray with non-stick spray.

3. We're going to start with the shortbread base. In your standing mixer's bowl, using a whisk attachment, combine flour, corn starch, sugar and salt.  Bring speed to a medium low.  As the whisk is going, start adding the cubed butter (or use a pastry cutter).  Mix until just starting to combine.

4. Press down into the bottom of pan, and level out as much as possible.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until just starting to get golden around edges.  Remove from oven, and set aside.

6. While it's baking, start working on filling.  Whisk together (by hand, or using a mixer) sugar and flour.  Add eggs and lemon juice until fully combined. 

7. Poor over shortbread, place back in oven, and bake at the same heat for an extra 18-22 minutes, until lemon filling is set (when you shake it, it seems pretty firm).  

8. Remove from oven, and allow to cool on wire rack for 1 hour.

9. Lightly cover, and chill further in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

10. Remove from pan, cut into squares (12 squares work out pretty perfectly).

11. Sift powdered sugar over top, garnish with a slice of lemon - and you have the perfect "come on, Spring!" dessert!

There is nothing like a tart, bright yellow dessert to get you in the mood for Spring!

This time around, Dan loved the lemon bars, and told me that they were "almost" as good as his grandma's - I'll take it!! There's really no way to compete with grandma, and I wouldn't even want to. :)

And there you go! :)

Do you enjoy lemon desserts?  What is your favorite?

IKEA Hack LEGO Table

Our family dynamics have changed a lot this past year.  Aidan is of course getting older, and getting into "big kid" toys, which are super fun!!

On the other hand, we have this new little peanut of a girl, who is going to be mobile sooner than you know it!  As much as Jocelyn adores her big brother, I know she's gonna want to get into everything of his - and I think it's important to protect his stuff, and avoid possible frustrations.  Aidan can't get enough of his baby sister, but I also know that that could change drastically if she were to constantly mess up his creations.  

Up until now, we've had a LEGO table set up in the living room/family room.  However, whenever Aidan and Dan built something, it would need to get put away, which inevitably meant it had to get broken down, rendering it unable to be played with.

SO, we wanted to move the LEGOs into Aidan's room, where we could shut the door to his room, and keep the baby out.  But we also wanted it to be cool, and mobile.  So, Dan, being the incredible  dad that he is, got to building one!

Here were the criteria we had:
- on wheels to make it mobile
- LEGO base for building onto 
- storage
- ability to set it up a couple different ways, since we will probably not live in this exact space forever.

If you would like to create one of your own, this is what you'll need:
- 2 IKEA KALLAX 77x42
- 2 sets of RILL wheels
- 4 DRONA bins in denim (the denim was new, and I am so thankful for it!  We were going to settle for gray, but the denim looks great in his room!)
- 4 LEGO Gray Baseplates
- Drill with a phillips bit
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Directions:

1. Build the KALLAX shelves according to the directions.

2. Attach 4 wheels to each shelf, in the corners, on one of the long sides.

3. Using a hot glue gun, adhere the baseplates to the top of your "table" - 2 on each.  They're not quite an exact fit, the table is about a 2 cm wider than the baseplates, so just make sure you line it up the way you want it before you glue it down.

4. Slide in bins, and you're done!

Here are a couple extra thoughts:
- we made some mini figure displays, instructions to come later.

- we bought a little wall-mount shelf at IKEA too, to add another dimension - in this case a "mountain" for the ski lodge.

- Eventually we plan on gluing baseplates in the cubbies as well, so that the bins can be slid out, and the space can be used to play on.
- We bought some smaller storage elements, and organized the remaining pieces by type - Ninjago in one, Batman and friends in the other, LEGO City in another... you get the picture. :)

- initially we had it in an "L" shape, but prefer it all against the same wall.  But I love that if we ever WANT it set up differently, we can change it!

Anyway, it was a HUGE hit!  

Dan and Aidan have spent every afternoon in there building, and playing with the sets.  I love that there is the ability to keep the built pieces out, and if needed later on, it is easy to make another addition.  I also love that it is mobile, and that we aren't "exiling" Aidan to his room.

Yay for LEGOs!!