banana chocolate chip cookies.

A few weeks ago, I exclaimed to my then-roommates, "We should make banana chocolate chip cookies!" I had no idea such a thing existed but I thought they sounded delicious. A quick Google search revealed banana chocolate chip cookies DO exist so they were baked that weekend.

banana chocolate chip cookies
from marthastewart.com

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
6 T. white sugar
6 T. light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 overripe banana, slightly mashed
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375° F. Butter or line 2 baking sheets.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir to combine. Mix in the banana and chocolate chips until just combined.

Drop by tablespoons onto the baking sheet, spacing dough an inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Remove to cooling racks.

This recipe makes approx. 16 cookies. Luckily for us, Nadine accidentally added too much baking soda and ended up making a double batch :)

P.S. The recipe for Nadine's amazing carrot cake. (I miss living with her.)

Nadine's amazing carrot cake.

I mentioned on Monday that my roommate baked an amazing carrot cake for Sunday Supper. That was before I had a second piece, the day after she baked it. You guys, it tasted even better than it had the night before. What is better than amazing?

Oh my God, I want more of this in my mouth right now!

That's what is even better than amazing and it's what I was thinking the entire time I was devouring that second piece of cake.

Luckily, Nadine gave me the recipe and I didn't even have to wrestle her for it.*

Nadine's Amazing Carrot Cake
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups coconut
1 cup crushed pineapple
2 cups grated carrots

Beat eggs. Add oil, sugar, and vanilla. Beat well. Combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add this in 3 lots to above mixture. Mix well. Add coconut and pineapple. Mix well. Lastly, add carrots and mix well. Turn into greased 9x13 inch pan or tube pan. Bake 1 hour at 350°F. Cool and spread with icing.

Cream Cheese Icing
1/4 cup margarine
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
4 oz pkg. cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream margarine and cream cheese. Blend in icing sugar and vanilla. Spread on cooled cake. Garnish with grated carrots if desired.

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*I did, however, promise her that I would tell you about the conversation we had while shopping for the ingredients:

Nadine: Picks up a bag of carrots.

Me: "You need carrots?"

Nadine: "Amanda, what kind of cake am I making?"

Me: "Well, I know you're making carrot cake. I guess I just didn't realize..."

Nadine: "Wait a second, if I had sent you to the store and told you to buy stuff to make a carrot cake, what would you have bought?"

Amanda: "Uh... Probably not carrots. I probably would have bought a mix."

Later that afternoon, I looked on with admiration as she grated the carrots she needed to bake her amazing carrot cake.

P.S. Another exchange between Nadine and I. This one involves New York. 

o christmas tree!

This weekend was an exciting one. On Saturday morning, Melissa's dad, Stephen, came to Fredericton to help us pick out our Christmas tree and set it up. The three of us headed to the Superstore, where the Shriners have set up in the parking lot to sell trees. Who wouldn't want to have fun while helping kids? 

On our way there, I asked Stephen if Melissa had warned him about my levels of enthusiasm. I kept saying things like, "I'm so frickin' excited!" and "Yay!" He just laughed and said, "No, but I like enthusiasm." It's a good thing because I was pumped! (I yelled "I'm so pumped!" when we got out of the truck. The Shriner who was working laughed and said, "You're pumped are you? That's good!")

It didn't take us very long to pick out a tree and we were on our way. After dropping the tree off at the house, we headed to Canadian Tire to buy lights and ornaments. It turns out we didn't need either because my Mom dropped off a box of everything my family has used to decorate our tree for the past twenty-something years. One of my favourite parts of decorating the Christmas tree each year is pulling the ornaments out of the box. Each one evokes so many memories. 

This "bell" is an ornament I made in kindergarten! It's one of my favourites and I've been hanging it on the tree with pride for the past 17 years. 

This is the angel that's on top of our tree. Her dress is yellowed, her arms are broken, and her wings are bent but I placed her at the top with a full heart. She has been looking over my family every Christmas since before I was born. My mom bought a new angel a few years ago but it was my last Christmas at "home" so I begged Mom to use this one for "just one more year." She agreed but has used the new angel ever since. I had no idea she had kept this one so I was surprised to find her with all of the other ornaments! I almost cried!

Melissa and I are pretty proud of our tree. It's lit up right now and I keep glancing over at it and smiling. It blows my mind that this is our first time living in a house that isn't our families', but we've transformed it into a home. And our home is ready for the holidays! 

24 days 'til Christmas.

One of the traditions I remember most from when I was a kid are the chocolate advent calendars my mom bought for me and my brother. Starting on December 1st, we were supposed to eat a piece of chocolate every night until Christmas Day. It didn't always work out. I would beg my mom for "just one more," saying, "I'll just eat tomorrow's chocolate today, and I won't eat another one until the day after tomorrow!" When she said no, I'd sneak them! Needless to say, the chocolates never lasted until December 25th. 

I've developed more self-control over the last few years, so now I savour just one advent chocolate a day. That's right, I still get a chocolate advent calendar! Traditions are important!

BUT! The "24 Chocolate Days 'til Christmas" isn't the only advent calendar that I have this year. My roommate, Melissa, and I decided to make one so that we would do something "Christmas-y" every day.

We bought a red string with 24 little stockings with clips at the dollar store. Then, we wrote what we planned to do each day on slips of paper and clipped them on the string! Easy-peasy! (The hardest part was thinking of what we could do! We have different schedules and some nights are busier than others!)

Some of the activities are simple and some are more complex, but they're all "Christmas-y" and that was the only criteria! Here's what we have planned:

1. Drink a festive drink and scope out Christmas trees. (We're on a student budget so the goal is to find a nice tree for the best price. I'm excited because we're getting a real tree!)

2. Decorate the inside of our house!

3. Bring home and set up our Christmas tree. Watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. (Melissa keeps saying she can't believe I've never seen it! As if I'm the only one who hasn't. I'm not, am I?)

4. Decorate the Christmas tree.

5. Decorate the outside of our house!

6. Christmas cards!

7. Snooty Fox with friends.

8. Cara visits from Vermont! Winter Formal!

9. Melissa's staff Christmas party!

10. Melissa's Christmas Girls' Night with Grandmom (or, Sip a Festive Drink)!

11. Christmas-themed Sunday Supper.

12. Bake cookies for some special people.

13. Deliver Christmas cookies.

14. Make a donation to a charity in the name of Christmas spirit.

15. Watch a Christmas movie.

16. Go downtown to listen to the Elm City Echoes, a ladies' barbershop chorus. My elementary school's Christmas concert.

17) Christmas at the Playhouse.

18) Watch A Christmas Story.

19) Wrap Christmas gifts.

20) Drive around and look at Christmas lights.

21) Exchange gifts with each other! (Melissa goes home this day.)

22) Drink hot chocolate and listen to Christmas music.

23) Last day of school! Christmas fun!

24) Celebrate Christmas with our families!

We realize some of these things may get switched around or may not happen at all, but our goal is just to enjoy the holiday season. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am that we're celebrating in such a wonderful way in our own little home.

Do you have an advent calendar? What "Christmas-y" activities do you have planned?

I'm supposed to be doing homework...

Me: "I want to move to New York."

Roomie: "What's in New York?"

Me: "New York!"

Roomie: (just looks at me)

Me: "What's not in New York?!"

Roomie: "Okay... but what made you think of that right now?"

Me: "Well... I may or may not be on Facebook, looking at pictures from someone who just moved to New York."

Roomie: "Do your homework."

first day pictures.

The roomie and I, ready for the first day of school.

We came home and found flowers waiting for us (at the neighbours' house, oops!), sent by our best friend who lives in Vermont. (Thanks, Cara!)

Today was the second day of school and I enjoyed it even more than yesterday. My favourite parts:

Finding out I'm going to be reading picture books and using Crayola markers on a regular basis. 

Being told that teaching is "the profession that makes all other professions possible."