Low Sugar Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from a Cooking Light recipe, we made these this week and were happy to discover a "healthier" cookie recipe that satisfied our need for some good nummie after dinner. My only changes from the original recipe were to eliminate the white sugar (the banana is such a good natural sweetener on its own), add a bit of cinnamon and use whole-wheat instead of white flour. Also, like some of the reviews said, mine only needed 12 minutes or so, not 18.

I froze some and kept a few in fridge, even good a little cold :) I think we'll make these again soon!

Strawberries

Our first berry of the season is growing day by day! I made some strawberry-banana-pecan muffins today, hopefully I'll be able to use some of our own in the next batch.

I'm looking for another tiered plant stand, I love growing nine different things in one small area. So far this spring we have two different strawberries, basil, Italian parsley, peppermint, apple mint, chives, green onion and a yellow bell pepper!

Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oatmeal

Perfect for our Lent challenge of eliminating processed foods, I found a super-simple oatmeal recipe in my new favorite cookbook, Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook, and was intrigued not only by the prep time (about 25 seconds) AND the idea of having a hot breakfast ready to go in the morning.

Supposedly, steel cut oatmeal is is best - if you go by the theory that the less a food is processed, the better. They're just cut up and thrown into a package, versus more traditional rolled oats, which are rolled and dried. I really like the steel cut oats, and with this recipe you really can't go wrong - but I'm sure any oatmeal is fine.

Put this on low right before you go to bed to have it ready for your morning - or for lunch or a snack, put it on high for 3-4 hours.

Slow Cooker Oatmeal - Serves 3-4
1 c steel-cut oats
4 c water
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Grease the slow cooker with a bit of nonstick spray or butter.

2. Combine all three ingredients in slow cooker, turn on low for 8 hours (if you don't have a timer, don't worry, just leave it on low and it will be fine).

3. In the morning, stir oatmeal and spoon into bowls. We top ours with fresh fruit (blueberries and bananas are awesome), a half-teaspoon of brown sugar and a couple tablespoons of lowfat milk.

Very easy to double and make extra to pop in the microwave the next morning!

Hawaii!

Just getting back into the swing of things after our eight-day Hawaii trip, I'm definitely missing the island but it does feel good to be back home, which is a great feeling. It seems so long ago that we were hating the house due to all of the little issues with it, but now so many things have been addressed and the house is coming along so well!

Anyways, Hawaii was awesome. We discovered a new beach called the Quarry and had it mainly to ourselves for the duration, except on the last day or so the waves were ripping and we got to see some badass surfing.

Of course, as soon as we got back we started looking at real estate in Kauai. I could see us there for sure :)

Disneyland Scavenger Hunt

This past week Ned and I went with our nephew, aunt and cousin to Disneyland! It was my first group Disney trip in a while, and it was so much fun. It's deifnitely different than when we go by ourselves - you have to be a little more zen about it and go with the flow - but it was a blast. A few things that made the trip fun:

- Glow sticks. I bought glow sticks, bracelets, rings, etc. It was so much fun to dork out and put it all on.

- Pin trading. We got our nephew started on his Disney pins and lanyard. Our little cousin, about 12, had so many around his neck he jingled when he walked. They had fun trading with Cast Members and looking for cool pins.

- The best - the Disneyland Scavenger Hunt! I thought this would be fun and get everyone working together a little bit. I started by looking online for some ideas, but I mainly only found photo scavenger hunt clues and trivia, and I wanted somehting a little less involved, easy for everyone to do on the fly. So, I wrote my own! I've pasted it here to help any other Disney people, enjoy!

Disneyland Scavenger Hunt Ideas:

- Find and purchase a smashed penny with Tigger, Pooh or Eeyore on it

- Find Disneyland’s secret club – Club 33

- Have your pic taken as you try to pull the Sword from the Stone

- Learn the name of a horse pulling the Main Street streetcar

- Ride the train and wave at everyone in Critter Country

- Pet a goat!

- Trade a pin with a Disneyland Cast Member

- Explore the Pirate Caves on Tom Sawyer’s Island

- Get wet on Splash Mountain

- Eat a dill pickle!

- Have your pic taken with a female character (Minnie, Belle, Ariel, etc.)

- Get your fortune read at the Penny Arcade on Main Street

- Ride in a pink teacup

- Yell “Happy Easter!” at the Yeti on the Matterhorn

- Stop, watch and listen to a live band/performer (watch for the trash can drummers!)

- How many Dumbos are on the Dumbo the Flying Elephant Ride?

- Make a wish at Snow White’s wishing well

- Count your steps from the front door to the boat dock on Pirates of the Caribbean

- Eat something in the shape of Mickey

- Locate the hidden Mickey in the Haunted Mansion Ballroom

- Name three boats that travel on the Jungle Cruise:

- Have your pic taken with Mr Toad statue

- Find baby ducklings!

Lake Murray Rules

There was a small break today in the rain, so we took the boys out to the Lake. I swear it is my favorite place in the city. Bunnies, squirrels, ducks, doggies and the occasional small child falling off their bike. So much fun.

We've been walking there just about every day and it seems to be helping the whole family :)

In a few weeks we should start seeing baby ducks. Woohoo!

Superbowl

Today, rooting for the underdog - Arizona. Forgot they even had a team! Crossing fingers for better ads this year :)