recipe : Gluten Free Banana Bread / muffins

 

     In honor of Father's Day and our family's journey into better health and gluten free eating,

today I'm sharing our basic banana bread / muffin recipe.

{recipe makes 12-18 muffins or one loaf}

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup of sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix * {found at your local grocery or on Amazon, here}

1 tsp cinnamon

3-4 fully ripe banana's

Directions:

 preheat oven to 350 degrees

 cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl

 stir in eggs and vanilla

 add Pamela's mix and cinnamon

combine mashed banana's and beat all ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

bake muffins for 12-15 min. or loaf for 45 min

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Variations:

  add 3 Tblsp. flax or hemp seeds and top with crushed walnuts for added omega's

add 1 cup of sour cream or plain yogurt for added moisture

      ** you can also substitute a can of pumpkin, in place of the banana's for a delicious pumpkin loaf.
 
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            you can read a bit more about Ben's health experience here and previous Father's Day posts here

 

{Fathers Day 2012}

My children have an awesome father! The man I married 14 yrs ago, the man I fell in love with in high school, the man i've had six beautiful children with, leaves me speechless.

Ben loves these kiddos with a deep, indescribable love! His hearts desire is that they hear the Holy Spirit throughout their life. In spite of trial, in spite of pain; to know the deep, deep favor of their Heavenly Father. 

                                                      
             the truth that they bring such pleasure to their Father. they are always loved by Him.

  

To say my life is better with you by my side would be an understatement! You're the best thing that's happened to me here on earth.   Happy Father's Day ~ you are SO loved!

{Fathers Day}

this post is a bit late, nonetheless, it is the most personal post to date. if you have a bit of time, stay a while. grab a cup of coffee and a pastry...this may take a bit. 

                                              {my beautiful girl and my best friend, her Father}

                                                                   {a priceless moment}

 last week i was fully anticipating a quiet, relaxed Father's Day weekend. it proved to be different.
for the last two months, my husband has been having a pounding heart beat coupled with chest pain and episodes of faintness and nausea.
he went to a cardiologist, had an EKG, echo cardiogram, stress test,  blood work; they all came back normal.
nothing serious, right. maybe it's stress or adrenal fatigue.
he went to a nutritionist; she said he needed to detox. done. the symptoms didn't go away.
last week, they got worse. Friday he went to a primary care doctor who ordered a chest x-ray. oh yeah. the cardiologist *never* ordered that test. sigh. it revealed a 'density' on his L lung. a *density*. okay. what does a 'density' mean? is this a mass of some sort? what?!

not a great way to start your Father's Day weekend! we prayed. we cried.A LOT!
 i wrestled with fears that i was loosing my best friend. fear that my children, especially Sweet Pea, would only have these images to hold dear. we survived the weekend, with a CT scan on Monday,  hoping this would better explain this 'density'.
we didn't hear anything until Wednesday. the diagnosis ~  Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return.
long name. the short of it; a congenital heart defect. one of the four pulmonary veins that is supposed to return into his heart, drains into his venous system instead. this blood flow pattern causes excessive blood to be directed toward his R heart and lung,

today he sees a congenital heart specialist at Vanderbilt. we don't know what's next. i do know:

"Blessed is he who has regard for the weak, the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. The Lord will protect him & preserve his life. He will bless him in the land & not surrender him to the desire of his foes. The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed & restore him from his bed of illness."

"He will not leave us orphaned; He will come to us. He will deliver us in times of trouble. "


we wait. we wait for HIM.
this has been a hard week, but i have felt the Father right along side me. holding me up. sustaining me.
this Father's Day, and this this week...i'm treasuring my best friend, my children's Father even more than i thought was possible.
at the same time...i'm trusting my FATHER to deliver him. to heal him.
Father's truly are a strong hold. a pillar. strength to their wives and children.
 within them is a precious gift. the unconditional love of a Father. of a husband. a beautiful mirror of our Heavenly Father and the great joy He has in His children.