I'm sorry to report that it's been a bit of a sad and stressful week in the Vittles family. My grandmother (mom's mom) went in for heart surgery on Monday, and on the same day my grandfather (stepmom's dad) passed away.
Luckily Grammy seems to be doing ok, but my grandpa, who we knew as Pop Pop, will be sorely missed.
I have happy memories of listening to him play guitar, and he would always keep us laughing - about anything from how he wooed my grandma, to his fondness for his "cream puff" of a car, that faithfully transported him from Florida to New Jersey at least once a year.
I have happy memories of listening to him play guitar, and he would always keep us laughing - about anything from how he wooed my grandma, to his fondness for his "cream puff" of a car, that faithfully transported him from Florida to New Jersey at least once a year.
As the years go by, I know I will be forced to say goodbye to more and more people that I love. But now I also watch our Mini grow with each passing day - I guess this is what they refer to as the 'circle of life?'
Well today our little munchkin floored me, and I think that was just what I needed to lift my spirits this week.
Our good friend Pauline came over with her beautiful, almost 5-month old daughter Genevieve, and Mini was going to meet the baby for the first time. They arrived while Mini was napping, and we put G in her old bouncy seat. G was having a blast, but I couldn't help but wonder what Mini's reaction would be - she is not exactly known for sharing.
But after waking up and getting past a brief bout of shyness, she was not only fine with G using her seat, she was excited. G was excited to see her too, smiling and kicking. Then my heart melted when Mini, without any prompting, bent over and gave G a kiss.
Unfortunately Pauline and I were completely unprepared for this moment of cuteness, but we were still able to capture a reenactment a few minutes later:
I said that when they get older, we'll have to tell them they had an instant connection!
Speaking of which, I had an instant connection with these muffins I made to accompany our coffee this morning.
You may know by now that I love me some coconut, but I found out today that Pauline does too! And with both shredded coconut and coconut oil, these muffins have a double dose of the good stuff.
Banana Coconut Muffins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 12 muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray, or line with muffin cups.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, chia seeds, and shredded coconut. Set aside.
Cream the coconut oil and brown sugar until well combined. Add the egg, and beat well. Add the mashed banana and vanilla, and mix until blended.
Stir the dry ingredients into wet ingredients, and mix only until just combined (be sure not to over-mix here!). Scoop batter into prepared muffin tins, about 3/4 of the way full.
Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Yield 12 muffins. *If you do not wish to use the chia seeds, you can either substitute poppy seeds or leave them out completely.
Recipe Adapted from Jenna Weber, as found on PBS online
Well today our little munchkin floored me, and I think that was just what I needed to lift my spirits this week.
Our good friend Pauline came over with her beautiful, almost 5-month old daughter Genevieve, and Mini was going to meet the baby for the first time. They arrived while Mini was napping, and we put G in her old bouncy seat. G was having a blast, but I couldn't help but wonder what Mini's reaction would be - she is not exactly known for sharing.
But after waking up and getting past a brief bout of shyness, she was not only fine with G using her seat, she was excited. G was excited to see her too, smiling and kicking. Then my heart melted when Mini, without any prompting, bent over and gave G a kiss.
Unfortunately Pauline and I were completely unprepared for this moment of cuteness, but we were still able to capture a reenactment a few minutes later:
I said that when they get older, we'll have to tell them they had an instant connection!
Speaking of which, I had an instant connection with these muffins I made to accompany our coffee this morning.
You may know by now that I love me some coconut, but I found out today that Pauline does too! And with both shredded coconut and coconut oil, these muffins have a double dose of the good stuff.
Banana Coconut Muffins
- 2 C. flour
- 1 t. baking soda
- 3/4 t. salt
- 1/4 t. nutmeg
- 2 T. chia seeds*
- 1/2 C. unsweetened, shredded coconut (you can also use sweetened, flaked if you prefer)
- 1 C. brown sugar
- 1/2 C. coconut oil
- 4 mashed bananas
- 2 eggs
- 1 t. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 12 muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray, or line with muffin cups.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, chia seeds, and shredded coconut. Set aside.
Cream the coconut oil and brown sugar until well combined. Add the egg, and beat well. Add the mashed banana and vanilla, and mix until blended.
Stir the dry ingredients into wet ingredients, and mix only until just combined (be sure not to over-mix here!). Scoop batter into prepared muffin tins, about 3/4 of the way full.
Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Yield 12 muffins. *If you do not wish to use the chia seeds, you can either substitute poppy seeds or leave them out completely.
Recipe Adapted from Jenna Weber, as found on PBS online
