Oven Lovin'

       Hey Y'all!  I hope everyone is having a great week!  I woke up feeling a little sick this morning :( My throat is pretty sore.  Ew.  I rarely get sick so hopefully I'll get over it quickly!  I haven't been up to much, aside from playing house.  I have been cooking and baking and cleaning, I've got to keep up with my housewife duties :)  I will be sharing some of the delicious meals I've been making soon, but today I wanted to share my Blueberry Banana Bread I made yesterday, it is SO good!  Seth and I ate one whole loaf of it yesterday haha.  It's so moist, you don't even need to add butter before you eat it or warm it up...YUM!  

So here it is...

                                                            And here's the recipe...


Blueberry Banana Bread
(Yields 2 loafs)

2.5 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

1/4 C shortening
3/4 C Butter
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Almond extract
2 tsp honey
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
3 ripe bananas
4 large or 3 extra large eggs

Beat wet ingredients well. Mix in dry ingredients. Don't over mix. Fold in 2 Cups of Blueberries.

Pour half of the batter into each well greased loaf pan, then add a layer of cinnamon sugar, then pour remaining batter on top of the layer of cinnamon and sugar.  Top both with a good amount of cinnamon and sugar and bake for about 35 minutes at 350. 

I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think or how it turns out for you!  Please let me know if you have any questions!

I will be posting more recipes soon.  I am going to attempt to get my Driver's License on Friday!  I have to take a written test, so let's hope I pass :)

With Love,
Deanna

Love in LA

     I have officially been a resident of Venice for 1 week and 1 day!  It has been quite the productive week.   I have unpacked all but 2 boxes!  Yay me!  I have reorganized the kitchen to make everything fit… we have a lot of crap…and by crap I just mean stuff :)  The most difficult part has proven to be squeezing both of our wardrobes into one closet.  Yikes.  The problem with Los Angeles is that there really isn't any seasons.  It's pretty much always 60's-70's and FREEZING at night.  Yes, FREEZING.  When you come from Texas, anything under 80 is cold.  We live about 7 blocks from the ocean and the Pacific Ocean is so cold that it makes a big difference in the temperature outside.  I'm learning to layer.  It's a little disappointing that people back in Texas keep posting about the 80 degree weather and going to the pool when I'm so cold here, but I know summertime will be better here- and it's not like it's snowing here... just cold. :/

       I have already been driving around, only twice by myself, but I'm getting comfortable!  I do hope that I continue to be a nice driver, unlike the drivers out here.  I am learning that you pretty much need to just stay in the lane you want to be in because NO ONE will let you over.  Thanks jerks.  I also have terrible road rage, but am learning that you can't really make it out here if you don't remain calm haha.  

        Cowboy and Seth both seem to enjoy me being here and I am adjusting to the "housewife" role for now.  It is so weird not working, we'll see how long it lasts!  It definitely has not set in that this is my home now and I think it will take a while.  

         I will try to start posting some of our fun organizing and decorating as we make some progress!  For now, here is one of our newly organized kitchen cabinets.

With Love,

Deanna

MOVING DAY!

      Today is THE day!  I am moving. Across the country!  Wow, I have waited so long for this day.  Seth and I have now been together oven 3 1/2 years and today will be the 1st day we actually live in the SAME city.  It is so exciting and so nerve racking at the same time.  I will be moving into his house and am hoping to not overwhelm him with my OCD nature.  I am a little bit of a neat freak.  Not always, but most of the time.  So far, Seth seems to not mind it, I just hope it stays that way.  

      I am most nervous about driving in this crazy city.  Pedestrians and cyclists everywhere…even more than in Austin (hard to believe).  Not only that, but they cross in the middle of big streets ALL the time.  All of the street parking also makes it a little difficult to see if anyone is ever coming, either direction.  Wish me luck!

With Love,

Deanna

Prepping for the Big Move

Today was a crazy busy day.  I got to meet up with my friend Stacie for lunch… finally!  She and I have been friends since 7th grade and were cheerleaders together in middle school and high school.  She's a great friend and a lot of fun, we don't get to hang out as often as we'd like, but it's always a good time.  After seeing her, I met up with my sister-in-law and mother-in-law to do a little shopping and then we met up with the other ladies in the family for happy hour to celebrate Gregory's (Seth's cousin) new position as the President of the Junior League of Austin.  I love my in-laws, they are awesome1   I can't imagine marrying someone and disliking their family… I think I lucked out.  After happy hour, I came back home to pack some more of my JUNK.  Oh, how I cannot wait to unpack (ew).

When I got home I had a super sweet card from my assistant Amy.  She also lost her mom to cancer a few years ago and shared a poem with me that someone had sent her.  So sweet.  Thanks Amy!

Here it is:

"When I am gone, release me, let me go, 

I have so many things to do and see.

You must not tie yourself to me with tears. 

Be happy that we had so many beautiful years.

I gave you my love, you can only guess how much you gave me in happiness.

I thank you for the love you each have shown.

But now it's time I travel alone. 

So grieve awhile, for if grieve you must --

then let your grief be comforted by trust.

It's only for a while that we must part--

So bless the memories within your heart.

I won't be far away, for life goes on.

So if you need me, call me and I will come.

Though you cannot see or touch me -- I'll be near.

And then, when you must come this way alone,

I'll greet you and say "Welcome Home."

Tomorrow I will be going over to my in-law's house (waking up at 8am on a Sunday…)to finish packing and bring more stuff over to get ready to move.  I can't believe I only have 2 weeks left in Austin….so WEIRD.

With Love,
Deanna