This delicious, low-fat banana bread is now a favorite of mine:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup Spelt flour (or whole-wheat flour)
  
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs (or 1 egg & 2 egg whites)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1 tablespoon flour to mix with cherries

Mix first seven dry ingredients in a bowl. In a larger bowl, mix the eggs, oil, and applesauce. Add bananas and stir until mixed well. Add the flour mixture until all ingredients are moistened. Mix cherries with 1 tablespoon flour and add to mixture. Pour into greased 9″x 5″ loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean. Let cool.

After the bread has completely cooled, wrap tightly in plastic wrap for freshness. Store at room temperature for up to a week. Flavor is best at room temperature.

Mega Brands has recalled around 2.4 million Chinese-made toys.  They are recalling 1.1 million Magtastik and Magnetix Jr. preschool toys and around 1.3 million MagnaMan magnetic action figures. Some of the stores where the toys were sold are Wal-Mart, Target, Toys “R” Us and Kmart between January 2005 and December 2007.  Tiny magnets could fall out and be swallowed by children and possibly kill them.  For details on how to return the toys and receive a free replacement, call 800-779-7122. Information is also available at http://www.megabrands.com or http://www.cpsc.gov.

A&R Wholesale carries walk in bathtubs, and they even have whirlpool options. I wish my mother had had one of these. After she broke her hip, it was really hard for her to take a bath. One of these would have been great for her. These safety tubs would be great not only for elderly people but for anyone with a handicap. And it’s good to know that Safety Tubs are guaranteed for life with their patented door system which provides a watertight, leak proof seal.

This delicious recipe is from Michelle:

• 1/2 cup margarine
• 6 sweet potatoes, cooked
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:

• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup melted margarine
  

Add margarine to hot potatoes. Combine with vanilla, eggs, sugar, and cinnamon with mixer. Pour into baking dish.

For the topping, blend the pecans, brown sugar, flour, and margarine together. Add topping to top of potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately one hour.

Zero and Up is hosting an easy contest where you can win $10 to your paypal account! It just takes three simple steps to become eligible to win. CLICK HERE to check out the contest. If you decide to enter, be sure to do so before 5:59AM CST on Wednesday, March 19th. Good luck!

I’m so excited about this next weekend! Our daughter, s-i-l, and Baby J are coming for Easter weekend. It will have been five weeks since we’ve seen them, but it seems a lot longer than that. I’m sure there are grandmas out there who understand exactly what I mean, especially “Mamaw.” It will be so neat to see all the things Baby J can do now that he couldn’t do a month ago. He’s seven months old now, so he’s pushing up with his arms when he’s on his tummy and it won’t be long until he’s crawling and getting into things. I can’t wait to hold him, feed him, and rock him to sleep. He’s so precious and adorable!

Our daughter and I will have to get in some time shopping, and that will be fun! We used to shop a lot together when she was in high school and college, and I always enjoy our time together. She’s such a sweet daughter! Our dear son and dear s-i-l will get in some good video game time, knowing the two of them. And my husband and I will be enjoying every minute of having family home for the holidays.  We’ll also get to be with Baby J’s other grandma, “Mamaw” and Aunt L.   So, my Easter weekend plans are to be with all my family, and I feel truly blessed!

Have you ever had something in a hard-to-reach place, a place where your vacuum hose will not reach?  If so, here’s a handy tip: Place an empty paper towel roll or gift wrap roll on the end of the vacuum hose.  The roll can be bent to get where you need it to go!

Check out this new site called Zero and Up where you can “learn to grow your earnings.” It has great information for seasoned bloggers as well as for those just starting out. I’ve learned helpful tips and also learned about some things I didn’t really fully understand. For example, on his most recent post, I learned about using Entrecard. I signed up for it today and have already started using it.  The site is really doing great for being less than a month old.  The writer has a good sense of humor which can be noted in the post, “Fail-proof plan to make your blog comment free!”  And by the way, there are some good comments on that post so check those out, too. 

We were in business years ago and had our own store. There are a lot of things to purchase for a business. If any of you are self-employed and have your own business, then you know what I mean. If you are looking for small business phone systems, then you might want to check out Neobits. Their customers say they are fast, courteous, and professional.

• The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences said in a news release on March 13, 2008, that a chemical used for butter flavoring on popcorn can damage the lungs and airways of mice.
• The chemical name is diacetyl, and it can cause lymphocytic bronchiolitis, also called “popcorn lung.”
• This disease has been seen in workers at microwave popcorn packaging plants and also at least one consumer.
  
• Two microwave popcorn makers, ConAgra Foods Inc (includes Orville Redenbacher) and Weaver Popcorn Company Inc, recently said they would stop using diacetyl.
• The House of Representatives passed a bill last year to limit exposure to diacetyl, but the Senate has not acted upon it.

I read about the dangers of butter flavoring last year. I don’t understand why these companies haven’t already stopped using diacetyl because of this reason.

We rarely eat microwaved popcorn since we prefer the taste of hot air popped popcorn with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt, plus it’s healthier. Air poppers aren’t carried in many stores, though, but they can be purchased through several online sites for around $20 and up if anyone is interested.