Seriously Some Good Banana Bread: Creamy Banana Bread

I just got this recipe from a friend...it is so good, I had to share!

Creamy Banana Bread

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1¼ cups sugar
2 large eggs
1½ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 medium)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2¼ cups flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1¼ cups finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions
Prep time: 20 minutes, Cook time: about 1 hour 15 minutes
Preheat oven to 325°F and spray two 8½x4½x2½-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Cream butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Gradually add sugar; continue beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in mashed bananas and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder and baking soda, stirring just until moistened. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Pour half of batter into prepared pans; sprinkle with half of nut mixture. Repeat layers and bake for 45 minutes. Tent loosely with foil and bake for 15 minutes more or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 2 loaves.
Nutritional Information:Nutrition per serving (140 g, based on 12 slices): 460 calories, 7 g protein, 24 g total fat (10 g sat., 0 g trans), 55 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 31 g sugar, 80 mg cholesterol, 230 mg sodium, 10 points
Shopping List:1/2 cup butter or margarine, 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, 1¼ cups sugar, 2 large eggs, 1½ cups mashed ripe bananas , 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 2¼ cups flour, 1½ tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1¼ cups finely chopped pecans, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 4 tsp. cinnamon

South Lake Tahoe...We Really Are Blessed!

My mom and beautiful 88 year old grandmother came over for a visit and we spent the week in South Lake Tahoe. We went to a new beach everyday and visited all the "must-sees" on the South Shore. We even found some outlet stores where Grandma Edie found a pair of shoes (you know every vacation must yield a new pair of shoes...) We ate oatmeal everyday (well, almost everyday...but you know...Grandma is famous for her morning oatmeal). And we had a fabulous time. I'm grateful for the chance my kids had to spend some quality time with their Nana and Great-Grandma Edie....really, how many people get a chance at knowing their Greats so well? As Grandma Edie would say...we are just so blessed!

There really are pine trees on the beach...it's beautiful!

The kids haven't stopped talking about the sailboat....

Notice the teeth....

Grandma Edie at Emerald Bay...

The whole group at Emerald Bay...we can't get enough of this place!

Notice the teeth....Nana pulled out one of M's front teeth during our trip! It was a highlight for sure!

What a wonderful adventure...thanks Mom and Grandma for the memories!

Summer Fun: San Francisco!

M got out of school on Wednesday and we decided to take a quick trip into San Francisco and Discovery Kingdom for the weekend. The kids absolutely love Discovery Kingdom. I got a great deal on season passes over Christmas...I'm hoping to get the same deal for next year...if any of you are interested in getting passes, let me know and I'll keep you posted on the deals! I think it's fun because they have great animal shows with whales, dolphins, elephants, tigers, and other fun animals. It has fun rides for the kids and Dad can't wait for next year when hopefully M is tall enough to ride the really big roller coasters!
In addition to Discovery Kingdom, we took a trip into San Francisco and spent the day wondering around. There is soooo much to see and do there. We went to Pier 39 and saw the sea lions. Which M decided are cool, but smell really bad. We walked all over town, down China town, rode a trolley, and took the BART into and out of town. Then we had to drive back into town with the car so we could drive across the Golden Gate Bridge! The views of the Bay and City are beautiful...we want to go back and bike across it someday....so much to do....so little time!

We Love Playgroup!

We have such a fun playgroup here and we're discovering some very fun parks around town...some even have water features. Most of the time I don't know about the water until it's too late...but the kids sure have fun!

Memorial Day Weekend: Reno!

We took a little tour of Reno while Charlie and Angie were here. There really are some beautiful areas in Reno.

Memorial Day Weekend: Emerald Bay State Park

Charlie and Angie made the long journey and came to visit us for Memorial Day! We've been missing them and it was so fun to have them here. Thanks, Char and Ang! We hung out, went shopping, took a tour of Sean's work and even got to spend some time with him "on-duty". And, we spent some time at "the lake" and went up to Emerald Bay for a day hike. It was beautiful!

Emerald Bay is one of the most photographed places in the world! In 1969, Emerald Bay was designated a National Natural Landmark for its brilliant panorama of mountain-building processes and glacier carved granite. The natural beauty, geology and history of this unique island make it one of the highlights of any visit to the Lake Tahoe area. The park features Vikingsholm, one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the western hemisphere. The "Tea House" on Fannette Island, the only island to be found in all of Lake Tahoe. Emerald Bay was designated an underwater state park in 1994. It is the resting place for many boats, launches and barges used in the lake before the turn of the century, during the heyday of Emerald Bay Resort and used in the construction of Vikingsholm.

This sandwich was sooooo good! Probably one of the best I've ever had!

Father and Son's Campout!

For the B-Boy, the Father and Son's Campout is the most anticipated weekend of the year. This year didn't disappoint. Both Father and Son had a super fun weekend!