Peanut Butter and Banana Roll Ups

These are delicious and nutritious and I thought of this recipe when I was trying to use up some whole wheat tortillas before they went bad.  All you do is spread peanut butter onto a tortilla, then either cut up your banana, or simply lay it in the center and then roll it up.  You can also add some Nutella or a drizzle of honey.  This is a great post workout snack too, because it provides protein and potassium, both of which help your body recover from a workout.

Just wanted to share- enjoy! =)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Before- a giant zucchini, after- delicious zucchini bread

So I was checking for ripe veggies in my garden the other day, like I do almost every day, and found this huge 19" long zucchini that had somehow escaped my attention for the last several weeks. I normally pick them when they're much smaller. I swear there are magical fairies in the garden who make giant vegetables appear overnight. I'm not complaining though- this was a nice zucchini. So nice (and big) I had to take it's picture.

When they get this big I usually make zucchini bread. I started with a basic recipe and "kicked it up a notch" after some experimentation. You guys get the "kicked up version".

ZUCCHINI BANANA RAISIN BREAD

3 cups shredded zucchini (seeds removed)
2 ripe bananas, sliced
1 2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4 large eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup raisins

1) Move oven rack to lowest position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottoms only of two 8"X4" loaf pans or one 9"X5" loaf pan with cooking spray.
2) In large bowl, stir zucchini, bananas, sugar, oil, vanilla, almond extract, and eggs until well mixed. Stir in remaining ingredients. Divide batter evenly between 8" pans or pour into 9" pan.
3) Bake 8" loaves 50-60 minutes, 9" loaf 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on wire rack.
4) Loosen sides of loaf from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate for up to 10 days.

Of course I couldn't find my loaf pans, so I ended up using an odd sized pan, but it worked out just fine. Normally this recipe calls for 2 or 3 medium zucchinis, but my one giant zucchini made more than enough. I also lined my pan with nonstick aluminum foil, which made removing the bread much easier. This is what the end result looks like- YUMMY!




Hope you enjoy! Thanks for stopping by!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Cute Clay Creations from ColtPixy

Angelina Edwards (AKA Star) of Fayetteville Tennessee opened ColtPixy on ArtFire.com 12-8-08.  She makes the cutest polymer clay sculptures, keychains, jewelry, and magnets.  Artisan Biography for ColtPixy: "I have studied art and crafts my entire life. I really don't have a favorite medium to work with because I love them all. For many years I did nothing but paint. My favorite mediums are acrylics and watercolor. For a while I was obsessed with quill pens and ink.  My husband introduced me to stained glass. I love working with glass but there is a LOT of scrap. I hate wasting anything so soon discovered mosaics. For about 10 years I rarely made anything but mosaics. In the past few years I have discovered that I really am happier not limiting myself to just that.  With the freedom of using different mediums came the ability to explore, learn and express myself more freely.  Preferring things that are one of a kind, I try to make things that are one of a kind. When I do reproduce something I incorporate subtle differences so that they are not exactly alike. Two roses on a vine are both similar but there are subtle differences that make each unique.  Right now my focus is mainly on polymer clay. I am currently the guild master for the Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild."  I happen to a proud member of the Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild, and I can tell you, Star is a great guildmaster.  Her talent and creativity know no bounds.

Here's what some of her customers have said "My niece loves her necklace and extra keychain you sent her. Thanks so much for the gift card too! Holly", "There are no words for how much I like these bitchy peas. They make me laugh and that is worth millions to me at the moment. Thank you for sharing that talent with me. Shelley", "Thank you so much for my bunny booty and fridge fish! They are awesome!" and "So adorable, thank you so much!".  Obviously she knows how to make her customers happy.

You can also find ColtPixy at ColtPixy.com, Flickr, and on the Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild of ArtFire.  Below is just a sample of her work available on ArtFire.  Stop by her shop to see all she has to offer!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters