(Paleo) Banana Zucchini Cherry Walnut Bread [Wenatchee photography + design]

Found a recipe that lived up to it's claim to be Paleo, easy and yummy. From the What Runs Lori blog comes this moist, hearty, delicious sweet bread (recipe on that link). Since it was Saturday, and we'd just gone to the Farmer's Market, I happened to have everthing on hand. It was all mixed in one bowl with no difficult prep, as can be common in trying to paleo-ize "regular" recipes and after one taste I knew I'd found my go-to recipe for using extra ripe bananas. I'll still consider it a treat and not a staple, but I'm happy to have found something like this my family and I can enjoy on occasion.

My only mods to the recipe as written were I used coconut oil (melted) in place of the olive oil, honey instead of maple syrup (on accident, I just put it in before I realized it wasn't syrup) and I used the NuNaturals MoreFiber insterad of the plain BakingBlend, because it's what I had on hand. Once they're out of season, I might sub the cherries with some chopped extra dark chocolate next time. Or maybe blueberries...I see a lot of options!

Friday 5 [Wenatchee photography + design]

1. So, yesterday we had to say goodbye to our oldest daughter as she heads to her new life with her Army husband in the very far-away state of Kentucky. Easy to say it was one of the toughest days I've ever had. Of course, I am excited for her to "start her life" but I would be lying if I didn't say it breaks your heart when they finally go. We love you Shadey-shoe, more than you can possibly know until the time when you have babies of your own and experience that gut-wrenching emotional tie to another living being. You are amazing and a big reason why I am the person I am today. You were the first to make me a mom and it's totally honest to say I learned as much from you as you from me.
2. Linda Woods and Karen Dinino are two of my favorite authors. They write books about art and life and a lot about their love for cookies and Trader Joe's and, as sisters, for each other. Their latest book, You Rule: The Art of Taking Charge, recently came out and I was thrilled to create a piece inspired by it and them. Their stories of current predicaments and vivid memories of a self-described erratic childhood help share their wit and wisdom while encouraging us each to take charge of our own lives. They are big proponents of journaling as art and each of their books go further in helping you get out your own story in your own way. It was a great exercise for me to try and document a few of the "rules" that I try to love by. Things I've never really put into words but help guide me anyway, when I take the time to really listen to my own heart and head.
3. We got a new car. And by we, I mean, my husband talked me into it, but I get to drive it mostly and at first I thought it unnecessary and then we roadtripped in it and OHMYGOSH I LOVE IT. A Ford Edge in the most delicious magical raisin color. A red-brown-cinnamon-mexican-hot-chocolate-mole-sauce and fresh plum COLOR that I can't really describe without all those food adjectives. And the whole roof is one big sunroof that opens up and lets in the breeze and it has navigation and Sirius radio and when my cellphone rings it answers it in the car so I can just talk through the stereo and, did I mention I LOVE this car?
4. Just documenting my complete love for blueberries right now. They've always been my favorite fruit, but growing up but that just really meant "I love Betty Crocker blueberry muffins." We live near a pretty awesome U-pick blueberry farm and they are the biggest, sweetest berries you'll ever have. No kidding, look at these pics, they're as big as quarters!
5. Haven't had a whole lot of movement on the scale front for a while, bouncing up and down through most of the summer. I suspect that's because I've lost a lot and now is when it starts to slow down. I'm down 65 lbs and want to lose about 50 more. Still a lot of work ahead of me, but, since it's just a part of my lifestyle now, I have no doubt I'll get there someday since I'll just keep on keepin' on. 65 lbs is 25% of my previous weight, I have lost one-fourth of me!

U-pick blueberries [Wenatchee photography + design]

Indie and went out to Sleepy Hollow Nursery, between Wenatchee and Cashmere, and picked blueberries. They have a u-pick farm and while the berries are always good, this year they were the biggest berries I've ever seen. The diameter of quarters and as big as cherries. And, as always, so sweet. I can't get enough blueberries this summer.

A slightly big weekend [Wenatchee photography + design]

My baby Shade got married this weekend. We are equal parts happy for them and sad at the passage of time (well, I am, since my 45th birthday was also this weekend.) Forty-five, being ALMOST middle age, ya know. And I plan on going at LEAST to 100.

Congratulations my sweet, sweet baby, and of course, my new son-in law, Eric. We love you, we love you, we love you.

I'm sure I'll have a FEW more pics to come. It's not like I didn't have a 15 lb. camera hanging around my arm the whole day :)

Three random things right now [Wenatchee photography + design]

The fan, set to medium, is whirring to my right. It’s my constant desk companion, never going off, even in the winter, but often being demoted to low or cranked really high after a workout. It cools me down but blows my hair into my eyes while I try to work, equal pats refreshing and annoying. If I do turn it off, the silence is audible.

I have a stack of fresh yellow sticky notes on my desk. Their cherry color makes me want to write notes. Like witty one-liners left on a friend’s desk, a birthday gift scavenger hunt, “Hey Janelle, I hid your birthday gift in the cafeteria, you’ll have to go find it” and scrawled phone numbers and cryptic notes I won’t be able to read later, but am also unable to throw away. Someday I might need that number I can’t even read!

The smell of onions from my own breath is so strong it’s overpowering the 2 pieces of extra minty gum I’m chewing to try and hide it. I had camerones appretalados at El Agave for lunch today. Bacon wrapped prawns over a bed of grilled onions (the offender!) and peppers. I mostly eat them like that, eschewing all grains, but I did have one small corn tortilla stuffed full before coming to my senses and finishing the rest off with a fork. We were celebrating the last day of 7^th grade with my youngest daughter. The long, easy summer spreading before her in that wavey line rising from the hot pavement kind of way. All freedom-ey and sleep-in-ey. I remember that feeling. I miss it. Adults need summer breaks too.

What's grabbling your attention right now?

And because I like to include photos, this is a recent favorite, me trailing behind my husband as we hiked up above Beehive reservoir, presumably at the top of the world, based on what this looks like.