Staten Island Chuck, Rock On!

Until I googled "Groundhog 2011" I was unaware that Puxatawney Phil is not the only groundhog gig - our local guru is Staten Island Chuck. The great news is, they agree that spring is just around the corner! No shadows this morning. 

Here is M tearing apart a shoe display at J. Crew. I'm super excited for spring and can't wait to roll out the yellow accessories. I have a longstanding favorite pair of yellow sneakers that I might have to upgrade (top photo)... and M has a new yellow hair bow (blurry above and in focus below). The fortuitous groundhog news and all this yellow is helping me get through this icy gross day. Woo hoo!!

Oh, but since it's still nasty outside we better continue to eat well.  Banana bread!  I use the recipe from The New Best Recipe Cookbook (from Cook's Illustrated), with tweaks.  It calls for 2 cups of flour - I subbed approximately 1/4 cup oat bran, 1/4 cup ground flax, a dash of potato flour (it's very high in iron) and filled up the remaining space in the 2 cup measuring cup with whole wheat pastry flour.  I used brown sugar instead of white and held back a bit. Other than that, I changed nothing!  It came out great.  I owe my sister credit for inspiring these tweaks - she usually subs a combo of quinoa flour, millet flour and a dash of ground flax (no wheat flour whatsoever).  I used what I had on hand.  In the first weeks after having M, my sister's banana bread was my fuel of choice.  Mine has yet to be as good as hers, but I'm improving.  Or maybe it just tastes better when someone else makes it...