The journey of two clueless renovators relying on the expertise of our family, friends, and contractors, to make our 1960's Ohio brick house, our forever dream home.
Several months ago, I was thrifting with a friend and we came across three vintage, adorable little buildings. My friend had a wonderful idea of using them in her daughter’s fairy garden and when she passed on the opportunity to buy them, I told her I would love them and scooped them up at a whopping $1 a piece.
That’s when my love of fairy gardens began. The thought of creating an imaginary fairy garden where Sadie’s creativity could run wild, just simply excited me. So, I kept my eyes peeled at every thrift store for more fairy garden goodies, all to no avail.
So one day, as I was surprisingly picking up a few birthday bags at the Dollar Tree, I came across the most adorable section of fairy garden goodies…and yes, they were all $1. I scooped up every house, every vegetable, and every fairy I saw on those shelves, and we decided to give the $35 worth of fairy garden goodies, to Sadie, for her birthday on March 3.
In the meantime, I came across an adorable giant mushroom at Hobby Lobby, and decided to add that to the pile.
Sadie was so excited to open these gifts, but it wasn’t until we headed outside on the nicest spring day to set up her fairy garden when all of the excitement really showed. We decided to set up the fairy garden right next to a whole bunch of milkweed that we planted for the caterpillars, in hopes that we have a few that we can take inside to watch its chrysalis form and turn into a pretty little butterfly.
Ever since setting up her garden, she has been eager to show every friend, family member, and person her unique little garden and I love that she is so proud of this little space of hers.
Fostering Sadie’s imagination, especially outdoors (and on a deep budget) is something that has brought me so much joy!
This year, as I was browsing the internet for unique Christmas gift ideas for my toddler, I came across a Montessori Kitchen hack, using the $89.00 DUKTIG Ikea kitchen. I laid my eyes on this simplistic, affordable kitchen and knew that this would be the perfect gift for Sadie.
You simply put together the kitchen, leaving the top piece, the light up stove, and the play faucet aside. Some people also drill a hole through the sink so it drains into a bucket underneath the sink, but I knew Sadie would somehow get her hands on the bucket, so I decided against that idea. I did however decide to keep her water canister partially full, so she wouldn’t overflow the sink. Side note: I do have to empty the sink, or I soak it up with a towel, but it’s not a big hassle, considering how much joy this kitchen brings Sadie.
So let’s talk Montessori first. Will I be strictly practicing Montessori principles with Sadie? No. Do I love that the Montessori approach is to foster independence? Yes. Knowing that we have other plans for schooling for Sadie in the future, I still loved what the Montessori school teaches. I know that typically, in a Montessori classroom, play kitchens aren’t in the children’s typical setting, but I thought this was a perfect way to promote some independence, while promoting some of the things that Sadie is enjoying the most (like being in the kitchen and helping with everything)! I have given Sadie dishes, food to cut (with kid safe knives) and, have given her a soap canister, and her own scrub brush to “wash” her dishes when she is done. She has a few other tools in her kitchen, but it takes a little bit of guidance to show her how to use each of the items properly. So we are definitely still working on that! I am mostly hands off (and don’t be fooled, this takes A LOT of patience for me), as she discovers her kitchen.
Sadie does have a play kitchen in another area of our house, so this specific Ikea kitchen will serve as a kitchen where she gets to wash dishes or her hands. She will get practice cutting food, as I also will be preparing food in the kitchen. She will get her snack at her kitchen, and she will be able to find all of her other household items in or near her kitchen space. So this kitchen will be less about play, and more about actually using it to do the same things I do in the kitchen myself.
So what do you need if you want to build your own kitchen?
The other big difference between this functional kitchen and a play kitchen is what we fill the kitchen with. Instead of filling the kitchen with assorted play items, I filled it with utensils, all of her dishes, and I will be adding some cleaning supplies that she uses on a daily basis. I only will fill the kitchen with a few items so that it’s not particularly overwhelming and doesn’t create a giant mess.
I originally snagged this idea from Montessoriinreallife.com, and I loved one final thing that she said about her kitchen, “About the water: Though not strictly “practical”, I do let D play at the kitchen sink, even when it’s not to wash or drink water. She is clearly getting a positive sensory experience by running her hands through water, and concentration from pouring water back and forth from her pitchers… One day very soon, it will lose it’s magic, and she will simply use water for its intended purpose, so I’m embracing her love of water for now. ” So yes, I will let Sadie continue to use the water, for practical and sometimes playful experiences, because she loves it and it’s so much fun to watch her discover the things she loves!
ITS DONE! What a relief it is to type those words. Upon completion of each room in our home, my heart feels overwhelmingly grateful and exponentially fuller. All of the long nights, hard labor, and countless decisions pay off when we see a room come together. There truly isn’t a better feeling. This is the first room we have painted just ourselves. Every other room that we have tackled, our family members have been there to help out, so this was a fun one for Grant and I to tackle together. Do you want to hear the details of the room? Lets get to it!
To start off, let’s take a moment and appreciate the before. Not included: Musty smells, lots of spiders…and an endless amount of dust.
Where to start with a complete room renovation? I always start with the room color! We chose the wall color from Sherwin Williams, we love their paint. It’s the absolute best. The color we chose is called Mountain Road. Its a hunter green, with a bit of gray..hard to describe, but it was my favorite moody green…and I tested over ten colors!
We made a last minute decision to add a beadboard wall because this room needed some texture. There is a LOT of wall space and vaulted ceilings, so adding beadboard was the perfect choice because it cozied the room up a bit, and made it feel smaller, which is exactly what we were going for. We chose to use pine from Lowe’s. HOWEVER, we made the rookie mistake of not letting it cure. Typically, you want to let wood cure in your house for 7-10 days, so that it gets used to the environment and can expand or contract, before it goes up onto the walls….we didn’t do this and luckily we ended up only having to repaint the portions that the wood contracted in, once it was up on the walls.
Next came the carpet! We chose the color Dreamland by Phenix. We love that it added some more texture to the space, it’s the perfect carpet for a children’s bedroom!
And alas the final pictures of the space, hope you enjoy!
SOURCES: Large Quilt is from Ikea, Star pillow is from Target, Sheets are from Target (linked below) and additional bedding is from Serendipity Organics. Christma tree skirt (see below)
SOURCE: Studio Roller is from George & WillySOURCES: The lamp, book rack, hot air balloon, and hangers were all vintage finds, the pillows are ikea, the blankets were from Serendipity Organics, the wooden houses were from Target and the shelf was from IkeaSOURCES: House is from Ikea, Trees are from Target, Wood pieces are from Michaels. The mushrooms above are from Hobby Lobby but I also ordered these adorable ones (in transit) from Amazon! Wooden Tray source? See below!
I love that Sadie can utilize this to store all of her nature finds! The stones, the sticks, the pinecones…you know what I am talking about…all of those precious, “here mommy!” items. I read a blogpost by Rose Uncharted and she really inspired me to cultivate a child’s love for nature. So, by creating a space to keep their “nature finds” we did just that.
SOURCES: Bookshelves are from ikea, Click here to purchase the pink wall shelf basket, The Sugar Mold (Crayon holder) was from lowes.com. The pink woven basket is from Olli Ella, The deer is from an adorable, local shop called Found Our Haven, & everything else was a vintage find or from the target dollar sectionSOURCES: All vintage finds except for the stocking which was from Five Below!
SOURCES: All written above except for the Fiddle Leaf Fig which was from Aldi.
And that’s a wrap! If you have any questions, feel free to drop a question below or contact me on Instagram @thisoldbrickhouse! Thank you for following along on this journey and thank you for stopping by the blog today!
Below you can find a gift guide filled with unique, heartfelt Christmas gifts for your children, spouse, friend, or family member. As always, if you purchase anything below through my links, it truly means so much to me, so thank you!!
GIFT GUIDE FOR KIDS
Joanna Gaines new children book, The World Needs Who You Were Made To Be was just released! I own all of her books (and LOVE them all) and you better believe I will be adding this adorable one to Sadie’s Christmas Goodies!
Do you want to give a child a sweet gift that they will use for awhile? Any child would appreciate these brain blox! These wooden blocks help kids learn math, physics, & engineering concepts through hands-on building. Perfect educational STEM toy for ALL ages! Develops problem solving & reasoning abilities, supports logical thinking, improves dexterity & spatial awareness.
This learning tower is perfect for kids who want to help out in the kitchen. There are a lot of these out there, but this one is the most affordable one out there that I have seen. We ordered this for Sadie for Christmas, I am so excited that she will finally be able to safely help out in the kitchen.
We also snagged these for Sadie for Christmas. These handmade, advent felt ornaments correlate with the Jesus Storybook Bible, and allow you to create a meaningful time of reflection leading up to Christmas. Melissa, the creator of these beautiful ornaments gave me a code for 10% off. Use BRICKHOUSE to receive 10% off your order upon checkout.
This Osmo connects to your Ipad or Tablet. Children can travel on an adventure & solve story problems with personal drawings brought to life instantly on the iPad along with drawing problem solving/early physics and learn to draw anything with creative drawing skills.
Wooden Magnifying glass . We purchased this for Sadie for Christmas and can’t wait to watch her discover the world with it.
A balance board! It can be a slide, seesaw, tunnel, boat, rocker, table, stepping stone, lounge chair, fitness equipment, soccer goals, teeter popper or bridge,endless possibilities of free and creative play.
I have had my eyes on this treehouse, but everywhere I was looking, it was $230 and up. I found one on Amazon for significantly cheaper and my parents decided to gift Sadie this adorable play treehouse for Christmas and I can’t wait to see how excited she is to play with this adorable set.
How cute is this nature journal? Children can take it outside and use it to record their observations. Whether that’s through written words or pictures, it’s such a fun idea to promote observations of nature in this journal.
Three, precision cutting knives for kids. SAFE, PRECISION CUTTING OR YOUR MONEY BACK! These knives are great (with parental guidance of course) for that toddler or young child who wants to gain some independece!
This Moonjar is the sweetest. Multiple award winning bank with 3 tin canisters. Each canister has either save, spend, or share on the side. It’s a great math learning tool too!
Bird house with clear, acrylic window with 2-way mirror film lets you see birds inside, but they can’t see you.
GIFT GUIDE FOR ADULTS
These cutting boards are the perfect, heartfelt gift. These are custom, engraved cutting boards. You send the recipe over to this etsy shop, and they can engrave a family recipe or a favorite recipe onto a cutting board size of your choice.
Have you heard of a Berkey water filtration system? Well they make Berkey water bottles and you should check them out for yourself!
Rechargeable hand warmers. SAY what!? Yep it’s true. These really are a unique, affordable gift!
This power washer is amazing. Check out the reviews on Amazon to see for yourself. Also, if you know me, you know how much I love my own power washer. I used this thing all spring and summer long, it’s definitely worth it!
This Barefoot Dreams Robe is the world’s coziest robe. My friend has this robe, and it literally is the dreamiest thing I have ever felt. SO SOFT. Research this, and you will find that HUNDREDS of people say that this is their absolute favorite.
Yes, it’s a bit expensive for a chapstick but this stuff smells like pure bliss and it’s worth every penny.
Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer And Volumizer Hot Air Brush. Check out the ratings on this bad boy!!! I purchased one of these for my mom for Christmas this year, I hope she loves it! What does it do? This Revlon brush delivers gorgeous volume and brilliant shine in a single step. Unique oval brush design for smoothing the hair, while the round edges create volume. Designed with Nylon Pin & Tufted Bristles for detangling, improved volume and control. Unlike conventional hair dryers, this volumizer can be placed closer to the scalp for lift
Jade Roller is a skin care tool will cool, tighten, and de-puff your face in seconds as it massages. It can immediately remove muscle strain as the roller smooths fine lines and eliminates wrinkles.
Reduce dark under eyes puffiness, better skin and health through natural Jade stones without any chemicals or irritants. Also, it promotes blood circulation and improves lymphatic drainage. After using for a couple of days, your face will be less puffy, feel less tense, look more tightly.
We own this rechargeable, electric lighter and it is awesome!! It makes candle lighting SO much easier! Throw away those BIC lighters and keep this guy around for the long haul. You definitely want one of these, believe me.
Hands down my favorite mascara EVER. The best part? It’s a whopping $4.99. I have tried COUNTLESS mascaras and there is none that compare, especially at this price point.
Know someone who would appreciate an awesome highlighter? I use this everyday in my makeup routine, and I love the natural glow that this product gives!
One of my favorite books for making your house cozy, and inviting.
The Always Pan. THIS PAN. YOU GUYS. The Always Pan has sold out 10 times since its launch earlier this year and has racked up a 30,000-person waitlist of eager cooks. This pan consistently popped up in my Instagram feed Ads, so I just thought it was a silly add, but I started seeing several influencers recommend this. This do-it-all wonder is designed to replace 8 traditional pieces of cookware. Plus, it looks pretty good too (check out all of the amazing colors). The Always Pan replaces your fry pan, saute pan, steamer, skillet, saucier, saucepan, non-stick pan, spatula, and spoon rest. Check it out for yourself!
Head to this Etsy store and enter the name of the city you would like to have laser cut. If you would like the map centered on a particular address, you can include that as well!
The Samsung Frame TV. The Frame TV transforms into a beautiful work of art when you’re not watching TV; Activate the built in motion sensor so whenever you walk into the room, your TV displays 1 of your favorite selections. There is a TON of artwork that you can choose to display, or you can download a personal favorite. The other fun thing? The frame comes with a standard black frame, but you can always customize it, and purchase another one!
The Bissell Crosswave. It has thousands upon thousands of amazing reviews. Why? Because it mops and vacuums, all at the same time. This vacuum has a two-tank system – keeps cleaning solution and dirty water separate to make sure you are always cleaning with fresh water and formula. It kills two birds with one stone, and it’s worth every penny.
Do you want your car (or your significant others) to smell like that favorite essential oil? This portable, waterless diffuser has awesome reviews, and it’s very affordable!
This next diffuser, is also waterless. This waterless diffuser is very convenient, as you don’t have to add water every time you want to diffuse. Simply add the drops, and turn on! As an extra bonus, its diffusing smell is stronger than a diffuser that you add water too.
I received a year-long subscription of Magnolia Journal for Christmas a few years ago. It was a thoughtful gift from my amazing mother in law, and now I ask for it every year for Christmas! Its my favorite magazine and they are filled with so much goodness. Four issues, at $5 an issue so it’s only $20 for the year!
My favorite purse of all time. It’s timeless. It’s quality is superb and it goes with every outfit. I love it! I was so sick of buying new purses every year, so I wanted to invest in a nice one. I have had this purse for almost six years now, and it still has so much life left! HIGHLY recommend. Side note: You can even get your initials printed on!
I saved up for Grant’s birthday present this year, and purchased this Hypervolt Hyperice. We love this thing. Grant has neck/shoulder flare ups on a consistent basis, so I wanted to get him a massage gun that he could use to take away a lot of his neck tension, and this does the trick. I also get a lot of tension headaches, that start in my shoulders, because that is typically where I carry a lot of my stress. This works like a CHARM. My chiropractor uses this in his office, and he highly recommended this line.
This candle… LOL. You know you’re thinking of that ONE person that this would be perfect for.
When we bought this house, almost every room and bathroom was covered in old, original wallpaper. So we tore down the paper, cleaned the walls, and got to painting. Now, after a lot of the rooms have slowly transformed, we realized that we have painted over TEN rooms in this house, with lots of help of course. We wouldn’t have been able to do any of it alone…we had SO many hands helping us when we first moved in.
Aside from all of the wall painting we have done around here, we have tackled an endless amount of side projects as well, such as painting Sadie’s dollhouse, Sadie’s outdoor mud kitchen, and all of our downstairs doors. So, by now, we have finally figured out all of our favorite painting products, and one of our absolute favorites, is Frogtape. We have tried several brands, but none of them had adhesion and consistency, like Frogtape.
Did you know that Frogtape carries three different types of tape? Multi Surface, Delicate Surface, and Professional grade in blue or orange (high humidity). Step one would be to choose the correct tape for the project. I would suggest reading through each of the options and decide which one sounds like it would be the best for your paint project.
So, how do we get those perfect clean lines on all of our project pieces? It’s solely Frogtape. Since they are the only painter’s tape on the market with PaintBlock technology, it’s easy to understand why “paint bleed,” doesn’t happen.
When choosing other brands of painters tape, we have taped off the room or project, paint the project, and then go to lift the painters tape off of the project or wall…and man alive is that defeating. What’s the point of painters tape if it doesn’t do its job? CHOOSE Frogtape, and I promise you will not be disappointed.
Painting projects. They seem to never end around here because we are always painting something in or around our home. When we first started painting, we realized that there’s a lot more to it than just picking up a brush and tackling the job.
So whether you are painting a project, a bedroom, or any other thing that involves paint, I wanted to give you a list of our MUST have products for any paint project ahead.
First and foremost, run to the store and purchase Frogtape. It’s the best painters tape out there. We tested out several (as we had painted over 10 rooms in our home) and Frogtape is hands down, the best.
Next, You will definitely want to grab a HANDy paint cup. Aside from the molded handle, there is a magnet on the inside of the cup, which allows your brush to adhere to it if you need to set down the cup. This magnet is so incredibly handy! Also, you can buy these plastic inserts, that insert right into this cup, so you don’t have to wash out the cup after each use.
Second thing you need is a paintbrush and a roller. We recommend everything Purdy, we love them especially because you don’t get any fuzz or paintbrush bristles in or on your project. You pay for what you get, and in our opinion, purchasing a nice paintbrush and roller is necessary for a wonderful paint job outcome! Click here for the roller covers and extender pole!
Have some hard to reach places? This Wooster brush is a must have! We used this brush to paint an extensive amount of trim. It saved our hands from all of the painting hand cramps that may arise, especially after painting a large space. We love that it’s lightweight, and easy to hold. We always keep one of these handy around here.
Aside from purchasing the right products, in order to have a successful painting outcome, you first need to make sure your walls or project are properly prepared.
Step One: Vacuum, wipe down, and dust your project. Whether its walls or a small frame, its important to make sure the dust is completely gone, so that the paint can adhere properly.
Step Two: Apply Primer if needed. Primer is not necessary for all paint jobs. It’s only needed in these cases:
bare drywall
stained or repaired areas
bare wood
high-gloss finishes
major color changes
Once you get your project piece or room cleaned, it’s time to head to pick up the paint! Did you know there are Painting Calculators that can calculate the amount of paint you may need for your room or project? Lowe’s offers one here:
There are so many other steps that come with painting…like “cutting in”, what type of roller to get, how long you should wait before applying a new coat of paint…but that we will save for another day!
After a long day of cleaning off the high chair for the 32nd time, my fair share of changing dirty diapers, and lots of toddler tantrums, I’m always, always, ALWAYS ready for a little self-care time.
One way that I like to take advantage of that self-care time, is attending estate sales. I always loved shopping at department stores, but two years ago, I discovered local estate sales in my area, and my life was forever changed. Finding an estate sale that has unique, antique treasures, at incredible prices, is like hitting a gold mine. However, whether I walk out of an estate sale with a shiny new antique treasure, or walk out empty-handed, I always leave feeling refreshed. Mindlessly walking through a home, taking my mind off of the million other things going on, and having some time to disconnect from everything going on in my life, is totally refreshing for me (and bonus if I found something that I wanted, at an awesome price)!
You may be wondering where to find the local estate sales in your area. For starters, you can look in your local newspaper, on Craigslist.com, or on Facebook Marketplace, but the site I love to find the estate sales I attend, is called estatesales.net. You can also download the estatesales.net app, right to your phone. Then, all you do is type in your local city or zip code and BOOM! All of the local estate sales around you will pop up, usually with an adequate amount of pictures, for your browsing pleasure.
A few estate sale tips:
If you attend an estate sale right at opening time, there will usually be a line. Depending on the sale, if there is a line, you sometimes have to put your name on a list. (The list is usually attached to the front door, or on a clipboard near the front porch). If there is a LOT of stuff packed into a house, the estate sale companies are usually limited to how many people they can let into a house at a time, that is why the lists come in handy.
If it is the first day of the sale, Estate Sale companies usually will not take offers for any items. However, if its the second, third, or fourth etc. day of the sale, they usually are open to offers, and all of the items in the house are usually marked down 25% off, 50% off, etc.
It never hurts to make an offer on something you love! Some estate sale companies have specific contracts with the owners of the house, and cannot accept offers, but it never hurts to try.
Bring Cash. Some companies accept cards, but it’s easier to bring cash, just to be safe.
Whether your self-care time looks like going to an estate sale or getting your nails done, or taking a bike ride. I hope you find some time this week, to unplug, take some time for yourself, and feel fully recharged!
Do you have some old pictures laying around but don’t want to spend $50 on them to get them framed?
Here’s a few tricks I used to frame the beautiful, old picture above, for under $27.
-Find old frames at estate sales, thrift stores or garage sales. I paid $2 for this frame at a local estate sale because the glass was broken and it was super dirty. I encourage you to look past the grime, because you can always clean it up!
-I headed over to Hobby Lobby and asked them how much it would be to buy a matte. They actually sell mattes on the shelves, if you have a smaller photo. I bought some for a few other frames I had and even had to I hand cut them down to fit the frame but it saved me SO much money, and I didn’t even buy them on sale. For this frame however, it was pretty big and I needed to purchase a custom matte for the specific picture I was using.
So, I sorted through all of the matte colors, and yes there were a LOT to choose from. They are labeled B or C, and the C mattes are $23 and up, compared to the B-level mattes that are about $16. I went with the $16 option. There’s another benefit to buying a B level matte too-they can cut it right then and there. So I had a custom matte within a solid 10 minutes. So easy!
One thing I want to point out is that they can do a regular bevel, or a reverse bevel on the matte. ADD picture I chose to do a reverse bevel because I didn’t want the foam portion to show on all four interior sides of the matte. Another helpful thing to know is that the base of the matte can be either white or black, so if you don’t choose a reverse bevel and want the Interior sides to show, they can be either white or black.
-Next, if I would have purchased new glass at Hobby Lobby it would have been $25, based on the size of the frame. I called my local hardware store (most of which cut glass) and they quoted me $7 for the same cut of glass, and sure enough I paid $7 for new glass!
So with the frame ($2), the custom matte and glass ($16 & $7) and the vintage photo ($2) I paid $27 total. The best part? I was able to save two pieces of history and use them as decor for our family room space. I am going to use this photo as a statement piece, in a gallery wall that we are creating in our family room. Can’t wait to share that with you soon!
What’s step one of creating a fall porch, on a budget? Start a budget! Tuck away a small chunk of cash, a year prior to your porch project, and one year later, you will have a good chunk to spend on a front porch, if that is what you desire. Don’t know where to start for a specific budget? The porch decor above cost us about $120.
Step two? Shop around! I don’t just purchase pumpkins at the first place those pumpkins catch my eye. I typically go to pumpkin and mum stands that are out in the “country” on a countryside stand or in a small town. Don’t know where to go? Ask around! Ask on Facebook, ask your friends if they know of any countryside stands, or ask people who live in the country! Chances are, someone has come across a place with affordable mums and pumpkins.
Now onto step three. Do you see the terracotta pots, the boxes, and the crocks? They were all cheap, estate sale finds or thrift store finds. I store them away but I bring them out for the fall and winter season, and I will be using them, every year, moving forward! Keep your eyes peeled at local thrift stores, estate sales, and other local sales to see if you can find any pots or crates to use for your porch.
I always had envisioned that there would be a time that we could decorate this porch, and it was so rewarding to save, to think about where to spend our money, and to see the vision finally come to fruition.
I’ve been a die-hard Joanna Gaines fan, since HGTV’s hit television show, Fixer Upper started in 2013. My husband and I were hooked on the show so much so, we even flew down to Waco, Texas to spend a weekend at Magnolia for the fall Silobration in October 2017.
When Joanna Gaines launched her first cookbook, Magnolia Table, you know I had to have it. I didn’t just love this cookbook because it was written by the decorating queen herself, I loved it because it was simple, the recipes were easy to follow, and I (and my husband) loved everything that I made. Not to mention, most of the pages include descriptions about why the recipe is meaningful to her, which is one of my very favorite things about the cookbook.
So which one to buy if they are both just THAT good!? I would definitely start with Volume 1. Magnolia Table Volume 1, has a knockout Banana bread recipe, famously known as, After School Banana Bread. A few of my other favorite recipes are Joanna’s Chocolate Chip Cookies, Aunt Opal’s Banana Pudding, Joanna’s Biscuits, and Chocolate Cola Cake. Aside from all of my favorites, keep in mind, that these cookbooks are filled with delicious appetizer recipes, lunch and dinner recipes, and drool-worthy dessert recipes.
Want to try one of those aforementioned recipes above? Start with the After School Banana Bread recipe below, and you’re sure to add this book to your Amazon cart, after one taste test. Happy Baking!
After School Banana Bread:
Ingredients:
Non Stick Baking Spray
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 Teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 to 5 very ripe bananas (mashed)
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional; see tip)
1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar as needed
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8×8 inch pan with nonstick baking spray or line it with parchment paper.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer), beat together the butter, the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well blended. Add the bananas and mix until combined.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until combined. Add the pecans (if using) and mix until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the sugar over the top. I like slightly bin the pan on a rack. Slice and serve warm with butter.
When completely cooled, cover the pan with foil and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Makes 8 Servings
*TIP: Feel free to replace the pecans with a cup of chocolate chips
With both cookbooks, having 5 star Amazon reviews, (click here for link) I would recommend them to anyone and everyone. These cookbooks would be a wonderful addition to your kitchen, especially in the approaching fall season.
