Banana White Chocolate Chip Biscotti Recipe

Oh my! It's been a few months since I've posted here on my sweet lil blog!  So sorry.  With so many social media outlets it seems we just superficially skate around the web.  One place I spend considerable couch-time at night "working" (lol, that's what I call it--though they never send me a paycheck!)  is Pinterest.  I realized that most of what I pin or re-pin does come from blogs, so it's our duty as individual bloggers to put out there some good content.  I'll try harder...  *wink*.

The day before Valentine's Day I attended a ladies luncheon.  I didn't want to arrive empty handed and woke up early that morning thinking of something I could bring for the hostess.  Remembering our school days of bringing Valentines for all our classmates I then decided to bring "Valentines" for each of the ladies.  With only about two hours to work with I quickly decided to make some  biscotti cookies and package them up for each of the ladies.



With some ripe bananas on the counter I knew just what to make, "Banana White Chocolate Chip Biscotti" cookies.   I photo-copied this recipe from a cookbook I checked out at the library years ago, neglecting to make note of which cookbook it was.  The original recipe calls for chocolate chips, but I've always used white chocolate chips, which I think blends better with the banana flavor.

Here's the recipe:

Banana White Chocolate Chip Biscotti

1 cup sugar

½ cup butter (softened)
½ cup mashed ripe banana (1 medium)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup white chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350°. Great large cookie sheet.

Beat sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat in banana, vanilla and eggs until smooth. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in white chocolate chips.

Divide dough in half. Shape each half into 10x3-inch rectangle on cookie sheet with greased hands (dough will be sticky).

Bake about 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool on cookie sheet 15 minutes

Cut crosswise into ½ inch slices. Turn slices cut sides down on cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown and drop on top. Turn cookies. Bake about 10 minutes longer or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool. 

• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the "Valentines", I just packaged up two biscotti per bag and topped with a vintage sheet music heart, folded over the top.

This was a fun project and could be changed up for any event or holiday. I loaded them all up in a tote I had made a few years ago:

So next time you have some ripe banana's on the counter, instead of making banana break, make a batch of "Banana White Chocolate Chip Biscotti", they last a long time, too!

So go enjoy a biscotti and a cup of coffee!
         Blessings,
                   ~Heidi

Christmas Joy in my Heart

Here's some JOY around our home.  Every year I paint lots of JOY signs, selling some, giving some away, and keeping some!

 

Outside our front door:

Inside, on a window ledge, with the rain pouring outside:

 

Another window ledge:

 "Got Joy?"

 

 

This little mouse..... sleeping contently with the pending possibility of a dangerous cat , who is guarding his little home in the wall.! Is the cat ready and waiting to attack when the mouse leaves "home base"? Sometimes this is how I feel.  The danger of the enemy is right at my door, yet because of my Heavenly Father I can sleep. It's unknown to me if the pending enemy is real and ready to attack or not, or my imagination.  But either way I can REST IN THE LORD and TRUST HIM.

 

 

(Candyfleece, via Esty)

So, this Christmas I want to be like the mouse in this coloring picture.  Enjoy the season, enjoy the Reason, sleep in peace, live my days with the JOY that God has set before me! 

 

 

Time to scamper off....presents to wrap, shopping to do, and cookies to make!

Joy to you all!

~Heidi

 

I just keep painting!

Here's some recent signs I've painted:

I paint a lot of these custom family signs!

Custom "Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be."

And, I paint a lot of these "YOU are the ICING on my CUPCAKE" signs!

The word ICING is in your color choice.

Another custom sign.

This also was a custom sign for a local buyer.

A purple custom sign.

My "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Do you know how loved you are?" sign continues to be a buyer favorite.

Then of course this "Bless your heart." is a favorite to give as a gift.

 

Lots of weddings throughout the seasons,

and everyone loves to see the "sign bearer" carry this sign

(instead of the ring bearer).

A custom order, they wanted a round sign for the sign bearer.

I sell signs like these locally.
"I love us."

"nato con la camicia"

(A custom sign: "born lucky".)

"Act Justly ~ Love Mercy ~ Walk Hubly

Micah 6:8.  A custom sign for a little boy.

"I'd rather be at the LAKE", sign sold locally.

"GO JUMP IN THE LAKE" sign, sold locally.

"EXPLORE EVERYTHING", sign sold locally.

Owl "always kiss you goodnight.", sign sold locally.

"Owl love you forever" sign sold locally.

 

The next blog post will be some pictures of furniture I've restore and painted.

 

Thanks for visiting!

  ~Heidi

Various Signs

Well, hello there! So nice to have you visit my little neglected blog!  For anyone who cruises by I thought I'd just share a few of the signs I've been painting lately. 

"All Because Two People Fell In Love"

-Black words on White background

-this was for an Etsy order

 

"BAKERY"

-Brown on White

-this is just a little sign for your kitchen

-let your lil puppy dance

around your feet as you bake goodies!

-I took this one to Leaf's Treehouse (Coos Bay)

 

"beach"

-I painted this on a rustic beachy blue background

-I took this one to Leaf's Treehouse (Coos Bay)

 

 

"But first, coffee."

-uh, duh? right?

-I can see this in everyone's kitchen!

-I took this one to Leaf's Treehouse (Coos Bay)

 

"Love is Sweet"

-this is a larger sized, 24 inches long

-this was for an Etsy order

 

"To go to sleep I count antlers not sheep."

-Brown on White background

-we live in an area where there are LOTS of hunters;

fall hunting season isn't just a big deal, for some it's the ONLY deal!

-I took this one to Leaf's Treehouse (Coos Bay)

 

"life is better when you're laughing"

-I found a similar sign online, and loved this saying

so just had to make one!

-Warm White on Rustic Cedar background (4 boards)

-I took this one to Leaf's Treehouse (Coos Bay)

 

"Camp Grandma"

-various colors

-I usually paint this on a smaller 16" board, but this one was

ordered as a 24" board, with some graphics added

 

"YOU are the ICING on my cupcake"

-Black and Pink on White

-this continues to be a popular sign, especially for bridal showers,

where they often have fun and fancy cupcakes instead of cake!

-"ICING" can be painted in any color; I often am asked

to match colors of bridesmaid dresses

 

  

"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always,

as long as I'm living my baby you'll be."

-Pink on White

-this is another one of signs I sell on Etsy

 

"beach" (with a directional arrow)

-painted on a piece of driftwood I found at the beach

-I took this one to Leaf's Treehouse (Coos Bay)

 

"Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice

That's What Little Girls Are Made Of"

-Pink on White

-A lot of times this is ordered for girl baby showers;

the host uses it as a centerpiece then gifts the mom-to-be

with the sign at the end of the shower

-This was painted for an Etsy order

 

"Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Do you know how loved you are?"

-this one continues to be one of my top sellers

-I'll paint it in any color (or color mixes) the buyer wants,

but this was the first time I'd ever painted it in Gold!

 

"You will forever be my always"

-Red on rustic cedar 4-board sign

-this is another one I saw online and wanted to try!

-I took this one to Leaf's Treehouse (Coos Bay)

 

"Uncle, here comes your Bride!"

-This is my two sided sign for weddings;

once the couple are married, the child turns the sign

over as they go out to reveal....

 

"Mr. & Mrs. _____"

-This is the second side of the "sign carrier's" sign!

-this is another popular sign ordered for weddings

-I usually suggest the buyer keep the color Black on White,

as I've shown, so that it shows up well in photos.

 

Thank you for taking the time to look through some of my recent signs!

~Heidi

 
 

Headboard from Pallet Wood ~ Includes Custom Signs

On July 9, 2011 a very sweet couple we know were wed.  They were married in a park-like setting next to a rushing river, a perfect hot July Oregon day!  To help the guests find the wedding setting I painted a few signs to stake on the road.

 

Fast forward three years and a few months later.  The Mr. made a pallet headboard for the Mrs.! How sweet is that?  (And isn't the Little Face adorable?)

The Mr. included a couple of the rustic signs I had made into his design, which you would just know I'd think was brilliant!

You like?  Well, if you live in Medford, Oregon area you're in luck! The Mr. is making and selling these.  If you are interested just contact me and I'll put you in touch.

Thanks for stopping by today!
               Blessings,
                              ~Heidi