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Air Fryer Banana Bread

This past Sunday I was feeling a little groggy and due to some heath issues and the cold rainy weather, I skipped church and stayed in my pajamas half the day. I hooked up my echo dot to my blue tooth and listened to the live streaming of the sermon. 
I was lazy all day but I did manage to vacuum and get a couple loads of clothes washed.

As I was cleaning up the kitchen I started to throw away one banana that had ripened. Then I thought, “ I could make a banana bread and just cut my moms recipe in half and make a small one. The original recipe calls for two bananas. I only had one. So I pulled out the other ingredients I needed and started mixing.

1 cup self rising flour.
2 Tablespoons butter.
1/4 cup of sugar.
1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
1 small egg or 1/2 large egg (Ill let you figure out how to half an egg.).
1 ripe banana.
1/4 cup of milk.
Nuts (optional).

Mix well and pour into a greased mini loaf pan.
Preheat air fryer for about 5 minutes at 325 degrees.
Bake for 20 minutes or until done. (I used the tooth pick test).

I wanted to try making this banana bread in my air fryer. The small disposable loaf pan I had was slightly too big for my air fryer basket so I bent it in a little to make it fit. 


I sprayed it with some cooking spray and poured in my batter.
Perfect!

20 minutes later, I had the perfect little loaf of banana bread. It was over enough for the two of us to enjoy after dinner. 



Did I mention how much I love my air fryer? It’s like an adult Easy Bake oven. 



Many ask what kind of air fryer I use. I uses a Ninja Max.


I got mine at Sams but you can find this one also on Amazon HERE.



As an Amazon Affiliate, this post may include marketing links,

 which means I make a small percentage on the sales 

but it in no way affects the price a buyer may pay.



Finding My Triggers

If you know me, you know I suffer with a vestibular disorder. It all started in 2016 when I began having loud ringing and fullness in my left ear. A couple weeks later I woke up one morning and the room was spinning. I was sweating so bad that my clothes were soaked. My husband helped me to the bathroom where I spent almost 4 hours throwing up and dry heaving. I was not sure what was going on. I figured It was the way I slept or something I ate. After the episode, I slept most the rest of the day. I was exhausted. I have only suffered 3 of these violent attacks. All other times, I am just light headed and always feeling on the verge of a vertigo attack. It’s crippling. 

I have went to the doctor about it and he suggested it was just allergies. He sent me to an ENT. There, I was quickly told me that it was not allergies. They did the hearing test, checked inside my ears and asked several questions. I checked off all the boxes as having Meniere's Disease but they would not diagnose me with it until I went through a series of testing. After learning there is no cure for it, I refused all the expensive testing. So here I am without closure to what I’m going through. No one can see it and I don’t look sick. It’s now sort of just a my secret invisible illness I keep with me.

Two years ago, my symptoms, except the ringing, stopped all of a sudden. I thought I was free and could live normal again. Until it flared back up just last month. I have not suffered the violent vertigo attacks, but the anxiety I get from the fear of it happening at work or while driving keeps me on edge.
The Tinnitus (ringing in the ear) is constant. Sometimes it’s low, sometimes it’s high. I also have lost hearing in my that ear. All I can hear from my left ear is the ringing and whoosing sounds that come from within my head.

It’s weird that even though I lost hearing, I am super sensitive to certain sounds and tones. Restaurants are the worst for me right now. All the background noise causes to much stimulation in my ear and I feel like my head is closing in and headaches start. Same goes for any place I go where there are multiple people talking. It’s miserable. Sound sensitivity is a new one right now. 
Is it sounds that trigger my symptoms?

I notice on rainy days I feel worst than when it’s a sunny day.
Is it the biometric pressure triggering my symptoms?

While listening to Meniere’s Muse podcast, I heard a guest mention that WeatherX earplugs were a big help for her. They look like normal earplugs but have a small piece of ceramic inside that protect your ears from pressure changes in the weather. There is also a WeatherX app you can download and it will notify you when there an incline or decline in pressure so you can pop the earplugs in. 
Why not try? It couldn’t hurt.



Did they work for me? 
Yes. They are a win win. I think they work for both weather changes and sound. When I feel pressure building up in my ear and head, I put them in. However, the app is no use to me as my body tells me when to put them in. They do not completely close out sound, so I can still have conversations with people. They block out a lot of background noise and make me feel comfortable and in my own little zone. Now I do not have to stick my finger in my ear to balance out sounds. Listening to the paster on Sunday was a lot more comfortable. 



I have come to the conclusion that I will continue having bad days and good days so I try and make the best of it. I have hopes that It will go away again since this time isn’t as bad as it used to be, maybe I will grow out of it. 
I am learning to handle the episodes of lightheadedness and pressure by trying to relax and accept the fact that its just part of me now.
I have decided to just live with it and stop feeling sorry for myself. I’m tired of explaining to people how I feel. Unless they have had this condition, they will never understand. I plan to make some healthy changes in my self. Now if I can just find my triggers. I can do this.


As an Amazon Affiliate, this post may include marketing links,

 which means I make a small percentage on the sales 

but it in no way affects the price a buyer may pay.

Grow Bags

I do not have much of a green thumb but I do like to grow things. Nick will usually build me a small raised bed at the end of the yard where there is a lot of sun all day. I have not had a garden bed in the past couple years. The last one I had was not very successful. Every time a sprig would come up, the birds or squirrels would snap them right out of the dirt. It was not worth the trouble, the money or the dead grassy spots left in the yard. 

This year I’m taking a different approach and decided to purchase some 5 gallon “Grow Bags”. I was not sure how they would do so I only purchased a pack of three. I feel like they are more of just 3 gallon bags instead of 5 but I’ll take their word for it. I headed to Home Depot and picked up two bags of dirt, a few cucumber plants and just one tomato plant. I was shocked at how expensive plants were now days. What ever happened to it being cheaper to grow you own veggies?


I loved how well and sturdy these grow bags held a bag of dirt each. They have handles on each side that make it easy to move them around so there will be no dead spots in my grass. The material allows for natural drainage so I do not have to worry about them being over watered. It’s just like them being planted in the ground. Once they start growing good, I will be adding a tomato cage to both plants. I hope I get a great climbing vine of cucumbers and bushy fruitful tomato plant. 



Right now I have them sitting on my patio. We are expecting a frost this weekend. Since they are in these grow bags, I can just move them inside (placed on plastic of course) or move them under the carport until there is no more threats of frost.

I may add strawberries to the third bag. 
What are you growing this year? Have you ever used grow bags or pot to plant your veggies? 




Keto Crackers

I am not on a Keto diet. I do not think it is a healthy diet to stick too but I do like to make some Keto dishes because I am trying to stay away from breads. One of my favorite is the Chaffles I shared in another blog post. I also made flourless Bagels and Cauliflower bread sticks before. 

Today, I want to share with you these delicious Keto Crackers made with only two ingredients. 


➞2 Cups Almond flour
➞1 Egg
➞ Spices (optional)
Place it all in a food processor until the dough is formed. 
(Mine looked like little beads until I kneaded it in my hands).
Put the dough between two pieces of wax paper and roll very thin. 


Cut into squares or rounds (any shape of choice) and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet 
and bake 350 for about 10 minutes. 
Keep an eye on them. Once the edges start browning, they are done. 
(You can also poke holes in them to give them a different look)

Some of mine were thinner than others and those browned quicker. 

These crackers are sort of bland so you may want to add salt or seasoning of your choice. I added “everything bagel” seasoning and they were delicious/  
If you leave them plain, you will think your eating those nasty communion wafers served at what us Baptist call “The Lords Supper”. 



My husband took one then asked where the wine was. Ha ha. 
He was just kidding because mine were full of flavor from my added spices and would be great served with a veggie dip or cheeseball. 
They didn’t last long.

These would also be great served on a Charcuterie board which I would love to do one day. 






Purse Strap

I am always looking for a new pocket book. I can not afford one of those fancy expensive kind so I have to make do with cheaper brands. 

I recently bought a cute Liz Claybourn purse on clearance, plus my employee discount. It’s not a high end pocket book, but in my world, it was pretty pricy before the discounts. I like the color. It’s a neutral off white color. I like it but getting tired of it. I have had it since December. 


One of the girls in the office was telling me how cute my purse was and it would be perfect for one of those fashionable purse straps. It has the clip on strap that can be removed. That got me thinking which led to shopping. Replacing the strap with some fun added colors would make me like it and give me that new feeling again. 

I found this cute strap on the internet to try. When I put it on my purse, I was excited. I loved how fun it makes my drab purse. 


My daughter bought me another one for my birthday. Now I can keep switching the straps depending on what I wear for the day. I found it to be more comfortable to wear on my shoulder and does not slip off like the original strap. 


Apparently this is the new thing with purses as you can find a lot of different colors and patterns to match your mood. I have gotten a lot of compliments on my new straps. 

You can find them on Amazon by searching “bag strap”, “Purse strap”or “Guitar purse strap”.

If you noticed in my post I used both the words “pocketbook” and “purse”.
What do you call it?
Is there a difference? 





As an Amazon Affiliate, this post includes a Marketing Link, 
which means I make a small percentage on the sales 
but it in no way affects the price a buyer may pay.
 Opinions are my own honest reviews




Water Motivation


I have to admit. Dinking water is not one of my favorite things. However, for years I have disciplined myself to drink water with every meal. Occasionally I will drink sweet tea with a meal and usually only at the beach will I treat myself to a fountain cola in a styrofoam cup. 

I start each day with a big glass of water to chug down my vitamins then it’s coffee til noon. I keep a bottle of water at my desk or on the counter at home to sip on throughout the day. Some days I drink a significant amount of water but most days I just forget. 

I have decided that I want to start drinking a healthy amount of water my body needs each day. 
They say “64” ounces. 


I had to start with a water bottle that I enjoyed using (that usually includes a straw) so I headed to Amazon and purchased a motivational water bottle by Keepto. It holds the amount of water my body needs each day. This way I do not have to think about it and wonder if I had enough water today. A whole days amount is with me at all times. Your body will mistake thirst for hunger so if I sip water all day, it will curb my appetite and just maybe I will stop grabbing those Reese's cups from the break room.


I love that I can use it with or without a straw. It’s leak proof and has nice carry strap. Though it’s a half gallon, it does not feel heavy and it’s easy to drink from by holding the built in handle. I get a little motivation from the time stamped indications as I drink throughout the day.


Here are some interesting facts about drinking water.
  • 64 oz is just an average amount. Some people need less and some need more. A person that is active and sweats a lot may need more. Your body will naturally tell you when it’s thirsty so drink water when your thirsty or sip on it throughout the day. Don’t guzzle water just to get the daily dosage over with. Listen to your body.
  • Water curbs appetite.
  • Drinking a lot of water will help with constipation, UTI’s, kidney stones and skin hydration.
  • Coffee and tea count as water.
  • Foods such as fish, meats, eggs, fruits and veggies supply water in your body.
  • You can tell how much water you need by the color of your urine. It should be clear or pale yellow.
Do you drink enough water? What are some ways you motivate yourself to drink enough water?






As an Amazon Affiliate, this post includes a Marketing Link, 
which means I make a small percentage on the sales 
but it in no way affects the price a buyer may pay.
 Opinions are my own honest reviews.




A Day in NoDa

This past weekend, my husband had to work on Saturday and I was off. I had the whole day to myself. However, I didn't spend it alone. I made a drive to Charlotte, NC to visit my daughter. When I arrived she asked me what I wanted to do. I told her to decide as I know nothing about the area. She said, “Mom, I’d like to show you around Noda. This is a little area of town in North Davidson. (hence the name Noda). 

It was a poor looking town full of street vendors and lots of artwork on the buildings. Or should I say graffiti. It was so colorful. Even the sidewalks were panted. 


We found a place to park that was metered at 7.00 a day. So we took it. Every where you park in Charlotte, you have to pay. 
We parked and walked around the little town. I have never seen so many odd and purple haired people in my life. I think people like that are “artsy”.

We were getting hungry and she wanted to try a little place she heard was good so we stopped in. The hostess took us to our table and handed us the lunch menu. It was really expensive with foods we could not pronounce, so we politely got up and left. 
We ended up at a more familiar place called Cabo Fish Taco. She ordered the shrimp tacos and I had a southwestern chicken wrap. It was delicious.

We found a cat cafe in the upstairs of a building. This was a place you could enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while sitting in a room of free roaming cats.


We did not go all the way in and just viewed it from the window. I thought it was rather nasty. And we didn’t want to visit the magic shop next to it. I was already weirded out. 


This guy was making quite a bit of money playing his guitar on the street. I love to listen to these folks play.


This was a vegan restaurant that served outside. If it was not so cool outside, we would have eaten here for the fun of it. Yes that is swing seats. 

Before we left, we walked across the road to see the “dog bar”. This is were people could sit and enjoy a beer while their dogs played. It was so funny. There were many different kinds and sizes of dogs running around playing together. You could even see a few girl dogs in the corner talking about all the other dogs. Haha. 

The bad thing that happened was while we were walking, I stepped in dog poop in my new Hey Dude shoes Twice! Once I realized I stepped in it, I stepped back and into another pile with the other foot. Luckily I was able to get it cleaned off. We had a good laugh and ended the day with a trip to Trader Joes and bubble tea.




Speaking of Hey Dude shoes. They are absolutely the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. My husband even got himself a pair. 



As an Amazon Affiliate, this post includes a Marketing Link, 
which means I make a small percentage on the sales 
but it in no way affects the price a buyer may pay.
 Opinions are my own honest reviews.


Chaffles

Ok yall, I could not take it any longer. I have been wanting one of these little Dash mini waffle makers for a couple years now. I just did not need another kitchen gadget. I have a regular waffle maker but always thought it would be nice to have a “limited portion”. I also thought it would be something I could use in my camper. 

After seeing recipes for “Chaffles”, I finally gave in to my wishes and bought a mini waffle maker. 

What is a Chaffle? 
It is a healthy Keto way to make waffles which means no bread. They are low in calories and high in protein. They are all made with a basic base of egg, cheese and almond flour. Some even leave out the almond flour and just use egg and cheese. I just prefer them a little more fluffy. You can find so many ways to make different flavor Chaffles. 


CHAFFLE
1 egg
1/2 cup cheese (I used mozzarella).
1 tablespoon almond flour.
(Makes 2 waffles)

After making my first Chaffle, I was hooked. I added butter and syrup and me and Nick did a taste test. I was afraid they would be eggy or taste cheesy but the didn’t. They were surprisingly good. 
But wait, they go beyond breakfast waffles. You can add in ingredients and make them sweet or savory. 


I made a sandwich chaffle to take to work with me and it kept great in the cooler and it was so good! This will be my new way to eat a sandwich for a while. It was filling and didn't leave me feeling bloated. I was satisfied until my next meal. 

You can top your chaffle with cheese and pepperoni then place in a toaster or oven and have your own healthy personal pizzas. 
You can also make chaffle tacos by using them as your taco shell. The possibilities are endless.

Of course I had a sweet tooth tonight so I gave the Chocolate Chaffle a try. I made it the same way as the original chaffle but added some Stevia and cocoa. I’m not sure if I really liked this one or not.


It’s crazy that I could not taste the egg or cheese but I thought it was a little bitter. I am not a fan of artificial sweeteners, so I probably wont make this one again, but my kitchen is smelling pretty good right now. 


Word is getting around, so these little Dash mini waffle makers are getting hard to find in stock at most stores but you can find them now on Amazon.

As an Amazon Affiliate, the following is a Marketing Link, 
which means I make a small percentage on the sales
 but it in no way affects the price a buyer may pay.
Opinions are my own honest reviews.