Once upon a time, not so long ago, I worked at a large corporate headquarters where they had a very popular saying:  “Feedback is a gift.”

Of course some people took this literally, handing out gifts left and right like it was Christmas, your Birthday, and Valentine’s Day all rolled into one.   Around annual review time, especially, it wasn’t uncommon to see people walking around in a daze, the telltale glossy-eyed look on their face that comes when you’ve just had feedback piled on top of feedback, only able to mutely nod when we’d take one look at them and ask simply “Gifts?”

Today, I’m asking y’all to be givers.

It occurred to me last night as a thousand different post possibilities were whizzing through my head like small caffeine-and-crack-fueled ferrets and making it impossible to pare through all the things I wanted to share that the best way to figure out what to write about on here would be to… you know…. ASK YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO READ.

Novel thought, right?   I’m a genius.

So I’m putting this out there today and asking everyone and their mom (hi, Mom!) to comment and let me know what you’d like to see here.   (See that link at the bottom of the post that says “Add a Comment”?  Go ahead, click it!  It’s fun!  Whee!)  Recipes?  Frugal tips?  DIY projects?  Stories and anecdotes about my life and all its craziness?   In short:  What would make this useful, relevant, and keep you coming back for more?   

Opinions, thoughts, feedback… it’s all good!   Post once, twice, fifteen times… whatever floats your boat.  Just be sure to post, so I’m not hanging here like that guy waiting for the other guy to high-five him.    That’s just awkward.  

Feedback is a gift. 
And one you don’t have to worry about wrapping. 
Score.

I’ll be the first to admit it… some days I totally fail at being a wife. 

The other night I was out and about in one of the northern suburbs, helping a gal put together a bazillion wedding escort cards (yes, a bazillion.  As in a few dozen more than a “whole bunch” and slightly less than “a bajillion”) when I got a call from Reuben.

Him:  I noticed the floor in the bathroom is damp.  Did the toilet leak?
Me:  Nope, I was scrubbing the floor and accidentally overturned the bucket.  It may still be wet.
Him:  The bath mat is hanging up, did you wash it?
Me:  No.  I hung it to dry when it got wet from the water
Him:  It looks dirty, shouldn’t it be washed first?
Me:  Um, sure.  (<– I am very eloquent at times.)
Him:  Well, there are spots on it and stuff from the water.  It should have been put in the wash.
Me:  Of course dear, whatever you say.  I’ll wash it tonight when I get home. 

Or at least, that’s probably what I should have said.  But I’m a redhead, and it was 10 pm, and I had been running on two hours of sleep.  So what really came out was something more like:

Me:  ARE YOU FIVE?  THEN WASH IT ALREADY!   SHEESH!  I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE IN THIS HOUSEHOLD WHO CAN WASH THINGS!  DON’T EXPECT ME TO DO EVERYTHING AROUND HERE!

We hung up pretty quickly after that, and after I spent about thirty seconds fuming not-so-silently I had to admit to myself that I overreacted and (although I DO stand by the fact that washing is an equal-opportunity chore) he probably didn’t deserve to get snipped at. 

See?  I can be rational.  Occasionally. 
(You’re agreeing with me, right?  Smile and nod….)

Don’t worry… it all ended well.  I got home, we both apologized, yaddah yaddah.  (He explained he wasn’t asking me to do it, he just wanted to know if it was done already so he wouldn’t double-wash it.  Whoops!).  Hugs and Disney feelings all around.   But it was a good reminder to me that as much as I like to think I’m a half-decent helpmate, I still have a loooong way to go.    (Also, it shows that any conversations after 10pm should probably be limited to “my, it’s dark outside,” or “wow, dear, you are looking fabulous without makeup tonight.”     If all else fails, just stand in the corner and throw me chocolate until I’m (1) fat and happy, or (2) asleep.)

As for the picture… these DIY fruit and yogurt parfaits are a fabulous way to save some money, save time in the morning, and also have a healthy breakfast that you can take with you.    Additionally, if you’re a consummate jar-hoarder like myself, it’s a nice way to put them to good use. (The one in the picture is a glass gravy jar, but anything will work).    I make one for Reuben each morning, since it’s one of the few things he’ll eat for breakfast besides “coffee” and “more coffee“.  

To assemble, simply layer greek yogurt, some granola, and various fruit combinations on top of one another and then store in the fridge.   Easy, right?   They’re perfect for breakfast because they are portable, can be made the night before (or even a few days ahead of time), and only cost pennies – especially if you make your own yogurt and/or granola (I’ll post how to do that soon).    If you’re worried about the granola getting soggy, simply fill with layers of yogurt/fruit ahead of time and leave some room on top, then add the granola in the morning before you head out the door.   

They also score major brownie points with loved ones which are always nice to have.
(Pardon me while I go make about five million more of these)  

I always thought that the first recipe I posted on here would involve the word “sprinkles”. 

Probably more than once. 

Something flashy and sweet, like “sprinkle covered chocolate sprinkle cheesecake raspberry cookies….with sprinkles”.    But life, apparently, was having none of that. 

I awoke this morning to the sound of “Lily, NO!” and the sight of my husband carrying our ten pound white fuzzball of a dog across the room.  (This was not so unusual, since our dog has a “personality”… a.k.a. she probably thought her name was “No! No!” for the first six months we had her.)  Then, five minutes later, I hear a loud sigh and the sound of the shower running.   Naturally, I was intrigued.  

A few seconds later a sopping wet dog streaks into the room, chased by my suit-and-tie-clad husband, who informs me that this morning she decided she wanted to do her morning ‘business’ ON OUR BED.   Even better, when my husband brought good ‘ol “No! No!” outside to finish up, she proceeded to do so, then SIT IN IT in the snow.   

I just realized that not only does my first post NOT involve sprinkles, it also involves animals and poo.   What a stellar way to kick off a blog.  (Any six-year-old boys out there who follow me probably think this is the most awesome blog ever).  

Let’s just say my poor husband was having a rather rough start to the day.   So I decided to be a good wife and bake him some warm banana bread for him to come home to.    *Pats self on back*

Ya’ll, if you’re having a rough day, THIS is the bread to make.  Moist and rich, it is packed with bananas and the perfect mix of savory and sweet.   Even better, the taste improves with time, so it’s the perfect recipe to make a day or two ahead of time, although after you taste it I can’t guarantee that it will be around that long. 

Best Ever Banana Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/4 cup mashed overripe bananas (about 5-6 medium)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9×5 pan.  (Note:  These also make great muffins or 3 smaller mini loaves, just adjust the cooking time accordingly)

In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt.  

In a separate bowl cream butter & brown sugar.   Stir in eggs and bananas. 

Stir banana mixture into flour mixture, until no pockets of flour remain.   There will probably be lumps of bananas left – this is good!  They will bake down in the oven and help keep the bread moist for days.   Pour mixture into prepared pan(s).

Bake for 60-65 minutes (for large loaf) or 25-35 minutes for smaller loaf pans.   They’re done when golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out moist but clean.    Let cool 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Slather with butter, honey butter, or just eat plain.   Try not to eat the whole loaf at once… or at least hide the evidence if you do.