An interesting evening.

For the first time in this house, I feel heard.  My husband suddenly was helpful tonight when he realized I was overwhelmed with getting ready for some last minute activities that we have decided to do for the Labor Day weekend.   He helped cook dinner (spaghetti) and here he is later

coming in saying he wants to make banana bread when i was about to make some.  (He has never ever done that in 15 years of marriage)  He has helped with dinner before but it is few and far in between.  All i can say is all the prayers are being heard and answered.  I was feeling pretty desperate late last week and earlier this week, but trying to perservere and surrender my right to be appreciated etc.  Tonight was a nice surprising break.  The hubs even folded two loads of laundry and got his own clothes out for our event this weekend ( I am usually the one who gets them or I have to nag and nag to get action)  What a refreshing concept in this house. Working together.  Without anger or nagging to get it....It had to be God.  That is all i can say.

Here is the finished banana bread

It is so moist and delicious!!!!  We used a recipe from a Taste of Home Cookbook my grandmother bought me for Christmas a couple years ago.  In organizing the laundry room, I found it and put it up on the shelf in the kitchen so I could actually use it (imagine that actually using something I have...lol)

If interested here is the recipe.  

Special Banana Nut Bread

3/4 cup butter softened

8 oz package of cream cheese softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

4 medium bananas (i threw in six because i had some that were going bad)

1 TBSP of vanilla

3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

We threw it all in a bowl, the Hubs mixed it with our beaters, and we poured it into a greased large cake pan (i don't own any loaf pans) and baked in a preheated oven at 350 for 45 minutes.  Very Yum!

So we are gearing up for one final (unplanned) summer event before my son goes back to school.  It was a last minute idea by the Hubs to go camping, and he found a local campground (from having to do a tow call there) that has a pool and is not much more than our state park we went to a few weeks ago.  So we can go together as a family but be close enough to work (because hubs is always on call and cannot stray far from his "home" area and I do have to work the office this holiday weekend)  

So in order to go camping this time, we needed to pick up some gear.  We went to Sears and were prepared to pay sticker price for an instant tent and a screen house....instead surprise surprise when we got to the register, our cost was 50.00 less than sticker price.  Apparently there was an unadvertised sale...so we got an air matress also with the money we saved.  

Yesterday was our day off and it was to my surprise super productive, we cleaned out our car....which despite my best efforts to clean out over the past couple weeks....we still pulled out two shopping bag fulls of trash, and three baskets and two small bags of things that had to be brought in and gone through.  No more stuff in the car.  Whatever we take in it in the morning has to come out in the afternoon when we get home.  Oy!  Hubs also stopped to a gas station and vacuumed it out.  We have been struggling with seeing new cars and know we cannot afford one, so we are taking steps to clean up one of the ones we own.  The truck is still in need of repair, we found a shop that gives free estimates, but we need to get it towed there.  (we are not paying our boss to tow it.)  One thing at a time right? 


So did you have any pleasant surprises this week.  Any saving of money this week?  I will have to let you guys know how our budget plan is going soon.  Thanks for stopping by!!!!!