My Favorite Things: Baking With My Mom

When I think back on my childhood one of my favorite activities was cooking in the kitchen with my mom.
Actually, I could have skipped the cooking and gone straight to baking.

My skills started off small (Rice Krispy Treats) but by my tweens I was pulling off some amazing cakes and innovative cookie recipes.

I believe spending time in the kitchen teaching your child to bake is invaluable. Not only is it a great opportunity to spend some 'quality time' together, it is also a place to learn things like math (what is a teaspoon vs a tablespoon ?), reading (can't screw up those baking directions or you will have a messy disaster on you hands) and self-control (don't eat the entire batter or there will be nothing left to bake...such a sad lesson to learn.)

One of my favorite things to make were muffins. Muffins are both a breakfast staple and a great afternoon snack. They take practically not time to make and homemade muffins are always more healthy than those big heavy ones you buy at the store.

Please enjoy one of my favorite muffin recipes. It is easy and fun to make with your kids. It's up to you whether you want to add nuts... but I prefer straight bananas and chocolate chips. Yum Yum!

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Eat Time: ASAP!

My Favorite Things: Cupcakes & Great Customer Service

OK- I know I'm late to the game but I just discovered Sibby's cupcakes in San Mateo. (Don't laugh, I'm not a cupcake person and I live in San Francisco.)

As a birthday request for Lizzie, I made a special trip to Sibby's to pick up her dream cupcakes.

It took me a couple attempts with my GPS to actually find the location but once I was there and walked into their 'store front', my eyes almost popped out of my head. Not only was the bakery wafting with delectable smells but the cupcakes looked delicious.

The nice gals working there politely asked me my name for my order..... WHAT ORDER???? Somehow in all the birthday excitement no one told me that Sibby's is a pre-order only bakery. My heart suddenly broke in two because not only did I now desperately want to try one of these gems, but I also wanted to surprise the birthday girl.

As my smile turned to a disappointed frown (were those tears in my eyes?), the employees quickly came to my aid and asked how many I wanted. When I told them that four was all I needed, they quickly stepped up and offered to help me by selling me some of their over flow.

Ahhhhh (can you hear the music?), the heavens opened and the sun shined through once again. I gladly accepted the four of any flavor and thanked them profusely.

Having been in the customer service industry for the majority of my adult life, I still always find it amazing when someone elevates them self and goes out of their way to help a customer in need. I have been witness to so many awful customer experiences (of course there are some customers who bring it on themselves) and in comparison so few wonderful ones.

I was more than ready to walk out of Sibby's empty handed. I own my actions and it was definitely my naive fault that I did not pre-order. However, the wonderful feeling I felt when the employees at Sibby's saved my tushie and sold me the four cupcakes instantly made me a loyal client to their business.

The point is, all it takes is a little bit of extra effort to change a negative customer experience into a positive one. Why don't more people realize this fact?

In the end, the cupcakes were wonderful, Lizzie was thrilled and I have already told 3 friends who live in San Francisco about these cupcakes.

Thanks Sibbys!

Calling All Fashionitas

Do you know a girl ages 7 to 13 (a Tween') who loves fashion? If so, please send her our way so she can join Honeys & Heroe's new 'Style Advisory Board'. This group of savvy and stylish young gals will meet quarterly at Honeys & Heroes for an evening of chit chat, fun and fashion.

At these meetings we hope to get honest feedback about what Tweens are looking for in fashion, what is missing in the market place and how we at Honeys & Heroes can be the best 'Tween' store around.

Our first meeting is this May, 2011.

Please contact us at 650-326-1899 or Alanna@HoneysandHeroes.com so that we may include your stylish gal on our team.

Read For The Easter Bunny!

Do you like to read? How about your kids? Are they fans of reading?? If so, we have found a wonderful organization to introduce you to, Reading is Freedom.

Reading is Freedom is focused on helping children in East Palo Alto, CA improve their reading skills and develop a love of reading during their elementary school years. According to research conducted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, 6.6 million low-income children in the US, ages 8 and below, are at risk of failing to graduate from high school because they won’t be proficient readers by the end of third grade. Reading is Freedom was founded in 2010 to help reverse this trend. The organization matches adult volunteers with students at Brentwood Academy Elementary School. The students and their reading partners spend at least one hour per week during the after school program reading together. Reading is Freedom is recruiting additional volunteers. For more information about Reading is Freedom, please contact Maren Christensen at marenjc@yahoo.com.

Please come and support Reading is Freedom at our Easter Bunny Event on Saturday April 16th from 11-1.

Bring a gently used children's book for 1st-5th graders to get a complimentary picture taken with the Easter Bunny!

Fun activities that day include Face Painting, Raffles, Treat Bags and The EASTER BUNNY!

Be sure to hop on over!

Check Us Out On Milo.com

Have you ever shopped on Milo.com? Neither had we until a couple weeks ago. We were introduced to Milo by a good friend of H&H. He suggested we get ourselves on their site because it is the shopping vehicle of the future. Milo is local shopping made easy. They search your local store shelves in real-time to find the best prices and availability for the products you want to have—right now. That way, you can find everything in your area and not have to wait for shipping. We love it!

Milo shows you what's in-stock where, and tells you how much it costs at that very moment. They also offer detailed product information and user reviews, so you can be confident you're getting a product that fits your needs. In short, they make it easy to access the best of both online and offline shopping worlds—all in one place.

Milo was recently purchased by eBay so you know these guys are serious.
Check it out yourselves at Milo.com. If nothing else, their dog is sure a cutie!