You Have The Right...It's Universal

The ultimate measure of a person
is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience,
but where the stand in times of challenge and controversy.
~~Martin Luther King, Jr.

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER!!

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First Snow

Dost thou love life?
Then do not squander time,
for that is the stuff life is made of.
~~Benjamin Franklin

With the first snow falling last night and weather forecasting for more this week, anticipation, or hopeful, for a better ski season in Mt. Bachelor. Light snowfall began last night and continued through early dawn at higher elevations with additional precipitation expected. The late snow has area resorts and local skiers on edge, waiting impatiently for its grand opening.

If you're a die-hard fan of Twilight series, by Stephenie Meyer, like me and my 12-year-old daughter (who has read the series more than five times) and you can't wait for your reserved copy to arrive from your local library, here is your chance...Chapter 1 of Twilight, the first book:

Thanks, Klara, (click here for direct link) for making all four books of the series available. I encourage you to read the books first before heading to the theater for its first movie.

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER!!

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What Really Matters

To live is like to love
all reason is against it,
and all healthy instinct for it.
~~Samuel Butler

Thanksgiving came and went. We had a swell time with hubby and his families in Eugene (except for the part when he spent 3-day fixing/replacing MIL's toilet, seriously!) Now with Junior Lego League and Campfire fundraising craft fair behind us, I am shifting into high gear in making gifts for family, close friends, and the needy.

As a surprise, we were blessed with our friend Catalina's 4-day stay as our guests since last Thursday.

Besides geocaching,
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

...watching the Christmas Parade (took photos very selectively with dog leashes on one hand, eyes on two active 9- and 11-year-old boys) while my children were on the Campfire float
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

...playing at First Street Rapid with Damien and Dakota (my children's favorite park,)
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

...cheering for our homeschool friends' Lego Robotic team who took 3rd place in the 2-day tournament, with over 30 team-participants. Congratulation, Firebird. See you in Portland in January for the State Competition.
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

...touring around town, dining at Anthony's and Fireside Red was a plus--awesome food and terrific companies.

Life is Good even when everything around us looks gloomy. It's time to forever more strengthen my relationship with Him and loved ones--that really matter.

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER!!

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Kids with Money

Getting a job is to learn more
not just for money.

Money we have does not come from the Lord. Jesus himself recognized money as man-made. Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's". Money is merely a standardized, generally accepted means of acquiring the goods and services we need or want from those who produce or provide them. Money cannot buy happiness because happiness is not a product or service. Yes, money is important; it allows us to acquire life's necessities and some of its luxuries. It is up to me to decide how much I need to satisfy my wants and desires and to figure how much money I need to meet them--thus budget or compromise. While money isn't everything, life is a lot more manageable when your money is managed well. Therefore, I teach my children to tithe, save, invest, and spend wisely.

While DD#1 loves fashion, it was not the first thing she spent her hard earned money on from babysitting job...instead, a refurbished Yahama YFL 221 for $349 (retailed $1300; lowest price found online was around $800.) It is one of the most free blowing and easy-to-play standard flute available, but, one step up in quality and price from the student level of Gemeinhardt's, Bundy's, and Armstrong's.

The advantage of her buying it with her own money: she is taking really good care of her pricey expenditure...brushing her teeth/washing her hands before handling, cleaning after each use, never leaving the flute in a unsafe place...practicing mornings and nights. OM Goodness--she is teaching her 10-year-old sibling how to play it. Shocking! For someone who has been playing for only two days with one informal lesson, she is quite good a flutist.

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER!!

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A Time To Rest

Time is a wealth of change
but the clock in its parody
makes it mere change and no wealth.

Solomon said in Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, Verse 4: There is a time to weep, and there is a time to laugh; there is a time to mourn, and there is a time to dance... Today, first words out of my 7-year-old son, smiling, was it's time to rest.

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER!!

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Don't Miss Fireproof

I felt compelled to encourage you to go see the movie Fireproof while it is still in your theater! The movie was made on a shoestring budget of only $500,000 and as of last weekend had made $17.6 billion. It has stayed in the top 10 since it has been released.


Why, you ask, is a big deal besides supporting a Christian homeschool dad? It was made by the same people who made Facing the Giants and Flywheel and has the gospel message loud and clear. The story is about a fireman, played by Kirk Cameron, who turns to the Lord to save his marriage. You walk away blessed, encouraged and aware. If your marriage is healthy, you are inspired. If it is struggling, you are inspired. Please take the time to send production companies the message that we need more films like this one.

It is a GREAT date night movie. Wish I could've watch it with hubby. IT IS AN AWESOME FILM!! I recommend this to anyone even thinking about marriage and those that are married!! While funny, sad, and exciting, it teaches you something big about marriage. See it while you can...I was told it will only be in town this week.

Crispy air and azure skies,
High above, a white cloud flies,
Bright as newly fallen snow.
Oh the joy to those who know October!

Colors bright on bush and tree.
Over the weedy swamp, we see
A veil of purple and brown and gold.
Thy beauty words have never told. October!

Scolding sparrows on the lawn,
Rabbits frisking home at dawn,
Pheasants midst the sheaves of grain,
All in harmony acclaim, October!

Brown earth freshly turned by plow,
Apples shine on bended bough,
Bins o'erflowed with oats and wheat,
And satisfaction reigns complete. October!

Radiant joy is everywhere.
Spirits in tune to the spicy air,
Thrill in the glory of each day.
Life's worth living when we say, October!
~~Joseph Pullman Porter

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER!!

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Don't Be Coy, Autumn!

Far away there in the sunshine
are my highest aspirations.
I may not reach them,
but I can look up and see their beauty,
believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.
~~Louisa May Alcott

This week, I found myself thinking that we (the land and I) were on the cusp of the coming of winter. I then reflected on this intuition: No, that’s not right. It’s only October. Winter is at least two months away. We have at least a month of autumnal weather before winter arrives. But there it is again.

Some subtle shift in the gout de terroir, the taste of the earth, is registering in my body--it is winter. It feels like a miracle. Trees are burning bushes and God speaks to me through cool air, overcast sky, which makes me feel I’m participating in one of the blindfolded taste tests: Which one is more like autumn, yesterday or today? Frankly, neither...

Mother Nature is doing her laundry as rain put the air through its spin cycle. It’s crisp, the air; no starch necessary or needed--not even a dryer for that matter. I wake up, bounding. It’s an autumn in my step this time of the year. The days are shortening and consuming the burning bushes in order to litter the ground. The air is desiccating the gold, red, rust, yellow, orange, and all related hues in between to finally, brown. I highly anticipate this crunchy brown, this audible carpet signifying the changing of seasons and reminding me of bounty and life and deficit and death. The world needs a nap and who am I to stop it? It works so hard throughout the year. Finally drowsy as the sun continues to dim earlier each day. Soon the earth will sleep. I must fight the same urge with my soups, stews, cookies, down jackets, and waterproof boots with insulation and rubber soles. My nose perks at scents of cinnamon and nutmeg; warm, hearty flavors wafting through the streets and hallways.

Winter has decided to blast us as autumn is being a bit coy. I get the hints, though, and I’m not one to be fooled. Fall, don’t let winter pass you by. Take your deserved turn and let us enjoy you for as long as you see fit. Then let winter introduce the barren trees and frigid air and therefore the crummy, grumpy dispositions of many city-dwellers. Autumn, tarry awhile, while I break out my sweaters and shoes appropriate for stepping on curled, lifeless leaves. Stiff, yet delicate. Non-pliable, perfectly shattering under enough pressure, the only way to celebrate rigor mortis. It’s fun. Let me play with the sound and feel of the crunch beneath my feet. I’d cross streets--against the traffic signal--and jostle passersby to jump on the perfectly dried leaf. It can be my way of helping you with the decomposition of this world so that it can awake again. It’s the least I can do while I dream spending a warm day with my friend and her sweet 'Lil angel in Indiana.

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER!!

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Sweet Cheeky Jasper, New Dog in the Family

A smile is a curve
that sets everything straight.

This is sweet, beautiful, cheeky Jasper, formerly known as Max, joined the family just an hour ago! He is a 6-pound, 4-month-old designer hybrid ShiChi puppy, who just gladly initiated my king-size quilted bedspread...ARRRRGH.


ShiChi is not a purebred dog. It is a cross/hybrid between the Chihuahua and the Shih-Tzu. Jasper will grow to about 10 pounds, the most. One word of cautioin from previous owner: He needs to be clothed when it's 60° out.

Though Jasper is meant to be my 10-year-old's first dog, my 12-year-old is quickly making her claim. Time will tell...how the battle over who has Jasper will play out! Want to place your bet?


Our family picture with all three dogs

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER!!

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Still See Rainbows?

NOW is what counts.
I ain't got the luxury of time and energy
spent on yesterday while today wastes away right here.
~~Diana (hahamommy), an awesome unschooler

I love Rainbow Connection by Kenny Loggins:

Why are there so many
Songs about rainbows
And whats on the other side
Rainbows are visions
Theyre only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide
So weve been told and some chose to
Believe it
But I know theyre wrong wait and see

Someday well find it
The rainbow connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me...

I've seen more rainbows in this lifetime than I can remember. I always marvel at them. For me, a rainbow is a sign of hope. Most people fail to see the rainbow because we hardly ever look up to the sky anymore...like what happens when we lose hope...we look for hope around us but never above us.

So why do some people teach their children the story of Noah's Ark? It's because floods happened. Houses fell down. Yet, there were Arks which preserved, doves brought news of new life, and a rainbow which could be a reminder that life will continue. Next time you catch sight of a rainbow, allow yourself to hope that life will find a way to be sustained through the most overwhelming floods or listening distressing news about our national situation.

If I tell my children the story of Noah's Ark, it will go this way: Long ago there was a flood, worse than anything we've ever seen and probably will ever see. One family knew that things were going to get bad, but had hope for the future, and built an ark to keep them afloat during the flood. They made the ark big enough not only for their family, but for as many animal families as they could save. When the rain came the family was safe and waited for many weeks in the crowded ark for a sign that the rain was over and a safe place to live on dry land. They built a new home and went back to the business of living life, sad for all they had seen, and at the same time glad to be alive.

Each time we see a rainbow in the sky, we can think of that family and remember that, as bad as things might be, life will go on. Life everywhere is getting harder. We have more reason to spread hope nowadays. May we always see the rainbow and point it out to others or maybe even be a rainbow.

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER!!

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The Chemistry of Autumnal Colors

The first step towards getting somewhere
is to decide that
you are not going to stay where you are.
~~John Pierpont Morgan

Autumn is in the air. It's not exactly New England, but where I live is looking quite picturesque at the moment, relishing the riot of fantastic autumnal colors in every corner of Central Oregon.

...Captured at Crystal Peaks and Peterson's Rock Garden.
A person could spend a lifetime learning from this place. There is probably a few more days in which to inhale her verdant fields of flowers and hidden damp darkness. I choose to spend my time collecting the spice of the earth, the gout de terroir, particular flavor of soil that makes this place unique in all the world. If I’m very lucky I can come to know this place a little bit, perhaps to recognize the angle of the sunflowers bow, or the change in lilt of the chickadee song when the sun comes out from behind that cloud. Yes that particular cloud, the one that is now changing, the one that is now changed, the one that is no more and will never be again.

This is the truth of living in the moment. Knowing that every breath of the universe is a precious gift that will never be again. It exists in and for itself and the most that we can do is join the dance.

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER!!

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Process Versus Product

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters
of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
and though they are with you,
yet they belong not to you.
~~excerpt from The Prophet

It's not news I am an obsessed knitter/craft junkie. Recently, a friend's husband spotted me on the street by my double-knitting scarf in the making, draped around my neck! (Just imagine I am caught on candid camera...comical you say.) Now leading up to the core of the post...just bear with me a little longer, I am getting there.

The notion of process versus product surfaces regularly in conversations among knitters. Process knitters enjoy the act of knitting, the feel of the yummy fiber as each strand passes through their fingers, seeing each stitch emerge and pattern gradually reveal, and the meditative state of busy fingers. Product knitters appreciate seeing, feeling, and using their Finished Objects (FO), happily foregoing swatching (that's me!) or knitting with bulkier yarn in order to get their FO off the needles sooner.

Like many knitters, I have both process and product tendencies. I will elaborate on that over my crafty blog on another day. As an unschooling parent, I am much less concerned with how my children will turn out. I cringed when I hear people declaring they are considering prep school for their preschool-age children in order for them to get a good education, get into a good college and have the right
ions in life--the very same song my parents sang. I'm not looking to mold my children into a packaged product, a slick and glossy FO whose achievements I may brag about.

I love sharing in my children's process of childhood, learning alongside them, watching them emerge and evolve. If one day, they could ever be considered FOs, I trust they will turn out just fine.

I recall a passage from THE PROPHET by Khalil Gibran: Your Children are Like Arrows. It struck me, then and now, the most important thing to me is my children are unstressed by artificial, societal constraints, loved, and loving in their everyday lives, playful and free to learn what they need and desire--at every given moment--and my personal experience with our way of living so far enable me to trust the process is working in good order.


Last week, my 12-year-old became happily employed, independent young lady and received her first hard-earned wages. She is only an inch shorter than me, but her feet is a size or more larger than mine. I reminisce and relish the first day she came into my life in my arms, for the first time, tiny and crinkly...Life is short. If parents spend time spinning their wheels trying to re-make their children, the chance to really know the children as they already are is lost.

Here is a bit of sweetness to fill your home and your heart with...while baking and cooking aplenty. Everyone, children or adults, can't wait for these muffins to come out of the oven! Triple the recipe...you won't regret it.

(Makes 18 average-sized muffins)
½ C Brown Sugar, packed
½ C Olive Oil (or Applesauce)
4 Eggs
1 15-oz Canned Pumpkin
½ C Water
1 t Vanilla Extract
1 C All-purpose Flour
½ C Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 t Baking Powder
½ t Baking Soda
¼ t Ground Cloves (add more Ground Cinnamon or Allspice if you don't have this)
1 t Ground Cinnamon
¼ t Salt
¼ t Ground Nutmeg (add more Ground Cinnamon if you don't have this)
¼ Cup semisweet chocolate chips and/or chopped nuts(optional)

Preheat oven to 400°. Line muffin (or loaf) pan with liner. Mix sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, then, add pumpkin and water. In another bowl, mix together remaining ingredients. Add wet mixture and stir in chocolate chips and/or nuts. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

Great served warm with butter the next day, if any left! Another option: Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of the muffins before baking. The kids love them!

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER!!

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Changed for the Good

Only I can change my life.
No one can do it for me.~~Carol Burnett

The weather has been beautiful outside, a little humid perhaps...with a few thunder/lightning storms in between...but I do love the smell of Fall air. The aroma smells like vacation. Duh...I'm sure you all know...everyday is like vacation around here!

It’s probably not very nice to admit this. Life without blogging has been fun for a couple of months. Besides knitting, sewing, hiking, biking, and hanging out with friends, summer is also about reading...precisely Stephanie’s Twilight series. I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed reading these books in the past few years. Now my 12-year-old is hooked on it too. It’s such a compelling story. Like many out there, I am a follower of her imaginary world. I haven't gotten around to the final book, which has been on my headboard idling, crying for my attention for the past month. Perhaps, I'll get to it recovering from five days spent at Chautaugua--our annual family retreat.

We've been back a week now since our vacation. The Chautauqua Unschooling Family Retreat was, of course, our biggest highlight. It is impossible to overstate the difference in our lives attending the retreat has created. The first one was last year. We were curious about what other unschooling families were like in their philosophies/styles and what it would be like living with them on a private island for five days. By the end of the retreat, the intimate experience affirmed our perspective and enhanced our appreciation of so many things in life. We had moved from meeting people to knowing people to developing friendships and finding connections outside of just being unschoolers, too. It affected my children profoundly...they have friends outside of Bend, Oregon and California, friends they are eager to see again. I hardly saw my children. They were living and learning all over the island with their friends. Thanks to my friend Monique, I finally learned how to make a few of Temari, a Japanese toy, which I will share at my crafty blog later in the week. Attending the retreat is like attending a family reunion. I cannot say enough great things about the retreat, only that my children literally started counting the days to the next reunion as soon as they departed from the last one. (And, YES, I have loads of memories captioned to share but can't locate the missing card and connector at the moment~~I'll upload ASA it's found!)

Next year's retreat will be on September 14-18. We would love to have you and your family to join us in Chautauqua. Reserve the dates, mark your calendar, and spread the words! The more the merrier! It is not restricted to PNWers. We have families returning from Connecticut and Canada each year. For more information, click here.

Before wrapping the post, this one is for you, my dearest friends

WICKED
I've heard it said,
that people come into our lives
for a reason,
bringing something we must learn.
And we are led
to those who help us most to grow -
if we let them,
and we help them in return
...
It well may be
that we will never meet again
in this lifetime,
so let me say before we part:
So much of me
is made of what I learned from you,
you'll be with me
like a handprint on my heart.

And now whatever way our stories end,
I know you have rewritten mine
by being my friend
...
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you...I have been changed
For Good.

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER!!

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Fantasy Haven at Petersen's Rock Garden

Happiness is not a destination.
It is a method of life.~~Burton Hills

Headed south on Route 97 to Petersen's Rock Gardens, off the road to the right a mile or so...suddenly we, COOL families, arrived at the garden. It's a little bit hard to find--just look for a patch of bright blue Oregonian sky above--and don't miss the fluorescent rock display in the museum.

Internationally famous and visited by people from almost every country in the world, this incredible landscaped garden; well-maintained by the family--started in 1935--is a testament to dedication and fruits of one Danish immigrant's labors, Rasmus Petersen, who came to America in 1906, at the age of seventeen. As scenic attractions go, the garden is small, nestled away in 10 miles SW of Redmond, a fast growing town in Central Oregon.

The late Petersen--a friendly man, hard working, and interested in community affairs--paid homage to America with his feverish folk art constructions of stone and glass, including an Independence Hall and a phosphorescent tribute to democracy. The bronze plaque below his Statue of Liberty holding a light bulb torch reads: Enjoy Yourself--It Is Later Than You Think.

Almost all the rocks--petrified wood, Oregon agate, jasper, thundereggs, malachite, lava, and obsidian--used here to cover four acres with castles, ponds and bridges came from within a 85-mile radius of the garden. Evidence of his love and respect for God and his adopted country is seen in the numbers of miniature churches, the flag of the United States, and the magnificent Statue of Liberty, which a sculptor carved from a local boulder.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
Glad we came. It was a delightful educational excursion to send off the short-lived summer. I'm amazed by this one man's talent, handiwork, and ambition. As my 7-year-old says Totally Awesome, Dude!

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER!!

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In Memorance of 9/11

Today marks the Seventh anniversary of the September 11th attacks, a day of rememberance for those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. This should not be a day of mourning but a celebration of life--the lives of the victims of the tragedy. If we remember them for who they were, not what happened, they will never truly be gone.

My dedication: Remember those you love and celebrate life today, enduring through these tragedies.

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER!

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Bird Species in Decline

Be like the bird,
who halting in his flight on limb too slight,
feels it give way beneath him,
yet sings knowing he hath wings.~~Victor Hugo

I've heard some disturbing news from Britain. According to this article by Louise Gray of The Telegraph, some of British well-known birds are in danger of dying out. The species that have seen a dramatic fall in their populations are cuckoo, turtle dove, grey partridge and corn bunting. There are reports announcing bird species all over the world are threatened. Main reasons for the decline is believed to be agriculture, logging (habitat destruction) and invasive species.

Birds can also be seen as barometer of how the state of nature really is. Declining bird populations is a really bad sign about the state of nature in general.

I hope we are able to stop this decline as birds are a very important part of the nature. Just think about going for a walk in the woods without hearing any bird chirps. That would be a very sad day.

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER!

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We are back...with Yummylicous Banana Crumb Muffins

Peace, you are my friend.
I keep you by my side
and in my heart at all times.

No, we didn't fall off the planet...just downright busy living and experiencing life.

Where should I start? My laptop is fried after ds spilled a few drops of water on the keyboard in the middle of the night last week. Yesterday, the backup/only PC version laptop was infected by viruses according to AntiVirus 2009 that was downloaded onto the laptop unexpectedly. After hours of troubleshooting and a system restore to last Friday, it still keeps locking up now when I try to upload photos stored in san disks. Consequently, there will be no photos to share taken in past two days until...Is this a hint? Should I get a new laptop? Decision, decision! All will have to wait after our annual family retreat in Chautaugua with over a hundred of unschoolers in a secluded island near Lincoln City, OR. Won't you come and join us for a great vacation?

After a couple of 103° days, I was thrilled to welcome a few thunder storms with hail, a cold night, and chilly morning--cascade mountains are covered in snow this morning. As I peeked out the window, sun is smiling in the bright blue sky. It will be a glorious day! Plus, our friends from Eugene, OR, will be here this afternoon, spending a night at our home.

Our lives didn't slow down as I wished at all this summer. My younger daughter recognized the milestone in her life--another phase of her adventurous life--when she said farewell to the last day of single digits while welcoming double digits last week of July. She's spirited. She's my drama queen. I'm every bit grateful for her entry into my world a whole decade ago. Here, here, here, and here are some magical moments captured during her surprise celebration put together by her older 12-year-old sister. She is loved and joyful!

We have been busy with 4H Sewing Contests/Exhibits, preparing for local County Fair and working at 4H Cafe during county fair. Both girls did very well and came away with two projects each going to State Fair in Salem next week. In fact, I had to get up and drive to 4H office (an hour away) yesterday morning at 7 to drop off the projects! Now, we are officially off for the summer :0)

At the beginning of the summer, I participated in a free beta group program titled LIFE SKILL offered by Mental Health Services. Okay, NO, I am not mentally disturbed...at least I don't think I'm! (heehee) I was somewhat apprehensive at first. Now halfway through, I find it refreshing, actually helpful, and look forward to my weekly meetings. One of the skills we worked on was assertive communication. I had a hard time doing the assignment for this particular topic due to my cultural background and core values. I rarely can say no to anyone. I will bend so that others' needs are met. So in the past few weeks, I have been rethinking of my core values...some good, some not-so-good. At times, it is even stressful. But, I recognize it's a process; I am mindful about them and leave it at all.

Besides spending most of our days hiking around town (like here, here, and here,) on/in the river, and playing gracious hostess to our friends from Ireland, one of the most rewarding activities we adapted this summer is volunteering at a rescued horse ranch (here, here, and here) The kids love being there doing chores, riding, observing nature, discovering critters, and making friends even in mid-90° days.

At a local quilt show here in town over the weekend, my 12-year-old enjoyed viewing and appreciating hundreds of wonderful glorious quilts by local quilters. She even spent a whopping $1.00 for bags of quilting scraps and stripes to create her own (that is not a ragged quilt which she knew how to make!) I brought out many great quilting books from my collection for her to browse through and read if it interests her. So yesterday, in one afternoon while I was off to my 2-hour appointment, she managed to select scraps in different values, cut into 2.5" squares, and sew five of 4-square blocks!

There were a lot of crafty creations made in the summer which I will show in my crafty blog later when I am caught up. Stop by for a peek if you will.

Now...Are you or your precious tired of the breakfast menu served lately in your home like cereal, bacon and eggs, pancakes/waffles...or banana bread never appeals to little ones. Now, say GOODBYE to banana bread and HELLO to yum yum and moist banana muffins that melt in the mouth. We even had these as snack or dessert after dinner. If it weren't for 100 ° days, my kids would have me bake them everyday!

INGREDIENTS
1 C All-Purpose Flour
½ C Wheat Flour
1 t Baking Soda
1 t Baking Powder
½ t Salt
1 t Cinnamon
¼ t Nutmeg

4 Bananas, Mashed
¼ C White Sugar
¼ C Brown Sugar
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1/3 C Oil or Melted Butter
1 t Vanilla Extract

CRUMB TOPPING
¼ C Brown Sugar, packed
2 T All-Purpose Flour
1/4 t Ground Cinnamon
1 T Butter
½ C Walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts or pecans; optional

DIRECTION
Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups, or line with muffin or cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, mix top seven ingredients together and set aside. Beat together remaining ingredients. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together topping ingredients except for butter. Cut in butter until mixture likes coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. The crumb is what sets these scrumptious muffins apart from the ordinary. You can make this in an 8x8 pan and double the topping. Friends and families raved about these...you'll find not even a single crumb left on the plate ever.

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER!!

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