Making time for yourself, Pear Bread

Everyone in my house is sick. We're all stuffy and achy and coughing and sleepy. It is in times like these that a mommy can get stretched a little too thin... and the perfect time to nibble out a few minutes for yourself!


I promised myself as part of my New Year's Resolutions to make time for me. Some days I'm great at it... other days not so great. Some days I have to work to make that time for me.


Last night I took out one of my favorite recipes that I concocted a few years ago for Pear Bread. It is a simple and not overly sweet cake-like treat I used to make when Em was a baby and baby food was always in the house. Now that both boys are older, I only keep pear puree on hand for this special bread. It takes about 4 minutes to whip up, 47 minutes to bake, and as much or as little time as you have to enjoy it!


Pear Bread - Makes 16 adult or 32 kid sized slices
Can be doubled to make two loaves and freezes well if wrapped tightly.

• 1 1/2 cups regular white flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon or a bit more cinnamon
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 9 oz. Gerber, Stage 3 Pears (1 full jar and 1/2 2nd jar)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Butter bottom and sides of a standard bread pan
3. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl
4. Add eggs to bowl and stir a few times, but not fully mixed
5. Add pear puree and mix completely
6. Put batter in the bread pan and bake for 47 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Let sit for 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool.

I love pears, but this could easily be made applesauce or apple puree as well. To treat yourself a little more, serve on a nice plate with a cup of tea... I'm enjoying mine with Tangerine tea on my great-grandmothers china right now. :-) 'Ya gotta spoil yourself sometimes!!

Back to Camp GetAway for Celtic Mommy!

Camp GetAway weekend is coming! In just 36 days, I will be on my way back to CAMP! Yes, camp like when you were a kid-- up in the clean-air-filled mountains, sleepin' in a wooden cabin amongst the forest, eatin' delicious food and makin' crafts. Only now that I'm a 35 year old tired and frazzled mommy and not a 10 year old super energetic kid, the camp experience has evolved as I have...

You may remember that I went to Camp GetAway last September and wrote all about the fun I had. I slept without waking to a crying baby. I drank hot chocolate uninterrupted. I crocheted and tie-dyed and crafted to my hearts content!! Oh yeah and I got to be in the bathroom all by myself! (You mommies will surely understand that!)

That one little weekend kept me relaxed through to January and was one of the primary reasons for making my New Year's Resolution to be good to myself. Since I won another weekend back at Camp, I had planned on using it in September, making it a wonderful yearly retreat, but my mom had other plans for me. My mom had already signed up to go to Camp this April and wanted to be bunk mates with me. Campers often go in groups of friends or sisters or mother/daughter combos and you can choose to bunk accordingly if that is your wish. After pushing and prodding me for about half and hour, I gave in. It wasn't too hard to give in to this!!

24 hours later, I've faxed in my registration form and am already thinking about the party Saturday night! The last time I went, the themed party was Hawaiian night. Prizes were awarded for ugliest Hawaiian printed shirt, prettiest belly button, whitest legs and tannest legs. This time, it's the Groovy 70s!! Woo Hoo!! I was born in the 70s... I'll rock this!! Saturday Night Fever, Halter Dresses and Kaftans here I come! Of course, I just chopped off all my hair for charity, but I am sure I can still feather what's left a-la Charlie's Angels.

This time around I am getting a one hour massage! Camp GetAway's owner Patti, knows that we tired mommies never make time for ourselves and has manicurists, masseuses and facialists on hand to sculpt and relax us back into our cheery selves. Oh and did I mention the jacuzzi? My mom went last time and I am going this time!

Are you going to Camp?? Do you have any 70s ideas for me?? Let me know!