Fears, Rain & Cupcakes

The past 9 days have been unnerving to say the least. Alistaire fell backwards and smacked his head on my desk leg (the cool design from Costco was apparently not such a great idea, it has “X” legs). After a couple of Dr. visits to watch the lump on his head, and then x-rays on Tuesday (that was very traumatic – he howled and howled and I felt horrible having to hold him down), his pediatrician wasn’t sure. They couldn’t see any fractures and overall the baby was feeling great. After the Dr. had a conference with the specialist in Tacoma they decided to wait. But holy his head looked awful. He had a HUGE lump on the side/back of his head that only stabilized in size today.

Daddy’s hat covers a multitude of lumps!

Yesterday our Doctor called us and said he had a conference with another colleague, this time at Seattle Children’s Hospital. They recommended we bring him in for more testing, to rule out any internal pressure, under the skull. We took the risk of a CT Scan so we could get a better look.

The good news?

No internal pressure. No fractures. Just one hell of a swelling, which could be seen in the scans. For me, the scans were worth it. It allowed that tight feeling across my body and head to dissipate. To breathe again. To not be hyper-freaked that the swelling would get even bigger.

The downside is it is basically blood. And it is going to take a good amount of time to come down. He might get left with a small reminder of it above his skull, calcified. That’ll be a family lore to tell for years!

The happiness of my week was that. And then he walked last night!! By himself!! Those first steps 🙂 So happy!

“Coffee with Momma is the best!”

After so many stressful and sleep-deprived nights, filled with storms of thundering rain and snow, walking out of the hospital this afternoon to clear skies and dry roads was wonderful. And it seemed fitting to come home to what I had baked last night. I have said it before, when I am stressed, creating is an outlet for me. And due to my stress I had forgotten about a bunch of bananas. They were at that stage. The one where if you don’t make banana bread/muffins/cupcakes then the next day your compost bin is burping after eating up $3 of organic vittles (that might be the fat squirrels that chewed a hole into our bin)……So I got busy and made an inspired banana cupcake, moist inside with a snappy frosting on top. And oh yeah, they are vegan friendly to boot. And very toddler n’ teen approved.

Banana Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup really ripe banana, measured after mashing (about 2)
• ¼ cup neutral oil
• 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp pure almond extract
• 1¼ cups white whole wheat flour
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ cup walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°, line a 12 count muffin tin with foil lined papers.

Place walnuts on a small baking sheet, toast in oven for 5 minutes. Remove and let cool a bit, then finely chop in a mini food chopper.

Whisk wet ingredients smooth in a medium bowl.

Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl, add in walnuts, then wet ingredients, Stir till just mixed.

Divide evenly between liners, about ¼ cup per liner.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and tops are not damp. Let cool for 10 minutes, transfer to a cooling rack. Once cooled, frost as desired.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Maple Cream Frosting

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp non-hydrogenated shortening
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• Pinch fine sea salt
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1-2 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk

Directions:

Beat shortening with a hand mixer until smooth. Beat in salt and maple syrup, then add in sugar. Slowly add the milk, as needed, beating till smooth and just spreadable.

Spread on cooled cupcakes as desired. If piping, add a bit more milk.

Decorate as desired. banana chips make a nice edible topper.

~Sarah

PS: Don’t forget to enter for a chance at a copy of Vegan Slow Cooking – 2 more days left!