Farmhouse Garden

I have been in a sewing frenzy for the past couple weeks– it came on with the new year. But, I have to make time for fun activities with the kiddo, and she loves to cook. Here she is pretend cooking with pots and pans her Noonie gave her for Christmas on a stove I made by drawing burners on a diaper box with a red Sharpie. Kids are really pretty easy to please before they are tainted by consumerism.

So, a couple weeks ago we bought one of those bags of bananas at the grocery store– you know, the one that is full of bananas turning brown and costs a dollar. I thought, “Oh, I’ll make banana bread.” And then I took the bag home, and watched as the bananas aged every day, admonishing me from their bowl on the counter. As if I need more stress in my life. So, I gave half of them to a friend to lighten the emotional load, but still they sat. Soft and brown. Mocking me.

I finally got my rear in gear mid week and the baby and I donned our aprons for  a cook down. I started  by cooking with the apple baker full of potatoes, apples, and garlic (love roasted garlic mixed with olive oil as a condiment). Then, Gremel Lynn and I got to mashing, sifting, greasing, measuring, folding.... 

 It came out quite well, but I will use a smaller pan next time, as the center did not want to cook. We promptly gorged on it, and then ate more later, and some for breakfast the next morning, and again as a snack. What's left is in the freezer. 

I like this recipe because it uses 3 bananas per loaf. I modified it by subbing dates for walnuts (it's what we had at home) and adding a tablespoon of mayo per loaf. My family can find a way to put mayo in anything. Hellman's only- it makes the bread moist. Don't tell my sister I told you. Oh, and I sprinkled sugar on top, because crusty, baked sugar is yummy. 

Here is the recipe from the banana bag:

Banana Bread

8 tbs. (1 stick) butter, at room temp

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup whole wheat flour

3 large ripe bananas mashed

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup shelled walnuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5x3 bread pan. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt together, stir in whole wheat flour and add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Fold in bananas, vanilla, and walnuts. Pour mixture into pan, bake 50 to 60 min. or until cake tester comes out clean- cool in pan 10 min. on rack. Makes one loaf.