Banana-Blueberry Bread

Wowza, a year....really?  I finally started getting back into blogging, pretty much on the regular. This poor blog was still left all alone, but I noticed that I was still getting pretty regular views from Pinterest.  Hey there pinners!  I figured I would start it back up and see what happens.

This past weekend I went to a craft show, got rained out, and left with a TON of free produce that the vendors didn't want to pack up.

What do you do with 6 bunches of organic bananas?  You make Banana Bread of course!  My boys inhaled a loaf of blueberry bread that I brought home from there as well, so I decided to throw some blueberries in there as well.

I made this recipe up and am rather proud of it.  It came out SO moist and, I think, beautiful.

 I don't think I could ask for a prettier loaf of bread.

 I love how you can see the bananas as well as the blueberries on the top.

 GORGEOUS!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 ripe bananas, smashed (smash, but leave some lumps)
• 1/3 cup melted butter (I usually use unsalted, Eric bought salted.  I used that)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt, about 1/4 teaspoon or so
• 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh and rinsed (If you use frozen berries, thawed it would work as well.  You just run the risk of purple-ish bread)
• 1 1/2 cups bread flour (I grabbed this instead of all-purpose out of the pantry, you could use all purpose if that is what you have)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350F
2. Mix together mashed bananas and the melted butter.
3. Stir in the brown sugar, egg, and the vanilla.
4. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the banana mixture and mix in.
5. Stir in the rinsed blueberries.
6. CAREFULLY stir in the flour.  

(You don't want to over stir this.  If you do, you risk popping the blueberries as well as getting a hard loaf of bread.  You want to mix it JUST enough to include everything, but not so much to lose the chunks of blueberries and bananas.)
    
    7.  Butter and sugar a loaf pan.  Mine was 4x8.  It was a nonstick pan, but I didn't want 
         to risk anything. 
    8.  Pour batter into the pan.  The batter is THICK.  I had to use a rubber spatula to get
         it all in there.
    9.  Put the pan in the oven and set the timer for an hour.  Start checking around 50 
         minutes.  You want to cook it until you put a toothpick in the center and it comes
         out clean.
   10.  Once cooked, place the entire thing on a wire rack and let cook for 15 minutes.
   11.  After 15 minutes, remove from pan and try not to eat it all right then.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Coconut Breakfast Bar

So these bars are my adaptation from the Quantum Wellness Cleanse.  The original called for dried cherries...which I did not have.  I actually had some.  I bought some EXCLUSIVELY for this recipe.  AND I bought dried blueberries to add as well.  RIGHT as I was getting ready to add them, as in I already measured them and put them in a bowl, I noticed they were sweetened.  DANG IT.  Oh well.

It was too yummy looking and smelling.  I had to snag a piece.

 Ingredents:

• 1/2 cup vegan butter
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 2 1/4 cups steel-cut oats (uncooked)
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh
• 1 banana, smashed well against the side of a bowl
• Egg replacer equivalent to 2 eggs (Try Ener-G brand), prepare according to the directions on the box

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. Put the butter and agave in a small pan over medium heat and stir until melted
3. Mix oats, coconut, baking powder, and sesame seeds in a large bowl.
4. To the oat mixture, add the prunes, apricots, and blueberries.  Mix well.
5. GENTLY fold in the egg replacer.
6. Add the agave/butter mixture and banana to the oat mixture. Mix well.
7. Pour into a square baking pan.  Mine was 8x8
8. Bake for about 25 minutes.  Let cool and cut into 9 bars.

The "bars" were very soft.  The recipe said to remove them from the pan and then cut into bars.  This was not possible for me.  I cut them, but kept them in the pan and keep the pan in the fridge.  Messy to eat, but yummy.  I am thinking the fresh blueberries added more moisture and that is why they are soft.  Oh well.  Still yummy!

Enjoy!

Banana Bread

Cleaning the kitchen counters this morning I was excited to find out my bananas were super ripe.  First thought that went through my head was WOO HOO!  Banana bread time.

Being addicted to Pinterest, I decided to see if I could find any interesting recipes.  I found one, then I changed a whole bunch of things.  So I can say that this recipe is made, by me!  An original!  Woot!

Now, this bread is moister then most.  So it does not have the hard crunchy top, but fabulous. 

I love honey.  I think using it gives the bread an interesting flavor.  If you are not a honey fan, or don't have any, you can substitute 2/3 cup sugar in its place.  This will probably also help with the lack of crunchy top.  Also I am guessing this is why the bread has a darker color to it.  This is not burned in the least bit, but just darker then a normal loaf.

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons sour cream

1/2 cup honey, I used clover honey

2 extra large eggs lightly beaten, at room temperature

1 1/2 cup mashed very ripe banana, 2-3 depending on size

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon vinegar

 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 305*F.   Lightly spray an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with baking spray.
2. In one bowl mix the mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla, and vinegar.  Set aside.
3. In medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Set aside.
4. In the bowl for a stand mixer beat together the butter and honey for about 2-3 minutes.
5. Add in the flour mixture.  I added this in three batches so my kitchen did not get covered.  Mix until combined.
6. Add the eggs and mix until fully combined.
7. Using a spoon stir in the banana mixture until just combined.  Do not over mix.
8. Pour into your prepared loaf pan.
9. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Strawberry, Banana, SPINACH Breakfast smoothie

I guess you could have this at other times of the day.  I just drank mine, hence the name.  My good friend from High School, Erin Quarenski, posted a smoothie on Facebook the other day.  It looked so pretty. Nice and green and yummy looking.  So I decided to try to remake it. 

Did it turn out as pretty and green?

NOPE.  (I think I added too many blueberries and maybe it was the addition if the Whey Protein that did it.  But it still was yummy!)

FYI-You can not taste the spinach.  I can feel the fibrous nature in the smoothie, but it tastes like strawberry banana.

Ingredients:

BIG handful of spinach (I added more while blending too)

4 Strawberries

1 Banana

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup pineapple tidbits (big sale at the store.  I would have done fresh if I didn't have this)

1 scoop Whey Protein

Put it all in your blender/bullet/ what ever you have.

White powder is the whey protein.

Give it a good whirl.

Pour into a glass and

Smile.  You just consumed a good portion of you fruits and vegetables for the day!

Told you it wasn't that pretty.  But it tastes GREAT!

Nutter Butter®-Banana Pudding Trifle

Yes...you read that right.   Nutter Butter®-Banana Pudding Trifle.

Banana pudding in itself is fabulous.  Throw in Nutter Butters and you have heaven in the making.

I am not going to beat around the bush.  Here is the recipe.  It says it makes 8-10 servings.  Shh...I won't tell anyone how much you really eat!

 Ingredients

• 3 cups milk
• 2 (3.4 oz) packages of vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8oz container of sour cream 
• 5 medium-size ripe bananas
• 1 (1-lb.) package peanut butter sandwich cookies
• Thawed extra creamy whipped topping
• Garnishes: peanut butter sandwich cookies

Directions

1. Place 3 cups milk and vanilla in large bowl; add vanilla instant pudding mixes. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until thickened; let stand 5 minutes.

2. Stir in sour cream.  Chill.

3. Cut bananas into 1/4-inch slices. Break cookies into thirds. (Try not to eat too many.)

4. Spoon half of pudding mixture into a 3-qt. bowl or pitcher. Top with bananas and cookies. Spoon remaining pudding mixture over bananas and cookies. Top with thawed whipped cream. Cover and chill 2 to 24 hours. Garnish, if desired.

From Southern Living February 2009