Recipe: Banana Bread

I got this recipe from my best friend, but she doesn't write a blog (boooooo) so I can't link you to anything to show you all how awesome she is.

You remember this winter when we were all snowed in in the Midwest for, like, ever? People were calling it Snowmageddon or Snowpocalypse. The kids had been home from school for, like, ever. On one of those days (they all ran together) when cabin fever was setting in, I was texting the bff and she mentioned that she was baking banana bread. Oh man that sounded so good... and I had bananas in the freezer! I'm really good about putting bananas in the freezer when they start going brown... but I'm ashamed to admit I had never known what to do with them after that. I've actually thrown frozen bananas away (and then what's the point of having frozen them in the first place?)

Well, she talked me into setting those puppies out and thawing them out (which surprisingly doesn't take very long) and making banana bread with them... and since then I've made this bread at least a dozen times. So easy. So yummy.

Don't you just love how pretty a pile of sifted dry ingredients is? No? That's just me? I'm weird.

The recipe that she gave me and that I'm posting is for two loaves. I ALWAYS half it. Why? Honestly, I don't trust my waistline with TWO loaves sitting around my house. Especially when we were snowed in! I could have easily eaten right through both loaves, solo, in no time flat. Of course though, you could always make one loaf for your family and make one to give away.

Also, you know how sometimes you go about making a certain recipe, accidentally screw something up on it, but it ends up being the best thing you've ever eaten anyway? That happened with me once with this bread. After I'd gotten everything all mixed together and in the loaf pan I was doing one last skim down of the recipe when it hit me that I'd never put the salt in when I sifted the dry ingredients. So, I took a pinch of salt and sprinkled it over the top of the mix that was already in the loaf pan, before I popped it into the oven. That salt sprinkled on top made all the difference in the world! I'm not even kidding. And, now, even when I put the salt in with the sifted dry ingredients, I still sprinkle some on top before it goes into the oven. Just gives it an extra flavor boost. So yummy.

And when it comes out, almost before it's had time to cool (because I can't control myself) I cut a piece out of the very middle... spread butter on top... let my eyes roll back in my head... and enjoy a slice of heaven on a plate. It's also good with dark chocolate chips on top that get melted from the heat of the bread. Yum. 

And since my family doesn't like nuts in breads, I don't add any, but you very well could. I suppose, if that was your thing, it would be even yummier. 

One last thing...

I tried making this recipe once with gluten free all purpose flour and used agave in place of sugar and it was just as good.