Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Bananas Are Good For One Thing

I make an abnormal amount of banana bread. I would say that I make banana bread, banana cake, or banana muffins at least once a week. It is true that banana bread is one of my favorite things in the world, yet this is not the reason for such a banana frenzy. It is also true that I love to bake. Baking is a very relaxing and satisfying activity for me.

The reason for such a super-concentrated amount of banana sweets in my house can all be blamed on good intentions. I buy bananas to eat as a fruit. However, I get distracted and end up neglecting the bananas for an orange, or more likely, a piece of candy. As a result, the beautiful, yellow bananas turn into a perfect ingredient for a baked good. I am sure this is a metaphor for my life in some way, but I won't go into it.

I have two terrific banana bread recipes. My Grandma Mabel has a recipe that calls for one cup of brewed, room-temperature coffee that is so moist and flavorful that I highly recommend it. I also use Marilyn's recipe. Marilyn is the mother of one of my best friends and she is known as a great cook. Marilyn's is also very moist and flavorful, but instead of coffee to keep the bread moist, she uses sour cream. I have been testing out banana cake recipes and have finally found a really good one that uses allspice with an allspice cream cheese frosting. I am still looking for the perfect muffin recipe. With all of these recipes and bananas, Tim and I could not eat all of the baked goods, nor should we! So, Borders and school are the recipients of baked goods. They have come to expect banana goods. If it isn't banana, they are shocked.

I recommend that you try Grandma Mabel's recipe sometime. It won't disappoint.

Grandma Mabel's Banana Bread
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Parkey Margarine
2 eggs
2 smashed, very ripe bananas
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup room temperature brewed coffee
1 level tsp. baking soda dissolved in coffee

Cream sugar, margarine, and add egg once creamed. Add smashed bananas. Mix in flour and baking powder. Blend in coffee and soda mixture. Pour into greased loaf pans and bake for 50 minutes to an hour. I make one full loaf and two mini loafs with this recipe. It can make two regular loafs. Happy baking.

4 comments:

Taye David said...

Here is a random thought for you. I thought of this when reading this post. I know someone that hates the word moist so every time I hear that word I think of her. I hate the word penetrate, so when people say that word everyone knows I hate it. My husband hates the when people use the word surreal. Do you have words that you don't like? It may make a good blog if you ever are stuck. Hey, maybe I will do it on my blog as well!
Katie

patrick | steed said...

banana bread is YUM perfection. i want it in my belly.

Carm said...

Okay... this is freaking me out.

You know that thing they call the North Dakota game.... where you say, "oh, I'm from North Dakota." And then the random person you just met at the airport says, "Really? Cause my cousin's ex-wife is from some small town called Hazen..." And then it turns out I know the girl even though I have never been to Hazen but went to 4-H camp together when we were ten....

Well, here's the thing. I am randomly trolling blogs looking for ones by teachers for a presentation I am doing on using blogs in the classroom and I stumble on this one. Then I start reading and I think... this girl seems familiar but I don't know anyone in PA.... Then I read some more and I see the words Grand Forks.... and then I notice it says Sara Leann and I think .... Well, THAT sounds familiar... and then I see the name Tim and I think ... Wait, was that her hubbie's name? I am frantically looking for Star Trek references but then I spot one for Iowa and now I am convinced. I actually think I have stumbled upon my book club buddy from the days of RRVWP... I look forward to reading more! :)

Unknown said...

I love your banana bread...it's delicious, and we'll pretend that it's just as nutritious. I realize this is delusional, but I will take the bullet for being such in the name of Dudley's banana bread.