Recipe: Banana Bread

Overall, I would have to say I enjoy cooking.  I'm not a huge fan of cooking things that take more than 30 minutes or use tons of pots, pans, and dishes to make. I enjoy the kind of cooking where you can throw everything together quickly, pop them in the oven, crock pot, or leave them on the stove and kind of forget about them for a while.

I think this is why I truly enjoy baking.  Usually you can throw the ingredients into a bowl, mix it up, put them in the oven and take them out when the timer goes off.  One of my MOST favorite things to bake is banana bread.

I love banana bread and have fond memories of my mom making it when I was a child.  I loved that I got to have it for breakfast. It was the BEST! When I went off to college and was living in my very own, first apartment I had a hankering for some banana bread so I got on the internet and search for a recipe.

Bad plan.

Even though the recipe's title was "Delicious Banana Bread" (or something along those lines), it was not very good. It was not as moist or as flavorful as my mom's recipe is. So, what did I do next? Took pictures of my mom's recipe and saved them on my phone so I could make the BEST banana bread whenever I want.

My favorite thing about this recipe, is when you are searching for it in her cook book it is easily found because the page is extremely worn and stained from being used so much.  It shows how much my mom has made it throughout her lifetime.

So, I wanted to share this recipe with whomever reads this blog, because it is so good.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons salad oil
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup ripe mashed bananas (2-3 medium bananas)
Optional:
1 cup nuts

My mom also likes to add chocolate chips. However, I am not a huge chocolate fan so I omit those. But, I know many others love chocolate chips, so add those to your hearts desire!

* Tip: A tip from my mom. When you are adding the bananas keep them in the peel and mush them up before taking them out. Then you can just take an end off the banana and squeeze them out and they will be mashed already.

Instructions;
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan (or mini loaf pans. I love my mini loaf pans!)

Measure all ingredients into a large mixing bowl; beat on medium for 1/2 minute (or by hand until everything is combined if your me and are too lazy to get out your hand mixer)
Make sure the sides and bottom get thoroughly combined.

Pour into pan(s).

Bake 55-5 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick into the middle and it comes out clean. (No sticky dough residue on the tooth pick.) This is an important step because I have under baked banana bread before.

Remove from the pan and enjoy!!

Baking ( A little over half done, I'd say.) See my mini loaf pans!? So great for sharing with neighbors, friends, or coworkers!

Mmmm! Done! It looks SO GOOD! Makes me want some now. 

(These pictures were from a few weeks ago.)