Banana Nut Bread

My kids seem to go through phases when it comes to bananas. For a couple weeks, they can't get enough of them so I keep the kitchen stocked. And then one day, I'll bring home a bunch of bananas that goes untouched. Luckily, my husband loves banana nut bread. :-D

I found this recipe on the Food Network's site and it's YUMMY! Please visit their site for full instructions.

Here's what you need:

• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt 
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature 
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan 
• 1 cup sugar 
• 3 very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed with a fork (about 1 cup) 
• 1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces 

I always double the recipe which makes 3 loaves for me (but I think that is because one of my pans is bigger than the other two). Also, my kids don't like nuts, but the Hubs does, so I usually make the bigger loaf without nuts and the two small loaves with. And I pretty much always use cooking spray instead of greasing pans with butter. It's always worked fine for me :-)

Here is what you do:

 Cream together the butter and sugar.

While that is going, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

and whisk together the eggs and vanilla and then set aside.

Gradually add the egg mixture to the creamed butter and sugar.

Mash your bananas with a fork (I used to skip this step thinking it didn't matter...IT DOES! Completely changes the texture of your batter, so don't skip this step :-) ) Then add the bananas to your mixture.

Once that's done, add your wet ingredients to the dry, mixing with a rubber spatula just until incorporated.

At this point, I scoop out enough to make my kids their nut-free loaf and then fold in the nuts to the rest of the batter.

Divide into your greased pans and bake for 55 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean) at 350 degrees. 

Enjoy!!

Chocolate Cake in a Cup

Ever been in the mood for a chocolatey treat but have NOTHING in the cupboards? Or you want something quick and don't feel like going through the hour long hassle of baking? This is the perfect solution! A little too perfect actually. It's too easy to do, which can be a little dangerous :) But if you are really wanting a quick treat, this is awesome.

I've tried quite a few of these mug cake recipes and this is by far the easiest, not to mention the best tasting and the best texture. Many of them turn out very spongey, but this one is perfect.

Here's what you need:

1 egg
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup powdered sugar

And....that's it! You can add a splash of vanilla and any extra bits if you desire. We often drop in a handful of chocolate chips and/or marshmallows to kick it up a notch.

Mix them all together (the egg is beneath the sugar and cocoa in this pic).

Pop in the microwave for 30-50 seconds. My daughter likes her very dry so we go for 50 seconds for her. For a moister cake, go for 30-40.

You end up with a crazy looking lump of a cake, but it's delicious!! You can top with powdered sugar, ice cream, or whipped cream, but this cake is plenty sweet enough to not need anything extra.

(I don't remember where I found this recipe, it's been quite awhile, but similar recipes can be found at Babble, and Chocolate Chocolate and More

We All Scream For Ice Cream...Bread!

Yep, I said ice cream bread. It's ridiculously easy ya'all and it's yummy! I found the recipe on The Hungry Housewife (through Pinterest, of course) and my kids went crazy over it :)

This is what you need:

2 Cups Ice Cream, any flavor, softened
1 1/2 cups Self-Rising Flour (If you don't have self-rising (I never do) just add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt for every cup of flour (sift together).

Annnd, yep, that's IT! :)

Preheat your oven to 350. Spray and flour a loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper.

Mix the ice cream and flour together until just combined. Smooth it into the loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs).

Then enjoy!!

We used Neapolitan ice cream - next time I'd probably use something with a stronger flavor. The bread was a bit bland, but still a nice yummy treat :)