Something you may not know about me? I love to bake, and after sharing some of the things i’d been making on my instastories, I got an overwhelming response to please share recipes. I love to give you what you want, so I made a new category here on my blog to share Recipes. It’s under Lifestyle in the drop down and I hope you’ll try the recipes I share. I will be sharing family recipes and ones I have created. Bare with me as I promise my food photography will get better! 

I love to entertain as you know, and I’ve been cooking and baking since I was so young! I won the BEST apple pie in the 3rd grade and would have been one of those kids vying to be on today’s Baking kids championships, had we had those then! My time it was country fair and school baking competition, Boy times have changed! Not that I am a fancy baker (I am not) I just love to bake good basic’s!

Once Upon a time, years ago I put on scrapbooking retreats and I cooked all the meals, 3 meals a day plus snacks. The ladies always raved about my food and wanted me to create a cookbook and while I said I would, I collected mine and my families recipes, but I never put that book together!  Maybe one day I will, but until then i’ll be sharing my favorites here! My plan if all goes well, is to share a recipe with you every Monday.  So here’s goes my first Monday Recipe, My Grandma’s Banana bread or muffins recipe, with a couple of improvement’s!  My grandma Mercer made this bread every Christmas and sometimes we’d get lucky and get it for a family gathering throughout the year. I started making this bread when I got married and giving out to our neighbor’s, Ups, mailman and friends for Christmas. I’d make 24 loaves! I’d save every brown spotted banana and threw it in the freezer. At first my hubby would question all the bananas taking up all the freezer space, but now nobody say’s a thing! They get really excited if they see them defrosting in the sink!

My Boy’s are terrible… They’ll each eat a loaf  in a day if i’d let them! When I make a batch I alway’s make multiple batches. If making for my family i’ll do 4 batches, and make two trays of muffins and 4 medium loaves, then i’ll freeze 1/2. When I make at Christmas i’ll make 8 to 12 batches and make some medium loaves and the rest mini loaves to give as gift’s. 

My Grandma’s recipe called for 3 overripe banana’s, I do 4 and I make sure the bananas have been frozen and then thawed. This makes for the most moist banana bread you’ve ever have. I also added chocolate chips or nuts, my grandmothers was just plain banana bread. You can leave out the Chocolate chips or the nuts if you wish, the main recipe won’t change.

Recipe: Best Banana Bread with Chocolate chips

2cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 overripe bananas

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For a variation add chocolate chips ( 2 cups)  walnuts or pecans (1 cup)!

powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease your muffin or loaf pan’s. Mash the bananas with a fork in a small bowl and then whip them, set aside. in large bowl add butter, eggs, vanilla beat well. Mix dry ingredients, fold in the banana’s and chocolate chips or nuts or both. Pour batter into loaf or muffin pans. Give the pan a good rap on the counter to get rid of air bubbles!  Place in oven, oven’s all range in heat temperatures so time could vary, so I say start checking in 45 min but could go as long as 1 hour. Test by sticking a toothpick in center, if comes out clean, it’s done! Makes 1 large loaf or  2 small loaves. 

I hope you enjoy one of my families favorite treats! Ox

Remember I am not trained in baking or cooking in anyway, I am just a wife and mom cooking for family & friends. Please let me know if you tried the recipe and  how they turned out! OX, D’Arcy