Nothing into Something

Have you ever turned trash
into treasure?!?
Isn't it a fabulous feeling?!
My husband would say we are
on the verge of
a hoarders intervention,
but, SO. MUCH. TREASURE.
from all this junk is what I'm sayin'.

Do you know what the greatest food treasure
in the land is???
Banana Bread.  Oh yes it is.  Y.U.M.

It's amazing that you can take
nasty o' bananas that need to be trashed
(because they are having a fruit fly party),
and turn them into something magical.
Who would have thought?

Isn't this a pretty miraculous feat?

We usually under cook ours a bit
so the top caves in just a little.
It's cooked, just not as firm as the rest.
Gummy is yummy in our book!

Now, the fruit flies, oh, we can get rid of those -
(bonus recipe below)
but, do not throw those sad aging bananas away.

Our recipe makes "exactically"
1 large loaf pan and 2 small ones.
One for now, the other two to give
your starving college kids
or to throw in the freezer
and treat yourself later
when you realize they are still in there.
Or does that just happen to me?!

This Banana Bread recipe came out of

The Longview News Journal

many, many moons ago and

written by Barbara Richardson, whom my mom loved.

This recipe soon replaced the tried and true one

that my mother had faithfully made.

Mom's recipe was a bit simpler
and only required TWO bananas.

Barbara Richardson's requires the whole bunch!
(approximately 5)

Nice and banana-ey, just the way I like it.

WHAT YOU NEED:

3/4 cup butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups mashed bananas, over ripe

3/4 cup milk

5 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

6 teaspoons baking powder, yes 6

1 1/2 cups chopped nuts, optional

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium size bowl, or in your mixing bowl,

cream butter and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy.

Add eggs and vanilla

while scraping down the sides of your bowl

until well combined.

Stir in bananas and milk.

It will then look gross, like curdled milk.

Hang in there and just keep going.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.

Slowly add dry ingredients

to the mixing bowl and mix

until incorporated.

Stir in nuts, if using.

Divide equally into greased and floured pans.

(We actually just used non stick spray)

Bake for approximately 1 hour

for the largest loaf,

30-40 minutes for mini loaves.

Check doneness using an ice pick

or toothpicks.

The middle should be mostly done

or completely done if that's

how you roll.

After removing from the oven,

let the pans sit for a few minutes

before removing the loaves onto a wire rack.

I always cover them with a sheet of wax paper

when they come out of the oven
to keep them from drying out.

I actually place the loaves

into large ziploc baggies

while they are still quite warm

to retain their moisture as well.

Muy, muy, muy.

Whether yours has a gummy middle or not,

I hope you and your crew lap it up.

Our favorite way to eat Banana Bread

is to slice a chunk off and toast it.

Top it off with butter and a spread of cream cheese!

ENJOY!!!

Now, to deal with those pesky fruit flies.

WHAT YOU NEED:
Apple Cider Vinegar
Dish Soap
Small Drinking Glass

WHAT TO DO:
Pour apple cider vinegar into a small glass
to about 1 inch deep.
Drizzle about 4-5 drops of
dish soap into the glass.
Slowly with a spoon or your finger,
stir the two together without
sloshing it up the sides or making bubbles.
Set this mixture right in your kitchen window
and wait for the party to begin.
The fruit flies will smell the fruity-ness
and be drawn to get closer and closer
and then, whoops, they drown.
Hate that.

I don't know how old this recipe is or
where it came from, but it works
amazingly well.
It only takes a few days to round 'em up
and before you know it there will be
more fruit flies at the bottom of the glass
than you knew existed in your kitchen.
Eek.
I will refrain from posting the
'after' photo. :)

Have fun!