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!

Oh How Olive You!

Does anyone love olives as much as I do?!?

Oh my-lanta! I love them so much!

Combine them with an easy quick bread

and VOILA, you have a taste bud explosion.

Quick breads are so great -

just dump your ingredients into a mixing bowl

whisk a bit and you're done.

Try out Cheese and Olive, Buttermilk Quick Bread
it's a super easy recipe -

it'd be great to go along side
a pasta meal, a salad
or as an hor dourve.
We made this bread for the first time
a few weeks ago and took to our
daughter and son in law's
for a great family dinner night.
She baked a whole chicken
for the very first time
and survived the horrifying experience.
AND it was DELICIOUS!!!
Check out her blog about
our fantabulous night.

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 1/4 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
  1/2 cup parmesan
  1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup green olives, sliced
8 pieces sundried tomatoes, sliced thinly
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
2 eggs
2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
(or substitute with milk -
use 1 1/4 cup of regular milk less 1 Tbsp
and add 1 Tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice.
Set aside for 10 minutes before using)

Egg wash - 1 egg yolk plus 2 tsp water, mixed
Extra Thyme and Sea Salt for topping

WHAT TO DO:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Generously butter a large loaf pan and either line it
with parchment paper or dust with flour. Set it aside.

  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda,
salt, pepper and mustard powder.
Whisk dry ingredients.
Add both cheeses, olives, sundried tomatoes
and thyme and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs,
then whisk in the oil and buttermilk
until they are well combined.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture
and pour in the wet ingredients.
Stir together to form a thick, sticky batter.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan
and spread it out evenly.

Brush the top of the batter with the egg wash
and sprinkle some thyme leaves and sea salt
on top of the loaf.

Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until a fine skewer
inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
If the top starts to brown too much, place a piece of foil
the top of the loaf and continue baking.
Remove from the oven but leave in the pan
for 5 minutes or so before turning onto a wire rack.
Serve immediately or wrap tightly
to keep it from drying out.
Warm in the microwave if serving another time.

ENJOY!!!