One afternoon when my husband got home after work, he went to get a snack. By 3:45, he is ready for something to eat before dinner, which typically every night is about 6:00. I buy him the little chocolate chip muffins from Aldi’s that he loves with his morning coffee. These one-bite wonders are perfect for fast mornings and an afternoon snack. We got to talking about these muffins, and I said to him about making him homemade ones. Of course, he loved that idea. I told him blueberry ones were my favorite with the sugar crumb top. Chris doesn’t love blueberries like I do, so he prefers chocolate chip. I grew up with my momma making blueberry muffins and remember her dunking the tops in melted butter and then rolling them in a delicious sugar crumb topping. Man, I’d kill for one of them right now! (Momma, can you make these some Thursday night with family dinner, please!?) Of course, I could do it myself, but there is nothing like your momma’s cooking/baking. I guess I should get that recipe, though, and share it with you all very soon.
As Chris and I were talking about muffins and how he would like me to make him ones homemade, he then said, “You know what else I love, and you don’t make?”
I said, “What? Because you are just so deprived of good food. You poor thing!”
He started to laugh and said, “No, I’m not saying that. I’m just saying it’s something I never saw you make before, and I really like it.”
I asked him what it was, and he explained to me that he loved banana bread and zucchini bread.
I was honestly surprised by this because I didn’t think he loved bananas that much. Unless it’s an apple, watermelon, or grapes once in a while, I can’t get my man to eat much fruit. And the zucchini!? Gosh, I don’t think I ever even heard him say the word zucchini, and I’ve been with him for twenty-three years. “OK, babe, I’ll make you banana bread sometimes, but no promises on the zucchini.” I didn’t have a recipe for either. I had to search.
I hadn’t had banana bread in years. How perfect that I had a few bananas ready to start turning any day now. That Monday, I made ham in the Crock-Pot. I rubbed a brown sugar glaze on it every hour. It smelled heavenly. Corn was husked and ready to put in a pot of boiling water. Cheesy broccoli rice casserole was prepared the day before, a watermelon was cut and chilled in the fridge, and those bananas were ready to be formed into a delicious bread.
Chris had no idea that I had made it. When 6 p.m. rolled around, everything was about done. My husband and kids were washing up while I was getting last-minute things on the table. Chris asked what he could do to help. The cheesy broccoli casserole was baking in the oven with the bread. I said to him about grabbing the casserole out of the oven for me knowing he would see the bread in there.
As he opened the oven door, he stopped and looked.
“Um. Is that what I think it is!?’ he asked.
I told him I had promised him banana bread and wanted to surprise him. He was very appreciative. His smile said it all!
We all enjoyed a warm slice with butter for dessert. It was delicious! But honestly, it was even better as the days went on. Now, those days didn’t last very long because the bread was gone by day four, but I loved the recipe I made for it. It was so easy, smelled divine baking, and had such a great flavor that you honestly didn’t even need butter on it!
Now, who has a good recipe for zucchini bread out there? I’m on the hunt to surprise my man yet again with that veggie bread. I just want to know who the person was out there that decided to try putting a boring zucchini in bread. Maybe it’s the same person who invented carrot cake? I have to say; I do love me some carrot cake. Zucchini bread is yet to be determined.
Banana Bread
Ingredients:
• 2 to 3 medium overripe bananas peeled (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups mashed)
• 1/3 cup butter, unsalted or salted, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (not baking powder)
• 1 pinch salt
• 3/4 cup sugar (1/2 cup if you would like it less sweet, 1 cup if more sweet)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 – 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 and spray an 8 by 4-inch bread loaf pan.
Mash the bananas and add the butter: In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas.
Mix in the remaining ingredients:
Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract.
Mix in the flour and pour into a bread pan.
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes at 350, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. A few dry crumbs are OK; streaks of wet batter are not. If the outside of the loaf is browned, but the center is still wet, loosely tent the loaf with foil and continue baking until the loaf is fully baked.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then remove the banana bread from the pan and allow cool completely before serving. Slice and serve.
Wrapped well, the banana bread will keep at room temperature for four days. For longer storage, refrigerate the loaf for up to 7 days, or freeze.
