I love baking on the weekends. I've got the in-laws coming into town for the last home football game (already?) this weekend and I've got some brown bananas on my counter. I guess that means banana bread is in the works for me! I shared this recipe on my other blog a while ago....it's my mom's that she has been making since I was a little girl. It still gives me a warm fuzzy feeling when I eat it, and I still leave the "crust" for last because it's my favorite. I've got her original recipe copied down on a little notecard that I've had since high school and it's labeled "World's Best Banana Bread". I was (haha - still) quite dramatic about my food. I've adapted the recipe to be gluten free, and I also make a whole wheat version with a little less sugar. As far as I'm concerned it still passes the delicious test - maybe my mom will have to test it out to get the real expert's opinion?
what's in it?
FOR THE GLUTEN FREE VERSION...
1/2 cup shortening (I used Spectrum Organic)
1/4 cup white sugar + 1 packet of stevia
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
2 cups Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose GF Flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 medium bananas – black and mushy and super over-ripe!
Optional: for an extra treat - add some chocolate chips. I use Enjoy Life dairy/soy/gluten free chips in mine.
For a non-gluten free/whole wheat version - just swap the 2 cups of GF flour for 1 cup whole wheat + 1 cup white flour.
1/2 cup shortening (I used Spectrum Organic)
1/4 cup white sugar + 1 packet of stevia
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
2 cups Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose GF Flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 medium bananas – black and mushy and super over-ripe!
Optional: for an extra treat - add some chocolate chips. I use Enjoy Life dairy/soy/gluten free chips in mine.
For a non-gluten free/whole wheat version - just swap the 2 cups of GF flour for 1 cup whole wheat + 1 cup white flour.
how to do it?
- Cream your shortening, sugar, stevia and applesauce together.
- Add the eggs and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour together with baking soda (hey look! No gums added!)
- Blend your wet ingredients with the flour mixture. Then mix in the mashed bananas. This is the time to stir in your chocolate chips if you would like.
- Pour into a large loaf pan (greased first!) and bake at 350 degrees for 45 -50 minutes.
nutrition facts
Serves 10
whole wheat version facts...
1 serving = 250 calories - 33 grams carbs - 11.5 grams fat - 4.1 grams protein - 10 grams sugar
This is the one treat that I don't try to mess with too much to make it uber-healthy. I have made it really low sugar, and for me that's enough. I've got plenty of other recipes that I add protein and chia and flax too...but Mom's banana bread just isn't the place. Eat in moderation and enjoy every bite.
whole wheat version facts...
1 serving = 250 calories - 33 grams carbs - 11.5 grams fat - 4.1 grams protein - 10 grams sugar
This is the one treat that I don't try to mess with too much to make it uber-healthy. I have made it really low sugar, and for me that's enough. I've got plenty of other recipes that I add protein and chia and flax too...but Mom's banana bread just isn't the place. Eat in moderation and enjoy every bite.
in other news . . .
Oh yeah...there was something about bison and birthdays in the title? Well - one of the cool crazy weird things about my life is that I work at a ranch. So random. It's been one of those cool opportunities that has come from being a coaches wife. There aren't always jobs in your field where your husband is coaching - and I've been forced to find a job outside of fitness while we are here in Alamosa. Fortunately, I get to work in a beautiful setting with wonderful people and hey - I get to hang out with bison sometimes. Last week we picked some bison out of our giant wild herd to create a domesticated herd. Here's a pic from the other day - when we were sitting on hay bales in the middle of the corral. Yep - hopped the fence and just walked right in. Ummm....how cool is that?!
And when the work week is over - it's back to my football wife life. Like I said, we have family coming into town this weekend for the game and we're doing some belated and early birthday celebrating! It's a birthday - so I had to splurge on our treats. Mocha Frappuccino Football Cupcakes! Incorporating the two birthday boys' loves...coffee and football! These are gluten free chocolate cupcakes (from a mix) with some instant espresso mixed in. Topped with vanilla frosting and chocolate and Kona coffee shavings. Um...Yum?
This weekend will have a little more splurging than usual. I plan to balance it out with lots of fresh veggie prep on Sunday, some power yoga and a sunshine-y run.
what about you?
What do you make when you have family coming into town?
Are birthdays a free sugar pass for you? Or do you make healthy treats?
Are birthdays a free sugar pass for you? Or do you make healthy treats?