Banana Bread Remade . . .

Hey stranger! Oh, wait....that's me, isn't it? I definitely have been MIA lately and just not a very good blogger friend. I assure you, though, I have been doing fairly well at keeping up with my Google Reader. So while I'm not going well at updating you all on my life, I am most definitely keeping up with you guys!! ♥ I love all of the blogs I follow and continuing to learn about all of your lives is so rewarding to me.

A couple weeks back I had a bad cold and even after "recovering" (I still have a lingering cough, but at least it's not keeping me up at night anymore), it has still taken me a while to recover physically. It's kind of crazy how a cold that is contained merely in your head/chest can weaken your entire body. Lil devils. Also, since I've gotten my iPod Touch I only turn on my home laptop once a week or so. Yeah, I have a Blogger app on the iTouch, but the pictures don't add the way I like. They just add at the bottom...I can't position them where I want and write around them. Oh wells, I'll try to update more often via that, though if I enclose pictures, ...you've been warned of their poor placement.

Anywho! On to a recipe, shall we?!?!

I was going to name this "Unhealthified Banana Bread", but wasn't really confident on the health content of typical banana bread in the first place...so, I'll just call it remade!!

This recipe comes from a dear friend and coworker...and is simply amazing! I took a lot of pictures because...well, I was experimenting with taking pictures while the Kitchen Aid was running. It kind of fascinated me. Hey, I'm easily amused. (Side note: Speaking of easily amused, my windshield wipers have needed replaced for a couple months. My dad was so kind as to do so for me while changing my oil the other day and boy did I forget what it was like to have good windshield wiper blades! It's the little things in life, I tell ya!!)

I've been on a banana kick...I think my "kick" has run out...cuz I let a lotta naners get this ugly!

Like I said...lotsa pictures.

The recipe originally directed this to be baked in a normal loaf pan, but as Cindy and I both learned, that ends up requiring you to bake this for FAR too long and even then, the outside gets MUCH more done than the inside (not that I'm complaining...I'm all for a little batter in my bread/cake/cookies).

Cindy solves this by baking the batter in muffin/cupcake tins, which I think I will try next time. I thought I'd be creative this time and use the $1 bundt pan I scored at Goodwill with Kenz a while back. Even though the bottom/outside turned out a little crispy (looks worse than it tasted), you have to admit...it's gorgeous!!

Cindy's Banana Bread

1 Cup sugar

2 Cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 Cup melted butter

2 eggs

1 Cup mashed banana

1/4 Cup sour cream

1 Cup nuts (optional)

1/2 Cup peanut butter (no need to measure...there's no such thing as TOO MUCH!!)

package of milk chocolate chips

Oh yes, she adds pb & chocolate chips!! Believe me, it's worth the calories!!

Just mix everything up, adding choc chips at end, put in a greased ______ of your choice and baking @ 350 until done.

In my bundt pan I did 45 minutes, in muffin tins you'll probably do a little less. If you do a big loaf pan, you're talking over an hour. Another alternative would be smaller loaf pans.

Try it out and let me know what you use and how yours turn out!!