Banana Bread (the BEST ever!)

Banana bread is my go-to recipe when we have overripe bananas. It's simple, quick, and easily freezes. Nothing is better than pulling out a loaf in the middle of a school week. Breakfast...check! Now if only dinner were that easy!

It took some time to find the "perfect banana bread recipe" but I think we've got it. You'll never guess where. Mom actually tried the recipe on the back of the Gold Medal Flour bag! It was delicious!

Warm, cold, room temperature...in the morning this bread is amazing anyway. Butter, plain, my sister even spreads it with Nutella! So much easier than making Banana Nutella Muffins and it tastes exactly the same!

Banana Bread (the BEST ever!)

by Simple and Sweet Creations

6071142

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 stick butter or margarine, softened
• 2 eggs
• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Grease either two 8 x 4 inch loaf pans, or one 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

In a mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar.

Add eggs, banana, buttermilk and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until smooth.

Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and nuts until just combined. Pour batter into pans.

Bake 8-inch loaves 60 minutes, 9-inch loaf 75 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes.

Remove from pans to cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.

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Banana Cinnamon Bun Smoothie

For the longest time I was on this smoothie craze.  Banana, strawberry, peach, blueberry, pumpkin...I tried them all.  Thanks to Pinterest I never ran out of ideas.  :)  This was the first "recipe" I tried, and it's probably the one that started my blending obsession.

Recipe is in quotes because there's one thing you need to know about me.  I rarely follow an original recipe.  99.9% of the time I add/remove/double/half something.  Every recipe has room for improvement!!

Feel free to add or substitute your own favorites to this "recipe".  That's the beauty with smoothies...you can throw in just about anything (as long as it's not the main ingredient) and still have a drink that tastes amazing.  Don't like almond milk?  Use cows milk.  Not sweet enough? Sugar, honey, or maple syrup will do the trick.  Too much cinnamon? Just use a dash.  

Banana Cinnamon Bun Smoothie

by Simple and Sweet Creations

6071150

Ingredients

• 1 ripe banana
• 1/3 cup greek yogurt, vanilla or plain
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender.

Blend until smooth.

Pour into glass and enjoy!

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Banana Nutella Muffins

WARNING: If you like bananas and Nutella then be prepared to become addicted to these muffins.

Long story short, my friend is obsessed with the hazlenut spread. Her and I started a board on Pinterest where we can pin all our Nutella recipes.  Dangerous and wonderful all at the same time! Occasionally we'll get together at one of our houses, each choose a Nutella recipe from our board, and have a "baking day".  I don't think we've made a bad thing yet!  

On our first "experiment day" I choose these Nutella Banana Swirl Muffins.  That was over a year ago. Guess how many times I've made them since?  Bigillions!  We ALWAYS have at least a dozen in the freezer...just incase something terrible would happen to bananas or Nutella.  Help us all if either one becomes scare...

Banana Nutella Muffins

by Simple and Sweet Creations

6071143

Ingredients (24 muffins)

• 4 over-ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Nutella

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease or line two regular muffin pans with liners.

In a large bowl, combine bananas, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in egg, vegetable oil and vanilla.

Slowly stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until no lumps remain.

Fill tins 3/4 full and top with about 1 teaspoon Nutella. Using a toothpick, swirl Nutella into batter.

Bake 15-17 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

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Banana Split Trail Mix

Every year the Arts and Crafts Department at our county fair hosts two special baking contests.  Last year on was a dish made with apples as the main ingredient and the other a unique popcorn flavor.  This year they challenged us once again to a contest called "Stuck Up" (any food on a stick) and "Hit the Trails" (trail mix).

The trail mix contest was a lot of fun.  I ended up making a really good banana split trail mix (if I may say so myself).  But my presentation wasn't over the top...so I didn't place.  :(  Trust me...I learned my lesson.  We made up for it in round two with these Buckeye Bars!

Everything I used can be found at Walmart.  If you want to use something fancier by all means please do...

I'll try not to make this too difficult...  Pour the ingredients into a bowl and mix.  

That's it!  Store in an air tight container!  Or maybe divide it among jars and give away as gifts.

Banana Split Trail Mix

by Simple and Sweet Creations

6071145

Ingredients

• 12 ounces dried pineapple chunks
• 1 cup banana chips
• 6 ounces strawberry yogurt covered raisins
• 8 ounces vanilla yogurt covered raisins
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup dried cherries

Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.

Store in an air tight container.

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