Goin' Bananas!

15/04/2013

Bonjour mes amis!

I just realized...it's one of the busiest days of the Year in the U.S....

For the Post Office!

Are you all set?

We're not.  We have some extra challenges this year, given our current living circumstances on the other side of the Atlantic.  Plus, French Taxes are due in late May, I believe.  We're getting some Help!

My older daughter, Ms. Sapphire, told me she LOVES when I put Recipes on my Blog.  Well, I hate to disappoint her...

But, I haven't ventured into many new things lately, so I'll share an old Family Favorite...a best loved Recipe that I received from Dr. J's Cousin many years ago.

IT IS THE BEST BANANA BREAD

IN THE WORLD!

And, I make it even better by adding mini-chocolate chips to it!  (I think that's the French in me that makes me want to do that!  Hehe!)  Actually, my Mother-in-Love always added Chocolate Chips to the Bread, so I do too...and my kids LOVE it!  It does remind them of their dear Grandma, who is now in Heaven (having a great time, I am sure!) because she made it frequently also!  The kids BEG me to make this Bread.  It's so moist and delicious.  When my older kids first started going off to College, they always wanted to know if I had any loaves in the freezer to take with them...even the child that went to the local University!  I usually double the recipe and make atleast 4 loaves at a time!

I'm sharing the Recipe with you today...

Banana Bread

½ cup Margarine

2 cups Sugar

2 Eggs, unbeaten

3 large Bananas

2 ½ cups Flour

½ tsp. Salt

1 ½ tsp. Baking Soda in 2/3 cup Sour Milk or Buttermilk

1 cup Nuts (Optional!)

6 oz. Mini Chocolate Chips (Mandatory!)

Cream Shortening, add Sugar gradually, unbeaten Eggs, one at a time, and add mashed Bananas.

Fold in sifted dry ingredients alternately with the Sour Milk mixture.

Add Nuts or Chocolate Chips if desired.

Turn into greased bread pans (9X5X3).

Bake at 325 degrees for one hour.

Makes 2 loaf pans.

You don't really "have to" add the Chocolate Chips, if you don't want.  Dr. J prefers it without the Chocolate, and begs me to not put them in.  Either way, the Bread comes out moist and delicious with or without the Chocolate.

I made three Loaves this time, two with chocolate, and one without (for Dr. J).  We sliced up Dr. J's during dinner.  It was scrumptious!

Don't you want to just dive in for a bite of this moist Bread?

Let me share one other tidbit...

When I am invited to someone's home here in France, I like to bring something along, so I usually bake a quick Sweet Bread.  The people here in France, though, always thank me for the Cake that I brought them.  It's not Cake to me, but it is for them, since the French don't usually frost their Cakes, and the Sweet Breads have the consistency of Cake for them.  I usually try to explain that it is a Sweet Bread, but they usually don't comprehend this.  Our most recent Invitation helped us clarify what to call it...it's Cake to be eaten at Breakfast!

Me and my family, we eat this Banana Cake Bread all day long!  Hope you will, too!

Oh, and Ms. Sapphire, the next time you tell me you can't find the Recipe and would I send it to you, I'll just suggest you look it up on my Blog!  Ha!

(Just kidding, I KNOW you'll never lose this one!)

Enjoy!

Have a "Jewel" of a Day!

Jan