Dermabond and Banana Bread

We could have stuck with Plan A and come home from a long weekend in Asheville by way of my parents' house in north Georgia. But, it was raining, and we came all the way home. Just in time for the boys to get into a tug-of-war with a piece of long foam in the dining room. Just in time for me to be on the phone asking if a friend's son could come over in the morning for a playdate. Just in time for Boy #1 to come in and say, "hey Mom, brother's head is bleeding." Score. So, I'm thankful for the after hours pediatric group near our house, and thankful for the Dermabond they applied to the gash in Boy #2's scalp in an appointment that lasted all of ten minutes. Good thing, because it was raining so hard the road appeared to move on the way home.

Which leads to banana bread. We came home with most of the bananas we left town with. They just weren't pretty, which makes them a hard sell in a hotel room, where I couldn't really gussy them up.

I have great difficulty finding pretty bananas. I was told years ago by the produce manager of my grocery that the bananas come in on refrigerated trucks. Guess what turns bananas that unappealing gray shade? Yup, cold temperatures. So, for years now, banana bread's been the savior of all those unappealing bananas. I could get into Banana's Foster here and there, but that's a whole other thing.

This is a great recipe for a simple banana bread.

Sour Cream Banana Bread
Adapted from Old Farmer's Almanac Everyday Cookbook

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
2-3 ripe bananas, mashed (if they're huge bananas, use two)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, sour cream, mashed bananas, and vanilla, and mix well. In a separate small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well. Stir in nuts. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, (turning the loaf 180 degrees about halfway through) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 1 loaf.

Really good banana bread from not so pretty bananas.

Where have all the good bananas gone? 

Raw sugar doesn't lend itself to "light and fluffy," but it's a start.

Use the lip on the baking powder container to level off your teaspoon.  It's your friend. 

My "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head" music box is in the kitchen. I don't know why.