Build Your Own House, Body and Life!: #BananaBread Perfect Banana Bread, every time! Eat Yer #Bananas!! #Healthy! And, THE Best Caramel Icing and Cream Cheese Frosting, too! #Delicious! #Yum! : )

Sunday, December 18, 2011

#BananaBread Perfect Banana Bread, every time! Eat Yer #Bananas!! #Healthy! And, THE Best Caramel Icing and Cream Cheese Frosting, too! #Delicious! #Yum! : )

Banana Bread!

THE Best Banana Bread Recipe! Yippee!

So Delicious! #EasyRecipes

And try my best Banana Bread Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting - is ah'mazing!

Perfect Banana Bread every time! Yum!!

Banana Bread is such a nice treat to have around the house, and it's healthy, too :) And, you'll never waste your bananas, again! Yahoo!

This Banana Bread recipe is super-easy, and absolutely no-fail ...clearly, I love that 'no-fail' aspect to a recipe... so much better if you know fer sures a recipe will work out, right?

I often make my Banana Bread in a 9" X 13" pan, and sometimes in an 8" X 8" pan, but you can easily use loaf pans... I am particularly fond of those tiny little loaf pans... perfect if you are giving these loaves as gifts :)

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See how lovely the crust is? That's from the sugar sprinkled on it before you pop it in the oven - makes the banana bread even more delicious! lol! I added chocolate chips and white chocolate chips, as well as the usual chopped walnuts - yum!! Crazy delicious, and, of course, I slather it with butter, too - sooo tasty! And healthy, too (maybe except for the butter, but I looove it, so whatever... happiness in eating, first! lol! : )

Also, because this is such a versatile base recipe for 'fruit breads', you can easily substitute Cranberries (you know when you might have cranberries left over from Christmas? This is a great way to use them... just throw in whatever extra cranberries you have, or if the cranberries are on sale, grab some cans of cranberries, and use the whole can with this recipe (instead of the bananas! lol!). I usually add in chopped walnuts or pecans... whatever you have around the house, and chocolate chips are fun to add, if you feel like a chocolatey treat!

Everything you need for delicious Banana Bread :)

Easy and Delicious Banana Bread

Stir together in a large bowl:
1 1/2 cups of Flour
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2tsp. Salt
2 to 6 tbsp. Cinnamon (I use a lot! lol!)

(This part is super-optional...)
I added 1 Cup of Oatmeal - yum! (Optional!)

And I toss in about a Cup of Raisin Bran, too - this time, Chocolate Raisin Bran, since I had run out of Chocolate Chips : )

3 Bananas, or however many you have sitting around... if your bananas have gotten a little black, not to worry, that's just sugar... they're fine to use in your Banana Bread : )

Mash the bananas, then add in:

1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla

1/3 cup melted margarine (melt 30 seconds in the microwave)(OR, you can use 1/3 cup oil)

Or, just melt 1 brick of margarine (Parkay, any brand you like, or is on sale : )

Sprinkle with sugar, after it's in the pan

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, when a toothpick comes out clean : )

Normally I don't add Icing to my fave Banana Bread, but this Caramel Icing is incredible - I made the Banana Bread in a 9" X 13" pan, and it'll be really nice cut into little squares - Ah'Yum!
I just made the Caramel Icing for the Banana Bread - the Banana Bread is out the oven, the Caramel Icing was easier to make than I thought, looks deelish! 3 tbsp butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar 6 tbsp water (1/3 cup of water, is easier than measuring 6 tablespoons - lol!) - boil for a couple of minutes, boil a little longer for thicker icing : ) +1 1/2 tsp Vanilla (I just pour the Vanilla into the cap, is fast and easy!)
Pour onto 2 Cups Icing Sugar

Whip with a beater - is so good, you'll want to eat it from the bowl - and, you can pour it on your cake, or, spread it on - the icing will set like fudge, will be delicious! Ah'Yum!!

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Icing

Cream Cheese Icing with Margarine - It totally works! (Use Butter if you want to, o' course! lol!)

AND, I had an extra brick of Cream Cheese in the fridge, didn't want to waste it, not that much butter, so, I used

A brick of Margarine (4 oz), melted that, added the whole

Package of Cream Cheese (8 oz) (You can use 1/2 a cup of Cream Cheese, or 4 oz , is all good!)

2 cups of Icing Sugar

2 Teaspoons of Vanilla

I really didn't know if you could get away with using Margarine in your Cream Cheese Icing, but, omg, was amazing, really fluffy and lovely! Yahoo!

I iced the whole Banana Bread (made in the 9" X 13" pan, lined with Parchment Paper, so I could just lift it right out the pan : )

Wait until it's completely cold and the Cream Cheese Icing is set, then cut into 1" squares - I like little squares, they're cute, and they're juust right! Amazing! My new favorite thing!

And I sprinkled Coconut Flakes over half of the Cream Cheese Icing, so my son could decide which side he liked best - I loved the coconut side, so, it all worked out - sooo good! Deelish!

I wish I could add in pictures, but it won't let me, but I have great pics on my Twitter page! @AilsaForshaw

Raisin Bran: After the whole mixture is, err, mixed, lol! Anyway, after you have the whole thing ready, pour in some Raisin Bran - about 1 cup of Raisin Bran - I just pour it in, will add the Raisins, and add some more nutrients, sooo, and totally works!

So quick and easy to make, and fun to share!

Gently stir the banana mixture into the larger bowl with the flour and all the other dry ingredients... will be really easy, and will only take a few minutes.

Chop some nuts, or chop up some Trail Mix (I like the Trail Mix with cranberries, raisins, cashews, almonds and chocolate chips... I finely chop the Trail mix and either stir it in, or sprinkle it on top, but with regular walnuts or chocolate chips (or both!), just go ahead and stir them into the batter...

Banana Bread ready for the oven : )

Pour into well-greased pan. Sometimes I line the pan with Parchment Paper, but that's optional... makes it super-easy to take the Banana Bread out the pan...

And now for the Big Trick that makes this (and every kind of Fruit Bread), really, really delicious...

Sprinkle the entire top of the Banana Bread Mixture, once it's in the pan, with a lot of sugar. This part is key, since the sugar will create a really nice topping, and will give the Banana Bread a really nice texture.

Bake at 350 Degrees for about 45 - 60 minutes, if you are using a 9" X 13" pan or loaf pans, but keep an eye out on it after 15 minutes... you just want to check the banana bread with a toothpick or a knife to see if it comes out clean... stick it in the middle, since that's the last bit to cook through. If you're not quite sure, leave it in the oven a few more minutes... you can always cover it with tin foil if you're worried it might burn, but you should be fine...

If you happen to be using a toaster oven, and an 8" X 8" pan, it will take only about 15 - 20 minutes... the same thing, though, just keep a wee eye on it, make sure it's okay :)

The last time I made Banana Nut Bread, I totally forgot to add the chopped nuts and fruit (the finely chopped Trail Mix), so I just sprinkled it on the top, then sprinkled the sugar on top of that, and it was really pretty and delicious... never worry when you're baking... just go with the flow, you'll be fine!

You can pre-make the base for this Fruit Bread, if you want to maybe give it as a gift, or save it for the next time you make it, just mix the dry ingredients together and pop into a large baggie, label and put in the fridge, but it's so easy, you'll soon be able to make it in your sleep! lol! Play around with it, add different kinds of fruits and/or nuts... I've heard that pineapple can be added... haven't tried that, yet, but I think it would be more like a carrot cake, but then, you could just switch the bananas for shredded carrots, add the nuts, pineapple and raisins, and whammo, you'd have Carrot Cake! lol! So you can see it's a very versatile recipe, and easily doubled, too, if you find you have a lot of bananas on your hands!

Yum! I just cut the Banana Bread into squares and serve : )

Yum!! I made a double batch of Banana Bread, today - sooo delicious!

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My favourite books to start with, with Louise Hay - You Can Heal Your Life - brilliant, and it really WILL change your life... and Meditations for Daily Living - think that's the right title - is so lovely, you'll love it - all very heartwarming, very clarifying... and Louise Hay has a tiny little book, I Can Do It - looove it, you'll love it, too... I love all of Louise's books... so lovely and life-changing : ) http://buildyourownhousebodylife.blogspot.ca/2014/11/you-can-heal-your-life-by-louise-l-hay.html

Parchment Paper - I used Parchment Paper the last time I made Banana Bread, and it made it soo easy to take out of the pan, and for cutting the Banana Bread... when you use the Parchment Paper, which you can pick up at most Dollar Stores - is cheaper there than anywhere else, and is the same product... anyway, you can just lift your baking right out of the pan, wait 'til it cools, then cut into squares or slices, and you won't have any hassle with trying to get nice and neat pieces : )

Happy Eating!! Ailsa : )

Mmmm, pie! lol! I particularly love a slice o' dat Internet Pie!

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This is so cool - let's say you've now been binge watching your fave shows, and you STILL have 4 more seasons left of your brand new-to-you show, soo you don't want to get up off the couch, but, also, you know you should probably get you' some groceries?

Problem - Solution! lol!

Check and see if your area is covered by either VONS or Safeway... they cover some of the same areas, and some different areas - does that make sense? lol!

I loove this Delivery Service for Groceries and whatever you might need, right to your door, just in general, but what a great idea in bad weather, no more stooopid traffic, or if you're not feeling up to going out to the store, or you just don't feeeel like going out to the store...or if you're like me, and get so caught up in whatever you're working on, and don't want to stop just 'for food' - haha! And no need for Taxis, if you need to take a cab to the grocery store...that's a huge savings, right there, right?

Wow, Grocery Delivery Service - that's fantastico!! Yippee!! Hello, Future - you look great! : )

I think this is such an amazing new service for your groceries - and anything you ever need from the grocery store - if you've ever had a time when you had a tiny baby, or you're super-busy (same thing - hahaha! All the New Moms will be laughing, now - lol!)..but if you're busy at work, or busy at home, or traffic, or you're busy binge-watching your favorite shows - hahahahaha! This might be the new wave of the future, right? Ordering your groceries online?

And I would imagine you would save a lot of money, since you would just buy what you actually need... might really work for dieting, too, since, well, if we're in the store, and be 'we', I mean 'me'...anyway, let's say I've got my grocery list, then I'm at the store, and I think, you know what, I'll just nick down the Candy Aisle, see if Chocolate is on sale (see how much I like Sale Chocolate - hahaha! Is it tastier, or just less expensive?? We'll never know! It's all gone, now - hahaha!)

Not that you couldn't just 'browse' for that, anyway... right? Me thinkin', now, o' course, where is the Sale Chocolate, online?? hahaha! But let's say you're you, and not me, and you have a LOT more self control than maybe ME do... so you order all the things you really wanted, and not just a whole cart full o' Wunderbars, on sale... hahahaha! Wouldn't THAT be fun - just a cartful of Sale Chocolate?? haha! Okay, clearly, me needs a treat! lol! : ) #SaleChocolate! Ha!