Banana Bread Recipe (if you can patiently read all the other stuff)

This is not going to be a big, deep blog post.  In fact, it will be quick so I can go watch Scrubs on DVD.  We have been busy and a little chaotic here the last few days.

Some information and general observations from the last week or so:

 *  Cooper has some virus that seems to enjoy living with us all in our two-bedroom apartment.  In case the virus follows this blog, let me speak loudly and clearly now.  VIRUS,  YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE!  It is already crowded enough with all of our stuff and all of our people. I'd like to think that I am hospitable, but man, this virus is really taking advantage.  We are going on our fifth straight day of fever, and general malaise.  It is awful.

*  The time change things stinks.  All it means for moms with small kids is that your carefully crafted routine and schedule are thrown out the window, and you basically are on kid duty an hour earlier than normal.  And everyone who publicly rejoices about their extra hour of sleep can bite me.  (trying to think of a nicer way to say bite me.  It's hard, so I'm settling on bite me.  Sorry mom!)  For parents with small children, there is no such thing as an extra hour of sleep. 

*  My mom-ego is oh-so fragile.  It doesn't matter how good and sweet and wonderful my kids are.  All it takes to destroy me and toss me into a pit of self-loathing and doubt is one stuffed caterpillar thrown in my general direction. 

*  Overnight Baked Pumpkin French Toast is delicious and perfect.  Even when it is 80 degrees outside at the beginning of November.

*  Banana Bread is even better - especially if you have 6 almost rotten bananas sitting on your counter.  It's amazing how nobody in the family will eat a banana, but mash it up and bake it with some sugar, applesauce, flour, butter, etc... and you have to beat them away with a bat.

*  Two things are certain in this world: death and laundry.

*  For all the husbands out there:  When you get up in the middle of the night, and the baby's diaper has leaked onto her sheets, it is NOT acceptable to simply pull the sheet off one end of the bed and let the baby sleep the rest of the night on the mattress cover; HOWEVER, if you are willing to get up in the middle of the night, and change the baby's leaking diaper and at least make some reasonable effort that she is not sleeping in her poop juice, most wives (including this one) will overlook the fact that the wife has to strip and remake the bed.  After the initial annoyance upon discovering the crib and sheets in disrepair, most wives will be overjoyed that you just got up with the baby in the middle of the night and WE didn't have to deal with it.  I'd rather change the sheets at 9 AM than change a poopy diaper in the middle of the night any day. 


*  Salted butter is the bomb.  Where has it been all my life?  Seriously - I always wondered what the big deal was about butter?  Then I tasted salted butter and I discovered it for myself.  Pretty sad that I am just now realizing how good butter can actually be.  Why oh why did I waste so many good years on unsalted butter? 

*  Lastly:  Sneakers are not for marching, they are for sneaking. (that was Cooper's bit of wisdom.  Even sick, he is pretty wise)   

Here is my Julie version of the banana bread that I have now made twice in the last week.  It is perfect and easy. 

1. Melt 2 1/2 tbsp. of butter. 
2.  Mash up 3 ripe bananas into the butter.
3.  Mix the bananas and butter together with one single serving packet of applesauce (I'm guessing about 3/4 a cup - we buy the six packs of single servings and one tub is perfect)
4.  Add 1/2 cup of sugar, one egg (or a flax-subsitute egg - 1 tbsp of ground flax seed mixed with 3 tbsp of water), some vanilla (around a tsp) and cinnamon.  (It just took me three tries to spell cinnamon correctly)  to the mashed up bananas and butter. 
5.  Add a pinch of salt and 1 tsp of baking soda to the banana mixture.
6. Add 1/2 c of whole wheat flour and 1 c of all purpose flour to the banana mixture (actually today I did half and half - 3/4 c of whole wheat, 3/4 c of white - it was diversity day in the kitchen - equal opportunity for flours of all colors - but you can do whatever you want.  All whole-wheat, all white, any mixture thereof, just be aware that whole - wheat makes for a denser, heavier finished product. 
7.  Pour batter into a greased (I use salted butter) loaf pan and bake at 350 F for an hour. 
8.  Voila - delicious, moist banana bread, and I only dirtied one bowl, a few measuring spoons, and a loaf pan.  And the loaf pan was well-buttered, so it was really easy to clean.  And if you use a PC batter bowl, you can stick that puppy in the dishwasher! Boom, rinse out those measuring cups and go have a slice of warm banana bread with salted butter spread on top.  Yummy. 

Next week, or some other time this week, I will post a deep, thoughtful,  and soul provoking blog post.  But for now, I'm going to have a 100 grand from the kid's halloween stash and watch Scrubs.  Happy Monday, everyone!