Banana Bread

I'm full of energy this morning; energy and pizazz. I got a solid 8 hours of sleep last night and I'm ready to go this morning. Sleeping down in Vero Beach over the weekend took a toll on me. The house is so quiet at night, something I used to love about it until I married John who can't fall asleep without a fan blaring. Friday and Saturday night I was restless, but these last few nights at home with the box fan have been rejuvenating.

I'm full of pizazz because....Culture Connoisseur is 3 people away from 100 followers. It's not the "100" I'm excited about, it's the giveaway that I'm doing when I hit it that's got me grinning! I won't say what it is yet, but I will say it has a little something to do with Williams-Sonoma and it is going to be an awesome way for me to say thank you to all of you who encourage me so much and treat one lucky reader with a new goody for your kitchen!

This recipe is really delicious and can be cooked in muffin form or in a loaf pan (makes 3 mini-loaves). My family has been making it for years and I will surely pass it on to my kids as well. It's a pretty healthy recipe and is best when you use brown bananas that have been frozen for a while and thawed. These bananas have a slight fermented flavor that really adds to the sweetness of the bread. Enjoy!


Banana Bread

2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1 1/4 cup mashed ripe bananas

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roughly mix the first 6 ingredients and then add the bananas and nuts to help the mix come together. Grease 12 muffin pans, one loaf pan, or 3 mini-loaf pans and fill with batter. Cook for 55+ minutes for large loaf,  25 minutes for  muffins, or 30-35 for mini loaves.


What are some things that you just can't sleep without?