Cooking Adventure: Lowfat Banana Bread
Prep Time: 5-10 min.
Cook Time: 40-45 min.
...is extremely productive. This summer has come to be much less busy than I anticipated after my volunteering plans fell through. As a result I've had the potential to be on the computer playing games, well, all day. And everyday. Last week I made the rule for myself that I can't be on the computer between 9AM and 4PM on the weekdays. The only way I can stay on later - until 9:30 - is if I'm dressed by 8:30AM, and the only way I can get on earlier - at 3:30PM - is if I get all my chores done. The result is a strangely clean apartment and a job application & resume sent in. Not only that, but I've gotten busier. Since I can't while away the hours play the Sims, I've been calling buddies, volunteering to teach dance, cooking going on photography hikes, seeing my nieces more and coloring. Yes, the My Little Ponies coloring book is slowly but surely being filled up.
If you're one of those people who can browse Facebook for hours, or blog surf the whole day, I highly recommend trying this for a week. If you're not in it for breaking the habit, at least be in it for the banana bread. :)
This was the first batch of banana bread I've ever made, and I feel like I've passed some kind of cooking basic skills test. Then yesterday I lost points again for opening a can of coconut milk with one of those openers that cuts around the edge. I put the top back on the can, forgot I had opened it, and five minutes later was covered with the resulting coconut explosion after I tried to get honey to the bottom of the jar by banging it on top of the can lid.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
- 1/3 cup applesauce (I used regular, but experimenting with flavored ones could taste really good)
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 9" by 5" meal loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In medium bowl, with fork, mix bananas, applesauce, egg whites, and egg until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture just until flour mixture is moistened.
2. Pour batter into prepared pan; sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean, 40-45 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf, 16 slices.
On an almost complete segway, this is the Bellydance Soundtrack for today. I'm heading off to teach a group of middle school girls, who think they know everything already, how to bellydance. This is the song I'm using for a mini-choreography. I would love to think of it but all I can do is watch Rachel Brice and think that only people with bodies shaped just like that must be able to do those tummy tricks (I try to undulate like that but I have stuff in the way! :P).
1 comment:
I would love to get away from my computer for a whole week, but sadly I don't think I could do it unless it literally broke. I can, however, limit my time to 10-20 minutes a day which I think is pretty respectable.
Gonna have to try this recipe. I LOVE banana bread.
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