Spontaneous Banana Bread Recipe. . .

As with each visit to my parents, my mom generously sends home with me a car load of fresh, organic groceries. Since they were leaving for vacation to Jamaica a couple days after our visit this last week, we received an additional load of food; which, they were afraid, would have spoiled while they were away. So, a lot of bananas in too little time leaves me with overly ripe bananas that I didn't want to spoil and/or waste. Thus, here is my Spontaneous Banana Bread Recipe. I call it "Spontaneous" because in the spur of the moment the recipe was created with whatever ingredients I had available in my kitchen at the time. Hope you enjoy!

Makes 2 loaves.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/3 vegetable oil

1 1/3 cups brown sugar

3 cups mashed over-ripened bananas (about 7 and 1/2 small to medium-sized bananas)

3.5 cups all purpose flour

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup Craisins in blueberry flavor

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, add in your flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and mix well. In a another mixing bowl, mix melted butter and brown sugar. Beat in your eggs and add your mashed up bananas, along with milk. Add this banana mixture to your dry ingredients and mix well. Add in vanilla extract and fold in your Craisins. Mix evenly.

Pour into a greased 9- in. x 5- in. loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes, or until an toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place to cool for about 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Serve sliced and toasted with melted butter or... how my son likes to enjoy his, with a little scoop of cookies and cream ice cream. :)

Live well and happy!