Mmmm. Tasty.

I maybe a day late, and I am certainly a dollar short, but I finally have something to share.

By the way, I have misplaced my good camera. Don't ask me how. If I knew, I guess it wouldn't be lost.

Today, I had three REALLY ripe bananas. They were so ripe that when I opened them, they fell apart immediately. Oddly enough, the peel was still pretty yellow. I don't quite understand the Price Chopper bananas. They are always green at the store, but they ripen soooo quickly. So what is one to do with such ripe bananas? You must make banana bread.

I don't follow recipes well because I never have on hand what the recipe calls for. I started with A Farm Girl Dabbles recipe, but realized I had almost NOTHING from that recipe, but I did like how she mentioned substituting one banana with a half a cup of pineapple and a half a cup of applesauce. I then went to The Betty Crocker website and used that as the basis for my recipe. The result turned into a perfect banana bread. I am sure that some of you understand how hard that is for me with me deflicted (dilapidated + afflicted) oven. I am sorry there is no smell-o-vision or taste-o-vision so you will just have to use your imagination or buy some bananas and make your own.

The recipe is as follows:

1.25 c sugar (approx. 250 grams)
0.5 c butter/margarine - melted (1 stick)
2 eggs
2 c bananas ( I had 3 large ones) (500mL)
0.5 c crushed pineapple (125mL)
0.5 c natural applesauce (125mL)
0.5 c milk (125mL)
1 tsp vanilla
2.5 c all purpose flour (approx. 315 grams)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c chopped nuts if desired (I left out.)

(If you don't have pineapple and apple sauce add another banana.)

Grease the bottom of 2 loaf pans.
Oven 325-350F (165C - 175C)
Move rack lower so the top of the loaves will be in the middle of the oven. (That really helped.)
Mix the wet and add in the dry.

Split batter between two pans.
Bake 8 inch loaf for 1 hour, 9 inch loaf for 1.25 hours. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen from the sides. Set on cooling rack. Cool 2 hours before slicing. 

I like banana bread really cold with margarine on it. I am sure it would be really good warm with butter on it. It is definitely good warm temperature with nothing on it. In general, it is just good banana bread. It would be better, however, with nuts, like most things.

While I am sharing recipes, here's dinner. Sorry for the phone pictures. (Someone better pray to St. Anthony to help me find that stinkin' camera.)

I started with the recipe on the back of this can:

As usual, I don't have what the recipe called for so here's what I made:

1 lb smoked sausage

1/2 cup of diced sweet bell peppers (red, green, yellow)

1 can black beans (rinsed)

1 small can corn (drained)

1 can Hunt's Zesty & Spicy pasta sauce

1 can petite diced tomatoes

Slice the sausage and put in a large skillet for two minutes to brown slightly. Saute the peppers. Add the corn and beans and stir. Add the pasta sauce and diced tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

The results?

Mmmm. Tasty. Oh, wait! I said that already