The BEST Banana Bread Ever!

This morning, as I am delighting in a beautifully toasted piece of our very favorite banana bread, I realize I have never actually posted the recipe for the best banana bread I've ever tasted! Shame on me for holding out on you!

I'll even admit that sometimes, I secretly buy a few extra bananas, hoping they will over-ripen so I have an excuse to make it!

Prepare to enchant your taste buds!

Light-n-Luscious Banana Bread
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons ground flax meal
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup fat free or low fat plain yogurt
3 very ripe bananas, smashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch x 4-inch metal loaf pan with cooking spray; set aside.
Whisk together both flours, baking soda, flax meal, 2 teaspoons of the ground cinnamon and salt; set aside.
Cream together butter with sugar using a mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in yogurt, bananas and vanilla. Fold in flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Spoon batter into loaf pan.
Stir together turbinado sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top of the banana bread. Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly, then remove from baking pan.

Try not to eat it all at one sitting;)

Self-Discovery

Last night, our Mom's stopped by to see the apartment (Jeannine hadn't seen it painted yet). As she was walking around observing everything, she kept saying, "I love that. Where's it from?". My response to almost all of the questions was "Oh, it was on sale at..." or "I got a great deal at..." and to my awareness came the fact that I am and always will be a shopper! I always pride myself on the great sales I find, but the truth is, I wouldn't know about these sales if I wasn't always shopping around for them:) Ha! You know what they say, "Like mother, like daughter".

And speaking of great deals, I just got the Whole Foods email and cherries are on sale this week for $1.99/lb! Do you know what a great deal that is?! Can't wait to dig into a big bowl of these this weekend!


I think I've finally caught up on my sleep because yesterday was the first day all week I haven't needed a nap when I got home! I was so productive and it felt so good:) I actually got around to making the banana bread I've been talking about. I had a piece for breakfast this morning and I definitely think it's worth trying! Because it doesn't have as much added sugar as many recipes, it's a little less sweet(obviously), but it calls for a mixture of turbinado sugar and cinnamon to sprinkle on top and, oh my, that was enough to satisfy my sweet tooth!

And baking just wouldn't be complete without a chick flick, so I watched Pride and Prejudice and I was reminded once again of my crush on Mr. Darcy! Seriously, does that movie ever get old?

And one last thing: Happy Weekend!

All In Good Health

Good morning! Guess what? I'm off work tomorrow! Wait, have I already told you that;)

I am in a great mood this morning, but you know what could have made my mood even better? Being able to exercise this morning. According to a study I found on ACSM's website (originally written in USA Today), the good feeling you experience after moderate to heavy exercise can last up to 12 hours post-workout. How great is that? This is a very big reason it is so productive to get a workout in at the beginning of the day;the better you feel after exercising, the more motivated you will be to make it a habit. Obviously any time of the day is good to exercise and some of us aren't able to fit it in the morning, but if possible I definitely recommend it! Some of my favorite workouts are done on Saturday mornings, when the good feeling seems to last all day! So get out there and put yourself in a good mood:)

I thought this was really cute and appropriate:)


And after you've completed your exercise, make sure to nourish yourself! And why not do that with a deicious piece of healthy banana bread, lightly toasted with some natural peanut butter?

I had every intention of making this new banana bread recipe I found, but I got a little wrapped up in painting last night:) I'm still going to give you the recipe because it just sounds like such a great, healthy version of the classic. I will try to make it this weekend and let you know how it turns out!

So here it is: Light-n-Luscious Banana Bread

Wishing you good health always!