Going bananas

You know when you feel like all you've been doing is staring at a computer screen and working? I know that feeling well.

This past week I decided I couldn't take it anymore and got away from the desk a few times to catch up with coworkers and friends. I also wanted to share a recipe I've been using for years when you feel like you're going bananas. Even if it can’t solve every problem, at least you’ll have banana bread.

Best Banana Bread Ever

*edited from Janet's Rich Banana Bread

1/2 cup of melted butter

1 cup of white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose or self-rising flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp of salt

1/2 cup of sour cream

2 medium bananas- the riper, the better

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

Melt the butter in the microwave and beat in the sugar until combined, before adding the eggs, and the vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth, before adding the mashed bananas and sour cream.

Bake for 60 minutes or until you get a clean toothpick. Cool in pan a bit before removing to a wire rack, and enjoy the delectable scent wafting through the kitchen.

Bonus tips: I passed this recipe along to an aunt, and she made it in mini loaf pans to great success by baking for 30-35 minutes. I also have frozen these and can pop one out just before company comes to give the allusion that I have enough free time to bake on a weeknight. Just wrap it about a thousand times in cling wrap and pop it into a freezer bag.

Now I know what you're going to say. This recipe sounds incredible, but the last time I bought sour cream it was for tacos, and it's either almost gone or so old it's trying to colonize the crisper. Yeah, me too. No shame. In that case, here's another recipe!

Banana Crumb Muffins

*see it on Allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose or self-rising flour

1 tsp of baking soda

1 tsp of baking powder

1/2 tsp of salt

3 bananas mashed

3/4 cup of white sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup of butter, melted

For the topping:

1/3 cup of packed brown sugar

2 tbsp of all-purpose or self-rising flour

1/8 tsp of cinnamon

1 tbsp of butter, softened

Preheat oven to 375 and lightly grease 10 muffin cups or use liners.

Mix 1 1/2 cups of flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a big mixing bowl. In another bowl, beat together the bananas, sugar, egg, and melted butter. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients until it just comes together, not until your arm falls off. Scoop into the muffin pan. I use this scoop and love it.

In another bowl or the now empty one if you don't want to do more dishes, mix the ingredients for the topping until they look like delicious gravel. Next, sprinkle the topping over the muffin batter. Be generous! It will get all crispy and magical in the oven.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean, then impress your family and friends. It’s that easy!

I hope you love these recipes as much as I have! If you have another banana recipe you like, leave me a comment below.

Onward, with snacks!

Kathryn