ridiculously simple banana bread (redux)
I hate to brag, but 2.0 and I are almost entirely ready for the holidays. And by that I mean: I’m totally excited to rub our preparedness in your face. For in December, when a great number of you are freaking out and/or crying, we’ll be watching Netflix in our underwear.
This year, determined to avoid a December Sobfest, I set a strict holiday preparation schedule for November. Each and every holiday task was scheduled. EVERY ONE. As a result, we’ve all but finished our shopping. Gifts have been wrapped and/or shipped. Decorating is almost complete (we’ll do our tree in December). We have been unstoppable. Our mission? Simple:
a) scale back on spending/gifting
b) actually enjoy preparing for the holidays
c) have everything done by November 30th
d) spend December having big fun with family and friends
This December, there will be no trudging around after work trying to find that dumbass gift that was sold out at the first three locations we tried. There will be no weeping over lost parking spots or standing in line behind teenagers who don’t wear their pants properly. There will be no freaking out when one of our stressed-out, over-tired workmates gives us the stomach flu. Nope. Because WE ARE DONE. We were planning to spend most of December in bed anyway. Adding a barf-bucket ain’t no thang.
Now, some of you are probably feeling sad because you aren’t as awesome as we are. But there’s still hope. You, too, could spend December in your underwear, focusing on the important things: crafting stuff out of popsicle sticks, playing in the snow, making cat videos, eating potato chips, and napping. First, get your act together and get a crap-ton of chores checked off this week. There’s still time! Also, make this ridiculously simple banana bread. Everyone knows that banana bread makes you shop better. Or feel better after shopping. Or feel better if you haven’t done a single thing to prepare for the holidays. Whatever.
My friend, Emily, gave me this recipe forever ago. I told you about it in 2010, but I think it bears repeating. It’s easy to throw together, and it’s endlessly adaptable. I’m sharing my favourite version below. If you don’t have whole wheat flour, use all-purpose. Don’t have brown sugar? Use some of the granulated stuff. Or half and half! (Not cream, dummy. Half brown sugar, half white.) Don’t have apple sauce? Double the canola oil. Don’t like walnuts? Well, that’s stupid. But you could use pecans. Or sunflower seeds. Or grow a set of lady parts and start liking walnuts.
Now get out there and finish your holiday preparations. You can do it, tiger!
. . .
Ridiculously Simple Banana Bread
recipe: based on Emily Caruso Parnell‘s almost-famous master recipe
Yields one loaf pan (9×5 inches).
- 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 large, ripe, well-mashed bananas
- 1/4 semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Mise en place – begin by getting organized. Read through the entire recipe before beginning. Measure out all of your ingredients.
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a standard-sized loaf pan.
Whisk together the flour and baking soda in a small bowl and set aside.
In another bowl, mix together the eggs, canola oil, applesauce, brown sugar and mashed bananas.
Stir in the flour mixture.
Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake for approximately 60 minutes (this is just a guideline) or until a cake tester inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean. The top of the loaf will be a deep, golden brown. Allow to cool for several minutes, and then remove loaf from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
. . .
Postscript
- Don’t forget to enter Ginger 2014!
- You can find future cat videos on my YouTube channel.
- You can find the original post about Emily’s banana bread here.
- I think we should spend more time together. Wanna hang out on Facebook or Instagram?
Thank you so much Yvette for the lovely recipe.
I think it’s just grand that you’ve finally succeeded in scheduling all the fun out of Christmas.
You know who else got all his Christmas shopping done before December? Not telling, but his names rhymes with Radolf Mitler.
Funny, 2.0 told me my hair looked like Radolf Mitler’s just last night!
Can I have him after you’ve crushed his will to live?
This looks so good! And I totally needed a ridiculously simple banana bread recipe, too, because my favorite/latest banana bread recipe that I’ve been using is ridiculously complicated (and involves, like, four bowls, and stirring the baking soda into plain greek yogurt before you add it to the other stuff…). It’s delicious and everything, but I always feel like it’s going to be soooo much work (+ dishes) to make, so I rarely make it. I will definitely be trying out this one! 🙂
And not to brag, but I’m all set for the holidays too, since my family decided a few years back that we would all stop exchanging Christmas presents and just focus all of our gifting attention on birthdays. (That’s what happens when you have a gigantic family I guess… two presents per person per year is just one too many per person per year!)
This sounds very much like the gift my sister and I have given each other: the gift of no gifts. It never goes out of style! Here’s to enjoying the holidays this year!!
Yum! Know what would make it even easier? If you made it and then brought it to me! Plus it’s in the 70s this week and it’s probably cold where you are so… VACAY! 😉
i love that this recipe doesn’t use dairy and i am always always on the market for a banana bread recipe.
what are you binge watching on netflix? i have Parenthood queue’d up.
PS. dw likes to add dried cranberries to his banana bread, it gives it a chew and tang.
That DW is so clever! Dried cranberries! Yes!
Whelp, Canadian Netflix kinda blows, as we only get about a quarter of what you Americans get. We’ve watched (binged) a lot of stuff including Homeland, House of Cards, The Killing, and the first two seasons of Dexter. (So, we have about 15 more seasons of Dexter to go.) Naturally, I’ll be moving into holiday mode. When Netflix shuts down because someone has been watching Elf and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation over and over again? You’ll know who’s responsible. I’m also planning to watch a LOT of Downton Abby. (It makes me feel sophisticated.)
I’m so with you. well maybe not quite as all get out organized but I just made a vow this morning to enjoy the holidays, have fun, be relaxed- starting with the 33 people coming for a sit down Thanksgiving which I was clever enough to only be responsible for the turkey, gravy, 33 chairs, 33 plates, 33 glasses, 33 place settings and 33 napkins. Really though- I feel pretty chill.
I’m also thinking of knocking out a couple loaves of this bread and freezing it for Christmas week. Do I remember banana bread freezing well? Can you remind me?
cheers… wendy
ps- who’s Yvette
I haven’t frozen banana bread, as someone always eats it before I can package it. And by someone, I mean me. But I’m sure it would freeze well – it’s basically a jumbo muffin. Your Thanksgiving sounds WAY FUN! And though it also sounds pretty overwhelming, I think you’re wise to put yourself in charge of turkey and decor. I mean, carrots for 33? NOPE. That’s too much peeling.
(I’m not sure who Yvette is. Tee hee!)
movita is my holiday oracle.
Also, that banana bread looks delicious.
Oh, I love this recipe for many reasons including ease and healthfulness! Bonus, our neighbors just gifted us homegrown bananas. The perfect storm!! 🙂
HOMEGROWN BANANAS? You Americans are so exotic.
What a great recipe!
Haaaa….
I wish.
December is going to be HELL for me. There is no preparedness. No budget. No nothing. I work retail and the moment I try to enjoy the holidays, some rude client walks in and tells me how much they hate every single thing about the holidays and how horrible I am for enjoying a little bit of Mariah Carey Holiday tunes. I wish I could snear back at you and pretend I had it all figured out, but truthfully, vodka… vodka will get me through… banana bread flavored vodka… oh I think I just invented a thing. Make it a thing. For those of us suffering, please.
I worked retail for many, many years in order to pay for school and dance. I couldn’t do it again. BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SO HORRIBLE. (Well, not all people. But it only takes one to wreck your day.) Thus, I am the most charming customer ever. If I were to shop with you, you would find me to be delightful. Engaging. Chipper and appreciative. Because I KNOW. I know, Kita.
Getting it all done by December 30th? I admire you. It’s impossible for me. I’m that girl shopping on December 23rd because I couldn’t get it all done and forgot that grandpa wants a wooden trivet to match his table and he lives far away and now I have to mail it overnight. But the good thing is it all gets there on time. Maybe I’ll learn one day.
I bow down to you and your holiday organizational skills. I’m in total awe! I hope to have all my Christmas shopping done by the end of next week, then I will also relax for the rest of the month in my underwear at home watching Netflix. It’ll be glorious! The only way it’ll be better is if I have slices of this beautiful banana bread smothered in gobs of melting butter.
Yes, I do hate you for having all your holiday chores done by November 30th. I haven’t started. J’s family are coming up to see the olds for Christmas and here I sit in my studio that must be turned back into a bedroom. Ugh. I have ordered the gifts for the Americans and that’s it. Oh and I made the Christmas puddings. Oh heck, I’m nearly there 🙂
Comments are now closed as this post was published in November 2014.