Banana Bread
Baked some Banana Bread tonight with some ripening bananas i had on hand so i could bring some in for tomorrow’s office move. This cookbook is awesome. I got it for Christmas, and i actually bought it for a friend of mine a couple of years ago. America’s Test Kitchen is a TV show on PBS and they test out recipes and products a bunch of times to get the perfect recipe. I also have an online subscription to their web site and are always getting my best recipes from them. The bread turned out yummy but i think i overbaked it so it was a little dry, but pretty good for my first time making it.
BANANA BREAD
| 2 | cups unbleached all-purpose flour |
| 3/4 | cup granulated sugar |
| 3/4 | teaspoon baking soda |
| 1/2 | teaspoon table salt |
| 1 1/4 | cups toasted walnuts , chopped coarse (about 1 cup) |
| 3 | very ripe bananas , soft, darkly speckled, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups) |
| 1/4 | cup plain yogurt |
| 2 | large eggs , beaten lightly |
| 6 | tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled |
| 1 | teaspoon vanilla extract |
- Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of regular loaf pan, or grease and flour bottom and sides of nonstick 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. Combine first five ingredients together in large bowl; set aside.
- Mix mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with wooden spoon in medium bowl. Lightly fold banana mixture into dry ingredients with rubber spatula until just combined and batter looks thick and chunky. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan; bake until loaf is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Superbowl Party Menu
Figuring out the menu for our Superbowl party on Sunday. Drawings always help.. and are definitely more fun that plain lists!
Baby Romaine
Why does this baby romaine mix include purple leaves? I don’t ever see full grown romaine in purple?
Gray Kitty Good Morning
A very friendly kitty decided to ask for belly rubs on my way into work this morning. First time i’d seen him… my how trusting he is!
Pine Nuts
Where does one start when searching for pine nuts at the grocery store? Creekbridge Safeway does not have any. North Main Safeway does, but it is not in the Nuts aisle or in the Baking aisle, its in the Bulk section between Produce and Seafood. Wouldn’t have figured that one out without asking! BTW, pine nuts are expensive! Good to know if i ever play Supermarket Sweep!
Frost
Cool frost that formed on Jeff’s Subaru. The frost doesn’t look this delicate and beautiful back in sea-level Salinas.
Snowboarding at Squaw Valley USA
Went to Squaw Valley today to snowboard. We got a late start, had some breakfast/lunch at a local spot, then headed up the mountain for a half day pass. This was the the first time for all of us to go to Squaw, and its beautiful, very open and the conditions were perfect. It snowed pretty much the whole time we were there, but not too much.
Me on the life. Pat taking a break, deciding were to go!
The view from the cable car… Love the exposed rock.
On the drive up there, we past Emerald Bay. Very pretty drive. For a moment you are on a narrow road at the top of the mountain peak with no guard rails on either side!
Fireplace…a Fake?
Jeff and I decided earlier this week to meet up with his brother Pat in Lake Tahoe for a ski trip. We rented a place at the good ole’ Big Pines Mountain House, but got a bit of an upgraded room with a kitchenette and fireplace. I think the flames were from a flat screen, because the heat was coming from a vent up top, not from these flames directly… but Jeff thought they were real flames. I guess we’ll never know…
Craft Cart
Bought a craft card from Michaels, and assembled it all by myself. I like the little cubbies up top for my scissors, pens and other goodies. The coolest part though is the ribbon holders!
Me vs. Tape Dispenser
Thank god for Google, or the internet at least. How would i ever be able to win the battle versus the evil tape dispenser at work this morning? Couldn’t figure out how to load a new roll in it.. till i found someone’s blog explaining it with photos. Phew!