Banana Bread

Don't throw away those mushy nanners! I was making dinner tonight and noticed that there were 3 bananas left in the fruit bowl that were kind of beyond the peel'n'eat stage. I felt guilty and crappy because money is tight as hell and here we are wasting good produce and vitamins and junk like that. Then I remembered that you could use them to make banana bread. Or at least that's what I've been told. I've never made bread of any kind and generally avoid any kind of baking. But I looked up a recipe anyway and it turned out that we had all the necessary ingredients. So I made that joint.

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• Spices (amounts are up to you but a little goes a long way): nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, beat sugar & butter.

Add eggs, bananas & water & beat until blended.

Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt & spices (add all or just the ones you want, it's entirely to your taste). Mix until blended.

Stir in walnuts.

Pour into loaf pan (I used a souffle dish and it worked fine).

Bake for 55-60 minutes.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

This was so easy (and I suck at baking). It was also delicious. So next time your bananas are going bad, get crackin.

Irish Soda Bread

This came out more or less like a giant biscuit. You be the judge.

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2.5 tbsp butter
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 beaten egg
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• other half of the beaten egg

In a bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda & salt.

Add butter. Combine buttermilk (you made need a little more) with the first 1/2 egg and add to flour til just moistened.

On a lightly floured surface, knead gently for 12 strokes.

On a greased baking sheet, shape dough into a 3-inch loaf (mine was more of a sticky blob).

Cut a 2 inch cross, 1/4 inch deep on the top

Brush with the other half of the beaten egg

Bake for 35min at 375

**try adding raisins, currants or dried cranberries**