I was lucky enough to spend some time recently, with dear friends who live many miles away (hence the prolonged absence of posts). I feel blessed to count these people as friends and I’m always a little sad to return home. Coming home from a vacation is always difficult for me, but especially troublesome when I have to leave people I really care about. It brings to light how much I am not a part of their daily lives and routines and they are not a part of mine. Returning to the mundaneness of my same old running route, my same old recipe for banana bread, and my same old pair of sweats (because who truly needs a Burberry coat and Philip Lim pants when they live in The Middle Of No Where?) can be a bit cumbersome.
But who says I have to run the same route? Or that I can’t jazz up my banana bread? Or go really crazy and wear high heels and lipstick to the grocery store? Because no matter where we are, or how far apart we may physically be, my best friend, my dear university friends, my new friends, and old friends recently reacquainted: when we look up into the sky we all see the same sun.
Hawaiian Banana Bread
source: inspired by the interwebs
- 2.5 C all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 C butter at room temperature
- 3/4 C vanilla yogurt (I use non fat)
- 1 C brown sugar
- 1/2 granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3 eggs or 3/4 C egg beaters
- 3 to 4 really ripe bananas
- Zest of one lemon
- 3/4 C toasted, sweetened coconut
- 1/2 C macadamia nuts
- 1/2 C chopped pineapple
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease two loaf pans.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Beat together the butter sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Next beat in your vanilla and yogurt.
- By hand or with your mixer add in the bananas. Once fully incorporated add in your flour mixture until just combined. Then stir in the lemon zest, coconut and macadamia nuts and pineapple if using.
- Divide the batter between your two pans and bake the loaves for about 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick (or knife, whatever you want) inserted comes out clean.
- Cool your loaves on wire wracks until the loaves are cool enough to handle… then eat!
- The riper the banana the sweeter your baked goods will be. I often let mine turn BLACK on the counter, peel them, then chuck them in the freezer. Just take the ripened bananas out to thaw before you need them for baking.
- If you’re making the lower fat version (ie sans nuts and eggs) you might want to freeze the bread first. Does anyone know why low fat stuff tastes better after it’s been frozen?
- If you make the low fat version as per above and cut each loaf into 10 slices, each slice will contain about 225 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 43 grams of carbs and your friends will thank you for making something so yummy and healthy.
MissLemonie 
You actually made me cry with this post. I miss you too my dear friend!
I love this post! Thanks for the reminder that we all share one thing in common even when we feel a little lost on this spinning sphere. Great recipe!!!
I love baking banana bread. I always buy extra bananas just for that. Nice one you made.
A little sunshine. Yes. I could use that…haha.
This looks delicious!