Banana Bread - YUM!

Do you cook with your kids? Yes, I know the idea of letting them even go near a canister of flour can send shivers down my spine, but a little planning can make cooking with your kids so much fun.

Payton joins me in the kitchen when I'm cooking something he likes. Usually that "something" involves chocolate chips. On this particular day, I was making one of his favorite recipes - banana bread. It's a super easy recipe and fun to make with kiddos because they get to mash up the bananas (see above photo) and mix in the chocolate chips. He's even getting pretty good at using the mixer (although his arm usually gets tired after a minute or so).
Of course the best moment is licking the beaters. Do you remember doing this as a child? I sure do, and it brings back wonderful memories to see my own child do the same.
So the next time you have a couple of over-ripe bananas in the house, don't toss em... make banana bread. Trust me, it's delicious and you'll want to make it over and over again! Enjoy.




Stacy's Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter (room temp)
2 eggs
2-3 ripe bananas
1 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 - 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter or spray with Pam a 9x5x3" loaf pan.
2. Cream sugar and butter in large mixing bowl until light & fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. In a small bowl, mash bananas with a fork. Mix in milk, cinnamon and vanilla. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing until flour disappears.
5. Fold in chocolate chips until evenly dispersed.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes.