The Best Banana Bread Ever

While both of my cameras have decided to go on hiatus at the same time (reading as Memory Card Error, though both had been shooting just fine for months, and moments prior), I have been enjoying the opportunity to catch up on the blog. But it is absolutely killing me to go without taking pictures for two weeks!!! Bethany's crawling, Tubby has a broken arm, the weather is gorgeous bringing us lots of outdoor play time, and all three boys were in a fantastic district Jazz concert last night....each of them playing a solo! Can I just tell you that my silly little phone camera just doesn't do our lives justice. But for now, it's all I've got. So I guess, I am thankful for it.

Time out to share this recipe with you. Perhaps I have done so in the past, but if not....SHAME ON ME!!! This is a recipe for The Best Banana Bread Ever, from my most amazing, living-from-their-land-doing-life-right friend Lisa, up in the Middle of Nowhere, Minnesota. This recipe never fails, and I am including variations we have used and absolutely love. I have made this so many times, that I now have it memorized. You may just want to keep a recipe card in your back pocket, because I promise you, when you make this, people will ask you for it!

The Best Banana Bread Ever

*3/4 cup butter, softened
*8 oz cream cheese, softened
*2 cups white sugar
*2 eggs
*1/2 tsp baking powder
*1/2 tsp baking soda
*1/2 tsp salt
*1/2 tsp vanilla
*3 cups flour
*1-1/2 cup mashed, ripe, bananas(about 3 medium sized)
*1 cup nuts, optional

Beat together butter, cream cheese, and sugar until smooth. I cheat here, and throw in my banana chunks and let the beater mash them for me (plus, it is one less bowl to clean!). Add eggs, baking powder and soda, salt, and vanilla, mixing well as you go. Continue mixing well as you add flour. If using, add nuts (pecans ROCK in this bread!).

Variations to die for:

*Pretty in Pink: one bag frozen raspberries, thawed(or 1-1/2 cups fresh---though this seems to be more expensive, and frozen turns out just as well), and almond extract. This makes an extremely lucsious and elegant bread with a pretty pink color in each slice. Perfect for special occasions and Valentine's Day. Fit for royalty.

*Sweet Summer: mashed strawberries(sweetened with a bit of sugar and water) and vanilla or almond(for richer flavor) extract.....nice and freshly sweet.

*Pina Colada: mashed bananas, rum and/or coconut extracts, and 1/2 to 1 cup flaked coconut....tropically fun and yummy!


Pour into 2 regular bread loaf pans. I use my stoneware pans for excellent results every time.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes, then remove from pans.

Stand back so that you don't get trampled over by the stampede of family, friends, and strangers coming to devour the goods.

Enjoy!