a recipe for a rainy day.

It's a gloomy day here in the sticks.  The skies are thick with clouds and everything is drip-drip-dripping.  They say snow is on a way.  In fact, they are so confident as to issue a snowfall warning for our region.  I really wish I knew who "they" were...


I may sound glum, but days like these actually make me really happy.  I love the smell of wet leaves and grass, the calming sound of the rain, and the warmth of my own home.  I love it when God sends rain to water His earth.

Yesterday, as my husband and I were doing our ritual of aimlessly wandering through Walmart, something Big and Shiny caught our attention.  In fact, it was so Big and Shiny that we couldn't resist it.  Well, the sale probably helped, too.  What is this Big, Shiny thing, you ask?  a KitchenAid standing mixer.

Aint it purdy?

I have not had a chance to use it yet (and I'm a little afraid of it still), but in the spirit of the Awesomeness that will break forth from my kitchen from this day hence, I would like to give you a recipe.  Or two.

What follows is my usual (awesome) Banana Bread recipe.  It's pretty much the best banana bread I've ever tasted.  And you can add chocolate chips or walnuts to make it even more awesome--if that were possible.

Observe:

1 C sugar
1/3 C soft butter
3 (or 4...or 5) ripe bananas, mushed
2 eggs
1 t baking soda
2 C white flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg


Preheat oven to 350. 
Combine ingredients
Pour into greased bread pan.
Bake 40-50 minutes, or until the centre does not dent when pressed.
Cool in pan, or transfer to a wire rack, if preferred.

As you can see, I'm not very specific when it comes to instructions.  I just make sure I don't stir it too much.  You could cream the sugar & butter, mix in wet ingredients, then add the mixed dry ingredients and stir until just combined... but I find that it just makes more dishes.  And this works just as well.

As you were reading the above recipe, you probably thought, "WHOA, that's a lot of sugar.  And butter.  Yikes."

You are completely justified in thinking so.  The answer is: IT MAKES IT TASTE SO. GOOD.

But, alas, those two things made me explore new territory because, let's face it, healthier is (sometimes) better.  So, I searched and searched and pondered and researched typed it in on Google, took the first recipe I found, and got some ideas.

This is what I came up with:

3/4 C whole wheat flour
3/4 C white flour
1 C rolled oats 
1 t baking powder
1 t bakin soda
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg


4 or 5 ripe bananas, mushed (MORE is better!)
1/3 C vegetable oil (I used extra virgin olive oil, and it worked)
1 egg
1/2 or 1/3 C honey
1/2 t vanilla


1 T rolled oats


Preheat oven to 350. 
Combine first seven & last five ingredients separately
Combine dry & wet until JUST mixed
*Here you can add 1 C raisins, or dried cherries.  I wouldn't suggest the chocolate chips for this one. :)
Pour into greased bread pan. Sprinkle with rolled oats.
Bake 45-55 minutes, or until centre does not dent when pushed.  
Cool in pan, or transfer to wire rack, if preferred.


There you have it!  And, look, I changed two cups of white flour into 3/4 C white, 3/4 C whole wheat.  I added one cup of rolled oats.  Two eggs became one.  One cup of white sugar became 1/3 cup of honey.  1/3 cup of butter became 1/3 cup of olive oil.

Granted, this recipe does have a very different texture, but it is still absolutely delicious.  I feel much better about having it for breakfast now.