RSS
Home
Family Favorites: Tea Time & Banana Bread
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
I do apologize for the hiatus, everyone. In our household, we've been dealing with a fair share of illness, deadlines, and general life stressors. Here in Vermillion, The town has been desperately trying to finish up a lot of construction before the brute force of winter really hits us here. This has interrupted water, electricity, cable & internet, heat & a variety of other daily necessities at the most random of times. We recently had no internet for 3 days.
But we're back now! I've been busily click-clacking away at article ideas and rough drafts! I hope you will all be pleased by the articles that will be going up over the next week. Please leave lots of feedback and comments. After all, this column is here to serve you, my readers! I aim to please.
Are there any die-hard winter fans reading today? Truth be told, my favorite seasons are the transitional ones. I love the rain and brilliant colors of both spring and fall. I enjoy early morning and late evening walks the best during these months, I love waking at dawn to peek out our window to see what the day brings in terms of weather and colors. This is probably for the best as I have two children who really don't enjoy sleeping past 6 in the morning, and that's on a late day.
I'm really not a big fan of winter. I get sluggish and run down, overwhelmed and easily anxious. I do love sunlight and seem to do my best on those bright, crystal sharp winter days that have lots of sunlight streaming into our windows. But what to do on those days that are bleak and howling, dark and damp, that leave me wanting to roll over in bed and shut the world out? It is in the winter that I rely the most heavily on rituals and routines to give shape to my days.
Every afternoon, around 3:30, no matter how full my day is, I break for tea. As a kid, I always found the idea of tea time delightful, and my appetite for cakes and cookies to accompany my tea time has only sharpened as I've grown older. Of course, I now try to find healthier ways to ease my sweet tooth and family recipes prove to be adaptable with a little patience for trial and error.
Recently, I've succesfully adapted our family recipe for banana bread. I've got a real penchant for banana bread & when accompanied by a cup of milky earl grey, it makes for a welcome afternoon break. Tea love runs deep in my family. Both of my grandmothers had large collections of lovely, fragile tea cups and pots that were always fascinating to me. When I turned 12, my mom inherited a lot of those tea time items, and throughout my life, tea time has been a familiar acquaintance. Some of the best conversations I've had have been over a pot of tea and a spot of something sweet to eat. In the winter, tea time gives my day real structure and also renews my energy for my tendencies to stay up late then get up early.
If you aren't breaking for tea and a bite in your late afternoons, I urge you to give it a try. Try it with this banana bread & a little quiet time. It might just ease the bite of winter and put a bit of spring in your step as we forge through what just may be another hard South Dakota winter. Enjoy!
Black Banana Bread
The title comes from the fact that I use dark chocolate chips & the blackest bananas I possibly can. If you are impatient, you may ripen your bananas in the freezer. Over-ripe bananas also store magnificently frozen. I do like to peel them and break them up into large chunks so they store and thaw quickly. Storing them this way (usually in a freezer safe tupperware container) also makes them incredibly easy to throw into banana bread.
2 cups whole wheat flour (I use the King Arthur brand.)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup of applesauce
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3-4 overly ripe bananas, cut or torn into large chunks
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a large loaf pan or cast iron skillet. In a small bowl, combine your dry ingredients, mixing well with a fork. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together your butter, and applesauce until fluffy. This usually takes 2 minutes. Add your eggs and vanilla, blending until smooth.
3. Add your dry ingredients to wet in 3 additions, blending well after each one. Gently blend in your bananas to your preference (some people prefer larger chunks of banana) and finally, gently stir in your chocolate chips.
4. Scrape into your pan and smooth the top gently. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Enjoy with a tall, cold glass of milk, a steaming mug of coffee, or a cup of milky, strong tea.
Related Articles:
Comments
