Spring Break Baking

So, as I mentioned in my little descriptor thing at the top of the page, I have been away at college! The whole experience of being away from home has been really neat, and I have loved living in the dorms...but I HATE that I don't have access to basic baking items. If I want to make homemade chocolate chip cookies, I have to have eggs, butter, flour, sugar...and those are things that I don't just keep around in my dorm room. So then I resort to  store bought cookie dough (which is totally fine and delicious)...but sometimes, I just want to make something without having to go to the store!

All that being said, I LOVE to bake when I come home because everything that I would need is right at my finger tips!

The first night I was home I made dinner: Twice baked potatoes, BBQ Chicken, and Corn on the Cobb (yum!)
The second night, my dad and I made our famous homemade lasagna!
Monday night, I made my favorite Pineapple pork chili with cornbread (one of my favorite chili's EVER)

When I came home this time, I saw that we had a couple bananas that were on their way out, and I thought...Banana bread! I have a recipe for chocolate chip banana bread that I just adore, and I felt that it would be a good idea to make it!

The Recipe I used was one off of about.com and I love it! I tend to drop in a few more chocolate chips that is mentioned in the recipe, and I also sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of the bread before I bake it so that the top gets nice and crunchy!

·         1 cup granulated sugar

·         4 ounces butter, softened

·         1 1/2 cups mashed bananas

·         2 large eggs

·         2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·         2 cups all-purpose flour

·         1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation:

Cream sugar and butter; beat in the mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and stir into the first mixture just until moistened Fold in chocolate chips until well incorporated. Pour batter into greased and floured 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Cover loosely with a tent of aluminum foil. Bake at 325° for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for 3o to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted tests done. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan and cool

Happy Baking!