- 2 cups of flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 stick of butter melted
- 3 bananas mashed well
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt (i used greek fage)
- 2 eggs whisked
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
- about 1 1/2 cups grated carrots (i used 1 really large carrot)
it’s chilly out there today (in ny anyway). i’m starting to think about stews and chowders, slow cooked sauces and roasts, oh and don’t forget turkey (yeah i know, that’s less then 2 months away though!). that just happens when it gets colder. i love this weather, it was a little unexpected however, two days ago i was wearing flip flops and shorts, today, jeans and a sweater (i refuse to give up my flip flops).
the one thing i really love about this time of year, cooking. i love the smells. it’s comforting. it’s my favorite time of year. it is supposed to be in the 70′s next week, i think i am getting a little ahead of myself here.
yesterday it rained on and off, it was warmish in the morning and by noon it was freezing. i walked down to the bus stop in jeans and a long sleeve shirt…i cooked all morning.
the past two weeks have been rough. i wont lie, it’s been worse then rough. just when we began to adjust to half a day of kindergarten, full days began. i really felt bad for j, i usually don’t get to personal here but he’s my kid and a lot like me. when i am overwhelmed i cook, actually i eat. when my kids or my husband are having a hard time, i treat them to special meals.
i usually do a roundup on friday but this is something i really wanted to share. kids as well as adults go through phases with food. one day they love one thing and the next day it’s something else. for the past two weeks carrots have become the star at meals. yes, i said carrots. j and p have been munching on them non stop, not only have we been eating them, we have been juicing them with apples. so when i saw what a hard time jack was having, i got on it and came up with a meal he would love and that would make him feel special.
this carrot banana loaf was yummy. i found the original recipe on the blog 101 cookbooks. i love heidi’s recipes. not only are they vegetarian, but extremely healthy. i came across her recipe accidentally thanks to google. there are a couple changes here. one, i really despise whole wheat flour, i am not sure why and i know it’s really good for you, but i really really don’t like it. two, i don’t eat dates. i am not a huge dried fruit fan. three, i tried to make this as easy as possible because i wanted j to be able to enjoy this after school. four, i added chocolate chips and some sugar. i for some reason tasted the batter and although the bananas sweetened it up, it was not going to fly with my kids.
if your looking for a quick carrot cake recipe, this is it. i was going to whip up some cream cheese frosting but it didn’t need it, it was perfect.
carrot banana loaf with chocolate chips
to prep: butter or use a spray on a loaf pan so nothing sticks, line with parchment paper, it makes it easy to take out and cool.
- in a large bowl sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
- in another mixing bowl whisk the eggs, yogurt, butter, sugar. add mashed banana, carrot, and chocolate chips.
- combine and mix the dry and wet mixture, spoon into loaf pan and bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
this bread is not light and fluffy, it’s dense and really rich. very filling and hardy. kids will love it because of the chocolate chips and you will love it because it’s a healthy treat, have a cup of tea or coffee with it and enjoy.
