What a busy weekend! My husband’s MBA program celebrated its 5 year reunion, and ALL of our good friends returned to Chicago for the weekend. When he started the program right after we got married, I had no idea I was about to meet some of the best friends of my life in the wives of his classmates.  But, we were all in the same stage of life: newly married, enjoying domestic bliss, happy to explore a new part of the country together.  It can be hard making new friends out in the “real world” – especially friends all in the same group – but we had so much in common, and our differences made for interesting conversations.  We had so much fun together, and the husbands’ graduation day came much too fast.

When I tearfully said goodbye to these remarkable women 5 years ago, I was days away from giving birth to Evelyn.  Flash-forward 5 years, I now have three kids, and we all are busy with the day-to-day challenges faced by young families.  So this weekend together was especially precious.

To kick off the weekend we gathered at Lake Michigan for a pot-luck picnic.  We used to do things like this all the time, and as soon as we reunited it felt like no time had passed.  Sure, there were a few extra little feet padding around, but we were all the same.  I love my friends!

For the potluck I prepared a loaf of homemade coconut banana bread.  It was a small way for me to show my friends how happy I was to have them back in town!

Coconut Banana Bread

1 cup sugar

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

1 banana, chopped

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.  Grease two loaf pans with coconut oil.

Blend first six ingredients well.  In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix.  Stir in coconut and chopped banana.

Pour batter into two loaf pans. Bake for 45-55 minutes.