I love baking. Sunday afternoons are really the only time I have for this favored hobby, so in addition to preparing tonight’s dinner of eggplant parmesan, baking a few loaves of bread for the week, and making a batch of homemade yogurt, I also put together another healthy version of my banana bread. I experimented with butter/oil free banana bread a couple weeks ago, and here is my latest endeavor. I had no yogurt on hand, but I did have three apples that were a day or two past their prime, so I thought I’d work with what I had. One of the best parts about making life homemade is being able to utilize whatever is available. There are no rules with homemade mothering – just follow your instincts and don’t be afraid to improvise!

My Banana Bread Recipe – Riff #2

1/2 cup whole milk
2 ripe (aka brown) bananas, mashed
3 apples, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 firm banana, chopped
some of your favorite mix-ins – chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, flaxseeds, dates, cinnamon, etc

Pour milk into a blender. Top with the chopped apples and the two brown bananas. Blend until all is combined and the mixture is pretty smooth.

Combine sugar, eggs, vanilla and milk-fruit mixture in a bowl until well mixed. Add 1 cup unbleached flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir until just combined. Add 1 cup whole wheat flour and remaining 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir until just combined.

This batter will fill two loaf pans. I mixed chocolate chips into half of the batter, and into the second half I added 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and 2 tablespoons flax seeds. Bake the loaves at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Both versions came out delicious. My favorite taste-tester Evelyn happily ate one slice of each for a snack after her afternoon nap!