It was a bitterly cold morning in Northern Iowa, which seems to be the way 2014 is going to start out.  TJ and I had spent much of the morning playing, and I had been able to get some laundry and cleaning done, while stll fitting in a short 25 minute workout.  The temperatures on this particular day seemed warm compared to what we had and would be seeing…a mild 10 degrees or so.  However, living out in the country with only small trees to give us any protection (someday they’ll be big, right?) the wind can be so bad that its impossible to do anything safely outside with a little one when it is that cold.  The windchills were below zero so it looked like we would be stuck inside for the rest of the day.

And what do I like to do when I’m stuck inside on a cold winter’s day?  BAKE!  To me, there is nothing like the smells that can emerge from the oven when some homemade goodness is thrown together.  In my pantry, I had a few bananas that were ripe and were needing to be used.  For some reason, I’ve really been craving a homemade bread lately so banana bread seemed like the logical choice.

Believe it or not, as much as I enjoy baking, I had never ever made banana bread.  You see, I’m actually fairly new to baking, only taking it up within the last few years so this is one area I have not delved into.  What a mistake that has been!  It only took me about 5-10 minutes to throw this recipe together, I was able to mix it all up by hand, and the result was warm and delicious!  This bread was our breakfast for the next two mornings, plus a few other peices here and there.  Now I’m looking forward to my next batch of bananas getting ripe 🙂  Here is what this delicious, no fuss bread looked like:

Yum!

So, if its cold where you are today, give this no fuss recipe a try.  Your house will smell heavenly and your tummy will be warm and happy 🙂  Perfect on a cold winter’s day!

No Fuss Banana Bread

4 Ripe Bananas, mashed

1/3 cup Butter, melted

1 cup Sugar

1 Egg, beaten

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Baking Soda

Pinch of Salt

1 1/2 cups Flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix melted butter into the mashed bananas.

3. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add baking soda and salt and mix in. Finally, add the flour and mix in.

4. Pour the mixture into a sprayed 4×8 loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.  Cool in pan on rack, remove from pan, and slice to serve.  That’s it!

I like to take each slice and pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds and then top with butter.  The butter melts on the warmed bread.  There is nothing quite like it.  If you’re a coffee lover, enjoy with a cup of coffee.  It will be hard to want to leave your house after enjoying this delicious treat.  Perfect for a day snuggled out home with your loved ones 🙂