chocolate peanut butter banana bread

I don't know why I hadn't ever thought of this before but when I saw the way over ripe bananas sitting on the counter yesterday begging me to do something with them before the fruit flies noticed I suddenly realized that the bag of peanut butter eggs I stashed after Easter in the freezer would be the perfect compliment for some indulgent dessert. It didn't take long to throw it all together and was a yummy addition to a rousing game of connect four after we ate last night. It really was the easiest thing ever but I thought you guys might like the recipe just in case you have loads of extra Easter candy hanging around your place like we do.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread: adapted from my first cook book Better Homes

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 egg

3 ripe bananas

3/4 cup sugar 

 1/4 cup cooking oil

ten frozen chocolate peanut butter eggs chopped

Grease the bottom of an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and set aside.

 

In another bowl combine egg, mashed bananas, sugar, cooking oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in frozen chocolate pieces

Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven 50-55 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and cool on rack.

For some reason baking yesterday evening while dinner was simmering on the stove and loud play time filled our toy room I was reminded of the earlier years of my marriage. I thought about the first dinner party I hosted in our tiny run down apartment. Stacy was there and I baked a cheese cake from scratch. It was SO overwhelming and *adult* and at the ripe old age of twenty three I wanted it all to be so perfect. I thought about how many bad casseroles I've served my husband and the times I've slaved over his favorite chicken pot pie wanting it all to taste just like the feelings I am pouring in. For some reason yesterday it was the way that I noticed the feeling of ease when I thought of throwing together some easy banana bread and experimenting with it in a way I hadn't before.

I think I realized that I have grown a bit. I have certainly not arrived - not even close - but I guess it hit me in a fresh way that after eight years of marriage, three kids, two houses, five years of diapers, hundreds of loads of laundry, tears and sweat and extreme exhaustion. I realized that - yeah I have grown. I can now make banana bread with one hand while fixing dinner and settling a disagreement over some silly toy all while bouncing a baby on my hip and not get totally stressed out that its going to be a failure and that somehow that would mean that I was a failure.

Seems like a lot to realize while making banana bread but I guess this is my process right now. So here's to throwing caution to the wind today and recognizing the little changes. So often we put our heads down and work so hard sometimes it is a good idea to look up and realize you've come along a little and I am fine to do that one chocolate peanut butter banana bread bite at a time. xo