Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Sunflower Seeds!

Banana bread is always a classic, as a snack, desert, or breakfast!  However, this recipe has been update for the more health conscious.  Also- This recipe makes two to there loafs, as banana bread freezes fantastically well! I hope you enjoy this easy and tasty recipe :)

Ingredients:

3 very ripe bananas

1/3c melted butter

1c of white sugar 

(can easily use 3/4 cup, or drop it down to 1/2 cup if you want it less sweet)

2 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour

1c unsalted sunflower seeds, shelled

Time:

Make the dough   7min

Bake                  45-60 min

Total                 About an hour

Serves: Varies

Although I did make this recipe in a mixer, that is far from necessary with this recipe. However, if you do not have an electric mixer of some kind, hand held or otherwise, then you would want to pre mash, shift and melt ingredients.

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F 

2) In a mixing bowl, add the ingredients, except the baking soda and the sunflower seeds.  You actually don't need to pre melt the butter, or smash the bananas, but you are welcome to.

3) Grease the baking dish.  I prefer more smaller loafs, but it is your personal preference. mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas.

4) Carefully add the baking soda to the mix, covering as much of the surface as possible with the baking soda. Mix into the dough.

5) Add about 3/4c of the shelled and unsalted sunflower seeds to the mix, and mix in as well.  Keep a 1/8c of sunflower seeds to the side to decorate the loafs. 

6) Fill baking dish 1/2 to 2/4 full of the dough and back for 45 min to an hour. Add the sunflower seeds to the top of the loafs-- Just for fun!

7)  Remove from the oven when the loaf is firm and a slightly darker brown, and let rest on it's side.  This will help with the removing of the bread later.

8) Once cool- remove the loafs.  Serve as is or warmed up!  Wrap whatever is left in aluminum foil before freezing.  I hope you enjoy!

Cost:
bananas              $0.60
flour&sugar         $1.00
butter                  $0.30
eggs                    $0.30
sunflower seeds  $0.70
baking soda        $0.10
vanilla                  $0.10
salt                      $0.01       
Total:                  $3.11
Makes three small loafs :)

Apple Cobbler: The Chocolatized Family Recipe Edition!

(And yes I made up the word chocolatized, 

but it should be a word 

so we are just going to roll with it...)

This recipe will be a side-by-side edition, featuring both the "traditional" and the "chocolatized." Think of it as the Yin and Yang of awesome comfort food deserts!

Ingredients:

Apples (for an eight inch round you will need 12+ small or 7 large sized)

1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats

1/4 cup of unsalted butter

1/3 cup white or brown sugar

And that is it!!

Time: 10 min to prepare

           30 min to bake

             5 min to cool before serving

           45 min TOTAL

So this is definitely one of those deserts that you can stick in the oven and then walk away from to enjoy dinner with your family, friends, and or guests.  As it is the end of the season, I would also like to point out that this recipe is great for apples just past their prime!  It also makes a great breakfast the next day, even cold out of the fridge, just sayin'.

Directions:

1) ALWAYS start with washing your apples.  I don't care where they came from, they should be washed.

2) Chop up desired amount of apples to fill your baking sheet 2/3 full when the apples are loosely packed.

3)Add desired alterations: This is the chocolatizing step!  I recommend adding a 1/4 to a 1/2 lb of walnut dark chocolate fudge to the dish.  Just make 1/2 inch cubes of the fudge and spread it around the dish.

4) Pre-melt the butter with a quick 10 seconds int eh microwave.  Repeat as necessary to reach a mostly melted puddle of butter.  You do not want to burn the butter so better to stop early than late!

5) Add the oats and sugar directly to the butter.  (The less dishes the better the desert!)  Note:  If you have carb loving guest, you can double the crust by just doubling everything that goes into the crust only, aka the butter oats and sugar.



6) Mix crust mixture well with a fork.  The oats should all have a slightly glossy look to them and the sugar should have no dry spots.  After that, it will all even out in the bake :)

7) "Fork" the crust mixture over the top of the apples. All apples to not need to be covered. (See image below.)

8) Bake at 325 degrees for 30 min, or until a light cripsy brown on top.  The apples should be bubbling when you take it out!

9) Let cool before serving! Five minutes is fine.

10) Serve: Al-la-mode or in a milk float or just straight up-- It's a "whatever makes you feel warm and comfy" kind of meal.


Cost:
$3      Apples
$1      Butter
$0.25 Oats
$0.25 Sugar         
$4.50 total 
(Unless add chocolate which usually adds about a buck.)

Delicious, delicious Yin and Yang Apple Cobbler!!!