Banana Bread {SPECIAL POST FOR SECRET RECIPE CLUB}

The Secret Recipe Club is such an awesome group of people and when you read this you will know why. One of our SRC Members died suddenly and was taken from this earth way too soon, leaving his wife, unborn child and two sons. I did not know this man or his brave wife, but after reading her post all about her husband, I came to know them through blogging, and this is why I love the blog world.

The SECRET RECIPE CLUB decided to pay a small tribute to this man, who loved to blog and to his wife by hosting a Special SRC day. It was for any of us who wanted to participate to make a recipe from their blog Haggis and Herring, I of course wanted to participate, in what seems like such a small way for someone who is suffering so much at this time of loss. I pray for them and hope that God will watch over their family and grant her peace, and hope that the little love we can show them her will put a little happiness in her heart.

This SPECIAL POST will be my 18th post for the Secret Recipe Club. I LOVE THIS GROUP.

I decided to make their Banana Bread. I poured through pages and pages of their blog and read for hours. I came across so many unique recipes, many things I had never even heard of. It was so fun reading through all the posts and hearing her husband speak through those posts. I never thought about it before, but a blog is so much like a daily journal, even when someone has passed on, the journal is left for all to read over and over again. AMAZING!

FREEZER TIP: If you have bananas that are ripe and you aren't in the baking mood, just stick them in your freezer whole. When you are ready to bake some bread like I was, just let them sit out for about 15-30 minutes and they will be ready to mix up in your recipe. This also works great for banana muffins, banana cookies and banana cupcakes too.

Banana Bread

adapted, recipe found at Haggis and Herring, original idea from Better Homes and Gardens

2 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups (3 bananas), mashed
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Grease two loaf pans (or use one of these great mini loaf pans that make 4 loafs) and preheat oven to 350. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. 
 
In a separate bowl, combine eggs, bananas, sugar and butter and add to flour mixture. Stir until moist (still lumpy) and fold in chocolate chips. (I divided the batter in half and made half banana bread without chocolate chips and half with). Divide mixture and pour into loaf pans.
 
Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, remove from pan, and let cool completely on the wire rack.

Here is a list of my past Secret Recipe Club recipes:

• Blueberry Muffins (Gluten-Free)
• Bean Roll-Up (extra post)
• Cucumber Salad
• Raspberry & Nutella Pizza (extra post)
• Pioneer Woman's Chicken Pot Pie 
• Frozen Breakfast Burritos
• Pink Pearl Applesauce (crock-pot)
• Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cake (extra post)
• Cake Mix Cinnamon Chip Brownies
• Sweet and Smokey Roasted Cauliflower
• Cheesy Bacon Ranch Dip
• Trail Mix Cookies
• Creamy Noodles
• German Chocolate Cracker Candy
• Brownie Trifle
• Raspberry Greek Breakfast Parfait
• Dutch Apple Pie