Monday, July 19, 2010

Banana Bread

One of the best banana bread recipes I've come across is from the show Down home with the Neely's, on the Food Network.
This recipe is moist and flavorful

Momma Callie's Banana Nut Bread with Honey Butter
Prep Time:10 minInactive Prep Time:10 minCook Time:1 hr 10 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
1 stick butter, at room temperature, plus more for loaf pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 large very ripe bananas*
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Honey Butter, for serving, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and put a rack on the middle shelf. Butter and flour a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a separate small bowl, mash the bananas with a wooden spoon, leaving a bit of texture.

In another large bowl, use a hand electric mixer or stand mixer to cream the 1/2 cup of butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. Stir in the mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla and beat until just combined. Add the dry ingredients and gently stir in pecans. Pour the batter into the pan and put on a sheet tray.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Slice and serve with Honey Butter.

*Cook's Note: To ripen bananas quickly, put them into a paper bag and fold down the top. The bananas should ripen in 2 days.

Honey Butter:
1 stick salted butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey
Mix the butter and the honey together in a small bowl with a wooden spoon. Serve with the banana bread.

Yield: 1/2 cup

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Saturday, July 10, 2010

Things I Want to do in San Diego

Sometimes, especially when one lives in a city that is a tourist destination, it's easy to forget about all the fun things to do right in our own backyards.

I'm adding to my Bucket List, things I want to do/see/try locally
It's ever changing, but here is where I'm at right now
(note items crossed out were accomplished after this was first written)

Food & drink stuff:
Have a Mai Tai at the Bali Hai (tour?)
Have breakfast at Hash House a-Go-Go
Gotta try Richard Walker's Pancake House
Eat pommes frites at Cafe Chloe
Have cocktails at least one of the rooftop hotel bars
Check out The Studio Diner
Go back to Lahaina and hang out for an afternoon
Have an artichoke sandwich at The Roxy

Sports stuff: (me? yeah, sometimes)
Learn to snowboard on the magic carpet in Encinitas
Swim the La Jolla roughwater event, even though (actually because) I am petrified of swimming in the ocean

Places:
See a movie at La Paloma
Check out El Plantio Nursery in Escondido
Go on the photo caravan at the Wild Animal Park
Go back to Cinema Under the Stars and blog about it
Tour the US Grant Hotel
Tour Fort Rosecrans
Tour the Marsten House
Tour the Villa Montezuma
walk the pedestrian bridge in Hillcrest
walk the suspension bridge in Hillcrest
walk the Vermont Street bridge

Events:
go to the drive-in again
see the flowers bloom in Borrego
attend the annual Mother Goose Parade
attend the annual Big Bay Balloon Parade
Make Tiki Oasis an annual "to do" (I have my tickets for next month!)

Do you have a list of "to do's" where you live?

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