Do you have overripe bananas sitting in your kitchen? Two very ripe bananas were begging for my attention yesterday, so I set out a stick of butter after I drank my coffee, and got out my handy immersion blender.

Using 7 strawberries, a banana, some plain organic yogurt and 2% milk, I whipped up a breakfast smoothie for my kids. I confess I had a couple sips myself — there was a little left over after I had poured their smoothies. Talk about refreshing and delicious! My 3-year-old drained his smoothie right away, and then set to work on his breakfast.

Next I procured a bread recipe very similar to banana bread but adding a twist using a couple apples and a banana, some butter, the usual sugar, eggs, and some walnuts. I then casually asked my husband if he could help me make Apple Banana Bread.

“Sure,” he said, as he sat at the kitchen table eating his bagel, and reading the news.

“Can you make this apple banana bread recipe for me today? I’ve got to take our daughter to the Valentine’s party this afternoon.”

My husband almost choked on his bagel, and then started laughing. “It’s your word choice that struck me so funny,” he was finally able to gasp out. “You went from asking me to help you to asking me to do it all myself.”

Of course, he agreed to make the bread after lunch. He’s good like that.

The aroma in the house after the bread came out was absolutely wonderful. He used reduced fat sour cream instead of the regular sour cream as suggested in the recipe. It’s a very easy recipe to do with a mixer, my husband tells me.

My children love the taste of the apple banana bread, and since they’ll be doing most of the eating of the bread, their taste is what matters most in this instance. Next time, I would spice up the bread a little to suit my tastes more, but the recipe is very well done for children, who tend to have a more, shall we say, demanding palate?

My overripe bananas have been used, my kitchen smells wonderful, and we have homemade breakfast bread in the house. What a great way to start the week!

What is your favorite way to use up ripe bananas?

Photo by Kelly Estes