Grandma’s Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Mar 27, 2014

I don’t like banana bread.

There—I said it.

Cue the shock and hand-wringing and exclamations of my lack of humanity. I’ve heard it all. But I still don’t like banana bread.

THIS banana bread, however, is pretty freaking awesome.

I got the chance to fly out to eastern Washington in late January with my dad to visit my Grandma and some other family on his side. I see most of them maaayyybe every decade, often longer, so it was a great chance to catch up and reconnect. My grandma had baked some banana bread that I ended up snacking on all weekend. It was dense and moist, like a flat little cake, and studded with chocolate chips. I loved it.

She gave me her recipe and I played with it a little, including using all whole wheat flour, leaving out the coconut (partly because I forgot), and using dark chocolate chips. I also baked it in two shallow dishes instead of making a regular-size loaf, which I think actually was the best thing I could have done for even cooking and keeping everything moist.

Quinoa Nut Maple Granola

Feb 23, 2014

Granola is one of those things I really WANT to love. I do.

I have all the best intentions of loving granola, and then I pour my milk in and try to eat it, and I chew. And chew. And chew. And then my jaw and teeth hurt. But this granola is pretty special.

While it has a traditional base (oats and nuts, some coconut), it brings in a number of interesting flavors and textures. Chia, quinoa, and sunflower seeds provide extra crunch and protein, craisins and dried cherries substitute for raisins (which I’m not a huge fan of), and maple syrup and coconut oil hold it all together. I threw in some flaxseed, wheat germ, and hazelnuts, for good measure, since I didn’t have the pumpkin seeds or buckwheat the recipe called for.

The result is a delicate, crunchy, cinnamon-y obsession. If you want to see the original recipe click here, but I’ve outlined my version below.