One silver lining of quarantine? We are cooking and baking every day, with the help of our kids! This banana bread was fun to make together and really yummy! Different steps allowed for each kid to take responsibility, share the work and have plenty to do. Try it out and let us know what you think!
Tip: looking to add some math and science into your day? Cooking and baking are perfect vehicles for education. For example, I gave Olivia and Cullen each a 1/4 cup measure. They had to figure out how many times they had to fill their 1/4 cup measures to fulfill the recipe! You can play around with math by using different measuring cups and spoons, asking questions such as “There are 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon. How many teaspoons do I need to make 2 tablespoons?”
BANANA BREAD WITH CANDIED WALNUTS
Ingredients:
* 3 ripe bananas, mashed
* 1 summer squash, grated
* 1/3c maple syrup
* 2 tbsp nut milk
* 1/4 c + extra splash EVOO or liquid Coconut Oil
* 1 tbsp vanilla extract
* 1 egg
* 2c gluten free flour (I used 1c almond flour and 1c sprouted garbanzo bean flour, but 2c sprouted spelt, almond, garbanzo, oat, etc. or a combo would work!)
* 2 tsp baking powder
* 10 grinds of sea salt
OPTIONAL:
* 1c chopped walnuts
* Ceylon Cinnamon
* 2 tbsp sugar (coconut or maple, ideally)
* 1 tbsp maple syrup
* 2-3 tbsp mini chocolate chips
Directions
1.) preheat oven to 350
2.) line a loaf pan in parchment paper
3.) toast the walnuts in the oven until golden and fragrant. Keep an eye on them, it only takes a few minutes!
4.) meanwhile combine the mashed bananas and grated squash in a large bowl and add in the remaining wet ingredients
5.) in a smaller bowl, combine flour(s), baking powder and salt and mix
6.) slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir to combine
7.) in a small bowl, whisk the maple syrup, sugar and cinnamon and toss in the walnuts, coating them in the syrup. optional, add in some mini chocolate chips too!
8.) pour half the banana mixture into the loaf pan. layer half of the candied walnuts. Spread on the remaining banana mixture and top with the walnuts.
9.) Bake for ~60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
10.) allow to cool and ENJOY!
NUT FREE BANANA BREAD
Nut-Free Version
Ingredients:
* 4 ripe bananas, mashed
* 1 large cooked sweet potato or 1 cup of cooked squash
* 1/2 cup maple syrup
* 2 tbsp coconut sugar
* 1 tbsp vanilla extract
* 2 tbsp hemp seeds (optional)
* 1 tbsp cinnamon
* 2 tbsp nut milk
* 1 tbsp of EVOO or liquid Coconut Oil
* 1 egg
* 2 cups gluten free flour (I used 2 cups of garbanzo bean flour to make nut free, can use 2c sprouted spelt, oat, brown rice flour, etc. or a combo would work!)
* 2 tsp baking powder
* 10 grinds of sea salt
* Dark chocolate chips to your liking
In my home, we likely all have COVID-19. My husband was diagnosed with Flu A on March 16th. He went from tired and headachy (we thought from no sleep for weeks and the amount of stress) to being quite sick in a matter of hours. Once diagnosed with flu A, every doctor we consulted told us it was not possible to have flu and COVID-19, but my gut told me they were wrong. I’ve seen flu before and this was flu-like, but also different. He was very sick. I spent hours and hours on the phone trying to get my husband a Corona test. Finally, three days later, the NY State Department of Health called back and set up an appointment time for a day or two later (I can’t even remember because a day feels like a week). He was tested and three days after his test, we got a call confirming he was positive for COVID-19. The blessing is that I had already self-isolated our family from others (se we could not be vectors) and done a loose quarantine on him, keeping him away from our kids and sleeping in a separate room. But the negative is that he was among us for nearly 10 days before a diagnosis. This system is about as inefficient and backwards as possible. In 10 days a careless carrier can infect hundreds of people. In 10 days, a very careful person, such as my husband, can infect his entire family, including their 8 month old baby!
Caring for 3 kids 5 and under 24/7, cooking, crafting, exploring, entertaining, mediating, bathing, bedtiming, cleaning up, staying positive, caring for my really sick husband (from afar, nonetheless) and keeping a smile, carefree, stressless attitude has been an intense experience. Thankfully, my kids have been amazing. They are thriving in this unstructured, free for all of a life we are leading. They are playing so well with each other, coming up with creative and fun activities for the family and our days are truly filled with joy and activity. But through all of it, I felt such a sense of worry and uncertainty and pressure. The unknowns were heavy. The fear for my family was palpable. The need to keep it all together and running smoothly, especially for the kids, but so much for my husband too. And for me. To be able to control SOMETHING amidst this chaos of pandemic.
Today, my husband took a turn for the better. He got out of bed, finally, after 14 days. He stayed awake for more than a few hours before napping again. Relief lifted a cloud. I breathed deeply (well, as deeply as I can given my shortness of breath as I struggle with symptoms of COVID-19 too).
OK, OK. Enough on my rant. This is a post about Banana Bread, which I will definitely get to.
I’ve been exhausted, scared, anxious, so mad. But I am also taking this pandemic as a gift. One we hopefully will never have again. A gift of time. This unexpected and unconventional unit of time where we have nothing to do, nowhere to go, no-one to see and no end in sight. I’m relishing these quality moments with my kids. We are baking and cooking, crafting and learning. We are cuddling in bed watching Netflix and learning how to draw animals from YouTube. We are using our imaginations, having board game tournaments, going on scavenger hunts and seeing wherever the day takes us. We are putting on shows, attempting science experiments and collecting shells, rocks and sticks. We are making huge messes and trying our best to keep the house organized. We are joyous and connected. We are happy in our isolation, despite everything happening, horribly, across the globe and in so many ways greatly impacting our own lives.
Time is slowing down for us. We can get back to the basics. We can shed all the layers of show and circumstance. We can wear PJs all day and forget mascara. My hope is that you are too – as much as possible. Trim the excess. Notice what you really need. What you actually care about. What truly feels good. Let go a little. It’s ok. It is OK now, and it will also all be OK soon enough. Breathe it in. Let it go. Be a little looser than normal. Give in a little more. Bend your rules. Throw them out. Cook something. Taste something. Make something. Hold something. Hug something.
Love to all of you. Sending you health, strength, immunity and connection. This too shall pass…
