Banana Bread with Pecans and Coconut (and some awesome french toast)

We're in the middle of a little ice storm in the valley, and of course the first thing I want to do when there is no way I can go to the store is bake. There are three eggs left in my house and I'm stuck deciding on the one recipe that will satisfy my need for comfort food.   Two over ripe bananas on my counter and a hodge podge of misc leftover baking ingredients decided that for me. I whipped up some Banana Bread with Pecans and Coconut and then decided to make french toast out of it. Healthy, right? See below for the recipe.

Banana Bread with Pecans and Coconut

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

  ¼ teaspoon baking soda

  ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  1/8 teaspoon salt

  1 egg

  2 medium bananas mashed

 ¾ cup sugar

 ¼ cup cooking oil

  1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel

  ½ cup pecans

  ½ cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spray loaf pan with nonstick spray. In medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Mix together and set aside.

In another bowl mash the bananas, add the egg, sugar, cooking oil, lemon peel, pecans, and coconut. Mix well.  Add to dry mixture.  Mix together until blended.  Will be lumpy. Pour into loaf pan(s). I chose two small loaf pans instead of one big one.

Baking time varies based on size of loaf pan.  For 8x4x2-inch loaf pan bake for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove loaf from pan. Cool on rack.

*altered from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook Banana Bread recipe

For French Toast

   2 eggs beaten

  ½ cup milk

  ½ teaspoon cinnamon

  6 slices banana bread

    Maple syrup or whipped cream

 

Beat egg, milk and cinnamon together in a shallow bowl.  Slice banana bread in 1 inch pieces.  Dip in egg mixture to coat.  Spray skillet with cooking oil and cook bread on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until browned.  Serve with maple syrup or whipped cream.

fun is exhausting part one: bikes, buddies, and a very cool Saturday

Sometimes I just have too much fun for one person, I think.  I can't possibly share it all with you folks.  I'm picture obsessed lately, so at least I've been documenting my grand adventure, right? Here's a condensed version of the past two days.  


On Friday, I went downtown with my mother and my child on a picture taking adventure. I was to procure good shots for my husband's website.  I swear to pete Greenville has the most beautiful downtown! I swung by Pedal Chic, too, to check out their skorts. Robin, the owner, promised me a hug when I told her I was including her store in the Guide to Greenville I was writing for USA Today. I went to cash in and meet her face to face.  They have really awesome stuff in there!  Like shoes and clothes and bags! Not just bikes, so go check them out. Made me want to get back on the bike so I could invest in some smokin' gear!

We ate lunch at Northgate Soda Shop, a Greenville institution.  The walls are lined with old photos, antique soda bottles, and those fans on popsicle sticks that people used to move hot air around with before air conditioning. Little bronze nameplates are spaced down the bar and on the tables - the names of regulars that have passed away.  So sweet, but a little creepy. Northgate is locally known for their homemade pimento cheese, burgers and peanut butter milkshakes. I asked for a sample of pimento cheese and it is totally amazing, but I ordered a club sandwich since it's tomato season... which now that I'm thinking about it, I should have ordered a pimento cheese sandwich with tomatoes. (Coulda, shoulda, woulda. There's a next time!)   Mom got a tuna fish melt which was AWESOME and my child got onion rings and motz sticks.  Not the healthiest of lunches, but if you're in need of some comfort food, this is your place. 

So my buddy's birthday is this weekend. I made her a cake. A chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate ganache and strawberry sauce.  A crazy altered version of this. It was awesome. She's awesome!  Happy Birthday bestie!

These are my friends Cheryl and Steve.  They own Upcountry Provisions, the new cafe and bakery in Travelers Rest.  They let me work in their kitchen this morning FOR FREE! I made bagels! I made veggie pizzas (that were freaking awesome!) and I topped chocolate zucchini cakes with ganache... I was in complete heaven. Then we packed the car and headed out to the Travelers Rest Community Farmers' Market to sell some bread!  Sierra came and helped too.  She's quite the little sales child.

We were stoked to have the Juiced guys beside us at the market. They are hoping to open a place soon, but for now you can find them at the TR market.  They even got Sierra to drink some watermelon juice! Makes you cool in my book. I had the orange and carrot.  Yum.

So that's part one: my Friday and Saturday morning. I'm off to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and my bestie's bday (seriously. It said so on the invite.) and hang out with my neighborhood peeps. Laters! 

(part two, aka Sunday fun, is still in the planning phase.) 

Hendersonville Small Plate Crawl... and puppies. (Seriously.)

I am too full to even drink my coffee this morning after yesterday. Hendersonville's Small Plate Crawl began yesterday morning at 11:30 and I ate all day long!  First thing, I traveled up the mountain to the beautiful little town of Flat Rock for stop number one in my food crawl, Flat Rock Village Bakery.  This little bakery sits behind the Wrinkled Egg and it is AMAZING.  

The pastry chef has mastered crispy, lovely crusts and with that... she can do anything.  I ordered the Savory Tartlette (not so little) with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola, Bacon and Potato and a you know I had to try the Pumpkin Spice Cupcake topped with a Pumpkin seed brittle.  The Tartlette was rich and heavy, flavorful... and well, savory.  The cupcake icing was perfect, the brittle was sweet and nutty, and the cake was perfectly moist and flaky.  I have also had the Cinnamon Rolls and Turnovers here.   Best I've had anywhere. Hands down.  My only complaint?  I didn't have someone to share them with!  

As I stood in line at the bakery, this woman walked up to me and asked if I was me.  (It was me.) It was the Carolina Epicurean, the premier food blogger in Western North Carolina. She is the mastermind behind the Crawl and works her fanny off organizing the thing! I was so excited to meet her. She was incredibly gracious and invited me to join her table and chat for a while. We took a pic, but kept her disguise intact with a strategically placed magazine.  

So I was stuffed already (even though I didn't finish all of either dish) and quickly realized that having a food buddy for the crawl was a good idea. (Carolina Epicurean's sister had a bag full of tupperware and a cooler in the car... also a good idea for next year because cleaning your plate at 9 restaurants in one day is painful, even if the food is extraordinary.) But I had to make one more stop to stay on schedule!

Last stop of the morning: Dean's Market and Deli for their signature Frito Pie. 

Then time to walk off all this food with some shopping before returning later in the afternoon with my buddy, neighbor, fellow foodie and poet, Kimberly Gibbs Simms.  

Puppies... I almost forgot the puppies.  I have passed this pet store by The Fresh Market in Hendersonville for years but have never stopped!  I was so excited to get some good puppy sniff therapy. I was tempted to bring one of the little boogers home with me.  Thank God they didn't have a Corgi or I would have been toast! I can't wait to take Sierra back. (Hey Griet: check out the little Dachshund. She was precious!)

So the dogs weren't exactly on the official crawl, but I couldn't help myself... and I thought I'd share the cuteness.

Don't miss out!  Restaurants open today at 11:30 for the last day of crawling!  I'm headed back out out with my friend Wanda for lunch.  If you see me out and about today, say hi!

Hendersonville Small Plate Crawl Schedule

Part 2 of Day 1 coming soon!

Rainy Day Egg White Scramble

For breakfast: an eggwhite scramble, with bell peppers, onions, spinach, salt, pepper, oregano and cave aged Grueyere cheese on toast.  So good.

I love the sound of rain falling on the mountain.  I'm posted up on the couch this morning with my coffee and October 's Food Network, Rachael Ray and Martha Stewart mags to get ideas for the upcoming Halloween party.

I have all of Martha Stewart's mags from 1995ish to prejail (weren't the same after that... and really how many new ideas can she have?) filed by date in our guest/craft storage room. The collection is morbidly heavy.  Believe me.  I've moved it several times.

I have black scrapbook paper and googly eyes close by, too, for making bats that I'm going to put on the wall.  (I'll post a pic if I actually make that happen.)

Today's plan is enjoying the rain, drinking my coffee, researching blog traffic, and cleaning house/doing laundry.  I actually have a clear calendar for a couple of days and am going to full well take advantage of it!

I planned to make more whoopie pies for Boo at the Barn happening Saturday of this weekend, but ran out of parchment...maybe tomorrow.  If you're a Greenvillian (or close by!) and love horses, make the trip to River Fall's Red Barn (1 milish from the F-Mart) on Saturday. Bring the kids for food, music, games and horse rides.  It's a down-home event.  Nothing fancy, but the funds raised help Dogwood Terrace Stables continue their efforts to bring safe haven for horses and kids.  Read here for an article I wrote for Greenville Journal about the barn.

Have a great day and thanks for stalking... I mean following me! :)

Back in the kitchen...if only for a moment.

I've been crazy busy this week: writing and researching for my other gigs, taking dogs to the vet, playing mommy taxi, and running back and forth to town for interviews and meetings, but I found my way back to the kitchen this morning for a few minutes to whip up a breakfast pizza. (Inspired by a recipe I saw on Chow this week.)

1 Whole Wheat Pita
spread on 1/2 tbsp pepper jelly
cover with handful of spinach
sprinkle mexican blend cheese over spinach
Saute 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper and onion with salt and pepper...
Dump 1/2 pepper and onion mix on top of spinach
Lightly scrambled egg mixed with other half of pepper and onion mix.  Egg will still be a little runny.
Broil until melty and spinach is a little wilted.

You can put a raw egg in the middle of the pizza and broil it until the egg white is firm, but I don't like sunny side up eggs.... so I scrambled.