Day 35 - Banana Nut Bread: Parts 1 & 2

I have long been on a quest to find the perfect banana nut bread.  On Wednesday I thought I had found the recipe but then it ended up looking like this:

[sigh] - both loaves sunk and pockmarked; not pretty.  They were tasty though.  So, on Thursday I decided I was going to make up my own unique recipe.  Having been baking banana bread on a fairly regular basis for a couple years now I think I understand how the dry to liquid chemistry works.  So, I put together my own recipe using my own ratios and favorite ingredients.  This is the first time I have ever so completely just developed my own recipe.  I often merge recipes or update older, more traditional recipes but this was quite a step.  And this is what it looked like:

Both loaves a beautiful golden brown, lovely crack down the center of a nice rounded middle - awesome.  Now, I am going to just assume that it tastes good (yes, I know what assuming can do - this is where confidence in my scientific skills will either make or break me).  I think a large part of my love for baking is the science - I love science and have a very analytical brain so baking suits me well.  Anyway, I froze both loaves and this is what my family gets to see when they open the freezer:

I am a firm believer in having a back up ready just in case.  Plus, there are other classes the second one could fit in.  Those of you that know I have a decent non-nut banana bread recipe are asking yourselves why not use that recipe with NUTS?  OK, I could do that but then I have the exact same recipe in the same division (just 2 different classes).  I don't think that's a good idea.  Plus, I don't like my regular banana bread with nuts added.

Today for afternoon snack Clark was eating some trail mix and Grant was finishing off his banana nut bread that was left over from breakfast.  Clark asked me for some banana bread too.  I had to tell him it was all gone.  I quickly realized my mistake; "but mommy there are two sitting there."  I told him he was right but those weren't ready yet.  "Oh, OK mommy!"  Technically not a lie since banana bread should rest 12 hours before cutting and secondly they won't be ready to eat until after the state fair.  If he would have pushed it I still had the second loaf from Wednesday in the freezer.  Yet again, whether the judges like it or not my boys approve and that's what matters!

Alan snapped this bottom shot on Tuesday evening.  In the evening I like to work on a little needlepoint before bed.  As you can see our cat Jack likes to "help."  Look at the concentration.  Yeah - actually he was chasing the needle as I pulled it up through the fabric.  He was told to lay down or go elsewhere.  Lazy cat that he is he chose to lay on my feet.