Bananas for Thanksgiving

I've been inordinately busy. Apologies for ignoring you, my dearest readers.

Because the busy-ness extends into (and will consume) this calendar day as well, I have dug into the archives and present to you here a timely re-post.

It's from 2014 and it contains recipes. Two of them, and both extra-good, because those are the only kind I like.

Without further ado, I give you this and promise new news next week.

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Nobody has asked me what I was so busy whipping up in the kitchen on Saturday.

But even in the absence of nudgings, goosings, coaxings, and arm-twistings, I am prepared to disclose the details of my weekend culinary activities.

You may recall that for several years I walked the earth oven-less.

Short story. Not remotely riveting for all its brevity.

Suffice it to say, I compensated surprisingly well -- just think Crock-Pots, lots of them -- but now that I have a brand-new oven, I jolly well use it.

As a matter of fact scarcely a calendar day elapses that I don't fire up my feisty, shiny new oven, prompting me to wonder more than once:

What did I ever do without an oven?

But the question is rhetorical. What I did year after year was, I made do.

What I did not do was, I didn't bake my annual dozen-or-so loaves of banana-nut bread, with a few pumpkin loaves thrown in for the sake of variety.

This sort of thing has been a tradition for me since time out of mind.

At Thanksgiving and Christmas when one remembers certain family members, friends, and acquaintances, and feels compelled to give them a little something to enjoy in the festive holiday mood, a loaf of homemade banana-nut bread is a brilliant solution.

Also the way I do it, it's absurdly easy.

That's because I go semi-homemade.

And this being the season of sharing, here's my recipe:

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SEMI-HOMEMADE BANANA-NUT BREAD

1 box Pillsbury Quick Bread (or generic brand) mix, banana (or pumpkin) flavor

(IF you use PQB brand in banana flavor, below are the exact directions. If you use another brand or make the pumpkin kind, read the box.)

(On second thought, read the box anyway.)

2 eggs

1/4 cup oil (I have used both canola and olive, the light-flavored kind)

1 cup water (I use buttermilk, or whole milk, never water, but you can)

1/2 cup (or more) walnut pieces (optional, but necessary if you're going for banana-nut bread)

1 fresh ripe banana, mashed (optional but if you want it to be like mine, don't leave this out)

Mix everything together well but don't overmix. I beat the eggs first but you don't have to.

Spray your loaf pan (glass works best) with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in 375-degree oven for 45-50 minutes. I lay a piece of aluminum foil over the top for the last 5-10 minutes so the crust on top doesn't burn.

Test with a toothpick or cake tester. It's done when only moist crumbs emerge.

Cool, then wrap in foil to keep fresh.

If you make pumpkin bread instead of banana, use a generous dollop of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) in place of the mashed banana.

You can also just as easily make muffins from this recipe. Again: For exact directions, read the box.

I make these breads two-at-a-time. It takes twice the ingredients but only one (big) mixing bowl and exactly the same amount of effort, and then you have a loaf to give and a loaf to keep. Or two loaves to give. Or keep.

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While I was making bread on Saturday, I also made cranberry sauce from scratch.

No Crock-Pot will made to feel irrelevant or superfluous on my watch.

This is another impressive recipe that is ridiculously simple to make, but elegant either as an addition to your holiday table or to give away jarred in a cute bag along with a freshly-baked loaf.

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HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE

2 packages FRESH whole cranberries (12 ounces each)

1 cup granulated white sugar

1 cup light (or dark) brown sugar

1 cup fresh (not from concentrate) orange juice

1/2 cup water

2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1 cup sweetened DRIED cranberries

1 Tablespoon lemon (or orange) zest

In a Crock-Pot, mix together the FRESH cranberries, the sugars, the OJ, the water, and the grated ginger.

Cook on HIGH for three hours or so, until the cranberries have popped open.

Uncover, stir, and cook for 30 more minutes.

Unplug Crock-Pot. Add sweetened DRIED cranberries  and lemon zest. Stir well.

Over the next several hours, allow the sauce to cool and thicken. Stir often.

Transfer to a glass dish with tight-fitting lid and chill in refrigerator overnight.

This is an extremely sweet-tart sauce best enjoyed sparingly.

Serve cold beside the turkey and dressing, or, to give as a gift, put a cupful in a pretty jar with some frilly embellishment or other.

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So that's what I've been up to and I'll bet you're busy fixing a bunch of good stuff in your kitchen too.

Meanwhile things are taking brilliant shape around here, which basically involves me reminding TG for the third time to get the Christmas stuff down from the attic, and working hard to retain my festive mood while de-tangling last year's strands of Christmas lights.

All of my babies will be here for Thanksgiving. Won't you have fun looking at the pictures?

Speaking of pictures, tonight TG and I will (very carefully) remove the table-top glass and prop it off to the side so that I may rearrange the photos and add more.

As yet Baby Dagny is not represented there, a situation that must be remedied before Thursday.

Also I'd like to work in several more recent pictures of my other three littles, and a few shots of Andrew in and around the KC-135 and his unit.

Everything is in a state of flux but soon enough the dust will settle. Best relax and enjoy the ride.

And that is all for now.

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Happy Weekend-Before-Thanksgiving Week

Comments

[Mari]

I'm impressed with your cute ideas. I love things that are simple but look so impressive!
Hooray for all the family coming for Thanksgiving. Have fun with the table, I know you'll enjoy adding those special photos.

[Jennifer]

@Mari ... well, that post was from 2014 ... the photos were added, and were on the table for three years. Then last year I did a whole new table with updated photos! Next time I'll add wedding pictures and Maverick (new-dog) pictures and (I hope) more grandchildren pictures! But I am making banana bread again tomorrow! xoxo

[sally]

Banana bread is one of our favorite's around these parts. Yours look delish as well as the cranberry sauce. Thanks for sharing these recipes!

[Mari]

That makes more sense! I thought I remembered you doing your table in that not too long ago past! And I thought it would be funny if Dagny wasn't in it! :)

[Jennifer]

@Sally ... you're so welcome my friend, and I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving. xoxo

@Mari ... yep we added older Dagny and Cherica and Brittandrew pics a year ago! But now the couples are married and there's a new dog and I can't keep up, haaahahaha! xoxo

[NanaDiana]

Your banana bread is similar to my own, Jenny...but that cranberry dish is nothing like any I have ever had. I am copying the recipe over. I will make a small batch as I seem to be about the only person that likes cranberries in my house. Idiots....lol....
Have a blessed day-so happy you have an oven now!!! xo Diana

[Jennifer]

@Diana ... I hear you re: the cranberry sauce and of course you can half that recipe. Even though practically everybody at my house eats it, I still like to make a separate batch just to give away to certain folks at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's always appreciated as it tastes nothing like what comes in a can! Oh and I've had my new oven for over four years. That was a rerun of an old post. xoxo

[Cheryl]

Your cranberry sauce looks very interesting! I have made one very special cranberry dish for years, but this year, I am not making it. Chad is going to bake the turkey, Alan is going to peel the potatoes and I am going to open a couple cans of vegetables. Not the typical thanksgiving but it will have to do this year. My bones are getting too old! Ha!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! May you have a blessed day of giving thanks together. It snowed here this morning. Yay!

[Jennifer]

@Cheryl ... Snow already! How lovely. I wish I could've seen that from your cozy windows. Your Thanksgiving feast sounds wonderful even without a special cranberry dish, although I must have my tangy cranberry sauce or it's just not the same. I hope you add some pumpkin pie! Love and Happy Thanksgiving to you all and hello to Alan and Chad! xoxo