Puddles and Banana Bread

  Remember Spring as a kid; knee deep in puddles and soaked by the end of the day?  As I stand on the edge of the giant lake that has formed in the sandpit at the school I teach at, I find myself wincing in horror with every cannonball into it, but flashing back to the fun I  had in puddles as a kid. I patrol the trenches built to allow more water to enter the lake from the surrounding field and watch the children pound the ice with their boots.  One of my students always stands directly in the middle of the giant puddle, guarding it like it belongs to only him. I have a desire to go running through it at top speed, not caring that I am wearing a skirt and tights. The boys tell me that they are building trenches so there will be more water beetles this year.  One of my students wants to get a really big one and bring it into the classroom.  Of course I am already terrified. It is so much fun being a kid.  I am lucky because I revisit my inner kid every day at work.  I am surrounded by different stages of being a kid. 

       There was a maple bug on my shirt in the staff room on Thursday and a fly on my kitchen roof today. Spring is springing loose. Of course we will see an increase of temperatures and soon buds on the trees.  Then we will get slammed with the biggest snow storm of the year!  My prediction.  I would like to be more positive on this one, but it happens every year. I will have just put away the last of the last of the winter clothes away and BAM, winter appears out of no wear like some villain.  Spring has it's moments.  I am looking forward to barbecues and longer evenings before the entire world's population of mosquito larvae hatch in my back yard.  My favorite part about Spring is the scent of the first backyard fires of the season.  My oldest son has been waiting for a marshmallow roast.

Since Mother Nature is having emotional issues (I have them myself) and blew a hurricane of wet snow and cold temperatures our way, I decided to bake.

Here is a very delicious and moist banana bread recipe using coconut flour as a the sweetener.  Try it, and add whatever your heart desires.  I stumbled on this recipe from the Civilized Caveman blog. I modified it slightly. It is so fabulous!!

Paleo Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 4 bananas
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 4 tablespoons of coconut oil or butter
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine your bananas, eggs, and nut butter, and coconut oil or butter in a blender or  food processor, or mixing bowl and mix well.
3. Once all of your ingredients are blended, add in your coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and sea salt and mix well
4. Grease a loaf pan or muffin tins with coconut oil. If you use a metal pan it will probably bake in 35-40 minutes so start checking at 35 to ensure the middle stays moist
5. Pour in your batter and spread it evenly throughout
6. Place in your preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If your baking with a glass pan, bake for 55 minutes or so.

I put some dairy free carob chips in the batter.  They were delicious in the recipe. I am going to use this same recipe and try making muffins.  The bread is so light and fluffy.

    
The coconut flour provided the sweet flavor along with the carob chips.                                                     

Hope you enjoy!!