Cream Cheese Banana Bread

Cream Cheese Banana Bread - I've been making this for a few years now whenever I take notice of  a couple of spotty brown/black bananas (sometimes, I forget to notice them and they get tossed) sitting in the fruit bowl. I'm giving you my favorite version!

Makes: 2 loaves

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c. butter, softened
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 c. sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 c. mashed bananas
• 1 c. chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract

1. Beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth. Gradually add the sugar and keep beating until the mixture is fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat just until blended.

2. Stir flour and next 3 ingredients together and gradually add it to the cream cheese mixture. Stir in bananas, nuts, vanilla and almond extract. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 8x4 inch loafpans.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out of a loaf clean.

4. Eat and enjoy! (better let it cool first)

New in the shop

Here's another new item in the shop for fall. :) Some pyrite nuggets were just lying there on my jewelry mat and they practically assembled themselves into these...

A song for Monday...

Farrago Friday 10.4.13

source

There is a storm brewing outside my house, y'all... it looks beautiful! Praise the Lord! From the week...


-Loved this Etsy post. You should try making your own tea this winter!

-I like these! If we didn't already have a slew of coasters around the house, I would make them!

-This recipe (from A Beautiful Mess) for pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust looks wonderful!

-It's really too early to be talking about that holiday at the end of the year that's my favorite, but if you're looking for unique, handpainted cards for that holiday, the etsy shop Stationary Bakery has some cute choices! They also have birthday, thank you and lots of other occasion cards, as well.

-Lose the puffiness in your eyes with cold green tea.

-I've been enjoying my fall pinterest board. :)

-Song

Literary Update

source

The summer is over, and I managed to make a small dent in my reading list with classics like Cry, the Beloved Country, The Great Gatsby, Little Dorrit, and True Grit. I also read Lewis's Letter's to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer. I'm really torn about giving you reviews cause you might be sitting here reading for a really really long time, but I'll rate them in the order that I liked them best from greatest to least...Little Dorrit, True Grit, Cry the Beloved Country, Letter's to Malcolm, The Great Gatsby. Maybe in the future I'll explain what I liked and didn't like about each...

This fall I'm planning on reading at least these:

 

  

10 Best Apple Desserts...

I saw this post by Camille Styles last week. These 10 desserts looked amazing and I really wanted to share...click here for the post and recipes.

Apple Cake with Cinnamon Sugar

Warm Apple Pie Pots

Chunky Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Crumb Topping

Apple and Cardamom Brown Butter Cakes

Fall Green

One thing I enjoy about fall is getting to wear the colors that don't really go in the summertime like all the dark shades of green! See...

source

source

source

source

source

source

source

This pic has a goat!

source

And I had to tack this one on at the end cause it's too darn cute not to.

source

Giveaway

Happy Monday! Pumpkin everything is coming! I can feel it! See...

recipe here

Some of you may already be familiar with Emmaline Bride. It's described as "the ultimate handmade wedding guide." They focus on everything from centerpieces to bridal jewelry, and it's all handmade. I joined their "marketplace" a while ago and am teaming up with them this week for a little giveaway! These earrings are up for grabs. Simply go here to enter! It ends on Friday. :)

I also wanted to show you the gold circle necklace that's new in the shop. You've seen the silver one already here.

Song...