So, I told you I’d give you some amazing and deep insights into why I want to be like a banana. And I know you can hardly wait to read this and gain from my incredible deep- thinking thought.

So here it is.

I was looking at my bananas a few days ago…and watching as they turned darker and blacker and squishier and saggier.

And then I began to think through the life of a banana.

It starts out green…and it’s not very tasty.

Then it turns a beautiful yellow and it tastes good…it’s in it’s prime of life.

And then, it begins to lose it’s beauty…and slowly becomes darker and blacker and squishier…and saggier…

And as that happens…the banana just gets softer and sweeter…

And even more useful.

Because before, it was just a banana to be eaten.

Now, it is a super sweet banana that can be made into ALL kinds of things…banana bread, banana pancakes, banana smoothies, banana muffins…

And that’s when I decided that I wanted to be like a banana.

As I get older…I’m going to get age spots and get saggier…and all those fun things.

But, I also want to get sweeter and sweeter and be more and more useful to people.

I want to appreciate the older “bananas” around me who are “oh so sweet” and have “oh so much wisdom and usefulness”.

And I want to teach my children to appreciate them too.

Now when I see those bananas on my counter, instead of seeing the black, squishy sagginess of them…

I see that they truly are beautiful.

And THAT, my friends is my incredibly deep insight into why I want to be like a banana.

Here’s a great recipe to use with those beautiful squishy bananas!

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup rapadura or 3/4 cup honey
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 smashed over-ripe bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
1 stick butter, melted
1 t. vanilla

In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Mash bananas in a separate bowl. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients. Pour in mashed bananas and all other ingredients. Stir well (or beat with hand mixer).

Pour into a greased 9×9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese FrostingYum

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3 ounces cream cheese
1 t. vanilla
4 T. honey

In a medium sized bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, vanilla and honey until smooth. Fold cream cheese mixture into whipped cream. “Slather” it on your banana cake.

Enjoy.

I’m going to go have myself a piece of cake…

 

All these “natural sugar” treats are soooo working for me around here. They satisfy the sweet tooth…my kids love them…and I can feel good about us all eating them!

Here’s today’s recipe!

Coconut MacaroonsYum

4 egg whites
1/4 t. sea salt
1/2 t. vanilla
2 T. arrowroot powder
1/2 cup real maple syrup (grade B is best)
2 cups unsweetened, shredded coconut

Separate eggs…putting the whites in a mixing bowl and the yolks in the fridge for tomorrow’s breakfast!

Beat the whites and salt with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. 

(I took this picture with my left hand while I beat my egg whites with my right hand. But, I’m not trying to brag or anything…)  

Continue to beat and add vanilla, arrowroot powder and maple syrup, one at a time.

(I cannot brag about adding these ingredients and beating the egg whites and taking a picture all at the same time.)

(I mean, I could have… but I was too busy working on our taxes, practicing my latin skills and tayloring a new suit for my husband while I did this step. I simply cannot do everything at once.)

Fold in the coconut.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes….then turn the oven to 200 degrees for one hour to let them crisp up.

These little treasures are so delicious!

The hard part about making them is smelling them bake for a whole hour and a half….and not being able to eat them!

Ah, but your patience will pay off!

Enjoy!

Tomorrow’s natural sugar recipe will have something to do with bananas…as I have several around here who have seen better days. 

I’m thinking…hmm…banana cake?! 

I also plan to share with you some deep insights into why I hope to be like a banana someday. 

Deep. Very deep insights.

Be sure to take a look at all of the great natural sugar treat recipes…and to keep coming back for more each day!

Did you try making your very own homemade chocolate chips, er, chiumpks?!

Yes, they’re different than store bought ones…

But we really like them! And, I think I’ll keep playing with them to see about making them with butter…just to see if that works too!

I have really enjoyed munching on the trail mix…I love the combo of all the nuts with the fruit…and of course the CHOCOLATE!! 

So now, here’s a recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies, using unprocessed flour and sugar. These have a different flavor than you’re probably used to with a CC cookie…because all of the good stuff hasn’t been stripped out of the ingredients you’re putting in.

We think they’re just as good, if not better…

And when I’ve fed these to company (minus the homemade chocolate chips…I just tried those this week), they LOVE them. And they don’t even know there’s good stuff in them! 

Chocolate Chip CookiesYum

2 sticks butter, melted
1 1/2 cups rapadura or sucanat
2 eggs
1 t. sea salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 – 1 cup homemade chocolate chips (I tend to be a little stingy on the chocolate chips that are homemade…I kind of want the batch to last longer!)

Mix melted butter and rapadura. Add eggs and stir well. Mix in salt, baking soda and vanilla. Stir in the flour until all combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop teaspoon sized pieces of dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Now, of course I picked out some of the prettier ones to show you…and just so you don’t wonder why some of yours didn’t turn out that pretty…

The homemade chocolate chiumpks in these just melted allllll over the place.

Maybe we could call those Chocolate Swirl Cookies?! (Sounds better than Runny Chocolate Blob Cookies.)

The good thing is…they taste great no matter what! 

My kids had NO complaints about eating the ugly less fortunate looking ones.

Stay tuned for our next recipe…Peanut Butter Raisin Balls…sent in by Krista. 

As you can tell, this series of healthy treat recipes is not going to end any time soon! I still have to talk about smoothies and coconut macaroons and…

There are SOOO many great things to make. Please send me any ideas you would like to share!