Tips on This, That and the Other: A Lone Banana

 As most of you know I am constantly running from job to kids sports events to blogging on my computer and what ever else comes up along the way! I have learned tons of money and time saving ideas along my life journey and have been trying to come up with a way to share them. Some of these things cannot “fit” into a category and so I have come up with Tips on This, That and the Other as the title of this post. I will be including Recipes, DIY Project info, Gardening info, Organizing, Daily things I do to not waste and save money at same time, along with small craft ideas. Some days it may just be something I have learned to make my day go smoother. I will not put a restriction on how often or when I will be posting…it will be random just like the title of the post!Today's subject is the Lone Banana on my countertop….

No one ever eats the last banana. Don't ask me why.

I used to throw them out.

But now I put them in a Ziploc bag:

Smash it up…

And then put in the Freezer until I have 4 or 5 frozen bananas and then make a couple of banana breads!

I only have 2 frozen so I cant provide a homemade picture for you but here is a picture & the recipe I use. My kids do not like nuts so I add Nestle Morsels instead and I add more bananas to make the bread a little more moist!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

• 

  Source: ziplist.com via couponsforyourfamily on Pinterest

  Details See full recipe at www.bettycrocker.com

• Ingredients This recipe has been customized
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium) I add usually 5
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk ( I never have buttermilk so just add regular milk w/ 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice or 1/2 cup of yogurt)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup Nestle Morsels instead of nuts
• Notes1) Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2×4 1/2×2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches.2) Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour into pans.3) Bake 8-inch loaves about 1 hour, 9-inch loaf about 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

I have been using a great online recipe and mobile app from ZipList.com to keep track of my recipes and grocery list. While I am searching the web and see a recipe I would like to try , Zip List has the functionality to have a recipe clipper in your web browser and you simply clip the recipe to your ZipList Recipe box. Therefore you have one recipe box–not 10!If I want to make one of my recipes, Zip List can generate a grocery list of what I will need so I can check off what I have in the pantry and add those items to my store list generated from Coupons For Your Family match-up lists. This way I have my list for coupons and the items added for things I will need to cook or bake!It is definitely a work in progress for me but I am trying to come more organized!What items do you freeze for a future recipe so you avoid wasting food?