[ Banana Bread ]

This is the PERFECT "after school" snack for the kids.  And even better that it can be packed into their "nut-free" lunches, the next day.

Banana Bread
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 bananas, finely crushed
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Cream together butter and sugar.

Add eggs and crushed bananas.

Combine well.

Sift together flour, soda and salt. 

Add to creamed mixture, and then add vanilla.

Pour into greased and floured loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

Keeps well, refrigerated.

[ Cinnamon Crumb Banana Muffins ]

OH WOW.

I made these for their lunches tomorrow - and they've already eaten 6 of the dozen for an after-school-snack.  Off I go to make some more LOL.  Probably should double this ... 

Cinnamon Crumb Banana Muffins

Ingredients:

1 + ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking power
½ tsp salt

1 egg
¾ cup white sugar
⅓  cup melted butter
3 mashed bananas

topping

⅓ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 
• Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
• In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 
• In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. 
• Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
• In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. 
• Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
• Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

[ Caramel Popcorn.]

*  my own pic.

Caramel popcorn always intimidated me -- well -- I actually never realized that you could MAKE it yourself LOL.  When my cousin served it to us one night, I couldn't eat it fast enough -- I asked for the recipe and it's now on "snack" rotation.  This recipe is very similar to my cousins -- I found it on Pinterest.  And it was SUPER easy, and SUPER yummy.

Caramel Popcorn:
10 cups (100g) air-popped popcorn
1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
1/4 cup (80g) light corn syrup
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Ingredients

Directions:

- Preheat the oven to 200F degrees. 

- Spread the popcorn out onto 2 large baking sheets. Set aside.

- Combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter, cream of tartar, and salt in a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat. 

- Stir constantly and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes.  

- Remove from the heat and quickly stir in the baking soda.  

- Pour the caramel over the popcorn and stir gently until all the kernels are coated.

- Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.  

- Allow to cool on the pan and break apart large clusters if desired. 

-  Cover the popcorn tightly once cooled; it will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.