Banana Bread

I do this thing when I go to the store.  I buy bananas.  I have big plans to eat those bananas everyday and I think they are going to be so good and they're going to be so convenient.  Here's the thing.  I don't really like bananas that much.  And I will never even think about eating a banana that has a brown spot on it.

But have no fear, those brown bananas that sit on your counter are not destined for the trash.  In fact, those are the best bananas to cook with!  Wait until they are really overripe, and the flavors are more concentrated.  Then whip yourself up some delicious quick bread!

Southern Biscuits

Now, if you're wondering what you should do with that buttermilk that you made, look no further!  Mix up some biscuits, smother with that homemade butter and top with some raspberry jam.

SOUTHERN BISCUITS
recipe adapted from Alton Brown
2 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. shortening
3/4 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. heavy cream*

*You can substitute heavy cream and use full 1 c. buttermilk instead.

Croissants***

Here's where the story begins.  I was thinking about what we should have for dinner tonight and I came up with gnocchi with some sausage and asparagus and other veggies in a lemony sauce...then I thought, "We should have bread with that."  Then I thought how I don't really like to go to the grocery store here alone - I'm kind-of a wuss and it seems to take so long (Metro trip and walking for 5 minutes to and from the stations)  

So instead of wasting my precious time with public transportation, I had the brilliant idea to make bread!  That doesn't take long does it?  Oh right, only about 4 hours.  But you don't have to catch a communicable disease while doing it!

After looking up recipes for french bread, I bagged that whole idea (9 hours! - that wouldn't be ready by dinner) and somehow decided croissants sounded good.

Sure they take time, but totally worth it!  You get a yeasty, bread-y aroma that envelops your apartment (note: if you don't live in a total of 800 sq. ft. the scent probably won't fill up your entire living space), not to mention the delicious flaky satisfaction in a crescent moon shape when you're finished.

It's easy, I promise, try it for yourself!

more from last weekend

I forgot to upload these pictures from my other camera, which means that I also forgot what else we did last weekend (besides the fireworks and baseball game).  Now I remember that I made a delicious loaf of bread with my parents' bread-maker that they gave me when we moved.







On Saturday (since it was hailing and raining and windy) we went downtown to get our library cards and then we went to a little cafe, called Busboys and Poets that has cool art on the walls and poetry readings and other hipster stuff like that, so all the kids can go there and do ironic things.  All that being said, Austin and I like it there quite a bit.

On the walk home, we stopped to take some pictures of the beautiful Magnolia trees and the sunset over the mall.