Banana Bread

I've been baking lots of quick breads recently. I use three mini loaf pans (each is 5.75" x 3") instead of one large (regular-sized) loaf pan, and I've been freezing at least one from each batch, so we can enjoy some now and some later. We haven't noticed any significant difference in taste with the ones we've frozen and eaten later, so they seem to freeze well.

Banana Quick Bread
(adapted from Joy of Cooking's "Banana Bread Cockaigne" recipe)
Makes one 8.5" x 4.5" loaf or three 5.75" x 3" mini loaves

1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
6 Tbsp butter (3/4 stick), softened (I just microwave it)
2 eggs
3 bananas

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Grease pan(s).
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small mixing bowl. (Sometimes, I put some cinnamon in there, too.)
3. Beat sugar and butter together in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add bananas in pieces, mash with fork, and beat in.
4. Add the dry ingredient mixture in about 3 parts to the wet ingredent mixture, beating in until smooth after each addition.
5. Scrape batter into pan(s) and bake about 50-60 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

The Beauty of Decay

We went for a walk around the neighborhood on a nice, sunny day a few weeks ago and took some photos of the leaves as they were first beginning to change color.

We also happened to encounter some creatures along the way, and they were nice enough to pose for us.

And speaking of creatures, we seem to get a lot of visitors in our back yard. All on the same day one day, we saw a hawk, some squirrels, and somehow even a cat managed to get through our fence. The hawks around here seem to like perching on our fence.

The leaves are in the orange/red/falling phase right now. They're beautiful, but it's been cooler and rainy, so we haven't gotten any photos recently.

Isn't it kind of interesting that most things that are decaying lose their appeal, but it's almost the opposite with autumn leaves?