Friday, April 15, 2011

When Grown-Ups Take Over

LOVED Obama's speech yesterday! It's not often a president stoops to a craven campaign speech a full eighteen months before his upcoming elections. He must really be in trouble in the polls to bring out the "Republicans are going to smother your grandma with a pillow" and "they're giving babies the ebola virus" and "they eat puppies at their fundraisers." That's me: a Puppy-eating Baby-hater.

Meanwhile, the people who actually have A SERIOUS PLAN to pare down the deficit are called names by the president. This is one grown-up's response to the ridiculousness:


There is not a more serious, earnest Congressman in Washington, unless you count Allen West. I'm glad we have the adults on our side, even if it doesn't help with the voting populace-at-large, who generally lack the attention span and the education (gotta love our public schools!) to understand this is no longer a funny game.

But enough of that -- let's eat! Today I have a cinnamon crumb-topped Cream Cheese Banana Bread that is crazy-moist and beloved in my family, even by people who hate bananas (yes, there ARE such people, and I live with them everyday -- pray for me.)

CREAM CHEESE BANANA BREAD
3/4 c. butter
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 1/2 c. sugar (I do a split of sugar and Splenda)
2 large eggs
2 t. vanilla
3 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. salt
1 1/2 c. mashed, very ripe, peeled bananas
1 c. chopped pecans (optional)

CRUMB TOPPING
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. pecans
1/4 t. cinnamon
1 T. flour
1 1/2 T. melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and flour and butter two 8 x 4 loaf pans. Stir topping ingredients together and set aside. Beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer until creamy, then add sugar gradually 'til light and fluffy. Add eggs until just blended. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to cream cheese mixture slowly at low speed until just blended. Stir in bananas, pecans, vanilla. Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over batter in both pans. Bake for 55 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out cleanly. You may have to cover with aluminum foil the last 10-15 minutes of baking to ensure the bread doesn't come out too dark. Don't wait to eat -- it's fantastic warm!


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