The Banana Debacle
I have an intense distaste for bananas.
If, by some miracle, I can get past the smell and actually bite into a banana, I will gag at the fact they are mushy, too sweet, and just generally unattractive.
So imagine my disgust when I found this lying around the kitchen:
If after 10 years of marriage your husband still doesn’t know what drives you “bananas” then I think it’s fair to let him learn the hard way – let’s just say that the microwave will read “.01 seconds” for the next few days.
I wanted to throw the offending banana in the trash but this was a problem for two reasons:
- I didn’t want to touch it, and
- I fear wasting food more than I fear touching bananas.
So armed with tongs and a severely abused banana, Maya and I decided to tackle banana bread.
As with most things that come out my kitchen this recipe came together with a wing and a prayer. But unlike most things that come out of my kitchen every single person in the Din Household LOVED this banana bread. This, my friends, is unheard of.
A-Wing-and-a-Prayer Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
2 cups of flour (I used white because that’s all I had but wheat would be better)
1/3 cup of brown sugar
2 mashed up, seriously overripe bananas
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
2 T canola oil
1. Mix the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients separately.
2. Combine, pour into a greased loaf pan, and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.
I know that Ali is reading this and is thinking, “See, if I hadn’t left that old banana on the counter you would have never made this bread.”
And all I can say to that is, “Ali, go take a look at the microwave.”
While I'm not going to win Mother/Wife of the Year Award anytime soon, I haven't killed anyone yet or shot myself in the head. And that, my friends, is how I calculate success these days. 
FANCY THAT FANCY THIS 
Haha you are too cute. Congrats on lasting 10 years, however! Was the choco-bananney bread decent at least? It sure looks that way!
The bread was great and I don’t even like bananas!!
🙂 success! i really admire that you’re able to say so much so meaningfully in so little words. your posts are generally short but they’re so much more powerful than a lot of longer ones i’ve seen around bloggie land!
You are a racket, woman! Too funny – Ameena and did Ali check out the microwave? I hope it was AFTER he loaded up on that amazing looking banana bread of yours!
Ciao, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
ahaha the microwave thing drives me nuts too – but that bread looks seriously delicious. Simple, whole ingredients. I love it!!!
Oh I love banana bread and make the bread or muffins with it every week! Choco-chips are a must!
I’ll have to try your recipe, looks stellar. And I’m glad that you liked it too – if your not a banana person! (how is that possible?!)
I hate bananas, too!!!
I REFUSE to touch them (unless they’re still in the peel) and the smell makes me gag. (sorry wayyyyyyy tmi) I don’t know what it is- it’s been like that since I was little and I just am revolted by them . ahaha, glad to know that i’m not the only one!
Out of curiosity…did you TASTE the banana bread? Did you like it?
I’m not sure I would have been brave enough, maybe if you made it though.
XO (p.s. I ADORE your comments on my blog.)
You’re a better person than me. I would have tossed it in the trash. Then taken the trash out- because the idea of smelling the thing in the trash would gross me out even more…
I love bananas…at least one a day 🙂
Lol…bugging your spouse is one of the best parts of marriage, right?! 🙂
i totally love bananas. but i know many people who gag when just thinking about them! and too funny about the microwave! did ali look at it?!
I’m not a huge banana eater…I rarely buy them and if I have one I prefer it less ripe. But I love, love, love banana bread. And, as with everything, chocolate chips make it so much better.
Still, I forget what the psychologists call it, but you might be rewarding bad behavior. Just watch: Next time Ali wants apple pie, you’ll find a half dozen half-eaten apples on the counter. 🙂
Mr P hates bananas. He says they smell like vomit (!?). I still eat them LOL. I love bananas.
Have a great weekend daaaahling.
*kisses* HH
Mr. P hit the name on the head – that is exactly what bananas smell like!
If this were my house, I would have left every cabinet door and drawer open… irritates my husband to no end. That banana bread looks fab, btw!!
You sound like my sister with your distaste of bananas! LOL That’s crazy you ended up liking the banana bread too. And found something everyone will enjoy.
You don’t like bananas?! Crazy woman! I adore bananas! Actually, I adore them to the point that I have the cashiers making stupid, idiotic jokes like, “Do you have a pet monkey? Ahaha.”
Good job on the banana bread! For someone that isn’t a fan of bananas it looks like you did an amazing job. 🙂
My husband hates that :01 left on the microwave as well – what can I say, I’m impatient and is that last second really necessary to the reheating of my coffee??
I’m so glad other people have banana issues as well. I hate smushy bananas or ones with any brown spots but I’ll eat the bananas that are barely ripe. The hubster will ONLY eat ripe bananas. However, we will both eat banana bread with chocolate chips 🙂
The best part of bananas is using the old ones for banana bread. Will you eat it or not cause of the bananas?
I did eat a tiny piece, despite it being banana and gluten filled. Surprisingly I didn’t get a stomach ache or gag! It was really delicious. 🙂
Hahaha, love the microwave thing. That really is irritating…good job, lol.
That’s a really good idea! I hate bananas. I can’t get past the smell. I can’t even remember the last time I actually bit into a banana. Glad to see when life gives you bananas you make banana bread.
I have a banana issue too. There is one sitting in my fridge that looks about as nasty as yours. I can only tolerate bananas in bread or in smoothies…but never will I bite into one just by itself. Your bread was a good solution. I made cinnamon rolls with my nasty bananas…and they turned out quite good.
Not a bananna fan AT ALL. For pretty much the same reasons as you. But I have discovered that I do like Bananna bread. Not sure if I could ever make it so major kudos to you for doing that!! My husband is mostly unbuggable which sucks! I can only get to him by organizing his stuff away-which is something he should be doing anyways and is typically in response to him bugging me by leaving his junk everywhere!
ohhh, we go thru bananas in our house like we are a bunch of monkeys…and some of us are! (not naming names or anything)
love your post and banana bread IS so good. Chocolate chips makes it even BETTER.
good for you for braving banana hatred to make a fun treat!
🙂
It’s interesting what you learn about people through their blogs. I don’t blame you for disliking bananas. If left peeled like that, it can sure stink up a room. I don’t have a dislike for bananas, but I do have a dislike for it’s lingering smell. Oh dear, if you dislike bananas, stay clear of durians lol.
Your recipe sounds wonderful Ameena. I have some over riping bananas lying around, and your recipe couldn’t have come at a better time. Now I just have to get a loaf pan. Gives me a reason to go shopping this weekend too :-D. Thank you for the recipe! Have a wonderful weekend, dear. Oh, and the microwave thing would drive me nuts too haha. It’s always great ammunition to know what can push your spouse’s buttons huh? You’re too funny, girl!
oh ali, taking credit for the amazing banana bread…
but i have to say that i absolutely go berserk when the microwave isnt set to 0.00…its just an OCD thing.
hahaha oh Ameena, you’re just awesome! 🙂
This banana bread looks really good. Ali is lucky, I wouldnt have been nice enough to make banana bread. I would have done something far less civil.
Here I thought you were planning on stuffing the old banana in his pillow 😉
I love bananas and banana bread 🙂 I make banana muffins pretty often too. Throwing in chocolate chips is a great idea!
Well it looks delicious! I am not overly fond of bananas either. I think it is a hold over from the “egg, banana and hot dog” diet that I tried while in nursing school. Oh we nurses are SOOOOOO smart about nutrition. Of course, I have a recipe that employs bananas and chocolate chips for a bar cookie. And if the bananas on my counter would just ripen faster I might be able to make them.
Bravo on the banana bread. You’re too funny about that whole banana thing though. My husband leaves them like that all the time thinking that someone will pick up and eat the rest of it (especially after the skin starts browning and the end showing gets that funky sheen). I don’t mind throwing them away and using all the French, Armenian and Spanish words I can think to call him all the while. I do the same thing when he takes his food out of the microwave without cancelling the time left. I think we’re married to the same guy.
First off, I’m in the pro-banana camp. I prefer mine under-ripe and a tad green. Best way to eat? With a generous dollop of Nutella, a fabuloso dark chocolate-hazelnut spread from Italy, spread lavishly over the top.*** How the Italians did not conquer the world with this stuff is a truly lost opportunity.
The recipe sounds delish, and underlines my point that …
Banana + Chocolate = Tru Luv.
***Caveat eater – men go ga-ga (sorry Ameena, I know you dislike Lady G) when a woman eats a banana, so only start licking Nutella off said fruit if you’ve got a spare hour for your man.
I think Nutella is fantastic on just about anything, but bananas!! I will freeze some of the banana bread and bring some for you on Friday Leslie. 🙂
I’m glad you turned the situation into a positive one!
Way to make lemonade out of lemons! Err….or banana bread out of bananas…
I used to HATE bananas so much until two years ago. I guess tastes change because I eat one almost every day now.
I am so glad that Azmeena introduced you. Just like you my cousin hates bananas. She literally goes bananas when someone asks her to eat it 🙂 Though I eat bananas I am not a big fan of cooking or baking it but for the banana bread. It is so luscious. Looking forward to stay in touch. Btw, what happened to the Microwave
I grew up eating sliced bananas with a sprinkle of sugar and a bit of milk. I made myself this one day at work and someone remarked that it must be a childhood thing. I don’t think she had ever seen this before. 🙂
Chocolate chips and brown sugar sound great in banana bread. I will have to try it.
Have a great weekend.
I was going to ask if you at least ate the banana bread, but just saw from one of the comments that you did. Good for you. I still think you needed Maya to take a pic of you holding the banana with tongs!
I officially can’t wait to get married to someone and find out all the little things that tick them off 😉
I am evill!!
I love bananas, but HATED them for the first bit of my pregnancy!! I was so repulsed I could barely look at them without gagging. Banana bread is soooooooo good though!! Mmmmmm, so comforting!!
eeek that overripe banana! Bananas in that state are my nemesis. I can only eat them when they have no spots and preferably with some green still on them.. But- your bread looks amazing and I just bought a bag of combo- choc and PB chips so I want to make that now!
The microwave timer drives both me and Raine craaazy- hate that!
I’m not sure if you ever watched Sex and the City (I can’t decide if you seem like the type of person that would or not!!) but one of the character’s husbands would leave wet TEA BAGS all over the house! It was hilarious.
I remember that exact episode because it was on TBS the other day! I could completely understand Charlotte’s irritation but she was way nicer about it. I did like SATC and my brother bought me all the DVD’s so I’ve seen every episode I think. Are you surprised? 🙂
I love banana bread with chocolate chips. YUM! But I like bananas too much to let them get dark enough for banana bread.
I cant believe you dont like bananas. I LOVE bananas. I even love the word bananas. The bread looks great and I love the chocolate addition!
My gran used to make these godawful bananacakes as a treat….. ughhhh!!!!, so when my brother (also a chef) threw together his latest fetish….. banana bread at work the other day (yep, its weird, but he comes to work in my kitchens every now’n then…., loads of fun)…, but alas, I digress…. I share your amazed revelation Ameena….. Banana Bread actually tastes gooooooood. Who woulda thunk huh 🙂
Banana has a lot of potassium and other good vitamins. Too bad it’s not your fav. My Mom’s banana walnut cakes are so good – I miss my Mom who is visiting So.Calif for the last few weeks. Cute post!
Too funny. My brother and I absolutely love bananas!
So you like banana bread but not bananas? Ah good. I’ve trained you well!
This looks DELICIOUS. I always leave the microwave on 1 second because I hate hearing it beep. It drives my roommates slightly crazy.
Lol, that is too funny! I’m glad you all liked the bread, it looks fantastic!
LOL, I can totally relate to that! I detest bananas, but recently I have discovered them as an ingredient in smoothies, and that’s a way I like them. I like the taste together with something else (if it’s not just banana), and the hardest thing for me is the texture of a raw banana, so if there is a possibility to avoid that slightly slimy banana texture experience, I’m fine.
Did really use that one for the bread? 😀 (I’ve already seen from the comments that you seemed to like the bread, otherwise I would have had to ask now.)
Have a delightful weekend!
A delicious banana bread with the best name ever – that’s making the best of a … er… GROSS situation. My stomach turns at gross fruit, too – I love my inlaws, but they have this habit of leaving half eaten fruit on the counter, and leaving fruit out until it mold. Eek! Kills the appetite, I tell ya.
Have a great weekend, Ameena! I hope there are no more mushy bananas lying around!
when i was a kid i loved bananas. then, hated them for years until i started adding them to yogurt recently. now…LOVE them. but not mushy. and old. like that one on the counter. you managed to turn it into something lovely…i would definitely eat a piece of that bread — looks delicious!
I am glad that you liked the bread. Maybe your parents forced you to eat them too much or you remember your baby spitting it out hence the smell association. Who knows but the bread looked amazing.
LOL – I replied to your comment on my thread – can I just say that I’m amazed and so happy you even read me? Seriously…;)
And, like I said, if I were as gorgeous as you, I wouldn’t need any make-up either! Keep doing what your doing girl 🙂
i want banana bread!
is it weird that i totally love bananas but i can understand why you hate them!?
It’s funny the foods that we despise — I feel like when someone hates a food, they really hate it. I hate tomatoes. Cannot go near them. My aunt also gets nauseous over bananas, so I definitely understand your hatred — I think they are pretty strong tasting and smelling food.
A good banana chocolate chip bread is one of the best homemade baked goods on earth. I make mine with walnuts! 🙂
It’s so funny that bananas are one of those foods that people really hate or really love. I personally really like them (and I am not really a fruit person) and banana bread is one of my favorite foods, although I haven’t eaten it since I stopped being able to eat wheat so I have to try a new recipe!
Ten years seems pretty epic…I’m closing in on five (non-marriage, but cohabitation from day, errr, three)….is good luck or godspeed more appropriate 🙂
I’m not necessarily a hater of bananas, but rare is the day when I actively reach for one. I blame the texture. And the propensity for fruit flies…
I do like bananas, but only just ripened ones…I am discussed by the mushy ones 😦 A half eaten mushy banana would have me in a frenzy. The banana bread looks great, and I do like that 🙂
Congarts on the banana bread success. I tried to improvise banana bread before and mostly ended up kinda disaster. Anyway, I’m not a banana hater but not crazy about it either, just ok. Btw, if I’m not mistaken, I thought you’re allergic to gluten?
Bet Ali likes the banana bread 😀
Take care!
I am not supposed to eat gluten but I find that a bite here and there doesn’t seem to affect me too much!
wow I am so impressed you were able to make this without liking bananas! It looks great!
what is it about men leaving their #$@% behind? my husband always takes stuff out but never puts it back. i think the male brain has a 4 second memory…lol..
I’m a HUGE fan of banana bread, so I’m excited to try this recipe – never thought to put chocolate chips in it even though I like the two together!
I didn’t know you disliked bananas as much as I do!! It’s the one thing I won’t eat. I could stomach banana bread no matter how many chocolate chips you put in it.
oops..that was my earlier post
love it, ameena! banana bread sounds so cozy on a fall day– wait, does it to you?! 🙂 thanks much for the recipe! yum! 🙂
My husband is a confirmed banana hater too. I’m going to try out this bread and see if it converts him 😉
Oh, Ameena…See you don’t have to the original form of the banana to enjoy bananas. hehehe…
thats what happens when u elicit and mix street drugs into your baked goods.
haha jk. looks YUMMY Ameena ❤
This recipe was right up my alley. So, I threw it together and viola, a delicious baked good. This was by far the easiest thing I’ve made in the kitchen, outside of a PBJ sandwich. Fast and easy recipes these days rock. Thank you!
Thank you for letting me know that my random recipe came together well! And thanks for reading. 🙂