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bananas

How to Take Good Care of Your Bananas

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Hello everyone. Welcome to probably the most important blog post of all times. Today I’m going to be talking about how to take good care of your bananas.

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I know, I know. This probably isn’t that important to most people. But I could also argue that from a happiness and food waste and food saftey prospective, it could be important or useful to some people.

Most people who know me IRL or via Instagram associate me with bananas. What began as sort of a joke turned into a thing, and now I have banana socks, people constantly tag me on all banana-related things on the internet, etc etc. Heck, on my last day at Trader Joe’s, the crew even bought me a whole dang box of 100 bananas (thanks store 724, I love you all forever)!

Now, I am not a big fan of people writing about things they don’t know about. This is why I don’t write about sports or jewelry making or knitting or music. It is also why I get so very peeved by everyone thinking they are qualified to write about nutrition, health, and the environment when the only education they’ve had has been from Google University or Sponsored College. So I guess since I’m not a true banana expert, I feel a bit weird putting out this information.

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That said, I am a certified FDA FSMA food safety and quality certified individual, so I do know a few things about keeping food safe. But regardless, please note that this article is intended to be light-hearted, informative, and fun.

(^^Me trying to justify writing an article without citing peer-reviewed literature for every single thing I mention for two straight paragraphs)

So read on for some super useful tips on how to pamper bananas. I hope you enjoy! Leave post ideas below. I’m committed to this every other day blogging in April thing!

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Banachos (Banana Nachos)

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Sometimes I think I could live off of potatoes and bananas and things to dip them in. Seriously. I eat both pretty much every day and never tire of them. The best.

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One of my favorite ways to eat bananas is sliced up, topped with cinnamon, hemp hearts, oodles of nut butter, and/or granola. My sister coined this creation “banachos” and the name just stuck (at least in our circle).

Delicious Banachos: Banana nachos

This is less of a recipe and more of an idea. I want you to make banachos with whatever you like to eat bananas with.

Millie loves these too! As you can see from the pics. Also, I apologize as I only currently have phone pics; my camera is currently in Wisconsin! Getting it back soon though.

Banana Nachos aka Banachos

There are so many options: nuts, cereal, coconut shreds, cinnamon, spices, cocoa nibs, chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, Nutella or vegan Nutella (

All you do is slice up the bananas, pile on a plate, top to your heart’s content and enjoy. Banachos make for an easy and satisfying breakfast, snack, or dessert.

I hope you make these and I hope you love them! If you make them, tag me (@katherinebaker4) on Insta; I love to see your creations!

Millie and Banachos aka Banana Nachos

PS: How do you take your bananas? Green? Brown? I prefer mine lightly spotted, but I’ll take them in any condition. Let me know how you like them in the comments!

Banachos (Banana Nachos)

Prep Time:  5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Servings: 1-2, easily doubled

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 bananas of your desired ripeness
  • cinnamon (optional)
  • 2-3 tablespoons nut butter of your choice
  • toppings of your choice (suggested: hemp hearts or seeds, coconut shreds, cocoa nibs, granola, flax, chia seeds, dried fruit, nuts, mini marshmallows, Nutella)

Method:

  1. Slice bananas into coins.
  2. Arrange on a plate.
  3. Top to your heart’s content.
  4. Eat and enjoy.

Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal for One

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This title of this recipe should come as no surprise to those who know me. I love bananas. I love oatmeal. Boom: it’s a Banana Bread Oatmeal Bake for One. YUM.

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What’s more surprising than the title of this recipe, and the fact that it was nearly 70 degrees today and I actually started sweating while outdoors (which hasn’t happened in approximately 6 months) is the fact that I’ve never put this recipe on my blog. This is strange because I eat it all.the.time.
Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal for One Vega
It’s a longtime favorite. A best friend in the breakfast department. A midnight post-all-day-study-marathon-at-Bobst meal. A lunch-time go-to when I feel like breakfast for lunch. A second breakfast when my typical 5:30am breakfast doesn’t hold me over til noon. In essence, I eat this baby several times a week, yet I’ve never shared it. Today, that changes.
Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal
Allow me to describe my BFF breakfast to you: It’s hot, fluffy, satisfying, creamy, filling, and tummy-friendly, and the whole thing tastes like you’re own personal hearty loaf of banana bread goodness.
Vegan Easy Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal for One
Bonus: it makes your kitchen smell amazing and takes less than 2 minutes to throw together. Then you let it bake up nice and quick in the oven, and the smell of sweet, sweet banana bread will waft all throughout your house, tickling your nostrils and getting your tummy oh-so-ready to eat it all up. It’s also vegan and gluten-free, making it highly allergen-friendly to you and your kin. I don’t know why I just referenced a Christmas song. Anyways…
Easy Vegan Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal for One
I really hope anyone looking to mix up their breakfast or late-night-snack routine gives this baby a whirl. It’s never let me down, and I believe it won’t let you down either. You can add syrup, sugar, or honey to the top if you desire, but I find the sweetness of baked bananas to be plenty. I like it best fresh out of the oven, covered with a splash of almond milk to cool it down, and drizzled with ooey gooey almond butter that gets all melty when it hits the hot oatmeal bake. But that’s just me. You do you. And you eat dem oats, homie.

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5 Ingredient Banana Blender Muffins with Peanut Butter Crumb Topping [Vegan]

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Another easy-peasy recipe for your enjoyment! Allow me to introduce you to these lovely Banana Muffins with a Peanut Butter Crumb Topping! Kind of a fun spin on classic crumb muffins but super easy, quick and nutritious, all made with things you most likely have around your kitchen. I wrote this recipe for Spoon University in a partnership with JC Penny, to help demonstrate great ways to use this blender for college students. Thus, this recipe is minimal ingredients, minimal prep, and still super duper delicious. The muffins themselves have no added sugar or oil, as bananas and peanut butter add plenty of natural sweetness and tenderness. The crumb topping has a little bit of sugar, but that never hurt no body. Other than that these are 100% whole grain, vegan, and legitimately tasty.

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Cherry Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie Sandwiches with Healthy Ganache Filling

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So. How do you explain this situation: you are standing outside at 6:55am wearing an oversized NYU hoodie and periwinkle blue leggings, accented by mismatched socks peeping through 6-year-old Birkenstocks, with a plate full of breakfast cookies before you, and  your giant camera, simultaneously eating the cookies while taking pictures of them, when suddenly the lawn service guy who is roughly your age comes around with a weed whacker and scares the daylights out of you???

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Answer: you don’t. You do not even try to explain the situation. You and your camera, dangling from your neck, run back inside and feel super awkward. Then you realize 2 minutes later you don’t care and go back outside and continue taking photos in peace, totally ignoring the weed whacking going on within your 4 foot radius. You finish the cookies and you head back inside, settling upon the fact that there is no quality explanation of this behavior, and that life is going to go on as usual because you have delicious breakfast cookies to eat.

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COOKIES FIX EVERYTHING! And these babies are simply scrumptious. It’s no secret that I’m crazy about oatmeal (in fact, my first EVER food-related article was written about a restaurant called OatMeals in NYC) and it’s also no secret that I love cookies. Lastly, it’s kind of fun for me to make baked goods that are normally not-so-nutrious good for you. Like these. Packed with whole grains and fiber, the cookies are great on their own or enhanced with a yogurt-based ganache (easily made vegan or not)- which is honestly as creamy and thick and rich and delicious tasting as any frosting you come across without being so nasty. The cocoa powder adds thickness and chocolatelyness because that’s what cocoa powder does. #foodsciencelessonoftheday

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Overall, these babies make for a satisfying breakfast, snack, or even dessert. They are nice and chewy. And also hearty with chunks of nuts. And sweet, but not too sweet. All things, I personally, look for when I’m in the mood for a specifically healthy-but-sweet-tasting-chewy craving. But most importantly, Millie approves. She even got a lil fiesty begging for these. Look at that sass. She just loves food. So do I. Sometimes, I swear we’re actually related. #family

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Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 10-12 minutes

Level: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup dates
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 1/4 cup dried cherries
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • dash of salt
  • 1 cup Soy or Greek yogurt
  • 3-4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon sugar or agave (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, place dates in a bowl of water and allow to soften for about 10 minutes.

2. Take one cup rolled oats and whirl in a food processor until a fine powder forms. This is your oat flour. Empty it from the food processor and set aside in a large mixing bowl. Add remaining 1 cup rolled oats.

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3. Place softened dates into the food processor along with the mashed, ripe banana and 1/4 cup of the almonds into the food processor. Blend until a play-dough like paste forms. Remove from the food processor and add to the large mixing bowl with oat mixtures.

4. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to the large mixing bowl. Mix all until well combined.

5. Chop remaining 1/4 cup almonds and 1/4 cup dried cherries and add to the bowl. Mix again.

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6. Scoop golf-ball sized balls of cookie dough from the bowl onto a nonstick baking sheet. Press the cookies down slightly with your palm to flatten a bit, and bake for about 10-12 minutes, until the oats begin to brown.

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7. Remove cookies from baking sheets and allow to cool completely. While the cookies are cooling, assemble the ganache: mix yogurt, cocoa powder, and sugar to taste in a small bowl. You can play with the amounts of chocolate and sugar you use in the ganache. The more cocoa powder you add, the thicker it will be. You can also make the ganache as sweet as you desire by adding more cocoa powder.

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8. Using a knife, spread 3 tablespoons of the ganache on each cookie. Eat cookie. Or assemble two cookies with some ganache into a nice little healthy cookie sandwich. Or you can dip the cookies straight into a bowl of ganache, basically using the cookie as a vessel for the ganache (it’s really thick and tasty!). The possibilities are endless and delicious! Enjoy.

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