A-Z Loaf: Banana Bread with Ghiradelli Chocolate Glaze

Two whole weeks...feels like a lot more than that since I've posted!! But I guess a lot has happened to me and my family in those two short weeks. I can officially add another item to my "new" list from the beginning of this blog: being a para-educator.

Most of my mornings are now spent savoring those last few minutes in bed before I really have to get up, leaving little time for thinking about breakfast before I head off to school. And honestly, I don't think breakfast can get any easier than banana bread. Just throw it together the night before, and voila...instant get-dressed-gather-your-stuff-and-eat-breakfast-all-at-the-same-time.

This recipe is my mother's, and it is fabulous. I've always loved making this quick bread. The recipe is called "A to Z Loaf" because you can use just about any fruit, veggie or flavor to make it your own! I'll share the original recipe, the entire A-Z list, and the Ghiradelli Chocolate Glaze, a {completely unnecessary yet delicious} addition of my own.

Enjoy with life, especially on those crazy mornings.

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups A-Z  (see following list)
3 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

Ghiradelli Chocolate Glaze:

1/4 generous cup of large Ghiradelli dark chocolate pieces
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift dry ingredients together and set aside. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add oil and sugar. Cream well. Add A-Z and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients. Mix well.

Blend in nuts, if desired. Spoon into two well-greased and floured loaf pans.

Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown. Within the last few minutes of the baking process, melt the chocolate and margarine in a microwave safe bowl for fifteen seconds. Stir. Repeat process until all chocolate is melted and margarine is well-mixed in.

Pour atop the bread. Allow bread to cool completely before eating or serving. :)

A-Z List!
*use one of the following or a mixture of the following to equal 2 cups, except as indicated*

apples, grated
applesauce
apricots
bananas, mashed
carrots, grated
cherries, pitted and chopped
coconut, freshly ground
dates, pitted and finely chopped
eggplant, ground
 figs, finely chopped
grapes, seedless and chopped
honey (omit sugar)
lemons (use only 1/2 cup)
marmalade (omit 1 cup sugar)
mincemeat
oranges, chopped
peaches, canned or fresh
pears, chopped
peppermint, chopped
pineapple, crushed and drained
prunes, chopped (use 1 cup)
pumpkin, canned
raisins
raspberries, chopped
rhubarb, chopped
strawberries, fresh or frozen
sweet potatoes, grated
tapioca, cooked
tomatoes (use only 1/2 cup)
yams, cooked and mashed
yogurt, plain or flavored
zucchini, grated

Fabulous, right?? I absolutely LOVE how diverse this list is! Just to let you know, I omitted the walnuts and made only one loaf this time. {In other words, my husband isn't a walnut fan and I only had two bananas.}

Anyway, hope you enjoy this recipe and share it with anyone else who loves mixing and matching!