Banana Bread

I really wish there was a smell feature on posts because you guys are seriously missing out.

I l-o-v-e bananas, like I could eat them 5x a day...potassium overload much?  An important side note to my slight banana obsession is that I like them when they are green, any sign of squishy-ness or brown spots on the peel and it's a no-go.  Which perhaps explains my love for banana bread.  Instead of getting depressed that I allowed scrumptious bananas to go to waste I simply bake them into a delicious (and incredibly sweet) treat.

I follow the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook recipe and add the streusel-nut topping.  (yes I made something with the word streusel in it...I'm telling you this extra counter space is making me quite distinguished).  Just incase you don't own this great recipe I will post it below...is this legal?  I'll site it in MLA so it is

Better Homes and Gardens. New Cook Book: Celebrating the Promise Limited Edition. Des Moines:   Meredith Books, 2009ish.   (hopefully you just laughed...if you took that seriously you obviously don't know me very well and we need to hang out more)

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I always add a little more cinnamon...another addiction of mine)
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe (aka not Katie edible) bananas (I used 3 large bananas for this)
1 cup sugar (this just proves it's good)
1/2 cup cooking oil or melted butter or margarine (I figured with 1 cup of sugar there was no need to hold back and definitely used butter...aka I'm not making banana bread to help me loose weight)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Streusel-nut Topping:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup walnuts

Directions:
-preheat oven to 350.  Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of one 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.  In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
-in a medium bowl combine eggs, banana, sugar, and oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture.  Stir until just moistened.  Fold in walnuts.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  If desired sprinkle streusel-nut topping over batter in pan.
-(Streusel-nut Topping) in a small bowl combine brown sugar and all-purpose flour.  Using a pastry blender (had no clue what this was so i used a fork), cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in walnuts.
-Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Let cool on rack completely.

Love how something as nasty looking as this...

Turns into this

A look inside (love the Streusel-nut topping!)

This yummy goodness is in good company with a cup of joe and a take-home final