Friday, July 10, 2009

Super Ripe Bananas


Overripe Bananas? You may have a few sitting on counter right now. Don't throw them out! Bananas are natures candy bar satisfying your sweet tooth and providing your body with loads of healthy potassium, fiber and vitamin B6. The potassium can help soothe your tummy when morning sickness hits or help balance electrolytes when your child has had a bought of the stomach flu. At any rate, even overripe bananas can be useful. Here are my top 3 favorite ways to use them up!

1. Smoothies! Who doesn't like a smoothie? Great way to increase the fruit and veggies content of your family's diet, but buying frozen fruit can be expensive. Just peel your over ripe bananas and store them in the freezer for future use. They make smoothies thick and creamy and you don't need to add extra ice. Try this combination:

1 frozen banana
2 C. orange juice
1 Cup frozen wild blueberries
1 Cup fresh strawberries

Blend and serve. Serves about 4.

2. Banana Pancakes: smash up that ripe banana with a fork and add to your pancake batter. They are so sweet and yummy, you really don't even need syrup. Try the breakfast tab to the right for a Banana Bread Pancake recipe.

3. Banana Muffins: make a healthy muffin with your bananas. They add SO much sweetness without having to add too much extra sugar. Under the muffin tab, you will find a recipe for Blueberry Banana muffins that have been a family and playdate favorite.

Happy Cooking!

12 comments:

Lola said...

Don't forget you can throw the whole banana (in the peel) in the freezer and use them as you need them. Just peel the frozen banana and cut into chunks for smoothies.

Mandy said...

Great ideas! Nice to meet you through Blog Frog! I'll be back to check out your recipes!

Kim said...

So glad to have found your site via BlogFrog!

I love having new recipes!

Tara said...

Hey there! I'm coming over from the Blog Frog. Great to see you have recipes over here. Just what I needed to find :-)

Lucy and Ethel said...

I'm visiting thru BlogFrog and am so glad I did! Your recipes just on the front page of the blog are right up our alley here at home - and we don't even have children around any more!

My blogging partner, 'Ethel,' and I have toyed around with another blog that deals with food and finances (too much of one and not nearly enough of the other!!!), and when we get our act a bit more together with it, we'll definitely add you there.

Lucy

Unknown said...

I love cooking, thank you blog frog for sending me this way :). Banana bread/muffins I absolutely adore, I could live on those :)

Jenny said...

Yum! I'm also coming over from the Blog Frog- great to see your site!!

Brandie said...

Love bananas old, new etc. Another favorite of mine is banana bread. Thanks BlogFrog for sending me to this yummy blog!

Maria@Conversations with Moms said...

I'm a big smoothie lover. Hello, fellow BlogFrog leader. Thanks for visiting my blog. It's going to be fun getting to your blog better.

Mom's Fortress of Solitude said...

Wow! I just made these smoothies this morning. We didn't have blueberries, though (Man, I miss Maine!), so opted for mango instead.

This kids love them! In the summer, I make extra for frozen fruit pops.

Thanks for visiting from Blog Frog. I joined your community, and I'm follow you here, now.

Nice to meet you.

Angela

~Brenda said...

Visiting from the BlogFrog Leaders ... you site looks so ... delicious. ;-))

~Brenda

Leah said...

I've never made banana pancakes. Will try that soon!