french ukeles & banana bread

#1... i can't do mornings without coffee and music. beauty always comes first in the day for me.

#2... the holidays have been a great time to express myself in baked goods... fortunate for my family, i have been home in virginia the last few weeks and have been dishing up some vegan fare to show them just how i get by... they seemed very confused at first to 'what exactly a vegan eats,' but alas, i hope i have calmed their nerves with recipes such as this banana bread...
my hopes are set high to impress them with my vegan baking skills christmas day... little do they no i am planning on doing some subvertive substitutions in our classic christmas menu, such as a swiss chard and potato tofu-tartlette for breakfast, haricots-verts almondine for dinner, pumpkin bread pudding, and a mocha bouche-de-noel for dessert....
keep in touch for those soon to come recipes!
happy holidays, hope you and yours are well!

Lower-Fat Banana Bread from Veganomicon
Makes one loaf

2 large or 3 small very ripe bananas
1/4 cup applesauce (I used cinnamon spiced)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sucanat sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas really well. Add the sugar, applesauce, oil, and molasses, and whisk briskly to incorporate.

Sift in the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Use a wooden spoon to mix until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined. If you're using chocolate chips or nuts, fold them in here.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes (it took 50 for me). The top should be lightly browned and a knife inserted through the center should come out clean.

Remove from the oven and let cool!