Bananas and Cream Oatmeal Bread

It never fails. I'm in the grocery store and Little Buddy begs for bananas. "Mommy I loooooove bananas please please please I promise I'll eat them I need bananas banana are my life oh pllllleeeeeeeeease." I buy them. She forgets about them. I'm left with a bunch of black gooey things decaying in my refrigerator.

What to do? Make bread of course! As a rule, banana bread doesn't go over too well around here. Gamer Boy sniffs it and walks away, Dancing Queen turns up her nose and delcares it "icky," and Little Buddy only eats it when it's hot from the oven. That leaves Darling Boyfriend and me to eat the whole darn loaf.

Somehow, though -- when I set this moist, oatmeal laced bread down on my table, I come back to find my brood arguing over who gets to lick the crumbs from the plate. This stuff tastes like Quaker bananas and cream oatmeal!

Bananas and Cream Oatmeal Bread

1 1/2 c flour
3/4 c rolled oats
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 bananas, pureed
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4 c skim milk
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 tbs powdered sugar
1 1/2 tbs milk

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9 inch square pan with cooking spray.

2. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and oil. Add pureed bananas. Stir in cinnamon and vanilla extract. Add all at once to dry ingredients and stir until combined.

4. Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove from oven.

5. In small bowl combine powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Pour over hot bread and spread with back of spoon or butter knife.

6. Allow bread to cool 10-15 minutes. Remove from pan. Allow to cool an additional 20 or more minutes before serving. Store wrapped in foil or plastic.

VARIATIONS: substitute 1 c strawberry, peach, blueberry, apple, or other fruit puree for the bananas.