As my eldest son spends his last days at home before departing for college, a chapter in my family life is rapidly drawing to a close. In these bittersweet times, just as the years have carried me through his life, my emotions ebb and flow as I recollect the days gone by. Within my thoughts, the milestones are not just marked with significant moments in our lives but with certain foods and meals prepared — the days making and feeding my baby homemade pear sauce and carrot puree; perfecting pocket foods like empanadas for his on-the-go meals to and from gymnastics; and making birthday feasts for he and his friends. I have thoroughly relished the years in which I’ve fueled my son (and his friends!) with healthy (and maybe not-so-healthy) foods throughout his fast journey through childhood.
And as the countdown accelerates (three days) and the miles will soon separate us, I am left to ponder how I will continue to infuse my son with love through food. And not just with welcome home dinners on the occasional weekend visit, but how I can ingratiate my life with his while he studies and lives a few hundred miles away. For starters, I am determined to make him the best care packages, filled with homemade treats to share with roommates and floor mates. It is with each loaf of chocolate chip banana bread, dozen of cookies and batch of granola which will continue to connect me to my far away son. It’s one way I can lessen the tears while ensuring that our connection stays strong.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 mini loaves | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 30 minutes |
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Hold onto those overripe bananas which make the best banana bread. Make several mini loaves and store in the freezer for easy overnight shipping to your college kid.
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- 1 stick butter room temp, softened
- 2 whole eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup white flour
- 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 whole bananas overripe, mashed
- 1/4 cup buttermilk (or milk)
- 1 cup chocolate chips semi-sweet or milk chocolate
- baking spray
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray four mini loaves generously with baking spray (sides and bottom).
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until creamy.
- Add the mashed bananas and mix for a minute until well combined.
- Gradually add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Pour in the buttermilk and mix until just combined. If the batter seems to thin, add a bit more flour. (Note: It should be a wet batter.) Mix in the chocolate chips.
- Distribute the batter among the four loaf pans. Bake until golden and the center is firm to the touch. Cool complete before removing from the pans. Wrap well with aluminum foil and place in a zip loc bag. Freeze until ready to ship or eat.