Keepin' Busy!

We're having a "typical" February here in the Midwest; clouds, snow and cold temperatures, so I've been busy "crafting" and cooking!  I made a cute and quick wreath for the front door (thank you Pinterest for giving me more ideas than I will EVER have time to do!) and...

these snowy white branches (with glitter) to perk up the kitchen sink area (as mentioned in a January post).

And, of course, I've been baking! This is another new recipe I'm trying out on all of you, my loyal followers! Never fear, I don't post a recipe until after I've tasted it - what quality control!  I don't know where I found this recipe (well, I'm pretty sure it was on the Internet). I've been waiting for a time when I had some extremely ripe bananas and a free hour, or so. It was worth the wait - it was super yummy! Heck, the name should say it all:

Banana Bread with Raspberries

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
2 bananas, "rotten"
cinnamon and sugar mixture
1-2 cups frozen raspberries, thawed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well.  Add in the bananas, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well.  Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.  Stir together and add to batter, mixing slowly.  Finally, fold in the sour cream.  Spread 1/3 of the batter evenly in to the prepared pan.  Top with half the raspberries.  Pour in another third of the batter.  Repeat raspberry layer.  Top with remaining batter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture.  Bake at 350 for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

* My loaf was extremely moist, so I baked it 7-8 minutes longer.  Instead of putting it on a wire rack to cool (and because it was so "wet"), I inverted it onto a plate.