Ingredients
 1 loaf Standard Size Loaf Of Prepared Banana Bread (store Bought Or Your Favorite Recipe)

 6 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Softened To Room Temperature

 10 ounces, weight Milk Chocolate Broken Into 1 Oz Pieces, Divided Use

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Using a bread knife, cut off the outer edges of the banana bread and discard. Just cut thin slivers off the sides that baked against the loaf pan. Do this since the dark crust is difficult to break apart.

 Using your fingers or a fork, crumble the banana bread into very small pieces in a medium mixing bowl. Add cream cheese to the bowl and, using a fork, mash the banana bread crumbs and cream cheese into a creamy, uniform consistency.

 Using your hands, roll the banana bread/cream cheese mixture into even balls that are 1-2 inches in diameter. This should produce about 60 balls, but there is no need to be precise here. Feel free to make them larger or smaller if you prefer. Place the balls on a wax-paper-lined baking sheet and
refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but as long as overnight.

 Melt 7 ounces of the chocolate in a double-boiler or in the microwave (stopping every 10 seconds to stir the chocolate so that it does not overheat and dry out). Roughly chop 2 ounces of the remaining chocolate into small pieces. Add the chopped chocolate to the melted chocolate and stir well to
combine. The chopped chocolate should melt and it should all become shiny and smooth. (If it doesn’t all melt, heat it just a bit longer until it does.)

 Dip each of the chilled banana bread balls in the melted chocolate and gently lift the ball between two forks to allow excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Return the chocolate-dipped ball to the wax paper. Repeat until all of the balls are coated.

 Using the 1 ounce of reserved chocolate gently grate a few shavings over each truffle before the chocolate hardens. Allow the truffles to cool at room temperature until firm. Refrigerate up to 3 days.

BananaPudding

Ha, ha!!!  Did you think it would be my secret
Barnyard Banana Bread recipe??

I chose to highlight this banana recipe, because it reminds me so much of good times and childhood. 
It is simple and delicious. 
I, however, did not like the whole concept of this dessert as a child. 
I would let others take their servings and then I would sneak in and take the soggy Nilla Wafers! 
YUM!
 
Ingredients
8 ounces Sour Cream
1 - 8oz container of whipped topping, thawed
1 - 5oz package vanilla pudding mix
2 cups whole milk
1- 16 oz package vanilla wafer cookies
4 bananas, peeled and sliced

Directions
In large bowl combine sour cream, whipped topping, pudding mix and milk. Stir well.
In the bottom of a trifle bowl or other glass serving dish, put a layer of cookies, then a layer of pudding
mixture, then a layer of bananas.
Repeat until all ingredients are used.
Refrigerate until serving.


 

“Changes”.  Even in the foodie world that can be a scary word. When I first started Barnyard Banana
Bread, I was aware of an existing autoimmune disease that I had. 
I was just unaware of how severe it is.

 Recently, I have had extensive medical testing done, only to reveal what I already knew. 
Something needs to change, or I will be bedridden for a good part of my days. 
So here I am making changes.

 What to do??  Well, my recipes for my breads will all remain the same, however it is time for me to
create a some new ones.  I was pondering my fabulous recipe and realized the only things in the bread that I am able to consume without getting sick are cinnamon and vanilla!! 
That’s not very much!

 My goal, over the next few months is to create a banana bread recipe that I am able to consume, (once I can add bananas back into my diet) which means that anyone with any food restrictions will be able to consume it. It will be an extreme change to my bread.  People have asked for Gluten Free and I have promised.  I now understand their disease and how they long for food they “can’t have”.  But now I need to come up with a recipe that is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free and Nut Free. 
Ahhhh, change.

 I will be working with a pastry chef I met recently, to do all this.  This is all new to me. 
But change is good. 
I will be healthier and I will soon be offering a product that people with autoimmune disease can eat. 
Everything happens for a reason, including change!  
 
I am grateful that I will be helping others because of what I am going through. 
AND the best part ,
  is I will be enjoying it!

When I was young, I was not a big fan of
banana bread. In fact, I didn’t
like it.  When I was 18, I ate a
banana and had a severe allergic reaction that earned me a shot of
epinephrine.  When my kids were
young, I found a recipe for banana bread and would make it for holidays.  It was a big hit. 
I once made it for a work Christmas party and two women ended up not
speaking to each other, because one had gotten the last slice. 
Many people asked for my recipe. 
I did not oblige. 



Christmas 2012, I made baskets for each
family that came to my home.  In it
I put a mini banana bread.  They
were eating them right out of the baskets.  A family member said, “the Irving sells
slices of banana bread for $1.99 and yours is much better than theirs, you
should sell it!” 



I talked to a few people and asked around
and decided to give it a shot.  I
would do my barn chores for the calves and the horses , come in , wash my hands
and start making bread.  It only
made sense to call it Barnyard Banana Bread
!


In April, I started by selling 
it at my son’s restaurant. It was a big hit. In May, I started selling it
at the local farmer’s market.  I
had many repeat customers.  I still
do.  In June, I had a booth at a
festival in Sharon Springs , NY. 
It was hosted by a couple who have a TV show on the Cooking Channel.
 My banana bread was a hit!  It had only been 2 short months since I
  started and things really took off! 
That was just 3 months ago. 
Barnyard Banana Bread has grown and flourished so much in the past 5
months.  The future will be
amazing!  I am
blessed.