We all make mistakes. Some teach us valuable lessons. Others, we wish never happened. Happy mistakes are serendipitous.
This scene from the movie Serendipity defines them well:
Jonathan: This is the ultimate blend to drink. How’d you find this place?
Sara: I first came in because of the name: Serendipity. It’s one of my favorite words.
Jonathan: It is? Why?
Sara: It’s such a nice sounding word for what it means: a fortunate accident.
Believed by some to be acts of fate, these “fortunate accidents” are all around us: the “wrong” relationship, or relationships, that lead us to Mr./Mrs. Right; the incorrect turn that lands us at a fabulous site; staining our favorite top so we must get a new one.
The other night after placing a pan of banana bread in the oven, I had that “something’s not right…” feeling. Eggs. Completely forgot them. Rather than take the loaf out and scramble some in (not that I’ve done so before…or anything…), I left it. It still looked banana-bread-ish, after all. I threw in a few chocolate chips, because most everything tastes better with chocolate, and chalked it up to an experiment. Everyone who’s tried it has gone nutso over it. Gotta admit, I dig it, too.
So…next time life gives you brown bananas, but perhaps no eggs, why not bake this?
Oops! Blueberry Banana Bread
- 1 cup whole wheat four
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup low-fat milk w/1 T. vinegar* (I use almond or soy milk)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3.5 – 4 medium-sized ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (no need to thaw)
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (opt.)
*To make a healthy buttermilk substitute, place 1 tbsp of vinegar in a half-cup measuring cup, then fill it to the top with low-fat milk.
Nutritional perks: Rich in fiber and antioxidants, low in sugar and saturated fat and cholesterol-free. The canola oil adds healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which play an important role in brain function and moods.
This sounds delicious! I will have to give it a try!
Terrific! Let me know what you think. I honestly think it beats “normal” banana bread… Super moist, just sweet enough and crispy on top.
Love the movie Serendipity and love banana bread. A nice Thursday treat.
I make banana bread all the time, so why on earth did I never think to put choc chips in? That sounds and looks dee-lish!
You are very lucky I think because whenever I make a mistake when baking/cooking it shows in the result. I’ll definitely try this recipe though. Thanks for sharing it!
Well, not every mistake turns out tasty, if edible… Those mistakes are great excuses to order in. And yes, chocolate is a must in my book.
This looks so good… bananas and blueberries go so well together!
Totally agree! Thanks for stopping by, Liz!
This is a brilliant recipe! I am definitely going to have to bake some soon — I have a few bananas that are slowly going brown sitting in the kitchen…
Thanks for this recipe, August! Blueberries, bananas and chocolate are three of my favorite foods. B&B smoothies are a staple in my diet. Luv happy accidents.
Hi, August,
I’m going to try no-egg banana bread. Thanks for the recipe. Also, the twitter message you sent to alert followers of this post was a work of genius. It started with the question, “Anyone hungry?” I’m always hungry–and always ready to click on a link to food.
Ha…Thanks, Pat! I’ll have to keep that in mind for future Tweets.
Enjoy your eggless creation. I’d love to hear whether it pleases your appetite!
I made no-egg brownies recently and they were pretty good (with peanut butter frosting topping – yummy). I’ll have to give this a try too! I never seem to have eggs at home, but have the ingredients for everything else when I want to bake.
I hate you. It’s 3:30 in the afternoon, I’m starving, and banana bread sounds good right now (with or without eggs). Just kidding.
I have a long list of oops receipies. So, if you’re in need of carbonized eggs (any form), or the secret to what happens when you accidently press “baked potato” instead of “popcorn” on the microwave, just let me know.
I have to go search the larder now.
Cheers
PS It turns the popcorn black and the microwave yellow.
Nigel, you’re hilarious. Guess the “oops” cookbook will have to feature Dos, Don’ts and funny failure stories.
PS Next time, make a batch of that blackened popcorn to nuke your cravings.
Fabulous! I just got home from a week away and the family let all the bananas go brown. It’s banana bread time! I am definitely giving this a try! Thank you August!
There are no true “accidents”, right?
Just made this today!!! It turned out so yummy, well risen and moist… I substituted the choc chips with 1/2 cup of walnuts to make it that extra bit healthy! This is a great recipe for an eggless fruit bread/cake… And I would definitely be using again… I would however suggest adding a bit more sugar next time
So glad you enjoyed them! I bet they were super tasty with walnuts.