banana bread with oats and hazelnuts.

Him: How's your homework coming?

Her: Eh, it's okay. I have the itch to bake. Any suggestions?

Him: Well, those brownies were a hit but I wouldn't mind some cookies. I guess it all depends on what you have in the house.

Her: How about cranberry banana bread?

Him: What would you need to make the white chocolate macadamia nut cookies again? Do you think you can come up with a recipe for chocolate hazelnut cookies?

Her: Nutella cookies are easy; I just don't have any Nutella. I need a new recipe for my blog, honey; it can't be something I've made before.

Him: So I wasn't thinking about the blog...(Britt's inner monologue - yeah, you weren't, were you!?) But I still think you need to make a hazelnut cookie. Nutella sounds like a cop-out.

Her: Don't call me a cop-out!

Him: I'm not; I just think I would like the crunch of hazelnuts and not just the hazelnut taste.

Her: I didn't ask you what you'd like, did I?

Him: No, but I can read minds and I know deep down, that was your main concern.

Her: Whatever, you don't know me!

Him: Hazelnut banana bread?

Her: Maybe oatmeal banana bread with hazelnuts...yeah, that might be okay.

Him: That one sounds good; I like oatmeal and raw oats. Horse food.

Her: Are you making fun of me?

Him: No, of course not, I love [horse food].

Her: Well chubba, it's a low fat recipe.

Him: Hey tubby, are you saying I need to eat low-fat?

Her: YOU said you needed to eat low fat!

Him: Well it won't be low fat when I spread butter all over it! Alright, I'm gonna go clean my gun. Love you.

I love him and his sassy smartmouth.

Banana Bread with Hazelnuts and Oats
Adapted from Joy the Baker

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp canola or walnut oil
1 large egg, beaten
2 medium egg whites, beaten
3 large bananas, ripe
1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients including the oats and cinnamon.

In a smaller bowl, mash bananas with a potato masher or fork. Add oil and whole egg and mix thoroughly.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. Batter will be fairly thick.

In a medium sized bowl, with an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites until medium stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter in three additions. Fold in the hazelnuts.

Pour batter into pan and bake until top of loaf is firm to touch, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Flip out and cool on a wire rack for another 10 minutes. Slice loaf into 10 equally sized slices.