It’s an uninspired fall day and I’m curled up under a soft blanket, alternating blank stares at the homework open on my laptop and the dreary scene outside my living room window. My to-do list for the day includes three assignments and a trip to the grocery store. The internet is short on happy distractions and the world in general has been feeling a little colder these last few weeks.

I don’t want to go out and I’m not making any progress on my editing presentation. An escape to the kitchen seems inevitable.

Banana bread may not be the answer to the world’s problems, but it definitely offers comfort. It’s the best excuse to stay inside and avoid the chill of a drizzly, grey November day. No one complains that you didn’t go out for groceries when they come home to the warm scent of brown sugar and bananas. And I’m pretty sure you’re covering all the food groups, if you wind up eating it for dinner. You could always add peanut butter to a slice, just in case.

My all-time favourite recipe can be found on page 42 of this book. It makes two gorgeous loaves of irresistibly sweet, incredibly moist banana bread. This is a huge advantage for those of us who might be inclined to eat an entire loaf by ourselves. I mean, I've heard that can happen. 

If, by chance, you don’t happen to have a collection of cookbooks numbering in the hundreds, this recipe is also a good one.

For maximum comfort, head to the kitchen while you’re still in your pajamas. I recommend listening to Jack Johnson while you stir things up. It’s basically impossible to feel discouraged about life when you’re listening to Jack Johnson. And no one is going to judge you if you wind up dancing around the kitchen in your pajamas while the bread is baking. In case you were wondering.

You’ll still have to do your homework, eventually. But it all seems easier with a hot cup of tea and a thick slice of oven-warm banana bread.

Jeanette Jones

Jeanette lives, writes, and bakes in a quiet little corner of Sandy Hill, Ottawa. Known for the generous distribution of baked goods and the keen precision of her editor’s marks, Jeanette swears by the Oxford English Dictionary and favours semi-sweet chocolate in her brownies.

SITES I LOVE: 

Chocolate Covered Katie | Smitten Kitchen | Cardamom and Cloves