Banana Bread

I made banana bread today. I have a lot to cook this week, since my family is coming to visit this weekend to celebrate my graduation from graduate school. I'm excited to see them, and I'm looking forward to playing hostess to two sets of grandparents, my dad, my aunt, and my best friend since high school, all of whom may still be a little unsure about what exactly I got a master's degree in. I also get to spend the weekend with my roommates and friends who will celebrate with me, a pitcher of sangria, and a gluten-free German chocolate cake with buttercream frosting.

But the banana bread is for something different. As part of my commitment to run with the American Cancer Society, I pledged to raise $1,000 for the organization. I'm a quarter of the way to that goal, but I need help. And I'm willing to offer baked goods.

That's right, it's a good old-fashioned bake sale for charity. I figure since I successfully organized the fifth grade bake sale that raised enough money to buy a class pet, I can do this too. And with all due respect to Snowball the Hamster, this is a much, much better cause.

I'm fortunate in that cancer hasn't taken anyone from me, though a few close friends and family have suffered scares and surgeries. Cancer always starts the same, as an abnormal growth of cells. Sometimes that abnormal growth is no big deal, but sometimes it invades surrounding tissue, and that's when it becomes a problem. Some abnormal cells multiply until they form tumors; others are washed through the body by the blood stream, allowing multiple growths to form simultaneously.

Half of all men and one-third of women in the U.S. will develop cancer in their lifetimes, according to the American Cancer Society. The ACS has led in providing education, research, and support to the cancer community, from patients to family to doctors. They also lobby lawmakers on behalf of cancer patients and their families. I'm honored to be running an inhuman distance in the name of an organization that brings help and hope to so many humans around the country.

And just to sweeten the deal, I made banana bread.

For any donors who contribute $40 or more via my Participant Center, I offer a complimentary, homemade loaf of banana bread. It's healthy whole wheat, with no oil or butter, and I'll offer your choice of "nutrient dense" fillings: walnuts, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and/or berries.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I offer a few images from my kitchen this evening, where I baked the test loaf. I wanted to see how cherries held up in the bread. As you may imagine, they went over quite well.

Hey BFKNers! This mini-loaf will be in my office on 41 on Thursday, June 7 for tasting purposes!

For the record, I'm really good at banana bread. Said my roommate after biting into a slice fresh from the oven: "Fucking amazing."

Click here to make a donation, and I will email you promptly for your banana bread order!*


Note: If you live outside the Chicago area, your banana bread will be delivered to your hands the next time we see each other, which I will make sure is soon.