Brendan Bakes Banana Bread

Enough B's for ya? This has been our first week of Brendan's "lessons". Since he doesn't have a Joy School to attend, he and I decided it would be fun to do our own thing.
So, starting with the letter B (since it's Brendan's favorite letter - for obvious reasons) we've been reading books and doing activities with things that start with the B sound. Today, we looked at a really fun and silly picture book called Once Upon a Banana by Jennifer Armstrong and then baked some yummy banana bread.
Brendan loves to cook with me, but I think he really got a kick out of mashin' the "nanas" and helping me pour the batter into the bread pan. Since this was a Jerdon version of banana bread, we decided to add some mini chocolate chips, too (we couldn't allow the bread to be without a dose of chocolate!). Brendan waited so patiently for the bread to bake (an hour in kid time is an eternity!) and then for it to cool. But, I think it was worth it by the time it was ready for snacking. He was so proud of his work and enjoyed the fruits of his labors. It was the best.

Brendan's Banana Bread
(thanks to "Better Homes and Gardens")

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup mashed bananas (abt. 2-3 medium sized ones)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or mini chocolate chips, opt.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large loaf pan (or 4 mini loaf tins) with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Then make a well in the center of the dry mixture and set aside.
In another bowl, combine the egg, bananas, sugar and oil by mashing them together with a potato masher. Add egg mixture to the dry mixture and stir until just moistened (batter will be lumpy). Fold in nuts or chips if desired.
Spoon batter into pan (or tins) and bake about 50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on rack. Wrap in plastic wrap. Tastes best if allowed to sit overnight for flavors to meld.