Paleo Banana Bread

In late May it would have been Granny’s 99^th birthday.  She has now been gone over ten years but I still think about her and miss her every day.  When I saw that number on the calendar – 99 – it really hit home.  I so wish she would have been here to hit that milestone and then the next.

Because she’s not and I don’t want her to ever be gone from my memory, or anyone else’s, I posted an old photo of Granny and me on Instagram on her birthday.  It took forever for me to flip through old photo albums when we actually had pictures developed and they weren’t all trapped on our phones.

Today would have been my Granny’s 99th birthday. This picture was taken almost 20 years ago. I still have that feisty attitude (though clearly a better fashion sense) and I’m still living in the same house (but I promise it has grass instead of dirt). It’s amazing how much has changed and even more so how much has stayed the same. I wish Granny was still on this crazy journey that is life with me. I wish I remembered her better and what we were doing this day. Even if she is fading from my memories, she is ever present in my soul. I think of her and miss her daily. I know she’s guiding me in the right direction and toward my goals. This still needs to be the year of big changes and I’m working toward them everyday, knowing she’s cheering me on. Happy Birthday, Granny. Love you forever and always 💗 #memories #familytime #birthday #family #rip #restinpeace #love #loveyou #letsdothis #dreambig #workhard #goals #granny #grandmother #throwback #remember #remembering #childhood #childhoodmemories #pictureofapicture #generations #oldschool #familyphotography #missyou #missingyou #grandparents #fun #girly #smile

A post shared by Laura Dembowski (@piesandplots) on May 29, 2018 at 6:25pm PDT

It amazed me how many bad pictures we took.  I snap tons of photos now, good, bad, really, really bad, but then they just get deleted.  Back when we were using film and having photos developed, I have proof that we took just as many good, bad, and really, really bad photos and there were definitely more of the latter than former.

Embarrassment filled me as I perused these old snapshots.  I have to remember we all have them and they are part of my past which is forever a part of me and how I ended up here and are leading me to whatever is next.

I do wish there were some better photos.  Ones that didn’t have fingers blocking the lens or weren’t grainy.  Ones that aren’t backlit or blurry.  More with Granny, definitely more with Granny.

At least I found this one.  And I really do think it’s worth a million words.  Though I could not begin to tell you what was going on when it was taken, my memories long since faded, I can tell you we were having a great time and that is what’s important.

Granny loved banana bread, any sweets really, and she would have loved this Paleo Banana Bread.  It is awesome not just for paleo banana bread but for banana bread in general.  It packs tons of banana flavor and has that caramelized crust with a super tender, dense interior.  It is the best banana bread I have ever had.

I topped it with American Spoon Spoon Fruit and Vor Hazelnut Butter along with some walnuts, but feel free to get creative!

Make this because it’s easy to make, it’s packed with nutrition, but mostly make it because it tastes good.  Then share it with the people you love most and don’t forget to take a picture!