{Signed and Sealed} Custom Recipe Illustrations

Month two of my resolution to send goodies to good people was a disaster until it wasn't.  This month's recipient, my lovely and talented friend Amy, loves all things chocolate, and especially Oreos.  I honestly thought it was going to be a piece of cake.  Chocolate lovers are easy to please, right?

Well, when you are an able baker, yes.  Turns out, I am not.

Truffles need to be refrigerated and thus do not travel to Texas very well.  My next thought was brownies, but in cookie form to be a little more creative.

That happened.

So I settled on plain brownies.  They aren't very creative, but I figured they would travel well and would give that chocolate kick that I wanted.

They were a gooey, sticky mess.

As you can see, I was not in a good baking place that week.  After multiple batches of batter and all of the chocolate I had, I gave up.  Am I already falling down on my resolution, this, the second time I try?  

What else can be sent across the country that is handmade?

A painting!  I decided that homemade doesn't have to mean edible.  This recipe for banana bread is a treasure.  To me, it's the end-all be-all of banana bread, and the reason I haven't really experimented with the stuff on this blog.  As far as I'm concerned, Amy's family has perfected it, and any time I can get a slice, preferably slathered with butter, I consider myself lucky.

Lucky for me, I have a copy of the recipe, so for Amy's treat, I illustrated her family's special recipe.  With watercolor and felt-tip pen, I showcased the recipe with whimsical drawings and hand written ingredients and instructions.

I wrapped it in parchment paper secured with cute tape and a little note letting my dear friend know how awesome I think she is, and that while my phone skills need work, I think about her often.

While she didn't get to eat this treat (hey Amy, don't eat it!), I still got to talk to her and that is what this is all about--staying in touch with friends throughout the year.

Do you have a favorite recipe or a family heirloom?  Do you want it illustrated?  I'd love to do more of these, so let me know.  Leave a comment or email me and we'll create recipes together!

The Schnitman's Famous Banana Bread (from my dear friends The Schnitman's--Hi Donna!  Hi Amy and JR!  Hi Paul!  Hi Kyle!)
Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients 

• 2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup butter
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp salt
• 8-9 very, very ripe bananas, mashed

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 2 loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside. 
2. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and mix well.  Add flour, baking soda, and salt.  Mix well.  Add mashed bananas and stir into mixture.  
3. Pour mixture into the pans and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Cover pans with foil and bake for another 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Enjoy!  It really is the best.