If you are like me, odds are you buy fruit and don’t eat it in time. It often sits there until I remember (or see the fruit flies) that I actually bought it to begin with.

Perhaps the most egregious offender is the banana.

This yellow fruit has no problem turning brown and mushy, leaving you with an inedible, mushy lump that you just throw out.

However, there is another way to utilize the fruit, one that can bring joy to others, not just yourself.

Each year, my family bakes dozens of loaves of banana nut bread to give away as holiday gifts.

The simple recipe allows us to make use of the older bananas in a way that makes them, arguably, more delicious than the plain fruit.

My mom has been doing this for as long as I can remember, and it has become a staple of the holiday season for me.

While I will admit, I am not a fan of banana bread, or bananas for that matter, I love the smell of the freshly baked bread as it sits cooling on the kitchen counter.

With the holiday season fast approaching, it seemed appropriate to mention this recipe.

Who knows, maybe you have some older bananas that you were planning to throw out. Now you know you can turn them into something else entirely.

That’s the beauty of this dish. It allows you to make use of the bananas that are really not fit to eat solo, preventing the need to just throw them out and waste them. It’s almost like food recycling, however, I will refrain from labeling it as such because that sounds pretty unappetizing if I do say so myself.

BANANA NUT BREAD

Ingredients
3-4 whole ripe bananas
1 box yellow cake mix
2 large eggs
1 cup of pecans

Directions
■ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
■ Smash the bananas in a large bowl then add the remaining ingredients. Mix well.
■ Spray two small loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.
■ Fill the pans with batter.
■ Bake for 30-40 minutes.
■ Let cool and enjoy!

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