Healthier banana bread, part II

Hello, everyone!  Hope you are all enjoying the Independence Day weekend.  If you're like me, you are probably too busy to spend time on the computer, so I'll keep this short.

Now that it's berry season, I've replaced the bananas in my morning bowl of cereal with berries. Yet I keep buying bananas, even though they turn brown before I use them.  (I'm not a big fan of brown bananas in soggy cereal.)

Usually, if I have any leftover bananas, I cut them up and put them in the freezer, so they're ready for when I'm in the mood for smoothies or banana bread.  A few weeks ago, I came across this recipes for Heavenly Healthy Banana Bread from King Arthur Flour.  Like a lot of folks, I'm trying to add more whole grains to my diet, and this bread is 100 percent whole wheat.

Admittedly, I was a little skeptical.  The last whole-wheat bread I baked was a little too dense for my liking.  But I had so many extra bananas to use up, I thought why not give this recipe I try.  And I'm so glad I did.  This turned out fantastic!  The bread was very moist, and the banana flavor really shined through.  If someone served this bread to me, I don't think I would realize it was 100 percent whole wheat.  Please give this recipe a try if you have a couple (or a dozen!) extra bananas to use up.

And on a side note, have a great July 4th!  Thanks to all the servicemen and women who protect our freedoms!

Frosted Chocolate Chip Brownies

Hello, my wonderful blog friends.  I'm keeping this post brief tonight.  My eyes are barely open after a 13-hour road trip to Northwest Iowa, where I got to visit with a farm family that raises cattle, hogs -- and five kids! (And I complain about being busy...)

I just had to share this recipe for frosted chocolate chip brownies from Taste of Home.  I found this recipe in one of their new Brownies and Bars special edition magazines.  My husband loved these brownies, and he's not a big fan of chocolate desserts.  The creamy chocolate frosting is addicting.  I highly recommend these brownies for your family gatherings on July 4.  Enjoy!

T-Bone Trail

When I was driving back from my visit to the western Iowa goat farm, I decided to stop and check out the T-Bone Trail, which runs underneath Interstate 80, at the Atlantic exit.

I travel quite a bit with my bike. It's not uncommon to see bike trails when I'm driving through Iowa's countryside.  Iowa has become a biking mecca.  Many miles of abandoned railroad tracks have been turned into bike trails across the state.  When I travel, I keep a copy of the Iowa bike map from the Department of Transportation in my car, which is how I discovered the T-Bone Trail. It's named "T-Bone" because the trail ends in Audubon, a little town famous for its giant "Albert the Bull" statue.

Since Audubon was a little out of my way, I decided to get on the trail close to Interstate 80. I stopped at the trailhead at Old Glory Park in Brayton. There was a very clean restroom facility there where I changed into my biking clothes.

Let me tell you, the T-Bone Trail did not disappoint. You'll often find native prairie wildflowers along railroad trails like this one.  And there were several newer wooden bridges, which are always fun to roll over on a bike.

I was surprised to see little benches all along the trail, even in spots that were a couple miles outside of town.

I didn't bike too far down the trail -- my husband always cautions me not to travel farther than I can walk if my bike breaks down -- but I would love to go back on the trail sometime and check out the other little towns along the way.

If you're ever driving west of Des Moines on Interstate 80, be sure to check it out, even just for a walk to stretch your legs. There's a trailhead at the intersection of Interstate 80 and Highway 71, next to a gas station.