Oh my gosh this is YUMMY!

I was a busy, busy girl last night! I baked 2 loaves of Pumpkin Bread and 2 loaves of Chocolate Chip Banana Bread... my family LOVES me when I bake!  :)

I tried a new recipe for Banana Bread... it is FANTASTIC!  It almost reminds me of pound cake - so rich and smooth.  I know not everyone gets as excited about banana bread as I do... but it is REALLY worth trying!  It exchanges cream cheese for about half of the butter... I used low fat whipped cream cheese and it worked perfectly (it was all I had, but I think I'll ALWAYS use it.)  I also used "I Can't Believe it's Not Butter - for Baking" and I think I'll be using it for all of my baking from now on - YUM!  SO much better than margarine!  The recipe calls for nuts... but YUCK-O - I do NOT like nuts in my bread...so I put about a cup of chocolate chips instead.  How can you go wrong with chocolate????

Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (1 1/2 pounds unpeeled bananas, about 4 medium)
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted (or chocolate chips...untoasted!  LOL)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

BEAT butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

COMBINE flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in bananas, pecans, and vanilla.  Spoon batter into 2 grased and floured 8x4" loaf pans.

BAKE at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and sides pull away from pan, shielding with aluminum foil last 15 minutes to prevent over-browning (this is important!)  Cool bread in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.  Remove from pans, and cool 30 minutes on wire racks before slicing.

MAKES 2 loaves.