Heya! I’m currently on a plane to DC for a presentation tomorrow. This is my last trip of the year — woohoo! And if I’m lucky I’ll be bumped to First!
My weekends have essentially become nonexistent. Work infiltrates my days and errands fill up any gaps I have. This leaves very little time to get in the holiday spirit
I had been hoping to have baked a ton already and crossed off my shopping list, but sadly neither has happened.
On Saturday I reserved some time (yes I said reserved) with the hubby to go tackle some shopping. I had tons of coupons in hand and was ready to go the dreaded Mall.
This was somewhat of an epic fail because:
- Parking was madness. They had people in uniform directing traffic. That’s just nuts.
- The mall was at least 90 degrees and did not make for comfortable shopping.
- It took 25 minutes to stand in line and wait for our Sbux.
- There were kids everywhere. Screaming kids. Crying kids. Running wild kids. Eeek.
- People were walking at a snail’s pace which does not bode well for a speed walker like me.
- We had no idea what we were actually going to buy for people.
I think you get the point. We decided to jump ship and go across the street to Santana Row, which is a posh street full of high-end stores. We were expecting this to be chaos but at least we’d be outside in the cool air.
It was dead! And awesome! The Christmas lights were everywhere, the sidewalks clear, the stores rather empty. WIN! But we had another quest in mind. We were off to a wine store where you can pick from hundreds of bottles, which they then open for you while you sit and relax. So great! Zach and I easily shared a bottle of Bordeaux along with some French olives. Yum!
So shopping fail. Vino win!
Now do you want to know about some banana scones? I had such success with my PB Chocolate Chip Banana Bread that I thought scones should be up next. I scoured the web for various recipes and ended up with a hodepodge recipe that turned out pretty good.
First, I started with my handy-dandy scone maker thingy-majiggy that was bequeathed to me upon the bestie’s recent move:
Healthy Banana Scones:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 heaping cup mashed bananas (I mashed about 5 small bananas)
1 egg (beaten)
Mix together flour, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and dates. Mix together oil, banana and egg. Add banana mixture to flour mixture and mix until combined. Drop spoonfuls of dough into your scone thingy until evenly distributed. (If you don’t have a scone thingy simply shape your dough into balls or triangles as desired and place on a cookie sheet). Bake at 400 degrees for 16-18 minutes or until lightly browned.
These turned out pretty good! They are not too sweet at all — not a drop of sugar was added. I can even think of tons of additional add-ins like craisins or raisins. My hubby suggested butterscotch chips
Clearly he likes things on the sweet side.
May I suggest pairing the nanner scone with some PB? =)
Do you like scones? Super sugary or not-so-sweet?
Have you tackled the malls? And how much Christmas shopping do you have left?



Your banana scones look so lovely and delicious
It seems simple and easy to make, too. I love the smell of freshly baked banana scones
Thanks for your comment! Banana anything always smells delish
Yum!! I totally want to try banana scones now. And since I have the twin to your scone thinga-majiggy… it should be a piece of cake.
Those look awesome! I’ve pretty much done zero Christmas shopping. Perhaps I should get on that..
Those sound delicious – especially if some little chocolate bits were mixed in. Love the scone pan! Let me know if you need DC restaurant and/or gym recommendations!
Aww thanks Victoria..I’m sadly just here for tonight and then back to the West Coast. It’s frickin’ cold here! =P
Quick trip – and I’m away from the cold in Florida. Not that it’s all that warm here.
It drives me crazy when people walk at a “snails pace”!!!!! Especially when I’m on a mission, such as shopping
I’m sorry it was a bit of a fail! At least you’ve still got time before Christmas! (I’m a last minute shopper, haha)
I try to shop exclusively online; otherwise I go during the week. I don’t have the patience to deal with that kind of craziness!
Yeah that whole online thing is looking better and better every day
My christmas shopping is pretty much DONE… just have my brother left which is a huge change from my usual last minute self!
Those scones look really yum, and mentioning PB on top. I think I may be making some! ahaha
I think that will be my next breakfast idea that is not pancakes to try. Thanks so much for the share.
I hate shopping when it’s crowded. I can’t do it especially in DC.
I love that scone making thing- looks so convenient!
Is it weird that I love shopping during the Christmas craziness?
Im a fan of both sweet and savory scones, but cheese scones are my all time favorite.
I love scones, but do not like them sweet at all! I like them a little bland even!
I would like for you to document your high-end store shopping trips in the future please. I won’t be visiting any this season or buy expensive gifts, I’m on serious wedding budget lockdown mode
Is the batter for the scone easy to shape? Since I don’t have that scone gadget, would love to make this for my mom for her breakfast treats.
Oh absolutelu easy. Just lightly flour your fingers. I have a pumpkin scone recipe where i shaped them using my hands.
Venturing out this time of year is not my favorite thing. The crowds, parking, and overheated malls freak me out. I’ve been trying to stick with online shopping but I’m going to have to go out at least once here shortly.
Thanks for stopping by!! Ugh, I totally feel you on the malls, I refuse to go near one this time of year. I hate when people are just taking their time, strolling along when I have my eye on the prize and just want to get in and get out. And what the hell is up with all the kids??! Don’t their have somewhere else to be? I was going to try to go to Sephora tonight since I have a coupon but would rather spend the extra $6 on shipping and get it online.
Hope you get your first class on!
I actually finished my Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving, because I hate crowded malls so much.
I decided that this year, I would not be shopping on Christmas Eve!
Is anybody else hungry?
never seen a scone pan until today! how fun is that!