garlicky tomato and avocado bruschetta

We have been lucky in the last couple of weeks to enjoy some great October weather.  We took advantage of this last week and went to Canmore for the day.  We had lunch at Luna Blue and enjoyed a feast of garlic with bruschetta, pizza and pasta.

I had good friends coming over for a lasagna dinner and I needed a quick appetizer to go along with it.  The garlicky bruschetta from the week before had been on my mind and I figured it would be the perfect starter.  I added an avocado to the mix which added some texture and made the bruschetta creamy.  It was a hit, even with the little ones.



Garlicky Tomato & Avocado Bruschetta

3 tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 TB olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
bunch of basil, chopped
salt
pepper

baguette, sliced
olive oil for drizzling

Slice the baguette on the diagonal and place on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and bake until toasted.

Mix the ingredients for the brushcetta.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  Top the toasted baguettes with the mixture and enjoy!

banana bread

When visiting my cousin in Toronto this summer, she had made the most amazing banana bread. This bread is incredibly moist and so tasty, I was delighted when she shared the recipe. It became an instant hit and is now a regular in our house. Thanks A!

Banana Bread

1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1.5 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
2 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cream margarine and sugar together.  Once combined, add eggs and vanilla.  Next, mix in the dry ingredients - flour and baking soda.  Add the mashed bananas, sour cream and chocolate chips.

Add the batter to a loaf pan and cover with foil.  Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.