Making banana bread is my favorite way to use ripe bananas… and adding a touch of lavender makes the bread a special treat. When adding essential oils to food recipes, make sure you are using a therapeutic grade essential oil such as doTERRA, which is meant to be ingested. Do not use off-the-shelf oils which may be full of synthetic additives.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) butter, softened
•  3/4 cup brown sugar
•  2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 2-3 drops Lavender essential oil (I use doTERRA)
•  1 teaspoon baking soda
•  1/2 teaspoon salt
•  3 large ripe bananas, mashed
•  1 1/4 cups blueberries
•  1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
•  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar and mix until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt  and beat into the butter mixture. Fold in the bananas, blueberries, walnuts, lavender, and vanilla.
Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.