This super moist coconut banana blueberry bread topped with a sweet blueberry puree & fresh blueberries is the best banana bread you will ever have.

What’s a girl to do when she has squishy bananas, blueberries begging to be used and an overstuffed pantry? She makes Coconut Banana Blueberry Bread, a moist and flavorful treat that is perfect for breakfast, dessert or those times when you are craving a little something sweet. You can easily serve this straight up or you can jazz it up, like I did, with a sweetened blueberry puree and a crown of fresh blueberries.

Personally I think the extra 10 minutes to make the glaze is well worth it, but then again I am enamored with the contrast of the rich purple hue as it drapes elegantly down the sides of the toasty brown cake.

As I was baking this banana bread, I found myself reminiscing about my weekend trips to the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, a wonderful wildlife rehabilitation center that rests at the foothills of Mount Kenya. And in true Road to Honey form, I had every intention of telling you a story about this magical place, but there is something else weighing on my mind so we will need to chat about monkeys and this sanctuary in a future post. On the upside, this will give me the opportunity to bring you another delectable banana dessert.

In the meantime, if you are dying to know more about this conservancy, you can read about it HERE.

Print Yum Banana Blueberry Coconut Bread 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour Yield: 12-16 servings Banana bread has gotten an elegant facelift with this super moist Banana Blueberry Coconut Bread topped with a sweet blueberry puree & fresh blueberries. Ingredients For the Cake: 2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

3 large bananas (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups blueberries

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut (toasted)



For the Blueberry Glaze: 1/3 cup blueberries

1 tablespoon water + 1 -3 teaspoons

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup confectioners sugar Instructions For the Cake: Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Toast the coconut in the oven for about 1 minute. Spray cooking spray onto a bundt pan & coat with flour. Set aside. Combine dry ingredients (flour through salt) in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs & sugar with an electric mixer until they are well blended & light in color. Stir bananas, oil, yogurt, & vanilla into the sugar & egg mixture. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture & stir until well combined. Fold the blueberries & toasted coconut into the batter. Note: The batter will be somewhat thick. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely, then remove from the pan. Drizzle with Blueberry Glaze (recipe follows) & top with fresh blueberries. For the Blueberry Glaze: Place blueberries, sugar & 1 tablespoon of water in a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat until the blueberries soften & burst. Remove the blueberries from the heat & strain them through a sieve. Throw the skins away & allow the puree to cool. Sift the confectioners sugar into the blueberry puree, then whisk until fully incorporated. It may look like you won’t be able to get all the sugar into the puree. Keep whisking. It will eventually go in. Add water, one teaspoon at a time, until you get the desired consistency. You likely will need between 1-3 teaspoons. Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by Yummly Rich Recipes 0.1 http://www.theroadtohoney.com/banana-blueberry-coconut-bread/

As you may have gathered through my posts, our furry four legged family is extremely important to the Mr. and I so it is only natural that we get very worried at the first sign of anything “out of the ordinary” . This was no exception 8 months prior to leaving Kenya when we noticed a lump on Asia’s (our female tuxie kitty) belly. So without hesitation we rushed the little cutie to see her Kenyan veterinarian.

“It’s just a fatty tumor.” he said. “Akuna matata. . .nothing to worry about.”

Phew! A sense of relief flooded us as we drove her back home all the while happy as clams that the panic was not justified.

But over the months the “fatty tumor” continued to grow and the Mr. and I became increasingly worried about our little Mother Hen. Was it really a fatty tumor? Or was it something far more serious?

Then the Westgate Mall attack happened (see more about that HERE and HERE) and we moved back to the U.S.. While our sudden relocation was unplanned, the Mr. and I found extreme comfort knowing that our return, as hard as it was, would enable Asia to get proper veterinarian care.

So when we landed back on U.S. soil, the vet was the first person we saw. I couldn’t be prouder as Asia proved to be the true star patient, handing out kisses and rubs as the vet and technicians poked and prodded at her. She lay willingly on her back as they took x-rays of her little body. She didn’t even put up a fuss when they took a biopsy from the lumps on her belly.

As the vet looked at the sample under the microscope, Asia patiently sat on the cool metal exam table with her paw casually folded under intently waiting to see what was next. But while Asia was acting cool as a cucumber, there was something far more sinister happening in her vivacious little body. You see, that “fatty tumor” was not just a benign little growth but rather breast cancer. Breast cancer! Do you know how rare breast cancer is in cats? Especially spayed cats?

The Mr. and I were devastated. Asia had always served as our little protector and now the tables were turned and we would need to do all that we could to protect her from this vicious disease.

We scheduled the surgery for her as soon as possible. The surgery went well. As they handed her carrier over to us, they told us that she likely would not have much of an appetite and would sleep more than usual. But not our little Asia. As soon as she regained consciousness she made sure that everyone knew that she had missed breakfast that morning and was demanding that she be presented with a meal fit for a queen. And while the pain medication had a tendency to leave most kitties groggy, it seemed to have the opposite effects on Asia. Day and night she sat very relaxed on her “sick bed” with eyes wide open. Despite lack of sleep, she became a love machine on overdrive. . .purring loudly even when only the slightest glance was thrown her way.

The results came back and her cancer was confirmed. The Mr. and I were very relieved when they told us that the results showed that they had successfully removed the tumor’s margins. Asia had beat cancer and she was going to continue to be our Mother Hen for many years to come. . .or so we thought.

But life is never as you wish and new lumps resurfaced and were once again removed. With each surgery there was new hope that the cancer was finally gone for good. But lady luck would not have it that way. As I was taking the photographs of this cake, I gingerly picked Asia up to move her off the chair. That’s when I felt them. Two new lumps. Two new BIG lumps. Both on the same side that all the previous lumps had been on.

This will be Asia’s fourth surgery since we returned from Africa nearly two years ago. If you met her you would never know that her little body continues to fight cancer. She is spunky, outgoing and full of life. She bounces back from each surgery like it “ain’t no thing.”

We bypassed her regular vet and are scheduled to take her directly to her cancer specialist tomorrow. The Mr. and I are no strangers to this song and dance and we know what’s next. We will be converting my studio into her recovery room. The Mr. and I have vowed to continue to help her fight as long as she has fight within her.

All positive vibes as Asia continues To battle the big “C” are appreciated. She will be sporting her pink Susan B. Komen breast cancer collar.

XOXO-

Lynn

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