Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Hello...is anyone still there? I'm sure you all think I'd left you for good! I feel that way, too. I haven't blogged in a month. 35 days to be exact! I am so sorry for leaving you for so long. Like Ricky Ricardo always said to Lucy, I have a lot of explaining to do! LOL

So, I'll start with the fact that I traveled an ungodly amount for work this summer. It was way too crazy! I feel like my summer flew by. My last trip was to LA in August, and that's where life my life took a tailspin. I was in LA for 5 days, came home and then packed up my house. I'm serious, I packed up my house and moved. 2 days of extreme packing, 1 very, very long day of moving. That was three weeks ago. As soon as we moved my oldest started his junior year in high school, he had his 16th birthday and started driving, then a week later my youngest started 8th grade. So you see, I didn't mean to leave you for so long, it just...happened.

Of course I haven't stopped cooking and baking all this time, I just had no time for pics and blogging. We are going to change that right this very minute though. I'm baaaack! And the best part is, I am in love with my new kitchen! I seriously never want to leave it. Here she is:

I know it's not huge or really fancy, but I absolutely adore it. The kitchen in my old house was a galley - so teeny tiny, no counter space and no storage space. What an awful thing for a baker! I feel so blessed now.

So let's get down to business. Yesterday afternoon I made the most delicious banana bars with cream cheese frosting. Is it bad I wanted to sit down and eat the whole pan? Yeah, I thought so too. These are so amazing and it's probably the best cream cheese frosting I've ever made from scratch. So easy too! Here's the scoop:

Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe written by The Chef Next Door
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Ingredients:

For the Bars:
1 cup sugar
1 cup mashed bananas (2 medium)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of a 13x9 inch pan with non stick spray and lightly flour. In large bowl, mix sugar, bananas, oil and eggs with spoon. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Spread in pan.

Bake bars approximately 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about an hour.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, butter and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gradually beat in powdered sugar with spoon until smooth and spreadable.

Spread cooled bars with frosting. Store covered in refrigerator.

Bon Appetit!