sunday banana bread and a mystery tree

Today was one of those lovely days when everything just... worked. Does anyone know what these little white flowers are? They're in bloom here right now (shhh, I picked this tip of a branch this morning when I was out for my run). They're on trees, and are beautifully fragrant - kind of a licorice-y scent, and the branches are kind of rough and angular, like a flowering crab, and the branches are completely covered. They seem to grow anywhere. Anyone?

And any day that includes banana bread is just fine with me. This is the recipe I used, and it is delicious.

Banana Bread

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.