To use overripe bananas, store them whole in the freezer to make smoothies later. When ready, peel off the skins from the frozen bananas with a paring knife. Slice into a blender and add berries, milk or yogurt, and fresh orange juice. Blend until smooth.

For a tropical ice cream that will cool you down in the summertime, peel 2 bananas, wrap them in plastic, and freeze until solid. Then place in a food processor with:

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries or strawberries
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Blend to the desired smoothness (or chunkiness). Pour into a shallow metal pan, cover, and freeze until firm. Scrape out servings with a spoon. Keeps frozen for up to 2 months.

For complex-tasting blueberry muffins with less fat, replace the butter in your favorite recipe with a mixture of mashed bananas and vegetable oil.

To give the kids a more nutritious frozen treat, make chocolate-covered frozen bananas on a stick. Peel whole bananas and skewer each one with a wooden craft stick or chopstick, then freeze until solid. Dip each banana into 1/4 cup melted chocolate (melted chocolate chips work fine). If you like, quickly roll in chopped nuts or sprinkles before the chocolate firms ups. Place on wax paper and return the chocolate-covered bananas to the freezer for 15 minutes.

Tidbit Adding a banana to a bag of peaches will help ripen the fruit faster. Ethylene gas emitted by the banana speeds the ripening process.