Banana Bread

I can't believe that today is the first time I have made my mom's banana bread. Whenever I have old, sweet, but yucky looking bananas I usually use them to make banana bars! But I got a text message from my mom Saturday morning saying that she had made banana bread, pumpkin bread and harvest loaf for my little brother Jeff to eat and then take some back to other brother Garrett when he came home to visit this weekend.(Apparently she couldn't sleep the other night and was baking bread at 2 am!) There was a change of plans and Jeff came to Orange County instead, so she asked if I would make him all those breads to eat and take back to Gar. Of course I would. Cooking for my little brothers is one thing I absolutely love to do. (Maybe one of these days they'll find wives who will bake for them, but until then I'm happy to fill in.)

Due to mom's request, my weekend was full of baking! I love this banana bread recipe. It's comes from Grandma Payne, my mom's mom, she was the queen of baking! I think as long as your follow the recipe, and don't mix the batter too much, the bread should turn out. It was my first time and they tasted just like moms. And this quick bread recipe can be adapted for other flavors too. The pumpkin bread I made, per mom's request, was this same recipe with pumpkin instead of bananas. (Post coming.) As my mom said, this recipe is fool proof. When my mom makes this for us, she has to make a mini loaf per child and husband. I can polish one of these off in no time flat. (Ate three pieces just while writing this.) Spread some butter on each slice. The outsides get a little toasty, the end pieces are my favorite. Heaven! Great for breakfast, or a sweet afternoon snack. Happy Baking!

Banana Bread

350 degree oven 40 - 45 minutes for 5 small loaves

Ingredients
• 1 cup butter (room temperature) = 2 cubes
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cup flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp soda
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 4 extra ripe bananas, 7 – 8 inches long, (1 ½ - 1 ¾ cups)
• ¼ c 2% milk (room temp)

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs one at a time, vanilla, and beat until creamy.
3. In a separate bowl combine flour, soda, and salt and wisk.
4. In a separate bowl mash up the bananas.
5. Chop the nuts.
6. Add alternating into the butter mixture but don’ t over mix:
• Flour mixture
• Milk
• Bananas
• Flour mixture
• Milk
• Bananas
• Flour mixture

7. Gently stir in nuts.
8. Generously coat 5 small loaf pans with cooking spray.
9. Spread batter evenly into loaf pans.
10. Bake 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
11. Let pans rest for 5 min. Gently remove loaves by tapping the bottom of the pans.