Banana Bread

Please don't be confused with the shape of this bread. It's not a cake! I was desperate or should I say I had a bad craving for some banana bread one day and decided that I would bake it in a 9 x 9" baking dish instead of a loaf pan. By doing that, it cut my baking time down by 20 minutes. So hence the shape!

We've been making this banana bread for almost 10-12 years. It's become our family's favorite! The recipe comes from an old Pillsbury cookbook I got shortly after my hubby and I got married. Our oldest daughter has made this several times on her own so the ease of it makes it the perfect recipe for kids to help with. I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Banana Bread

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
(Note: I often add more than one cup, up to 1/2 cup more, it doesn't bother the recipe one bit.)
1/3 cup milk
1 teas. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teas. baking soda
1/2 teas. salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease bottom of a 9 x 5" loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, cream sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs; blend in bananas, milk and vanilla. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and nuts, if desired and mix well. Add to creamed mixture; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes; remove. Cool completely on wire rack. Slice. Eat. Yum. Wrap and store leftovers in the fridge.