Grandma’s Banana Bread

My children have been asking me for what seems like weeks to make banana bread. The house is smelling pretty sweet right now, and you can bet I have two kids who are hovering over the oven, ready to devour a couple of fresh-out-of -the-oven slices!

Mom used to make the BEST banana bread! Ali and Zach loved it…and also her zucchini bread (they had no idea zucchini was in it)! This morning I went to Mom’s recipe boxes. I located her banana bread recipe (I’ve only made it a couple times since she passed away).

Looking at the recipe card made me smile. It’s yellowed from the years of use, and has a few stains on it. But the coolest things is that it’s not written in Mom’s handwriting, it’s written in my grandmother’s handwriting!

I never met my Grandmother Margaret. She passed away when Mom was twelve years old.

I mentioned to the kids “this is your great-grandmother’s handwriting.” Ali jokingly said in her sweet fifteen year-old way, “When you die, I call for all of the recipe cards!”

I have some of my Grandmother’s dishes displayed in our kitchen above my cupboards and in our china cabinet. I cherish all of the things that were once hers, and only wish I could have met her. I feel especially blessed to be making her banana bread this morning!

Grandma’s Banana Bread recipe:

1/2 c. butter or shortening (if shortening is used, add 1/2 t. salt)
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 mashed ripe bananas
2 c. flour
1 t. soda (sift with flour)
1/2 c. nuts – optional (I left them out)

Mix in order given. Bake 1 hr. at 350 degrees.

Enjoy!
Julie

(Original post August 10, 2009)