Average Jane Makes Banana Bread

This is another recipe from my Great-Aunt Edith. I still have the recipe card written in her handwriting, although I have to rely on memory for some of the more smudged measurements:

I made a batch yesterday and I'm eating a piece as I write this. It's a pretty basic recipe, but foolproof and delicious. Remember it the next time you let a couple of bananas get too ripe.

Aunt Edith's Banana Bread
Stays moist a week

1/2 cup shortening or butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 very ripe bananas
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour (no more)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Mash in bananas. Combine flour, baking soda and salt (cut back or eliminate salt if using salted butter instead of shortening) and mix into wet ingredients. Stir in walnuts. Bake in a well-greased loaf pan at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60-70 minutes or until top is very brown and any cracks in the top are fairly dry inside.

The original recipe had you prepare the loaf pan by greasing it, lining it with waxed paper and greasing the waxed paper. Then when the loaf was done, you removed it from the pan and peeled off the paper. At some point I just stopped doing that and began to grease the pan directly and the results have been fine. I don't really know why that seemed like a necessary step back in the day, but I merely mention it as a curiosity.

* * * * * * * *

On the cat front, we brought Velvet home yesterday and she's been as mellow and friendly as can be. Velcro seems to be equally mellow and accepting her just fine. Xena has turned into a hostile, hissing ball of stress, to the point that she wore herself out from her own drama and slept all evening when she'd ordinarily have been playing.

That's especially unfortunate because it's obvious that Velvet likes to play. I'm sure Xena will get used to her and our plan to make them playmates will eventually come to fruition. The little ingrate...

Photos of Velvet to come tomorrow. Enjoy your Monday!

Comments

[TV Goddess]

I can practically taste that through the Internet. And I LOVE the old recipe card. Fun!

[Rozanne]

That's great that you got another cat! Fingers crossed the plan works.

[Jane]

I saw one of those home re-do/decorating shows in which they had framed "grandma's recipe cards" along with a photo of grandma. It made a wonderful display--there were ones made from several relatives.

[javaqueen14]

Hi! I had made your potato soup recipe and came back and will try this banana bread recipe. Thanks! The old recipe card is the best! And, thank you for sharing! -Anne