Nana's banana nut bread

Growing up, every time we would go to Nana and Papa's house there would be a delicious loaf of her banana nut bread in the kitchen. Well, maybe not every time, but it was often enough that I remember it fondly and looked forward to it during every visit. Whether it was right out of the oven or at room temperature didn't matter. It was just as delicious the next day as it was when it was made.

While visiting my Nana and Aunt Diana this past weekend I discovered that Nana had made a loaf of her banana nut bread. It had been many years since I had it, and it was like a gift to rediscover it. I'm not sure why I didn't ask before now, but I finally got her recipe, and it makes me so happy to know that I can now make this warm, delicious treat for my kiddos.

Nana's Banana Nut Bread

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

4 ripe banana, mashed

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add all other ingredients and mix. Bake in a greased loaf pan at 350º for 50-60 minutes.

Two suggestions: use a chopper or food processor to finely chop the nuts. This is one of the identifying characteristics of her banana bread-no large pieces of nut. This makes the nuts more evenly distributed throughout the bread, and it really does make a difference in the texture and taste. Secondly, for the last 10-15 minutes of baking put a piece of aluminum foil over the top to keep it from burning on top. Just lay it right on top-no need to secure around the edges.