Banana Bread

I was shocked to discover I hadn't added this family favorite to the blog yet.  Everyone has a favorite banana bread recipe, and this one is mine.  We eat a lot of bananas, but every now and then...they brown a little past the point of wanting to eat.  Those bananas make the BEST banana bread.  If I don't have 7 of these beauties, I peel what I do have and put them in a ziploc freezer bag and mark the outside with the number of bananas I put in and freeze them.  Then I add to the freezer bag until I have a total of 7 bananas.Next, I defrost them, and yippee, my family (and friends and co-workers) gets banana bread.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup salted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
3 cups ripe bananas (about 7 medium), mashed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts

Pre-heat oven to 325*F.  Grease two 9"x5" loaf pans (I prefer using stoneware loaf pans for this recipe, it makes the crust slightly crisp.)

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt with a wire whisk; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs, bananas and vanilla extract.  Beat at medium speed until thick.

Add the flour mixture and walnuts, then blend at low speed JUST UNTIL COMBINED.  Do not over-mix.

Pour into prepared pans.  Bake on center rack of oven for 60-70  minutes.  A toothpick inserted in center should come out clean, and bread should pull away from the sides of the pan when done.

Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn pans on sides to cool to room temperature, before removing and slicing.

Makes 2 loaves or (30) 1/2" slices [15 slices per loaf]

Spaghetti Meat Sauce and Garlic Bread

Mom's Spaghetti Sauce-this is the first meal I made for Monty when we were dating. He still talks about it even though I usually make his mom's spaghetti sauce for him now. I'll post Esther's later...both good, just totally different.

3 lbs ground beef
1-2 onions (she cooked with a lot of onions...I've cut back on this quite a bit now)
28 oz. can peeled tomatoes (I'd use the diced peeled tomatoes that the stores have now...although that does take the fun out of crushing the whole tomatoes with your hands into the pot while trying to not have them squirt all over the kitchen)
28 oz. can tomato sauce
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 can sliced mushrooms
bay leaf
salt, pepper, garlic salt, oregano, sage, thyme, poultry seasoning-to taste

Brown ground beef with onions and drain away any liquid. Add other ingredients and simmer uncovered until thick. Serve over cooked spaghetti and with garlic bread. Remember...to be an authentic meal...you have to burn the first batch of garlic bread when you are toasting it under the broiler. :)

Garlic Bread
1 cube softened butter
2-3 crushed fresh garlic cloves
Mix together and spread on french bread. Sprinkle the canned parmesan cheese (you know the green Kraft brand) on top and broil until lightly browned.

Sour Dough-Like Bread (Bread Machine)

2-1/2 tsp. yeast
3 cups flour plus 2 TBSP more
3 TBSP sugar
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup of beer ( 80 degrees)
1/3 cup water (80 degrees)
2 TBSP oil

Follow the instructions for your bread machine for the order to put the ingredients into your pan.  Process as you would for white bread.