Old-Fashioned Banana Bread

Today is a recipe only post. My daughter asked that I put my banana bread recipe here….It is easier for her to find the recipe when she needs it. Since I have no bananas and absolutely no desire to step foot in a store today….no photos.

 

Old-Fashioned Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf

 

• 1/2 cup shortening (I use Spectrum)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 large very ripe bananas, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large loaf pan with shortening.

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and bananas, mix well. Slowly mix in flour and baking soda. Combine well. Put batter into greased pan. Bake for 1 hour, 10 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and place on cooling rack.

*I start checking for doneness at 1 hour by sticking a wooden skewer into the center. It doesn’t come out completely clean, but with a few moist crumbs. I find if you wait for a completely clean skewer, you will have dry banana bread.

**If the top of your bread begins to get too brown before it is finished cooking, tent full over the top.

 

Enjoy,

Sammi

Healthy, Quick and Cheap: Microwave Popcorn

STOP! Do not buy any more microwave popcorn. That stuff is expensive. Instead get yourself these items:


Popcorn (I bought Ladyfinger, which has small kernels) $1.50 for 1 1/4 lbs
Butter-flavored popcorn salt, $2.10 for 16 oz (this will last a long time!)
Olive Oil, a pantry staple
Brown lunch bag,$??? (I have no idea what I paid for these, but they are not expensive)
NOTE: You cannot use regular salt. It will not distribute evenly. Popcorn salt has a much finer texture. Of course, you can go salt-free.







Put 1/4 cup of popcorn in bag. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Fold the top of the bag down several times. Shake the bag to evenly distribute the oil and salt over the kernels. Place bag on a microwavable plate (paper is fine), because the oil will seep through. Pop it in the microwave on High until popping slows to about one pop every 5 seconds. My popcorn took about 1 minute 45 seconds. The average time for regular-sized kernels is about 2 minutes. Since everyone’s microwave isn’t the same, you will have to experiment to find your correct amount of time. I admit the first time I did this involved lots of smoke and VERY overdone popcorn, because I walked away from the microwave thinking that I could just use the POPCORN button on my microwave. That wasn’t a good idea. Oh well….live and learn.
Anyway, here is the finished product:

Simple….and it is better than that prepackaged stuff. Enjoy!