When life hands you rotten bananas.....

....make banana bread!

I hate everything about rotten bananas. Their nasty brown color. The nasty smell they omit that never fails to attract gnats, even in the dead of winter. The fact that my grandpa used to actually (and may still) eat them. Yuck!

But when you mix them up with a little sugar, flour, and eggs you get the goodness that is Banana Bread. My favorite recipe for this yummy bread comes from a Vera Bradley cookbook I bought at one of my first excursions to a Vera Bradley Outlet sale in Fort Wayne, IN. I figure if I find one recipe in a cookbook that I love, it makes it worth while to have that cookbook. And since I only paid $5 about 10 years ago, I think I'm doing pretty well. This is the only recipe I've used for Banana Bread but loved it from the beginning, so I thought I'd share it with you. It smells so good while it's baking you can't help put cut a big slice before it's cooled enough and inevitably burn your mouth. But it's just that good!

Banana Bread

2 very ripe bananas-cut into 1" pieces
1 stick butter
1 1/2 C flour
3/4 C sugar
2 eggs
1/4 C milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 C pecans, chopped (optional-I never use them)

Mix the bananas and butter very well. Add the flour, sugar, eggs, milk, lemon juice, baking soda and salt. Mix for 20 seconds, or until well blended. Fold in the pecans. Spoon into greased 5x9 loaf pan (or 2 mini-loaf pans). Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes (or 35-40 mins for the minis) or until toothpick stuck in center comes out clean. Cool before serving.

This recipe originally came from Stacie Gray who works(ed) in Vera Bradly Customer Service.

Here's what your Banana Bread will look like, or should. :) Also notice the snowman cookies? Wal-mart had them marked down to $1.50! Great deal for us, we love the Pillsbury holiday cookies.

Now we will be sure to have plenty of goodies for our New Year's party Thursday night.