What do you do when you need more freezer space?  I take down The Family Dinner cookbook from the top of the fridge and make some banana bread with the frozen bananas that are taking up precious space.  So yummy!

A few Christmases ago, I decided to make a family cookbook to give everyone on our list. I used a three ring binder so that pages can be added as new recipes are cooked, tasted, perfected and shared.   It is full of family recipes, family photos and some of my favourite inspirational quotes. It is dedicated to my two beautiful Grandmothers and I named it The Family Dinner because I have so many pictures of us all together sitting around the dinner table.

The Home Economist in me couldn’t resist  including a copy of Grandma Beever’s 1940’s Maple Leaf Milling Co, Ltd recipe booklet “51 Ways to a Man’s Heart”  She said, “I used  the recipes all the time and then when I started to use new recipes Grandpa asked me why I didn’t cook like I used to!”

It states, “. . . with the help of this book you can prepare a wide variety of dishes that will win his applause every time you serve them.”  It is dedicate to wives whose husbands appreciate good food and women who like to please their man. Oh, how times have changed, eh?  Often my husband cooks more than I do.

I hope you enjoy our favourite Banana Bread recipe!

Butter or Margarine                                             ½ cup   125 mL

Granulated sugar                                                 1 cup    250 mL

Eggs                                                                     2            2

Mashed very ripe bananas (3 medium)               1 cup     250 mL

All-purpose flour                                                 1 cup     250 mL

Whole wheat flour                                              ¾ cup    175 mL

Baking soda                                                         1 tsp.      5 mL

Baking powder                                                     ½ tsp.     2 mL

Salt                                                                       ½ tsp.    2 mL

Chopped walnuts (optional)                                ½ cup    125 mL

Chocolate chips                                                     ¾ cup     175 mL

Cream butter and sugar together.  Beat in eggs one at a time, beating until smooth.  Add mashed bananas and blend in.

In a second bowl stir flour with baking soda, baking powder, salt, nuts and chocolate chips.  Add banana mixture stirring only to moisten. Put into a greased loaf pan 9x5x3 inch (23x12x7cm).  Bake at 350 ̊F (180 ̊C) for approx. 1 hour until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and place on cake rack to cool.

NOTE:  I often double this recipe.  Freezes well.  Sometimes I add ¼ cup (60 mL) of ground flax seed.

Adapted from Company’s Coming Muffins & More by Jean Pare.