The aroma of Banana nut bread has filled my kitchen and mingled with the Black Silk brew of Folgers. coffee.
An intense reminder of the changing season. Fall. Making molasses and apple butter and gathering pumpkins. I have begun clearing the veggie patch of tomato and pepper plants and bean vines, each of them have made beautiful contributions to my meals this year and several green onions linger in the rich soil for later use. I look around and count my blessings once again.
Got me to thinkin'...
We all have favorites. And fall harvest of pumpkins and apples are two of my favorite things, but I must add, along with the aromatic essence of cinnamon and ginger(which someone far away has harvested, for which I'm thankful)
We drive by orchards, and I am drawn by my love for kitchen creations whether it is peach or apple, doesn't matter, and of course Concord grapes (which make the jelly). With fall’s bounty of fruits, I can fill my house with the fragrance of my childhood home.
So, when fall arrives, the wonderful aroma of cinnamon and ginger begin to permeate my senses... I don't immediately set out to make the homemade Molasses donuts, apple butter or the Cinnamon rolls or Pumpkin pies, it’s just that recollecting the times when I have made them conjures up the welcoming sweet fragrance wafting from my kitchen oven, wrapping me in matronly comfort and love of family.
From my childhood on, I have watched my mother and grandmothers and aunts as they lovingly worked to prepare meals for the family...their example had a strong influence on my endeavors and helped to urge me on and follow in their footsteps. This I know, what they each did was a labor of love. For God, family and friends. .
They did well.
Each season brings its own contribution for enjoyment; whether it's work or play. The seasons are to be enjoyed, along with the ‘fruits’ of our labors, pumpkin pie or apple pie. Or a batch of molasses or pumpkin cookies.
I’ll take mine with coffee, please.
Banana Nut bread
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup firmly packed Domino® Light Brown Sugar
1/3 cup shortening. (I use vegetable oil)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup (2 to 3) mashed ripe bananas ( "almost" a cup is good, too)
1/2 cup milk
You can add English walnuts if you like. My family loves the walnut addition.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan. (In all of my baking, except for my breads, After greasing the pan, I use wax paper to line the baking pan, or you can use parchment paper. Never cared for the dusting with flour approach.
Stir together flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
Beat brown sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs and bananas and Vanilla. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture alternately with milk.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; invert onto cooling rack. Cool completely.
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