Bread disasters

When I was a teenager I wanted to make a loaf of bread for dinner to help my mom who was sick that day. The recipe called for 2 packs of yeast and we only had one. Mom helped me cut the recipe in half. I wrote down the measurements "make sure you write down tbsp or tsp or cup..." Got it.

In the bowl went the yeast and water, 1/3 cup of sugar, 3/4 cup of salt, oil, flour and then it hit me "man that's a lot of salt." Yes, yes, I ignored my mom's advice and didn't write down the measurements with the amounts. I should have only added 3/4 tsp of salt. Ha!

I went to mom and told her that I owed her some salt and flour and yeast - oh yeah, we won't be having bread for dinner.

Needless to say, my first crack at bread was not a sucess and the next 15 years were not much better. The one type of bread that I always tried to make was banana bread. I should have been a brick maker. I followed the recipe to the 't' every time and got bricks every time. I stopped making the banana bread for several years until my daughter gave me one of Paula Deen's cookbooks "The Lady & Sons, Savannah Country Cookbook."

Ah, a banana nut bread recipe was waiting for me inside, begging me to give it a chance. So I did. Finally, SUCCESS!!! Moist, light, delicious! No bricks this time. This is the only recipe I use from now on when I make banana bread. Enjoy!

1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
3 bananas, mashed
1/3 c buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream shortening and sugar - thoroughly. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and add to creamed mixture. Add remaining ingredients; mix well (but do not over mix). Pour into a well-greased loaf pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Extra Tip: Always test your bread to make sure that when a knife if poked in to the middle it comes out clean not just somewhat clean but clean. Somewhat clean gets you, well have you ever had a molten lava brownie - outside is cooked and the middle is gooey? Molten chocolate is good not molten banana goo.