When life gives you (brown) bananas...

Make banana bread! But this isn't your mama's banana bread. Well, it's my mama's banana bread-- although technically, it's my grandmother's recipe. But when I copied it out of my mom's dog-eared, thumbed-through, browned-page recipe book that contained a combination of her handwriting and what I assume is my grandmother's, it was simply titled, "Mom's Banana Bread."

I'm all for fancy food but I've found that the simplest recipes more often than not, make for the best food. I don't have patience for measuring or complicated recipes that have a million ingredients (although if it tickles my fancy, I'll try anything). I'm drawn to things that are simple, unexpected and totally delicious. This recipe certainly ticks many of those boxes.

For someone who doesn't like baking, I make banana bread a lot. Mostly because we buy bananas and if there's one thing that I can stand is a soft banana. I'll only eat them when they're just past being green. I can smell the difference-- I know, it's weird. But hey; I know my bananas. In any case, I hate wasting food-- and as it turns out, this recipe works better with soft bananas (brown spots and all). Deliciously simple, imprecisely measured, brown bananas. What better makings for a great recipe?

Mom's Banana Bread

• 3-4 soft bananas, mashed
• 3 eggs
• 1 c butter (more or less)
• 1 c sugar
• 2 c flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon (heaping tsp if you like cinnamon)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp cold water (I don't know what this is for, but it seems to not work without it, so go with it)

Cooking directions:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and banana mixture
• Sift dry ingredients and combine with wet ingredients
• Add vanilla and water
• Grease and flour bread pan
• Bake for 45-60 minutes, until knife comes out clean-- careful not to test near bananas; if edges look done, pull it out. This is best when it's just cooked so it's really moist

The bread really needs no accoutrements; it's delicious on its own as an afternoon snack with a cuppa (that's tea for all you Yanks)-- or really, at any time of day. If you're serving it for dessert, you can always pair it with cream cheese frosting or a caramel sauce would be delicious (or a peanut butter marshmallow sauce-- yummeee). You can always add walnuts too, which I do every so often when I have them handy. If it's for company, I'll usually add some sliced bananas to the plate as garnish. Just past green, of course.