May Flowers + Recipe | My Grandma's Banana-nut Bread

 It is said that, April showers---- bring May flowers.  On a day like yesterday and today, a gal can dream about flowers, can't she?

   Last week was the end of April, and it was quite cool and gray around here with spotty showers, not exactly the kind of weather that one wants to go outside and play in her garden------well, at least not this gal.  I did manage to play in my garden the week before when we had a few dry, mild temperature days----it was heavenly!  Yesterday afternoon we had about 5 minutes of light freezing rain, so I decided that it would be a good day to teach Erich how to bake a loaf of my Grandma Belcher's banana bread.

   I treasure having Grandma Belcher's handwritten Banana Bread recipe.  I was blessed with two  lovely grandmothers.  I called my mom's mother "Grandma" and my father's mother "Mimi".  I was close to my grandma.  I used to stay  a week or so with Grandma and Grandpa Belcher in the summertime.  They were both German and English.   Grandma was a sweetheart, she was pretty, she smelled like Ponds cold cream and she was a really good cook and baker.  Grandma lived to be 89.  I was only 10 when my Mimi passed away, but I remember her fondly.  Mimi was French and Irish.  Mimi was a beautiful lady, she was so pleasant to be around, she smiled a lot and her house smelled like White Shoulders perfume and good food.  I remember when I was really little, I was shorter than the counter in her pantry and I peeked up on the counter and there was this yummy smelling cream colored desert.  I remember asking, "Mama, what is that?"  Mama said, "that's cheesecake, you won't like that, it's for the adults."  Well, I remember thinking, I'd like to try that, it looks good to me!  My father loved cheesecake and I'm sure I batted my eyes at him, smiled and asked for a taste----after all I would eat anything that Papa ate, with the exceptions of my great aunt Margaret's headcheese and Papa's pigs' feet.   I'll never forget walking into the kitchen once, lifting the lid off a big pot simmering on the stove and there were pigs' feet swimming in a tomato juice concoction! I said, "Eww!"  Papa snickered!  Oh yeah--- he thought that was a riot! It smelled so good, but the thought of nibbling on those big, ugly, rough feet---no thank you!

   Erich has shown an interest in cooking and baking, however, he hasn't been in the kitchen from start to finish.   I explained to Erich that the first step in baking is gathering all the ingredients, measuring spoons, cups, bowls and baking pans and place them together on the work counter and then preheat the oven.  I  took the butter and eggs out of the fridge earlier to bring them to room temperature.   I showed Erich how to grease the pan and Erich put the butter in the mixing bowl.

                             Erich measured the sugar and then poured it into the mixing bowl.

                                                         Next ----measure dry ingredients.

 Flour, baking soda and salt. 

 Chopping walnuts.

Well look who joined us to help mash the bananas------  Monkey!

We need to keep an eye on Monkey, he doesn't say much, but he sure causes a lot of trouble!

 Next Erich creamed the sugar and butter, then added the eggs and vanilla.

Monkey wants to lick the beaters. " Nom"!   Better get the bananas in before Monkey eats them!

 I helped Erich incorporate the first half of the dry ingredients. 

 Erich stirred the walnuts in by hand.

 Next we poured the batter into the pre-greased loaf pan.

It's ready to put in the oven!

An hour later.......... the house smells fantastic, there was a freshly baked loaf of banana bread on the counter cooling, a smiley-face kid and my husband returned home from a day out with the guys at the GM Tech Center---- just minutes after taking the bread out of the oven. Talk about good timing! 

Hey, Monkey is missing! Hmmmm......

[ I had to make a really goofy face to get a big smile like that! ]

      Grandma Belcher's Banana-Nut Bread 

                                                                                                            Preheat oven 350* F 

2 eggs (room temperature)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3 ripe bananas mashed with a fork

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Lightly grease loaf pan with Crisco shortening.

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.  Cream butter and sugar till creamy.  Add eggs, vanilla and mix together.  Add mashed bananas, mix.  Slowly add flour mixture until fully incorporated.  Add walnuts, stir in.  Pour into loaf pan.  Bake in 350* oven for 60 to 65 minutes or till wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes.  Remove from pan on to a rack and let cool.   

 Mama's miniature Iris

My Mimi's Peony

Thyme 

Muscari, a lovely lone bloom within Mama's Iris. 

 Iris 

Mama's Day lily

Psalm 100

Shout to the LORD, all the earth.

Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before Him with joyful sounds.

Know that the LORD is God.

It is he who has made us, and we are his. 

We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

     Grandma Belcher and me at the family cottage in 1982.  My mother said, "I can't believe that you sat on my mother's lap."  I said, "She didn't mind, I'm 'Grandma's Girl'."   I miss Grandma dearly.  Thanks be to God I will see her again in heaven with the Lord.

~Marcie