All kids make up words. As parents we cherish the inventive vocabulary and are so sad the day we realize they finally figured out that Dunkin Donuts is NOT called Choca-Donald’s, that flog is really just fog. My best friend Tara gave me a notebook when my youngest was still only 2 or 3. A little bitty blank notebook to write down all the funny things my kids say so I would never ever forget. She has one for her daughter, too. Sometimes we get on the phone and laugh for days about tormadoes (tornadoes) and the dog sleeping in the other room with Jesus (that one is kind of a long story). My oldest son thought that bananas were called bee-may-nahs until he was 6… maybe 7, and both of my kids called cereal sir-uhl until only a year or so ago.
Banana bread was the first recipe I ever tried. I found it in a church cookbook that my mom had, and true to my current culinary form, I made it because we had all of the ingredients. It has morphed a few times since I memorized it at the ripe old age of 9, but it is still the same old comforting and reliable bee-may-nah bread. Some things you just remember without writing down.
In a small bowl smush up your ripe bananas with a fork.
Beemaynah Bread
Ingredients
3 bananas mashed (for extra moist bread use 3 1/2 bananas- sometimes I like my banana bread a little gummy in the middle. Also, if you have gigantic bananas, use good judgement here)
1 stick of butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
a pinch of salt (when I was 9, that part was my favorite)
To Make
Preheat the oven to 350. Butter 2 bread pans (you COULD use non-stick cooking spray, but honestly, it just doesn’t taste as good). Cream the butter, add the sugar, and slowly beat in the eggs. Then add the bananas. Mix in the flour, baking soda and salt. You could also toss in some pecans or walnuts or chocolate chips right here. Pour batter evenly into the two prepared pans and bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Bet you can’t get that at Choca-Donald’s.