Being stuck inside for the next few weeks is not going to be easy. Life as we know it is on major pause. Schools closing. No sports. No eating out. No dinner parties. Madness….but all necessary if we are to put the nightmare of Covid-19 in the rear view mirror.

This is the perfect opportunity to stay home, try new recipes, and begin using some of the food you have stockpiled. This morning I realized that I have an over-abundance of bananas. When this happens I usually peel them and freeze them in freezer bags. This way I always have them on hand for smoothies or shakes.

However, today I decided to use them in Banana Bread. My friend Michele gave me this recipe, and I have been using it for at least the last 15 years. (That’s a lot of banana bread!)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. With an electric mixer, cream together 1/2c butter (softened), 1c sugar, and 2 eggs. In a separate bowl, combine 1 and 1/2c flour, 1tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Blend well. Add 1c mashed very ripe bananas, 1/2c sour cream, and 1tsp vanilla extract. Finally stir in 1/2c chopped walnuts or pecans. I sometimes substitute the nuts with chocolate chips (trust me on this). Pour into a well-buttered loaf pan and bake for one hour. Before removing from the oven, I always test the center of the bread with a toothpick (old school) or a cake tester to make sure it is done. Then I allow it to cool in the loaf pan for a bit before turning it out onto a rack to cool completely.

It is my sincerest wish that this pandemic craziness will pass as quickly as possible…but more than that I wish you all good health. Stay well, my friends. Ciao.