
Are you a baker?
For me, baking is like pulling teeth, something to be avoided as long as possible. But I do like the heavenly scent of baking in the oven and my family appreciates when I take the time to try, so I’m going to start a Sunday post with #Family #recipes that are as close to fail-safe as possible!
Today’s recipe comes from my husband’s side of the family. My S-I-L makes the best banana bread I’ve ever tasted, moist, flavorful, and decadent!

Here’s her recipe:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (3 med) very ripe, mushy bananas
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cups choc chips
Cream butter and sugar in medium sized bowl. Beat in 2 eggs until smooth. Add bananas and blend. (If doing by hand, I recommend a potato masher. It dissolves the banana lumps like magic!)
In a second bowl (I don’t like dishes so I add to my first bowl. Just don’t stir yet :)) stir flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips. Add to banana mixture and stir just to moisten (Now you can mix the ingredients!)
Grease a loaf pan approx: 9x5x3 size. (I recommend the dark pans. I have an old, beaten up one that came from my grandma. It works like a charm)
Add the mixture to the pan and bake for about one hour. You can use a toothpick to test for doneness. Stick it in the top of the loaf, if it comes out clean you’re set.
Let the pan sit on a rack for ten minutes before removing. Use a table knife to score the edge away from the pan, turn it over on a plate, tap the bottom and it should (fingers crossed) release cleanly from the cookware.
Let cool completely before wrapping.
Here’s a picture of the recipe I’ve been using. You can see why I needed to set up these posts. I can barely read it anymore! lol
Do you have a favorite family recipe you’d like to share? Send me your info jbiggar@jacqbiggar.com and I’ll add it to my Sunday posts 🙂
Yay, the timer went off just as I was finishing this post, so I can show you the finished product.
Do you know what I see when I look at this beaten up old pan filled with homemade deliciousness?
I see my grandma baking bread and using this very pan to cook it with. I see my mom using this pan to make lemon poppyseed loaves (future recipe to share!) for Farmer’s Market. I see my S-I-L joking about my lack of baking skills and writing out this recipe from her grandmother so I could have that feeling of accomplishment.
I see… Love ❤
The Authors of Love, Christmas 2 put together a holiday recipe cookbook, and the best part- it’s #free!
Favorite Holiday Recipes: From the Authors of Love, Christmas 2
Favorite Holiday Recipes is a collection of recipes from the New York Times, USA Today and Award-winning, International, Bestselling authors of LOVE, CHRISTMAS – MOVIES YOU LOVE (THE HOLIDAY SERIES BOOK 2)
Read the small excerpts that preface each recipe as each author tells you why her recipe is important to her story.
Full of pictures, these mouth-watering recipes are sure to inspire your culinary (or eating) desires. Included are appetizers (mulled wine, pineapple punch, millionaire’s bacon), main dishes (lasagne, lobster mac and cheese, crock pot venison stew, traditional smoked salmon) and baked goods and desserts (fry bread, almond apricot coffee cake, double chocolate chip cookies, shortbread, cinnamon rolls) – in all, twenty-six recipes by the authors from all around the world.
These yummies are some of the authors’ favorites and a gift to our readers from us. We hope you enjoy these treats as much as we do.
A great banana bread recipe very similar to mine. I just half the sugar as we just can’t handle all that sugar anymore. I love the beat up old tin and the Tim Horten’s mug!! I look forward to more old favourite recipes. Thanks!!
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Thanks, Darlene. This is a stand-by in our house 🙂
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Wow, I love this post, Jacquie! I love the story of your pan and it being passed along in your family. We have a small muffin tin that was my grandmother’s, and my mom wanted to toss it because we have “better” ones, but I said no way! I quickly picked up this book- what a gift from you all to us readers- and it was free! Thank you! ♥️
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I love that you wanted your grandma’s muffin tin, Jennifer! The memories stored in those old tin pans are priceless. You’ll have to share your favorite muffin recipe one day 🙂
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My Meme actually made cheese biscuits in the mini muffin tin we have! She was famous for them, and we love them! The cheese pops out and gets all over the (nonstick!) tin! Ah, I miss them, but we try out best to duplicate them. Thanks for bringing back the good memories, Jacquie! ♥️
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What a great new feature, Jacquie! You know me, I love to bake. But for several years, I struggled through recipes that didn’t work and deflated cakes and bread.
Your recipe is similar to mine. I use a pastry tool to mash my bananas but will have to try the potato masher next time.
Love your banged-up loaf pan. Reminds me of some of my pans and bowls which I got from my MIL.
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Baking in me don’t get along, lol. I need easy recipes that are all but guaranteed to turn out (I also have a very low patience level!)
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What a great new feature you have going. Looking forward to the recipes coming from friends and readers.
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Thanks! It’ll be a good way to preserve memories 🙂
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Reblogged this on 2sheepinthecity's Blog and commented:
What are your favorite fall baking recipes?
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Thanks, Suzanne!
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I look forward to more! Thanks!
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Thanks for stopping by, Diane!
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I absolutely LOVE recipe posts. I should do them more myself, since pretty much every book I write has people cooking and eating all the time.
I’ve been making banana bread for years, and my family loves it. It took me a long time to perfect my recipe. Funny thing? We all prefer the “healthy” banana bread to the regular one. Flour and sugar bread is good, but the almond flour and honey recipe I always use is the one we all prefer. Your bread looks lovely, and I’m feeling warm and nostalgic looking at the pan and the well-used recipe page. You know a lot of love went into baking over the years. (Now I want to buy bananas and bake a couple of loaves.)
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Mmm, your recipe sounds delicious! You’ll have to do a post so I can borrow (steal) it 🙂
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I’ll add that to my to-do list. Dang, that thing is getting long. And it doesn’t have many checkmarks on it. 😦
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Love that the recipe is hand written and love the baking tin.
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Thanks, Mazoli. Both are getting pretty old now- like me, lol
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Thanks for the post Jacqueline. Happy Holidays!
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Happy holidays! Hope 2019 brings peace and happiness ❤
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Sunday cooking is a family tradition we’ve started with our kids and I hope they continue with theirs. Love this, thanks for sharing!
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They say the kitchen is the heart of the home and I truly believe this. Many of my favorite memories revolve around my mom or grandmother’s cooking 🙂
Thanks do much for stopping by!
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Couldn’t agree more!
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