Comfort food

I've said this one hundred times before, but I'll say it again:  The last few days of being apart are the worst.  I'm always so ready to see him and so excited about being together again.  But the time..


...goes...



...by...



...so...


...sloooow. 

I've rearranged furniture, gone on walks, scrubbed the floor, made crafts, cleaned the house, run errands, read three books, and done just about every other thing I can imagine doing.  Then I look at the clock and only 5 minutes have passed. 

This afternoon, I was trying to scrape together ideas of something else I could do to pass some time and I decided to bake.  I've always been really good at baking.  Memaw started me young and taught me all she knew.  Whipping up delicious, sweet treats seems to be one of my strong suits...as well as one of my weaknesses, because I tend to want to eat it all. 

In an old, tattered up cook book back home there is a banana nut bread recipe that is delicious.  I decided to make this, however, I didn't have nuts (and didn't want to waste a bus ticket just to go get some), so I knew I was going to have to make a few adjustments to my normal recipe.  Instead I used raisins and added some cinnamon.  My plan was to make it tonight so I would have something for breakfast in the morning, and then John Ralph could have a nice treat when he gets home on Monday, but after tasting it, I'm not sure any will be left by Monday.  It's so good!

In the event that any of you are looking to pass some time, here is the recipe for you to try out:

Cinnamon Banana Raisin Bread

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar (I used Splenda to make it easier to justify eating the whole loaf)
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
a healthy dash of cinnamon (I didn't measure, but if I had to guess, I put somewhere in between a tsp and tbsp)
3 large bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raisins
*1/2 cup walnuts or pecans if you have them

1 tbsp sugar/cinnamon mix, to top

Preheat oven to 300. 
Cream together shortening and sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time.
Sift together dry ingredients and slowly add to wet mixture.
Stir in mashed bananas, vanilla, and raisins.
Pour into loaf pan and sprinkle top with sugar/cinnamon mix

Bake for about an hour.  Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out to cool completely on wire rack. 

ENJOY!