Banana Bread

1½ C (~3) ripe bananas (mashed by hand with a fork)
½ C butter or margarine (1 stick)
1 C sugar
1 TSP baking soda
⅓ TSP salt
2 eggs
1 TSP vanilla
½ C walnuts or pecans (chopped)
1¼ C all-purpose (or unbleached) flour

Temperature: 350

Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  With your mixer, cream the butter and eggs until light, adding the eggs one at a time.  Add the vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until combined.  Fold in the bananas and nuts.

Pour into a greased 9"x5"x3" loaf pan.  Bake on the middle rack for 60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 15 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack.