Banana Bread; 1941 recipe

Roughly 20 years ago, my grandma Bonnie agreed to host 4-h classes at her home for a group of 'neighborhood' girls one summer. We lived on a farm in a rural area of northern Utah and neighborhood is a loose term there, meaning people living within about 5 miles of home. Grandma was one our nearby neighbors-- just a single mile bike ride toward the neighbor's dairy, and up the canal road lined with cattails and wild plums, past the shop that housed all of our farm implements. 

That summer, we rode bikes to her house once a week and learned the basics of baking: the purpose of sifting flour, the correct way to measure flour in a cup, and how/why we should fold the batter of quick breads. My baked goods won a prize ribbon at the county fair that year, and went on to the state fair. Grandma's baking (and her guidance) is just that good!

I learned to bake banana bread from her, a memory I'll cherish forever. When she moved into assisted living this year, her household goods were divided amongst the many kids and grandkids and I inherited a bread pan-- this bread pan. I keep it in a special place and use it like she would have, except I don't pull it out of the oven with bare hands (how did she do that??).

I greased and floured the pan, filled it with the folded batter, and spent the morning thinking of her. Thanks grandma-- you're the best. 

Recipe adapted from a 1941 edition of Fisher's Blend Baking Book. 

Modifications: 

1.5 c white flour, .5 c wheat flour

2 tbsp almond milk, 1 tbsp Greek yogurt instead of buttermilk, just to use what's on hand 

1/2 c pecans, added

2/3 c sugar instead of 3/4