Paula's Stoneware and Mom's Banana Bread

It has been months since I walked into an Ollie's Store and it may be months before it happens again, but in the back of the middle of the store was a huge display with a buyout of Paula Deen Cookware. Hundreds of her "Signature Collection" oven to table stoneware, ironware, muffin tins, cake pans and kitchen utensils. I could tell as I picked up different of the pieces, that this was good quality cookware. I purchased two 9" x 5" loaf pans, one for me and one for a friend with a birthday coming soon.

Since I spend considerable time in the kitchen baking and cooking, I am always in need of sturdy spatulas. I purchased two packs of her well made wooden silicone spatulas...one pack for me and one for my friend to go along with the loaf pan for her birthday. The stoneware looks and feels like hand-thrown pottery, and has a raised swirl pattern. But the best part was the price...$6.99.

On my kitchen counter were some very ripe bananas, which lead me to the recipe I found in the blog world, a few weeks ago. I tried this recipe once before and it became an instant hit with my family and friends. This recipe was shared by "cottagebythesea" blog. It was handed down to this friend by her mother and it called "Mom's Banana Bread". I am well aware that there are probably hundreds of banana bread recipes in cookbooks today, and I have tried many of them. Let me tell you , this is definitely one of our new favorites!! In fact, when I took the loaves from the oven last evening and shared some with my husband, he does what he always does when I try new recipes, at my request he rates them on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best. You are probably thinking by now, that we must be a wild and crazy couple at this house...with events like this taking place, and you are right!! Seriously, I will share this recipe with you, or you can visit "cottagebythe sea" blog and see her beautifully photographed version of the recipe. So, just in case you find yourself with overly ripe banana on your kitchen counter, or you happened upon a Paula Deen cookware display at your local Ollie's, this recipe may come in handy for you today.

1 1/2 cups of flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs, well beaten

1/4 tea. salt

4 TBS. sour cream

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup mashed banana

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup of chopped toasted walnuts

In hot skillet brown walnuts for 2 - 3 minutes. Cool.

In large bowl cream the butter and sugar. Add beaten eggs. Dissolve baking soda in sour cream and add to the batter. Add mashed bananas, flour, salt, vanilla and nuts. Mix well. Bake at 325 degreess, in 9 x 13 inch pan for 45 minutes- 1 hour. If using loaf pans, bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes, or until firm to touch. You can also bake this in muffin tins for 25 - 30 minutes. Serve warm. It was stated on the cottage by the sea blog," that this recipe is moist and yummy because of the sour cream". I agree. What takes it up a few notches for me, are the toasted walnuts.