Banana Bread from the Betty Crocker Cookbook
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3-4 medium)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teasopon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired

Place oven rack in lowest position. Heat oven to 350°. Grease bottoms only of pans. Mix sugar and margarine in a large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients except nuts, just until moistened. Stir in nuts and pour into pans. Bake 8 inch loaves about 1 hour or 9 inch loaf about 1 1/4 hours or until wooden pick inserted comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; removed from pans. Cool completely before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days or refrigerate up to 10 days.