Recipe: boston bread

Boston Brown Bread
2 cups boiling water
1 cup chopped dates (not pre-chopped
2 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbl. butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups sifted flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
combine water, dates and baking soda set aside and let cool
mix butter, sugar, and eggs. stir in cooled date mixture
slowly add flour, mix well, add vanilla and nuts
fill 5 greased tin cans (like from canned vegetables) about
1/2 full and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.
(this recipe has been in my family forever, it's great, but
you must use cans!!)