Banana Bread

1 ¼ cups sugar
½ cup margarine or butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (3-4 bananas)
½ cup buttermilk (or ½ cup regular milk with ½ Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice added. Let sit for 10 minutes+)
1 tsp vanilla
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired

1. Move oven rack to low position and heat oven to 350°. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans.
2. Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs til well blended. Add bananas, milk, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour into pans.
3. Bake 1 hour to 1 ¼ hours, depending on size of loaf pans, until toothpick inserted at center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes and then remove carefully. Cool on wire rack. Wrap tightly and store at room temp for 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

Variation: My kids prefer chocolate chips instead of nuts (what kid wouldn't??)