World's Best Banana Bread - Or So My Dad Says!

I now this is crazy timing, what with the phone ringing every 5 minutes and the emails pouring in due to the release of "Service Fit For A King," but my dad has been bugging me since we returned from the 'car event circuit', to bake up a batch of Banana Bread. Now, being a diabetic with a sweet tooth, good baked goods that meet the criteria are hard to find, so when he discovers something he likes, he just can't get enough. He claims my Banana Bread is hands down the best he's ever tasted. And if you knew my dad, you'd know he's not big in the empty praise department!

So, in between phone calls, I figured I'd whip up a couple of loaves, and while I'm at it, I may as well post the recipe.

Grandpa's Favorite Banana Bread 

• 1 cup Granular Splenda
• 2 mashed bananas
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottom and sides of 9x5" loaf pan with margarine. In a large bowl combine all ingredients except flour, soda and salt. Mix on medium for about 3 minutes. Stir in flour — should be the consistency of thick cake batter, if too "doughy" add a bit of milk. Pour in to greased pan, bake for 50-60 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean (only insert the skewer once, or the bread will collapse, trust me, I know this!). Let cool 5 minutes. We like it hot out of the oven with a bit of butter.

I make my Banana Bread without nuts of any kind (schools aren't too nut friendly these days) but you are welcome to add a 1/2 cup of chopped nuts if you like. I hope you enjoy it at least 1/2 as much as my dad does. — Linda