Banana Bread

• ½ cup butter or shortening 
• 1 cup sugar 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1 tsp. lemon juice 
• 2 cups sifted flour 
• 3 tsp baking powder 
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup chopped nuts, optional

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease loaf pan.
2. Cream butter and sugar, set aside. 
3. Beat eggs until light and add bananas and lemon juice. 
4. Blend in with butter mixture. 
5. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together and mix fast into banana mix. 
6. Add nuts, if using. Pour into prepared loaf pan.
7. Bake about 1 hour.