McClellan Banana Bread

Grandma and Grandma McClellan loved their small California Ranch and their impact lingers in my life, decades later. It seemed fitting to bake one of her recipes to give us a little extra boost this weekend as we finish working the clay into soil and plant our fruit tree guild, so whipped up a batch of her banana bread, as I needed to incorporate the peels into the soil! They wasted little and used what they had, and I used up the fresh buttermilk we made and added a wee bit of sourdough that was bubbling on the countertop to her recipe, and of course, no “shortening” so subbed that and used 1/3 of the sugar! I do my own version of life, cooking and growing on 1/20th of the land, 2000 miles away, but that rich heritage is still there! They were hearty people and I think it is good to review the lessons of those who survived and knew how to do things! They were kids and teens during the Great Depression, had babies during WWII, carved a farm and a home out of a field of oat stubble. They cultivated their 5 acres and did the best they could to grow everything they possibly could ~ bringing over boxes of fresh garden veggies each summer, canning, etc. Grandpa grew the BEST cucumbers in creation, we would eat them until we could not eat another bit, sprinkled with a little salt! Grandma would bring boxes of ripe, sweet apricots, peaches, and other fruits.

And by 2025, if we ever finish this tree line, I may actually do the same!