Aunt Mary's Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread

  "This recipe was originally for Banana-Raisin Bread, but a cousin who didn't like the raisins would pick them out of the bread before he'd eat it. Upon discovering this, my Aunt Mary decided that chocolate chips would be a great substitute for the raisins. Her son sure loved that touch!"

	INGREDIENTS 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup shortening 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 bananas, mashed 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. In a mixing bowl, cream sugar and shortening. Beat in eggs, vanilla and bananas until thoroughly blended. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon into a greased 9-in.x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes or until the bread tests done with a wooden pick. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

2. If Cooking for Two: Freeze slices in freezer bags or wrapped in foil.