(Like my pregnant belly in the bottom left corner of the picture?!)

I have to say, I use this recipe all the time. It was the first recipe I every tried from the (More) Make-A-Mix recipe books and I am in love with it. My family LOVES fruit breads and muffins and this recipe makes it just as easy, if not easier, then from a box, and it’s certainly cheaper. The picture above is of the basic mix that you make a head (notice that it’s almost gone!)

Sweet Quick Bread Mix

6 Cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1-1/2 cups vegetable shortening

In a large bowl, stir flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar and brown sugar with a large wire whisk until blended. Use a pastry blender, a heavy duty mixer with a bowl cover or your fingers to blend in shortening until evenly distributed. Spoon into a 12 cup container with a tight fitting lid (or large zip bags if you don’t have a large enough container). Store in cool, dry place. Use within 10-12 weeks. Makes about 11 cups Sweet Quick Bread Mix.

(Joel’s healthy breakfast, including cranberry Muffins made with the mix. Yes he does eat the carrots and green peppers for breakfast. Did you know Green peppers are high in Vitamin C?)

For Banana-Nut Bread

3-3/4 cups Sweet Quick Bread Mix

2 eggs, Beaten

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

2-3 Medium Bananas Mashed (about 1 cup)

½ Cup Chopped Nuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 C) grease one 9″x5″ loaf pan or two 7″x3″ loaf pans; set aside. In medium bowl, combine all ingredients, stirring to blend. Turn into prepared pan or pans. Bake 50 to 60 minutes in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a rack 5 minutes. Turn out of pan. Cool right-side up on rack. Makes 1-2 loaves.

There are several variations, but I’m only sharing one with you today. If you are interested in purchasing the books you can buy the Make-A-Mix " target="_blank">Make-A-Mix, and More Make-A-Mix Cookery " target="_blank">More-Make-A-Mix (which is where this recipe came from) books at amazon.com for a great price.

On a personal note

If you don’t have lemon juice, don’t panic. It’s not the end of the world without it.

I use 3 medium bananas when I make this. It makes the bread extra moist.

My husband, sadly, is not a nut person so I omit the nuts.

If you are doing two 7″x3″ pans I would start with 40 minutes and go from there. Depending on the oven 50 minutes might be too much.

Also, I use the same recipe for muffins. I find it sweeter then the muffin mix. To make muffins you will need two muffin pans (24 muffins total). I place one pan on the top rack on one side and the other on the second rack on the opposite side. At 15 minutes I switch top rack and bottom rack and rotate the pans so that the back is now in the front and bake for 5 more minutes.

Do you have a favorite muffin recipe?

I’m Linking this to Homestead Barn Hop and Tasty Tuesday!