Few things bring me back to childhood the way certain taste memories do. My mom's banana bread is one of them because it has always been different from every other banana bread I've tried. Mostly I don't care for banana bread because it is so dry. And don't even try to add walnuts! Having a mother who is allergic to all nuts, I grew up never having crunchy nuts added to brownies, cakes or muffins. Now I occasionally like them that way but Mom's banana bread remains nut-free. The reason this recipe makes such a moist bread is the use of shortening rather than butter and the fact that it is baked in a shallow, square pan rather than a loaf pan. Having a shallow pan allows the bread to bake through the middle before the outer edges get overdone. There is nothing simpler than this quick recipe. The kids love it and I often make extra and freeze it for a future weekend morning treat. Once you try this recipe you'll never fear those leftover ba