Ruthís Banana Nut Bread

Preheat the oven to 350?F. † Grease and flour a 9 X 5 X 3-inch loaf pan. † In a mixing bowl, cream the shortening and the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing together between each addition. Add the bananas and mix well. Add the baking soda, salt, flour, and nuts and mix thoroughly. The dough will be sticky. † Pour into the loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour, or until it shrinks slightly away from the sides of the pan, is firm to the touch, and is a rich brown. Remove pan from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack. † Slice to serve. † Yield : 1 loaf