When you're looking for something quick, easy, and yummy to prepare as a breakfast treat you can never go wrong with a quick bread. A quick bread doesn't require yeast. Instead it uses other leaveners such as baking powder, sodium bicarbonate, or cream of tartar. Since you don't need to wait for dough to rise, you can easily whip one together.

I think that banana bread is probably everyone's favorite quick bread. It's seems to please everyone with its slightly sweet taste and moist texture. And who can resist the delicious smell of banana bread baking in the oven?

This is a no-fail recipe for a delicious banana bread that comes out perfect every time. I love it because it's not too sweet, though you can add chocolate chips if you want a special treat. I've also added walnuts to this recipe, which makes a delicious bread as well.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 med. mashed ripe bananas

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil (or applesauce as a substitution)

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350. Spray loaf pan with nonstick spray. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in med. bowl. Add remaining ingredients; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 60 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven to cooling rack.

Yield: 1 loaf (12 servings)

Personally, I like to slather some cream cheese on a slice of this for breakfast or for a mid-morning snack. This is also a great addition to a brunch buffet. I've also wrapped up this bread and brought it along with a recipe and a greeting card when welcoming new neighbors to our street. And don't forget -- when making one loaf, why not make two and keep one in the freezer? That way you'll always have an extra loaf on-hand.