Amy Grant's Grandma Grant's Banana Nut Bread

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
3 bananas, sliced (2 cups)
2 cups flour
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch metal loaf pan.

Cream the sugar with the butter. Mix in the eggs, bananas, flour, pecans, baking soda, and the salt. Pour into the prepared pan. Place the loaf pan in a cold oven. Set the oven control to 300 degrees F. Bake the banana bread for 1 1/2 hours or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the bread for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Then remove from the pan and cool completely, right side up.

Source: Good Housekeeping - February 2009