Banana cranberry walnut bread

I love banana bread! Sorry I didn't take many pictures.

My version of banana bread: 

2 cups chopped walnuts (pecans are a good substitute)

2 cups dried sweetened cranberries

2 cups boiling water

4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 sticks butter (12 tablespoons or 6 ounces), softened at room temperature

2 cups brown sugar

4 eggs

5 very very ripe bananas

1/2 cups plain yogurt (or flavored if you feel like it, sour cream would be good too)

1/4 cup vegetable oil (corn, canola, peanut, or a blend)

2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Chop the walnuts into small pieces, about 1/4 inch pieces. Toast in a dry pan on medium heat. Stir every 30 seconds or so. It should take about 3-4 minutes to toast. Find the largest piece and eat it. Is it crunchy now? Ok the nuts are done then. Immediately pour them into another container. Don't leave them in the pan or else they will burn. If your nuts are slightly burnt, it's okay, you can probably still use it.

2. Boil some water. Put the dried cranberries into a small bowl. Pour the water over the cranberries and let them soak. The level of the water should be 1/2 inch above the cranberries.

3. Place a strainer on top of a small bowl. Pour the flour, baking soda, salt into the strainer. Tap the side of the strainer until all of the ingredients are sifted through.

4. Place the softened butter and the brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.  If the butter is not soft enough, microwave them for 10 seconds at a time till it's soft, then add to the bowl.  Use an electric beater to beat the sugar and butter together for about 5 minutes. The butter should be fluffy and the sugar, completely mixed throughout.

5. Preheat the oven to 325 somewhere around here. Place the peeled bananas in a medium bowl. Use some implement to mash the bananas. I have a potato masher. A fork would also be acceptable. Add the oil, yogurt, vanilla extract and mix well.  Add the eggs one at a time, mix well before adding the next egg.

6. Pour the banana mixture into the butter bowl. Electrically or manually mix. Add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time. Mix well before adding the next portion of flour. I poured in four additions. 

Before adding the dry ingredients

7. Stir up the water and cranberries in that forgotten bowl you have in the corner of the kitchen. Add the cranberries, walnuts, and cranberry water  to the batter and mix well.

8. Pour into a greased 13"x9" pan. You could also use two loaf pans, or two smaller baking dishes, or many dozens of muffins/cupcake tins. When I bake in my 13"x9", it takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to bake. Halfway through the baking, you can cover the bread with a piece of foil to prevent the top from browning too much.  It will be done when you can start smelling the banana bread and a metal knife/fork comes out clean when you stab the middle of the bread.