Banana Coconut Bread

¾ cup sugar
¼ cup shortening
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
½ cup shredded coconut
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350º. Mix the sugar, shortening, and eggs together and then beat the mixture until light and fluffy. Add the mashed bananas and coconut and stir. Sift the flour with the baking powder, salt and soda. Stir this into the other mixture, string until smooth. Add the nuts and stir again. Pour the batter into a greased 9x5x3" loaf pan. Bake in a 350º oven for 60-70 minutes or until the loaf tests done. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Use 2 spatulas to remove the loaf from the loaf pan, and let it finish cooling on a wire rack.