Scott Smith of Lyman has gone bananas.

And he's done so for the past 20 years thanks to his aptly named Scott’s House of Bread where he specializes in banana bread.

Health concerns prevented him for working at a traditional 9-to-5 job, so instead he created his own business. Doing so makes him feel productive and helpful, and business has been good. It’s always especially good during the holidays and was so last Christmas, he said.

“People have been quite willing to order,” he said.

Married to Tonya and the father of two children — Rebecca, 18, and Cameron, 15 — Smith relies on a family banana bread recipe that he’s modified over the years.

“I kind of tweak it a little,” he said.

As he was growing up, Smith’s late grandmother, Ruby Wright, instilled in Smith a love of baking bread. Smith says he’s transported down memory lane and feels a lot of childhood nostalgia every time he whips up a batch of banana bread.

“I feel a huge rush of loving memories when I bake," he said. "Grandma just kind of helped me enjoy baking by teaching me her tricks and teaching me what she did, and how she used ingredients. It’s kind of fun to see all these ingredients go from all these little separate ingredients into a loaf of bread."

Smith usually makes up to five loaves of bread at a time. He especially enjoys kneading the bread.

“Kneading the bread is nice because I can take my frustrations out on the bread," he said. "You know, if I’m upset, I can pound the bread instead of something else — not that I would ever pound anything else. It’s nice to take my frustrations out on the bread."

It’s especially gratifying to witness people’s reactions whenever they sample Smith’s bread.

“They’ll say, ‘Oh, that looks good. It just looks wonderful. I can’t wait to try it,’" he said. "It makes me feel good. It makes me feel like I’m helping people out — giving people something they’ll enjoy."

A 1997 Madison High School graduate, Smith played the violin in the Rexburg school’s orchestra. After high school, he served a two-year Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mission in the Canada Calgary Mission.

“It’s really pretty up there. There’s a lot of beautiful places there,” he said.

Upon his return, Smith married Tonya. The two had met while in high school and had corresponded while Scott served his mission. Following their wedding, the couple moved to Lyman, which is a few miles south of Rexburg.

Always wanting to work in the medical field, Scott Smith attended Ricks College (now Brigham Young University-Idaho) for a short while, but after health issues got in the way, Smith couldn’t continue. At that point, he opted to start his own business that provided him the flexibility he needed.

The business helps pay for things like his children’s school supplies, Smith said.

“It’s nice to be able to make a little bit of money on the side to help the family out,” he said.

Smith says he would urge anyone interested in starting a business of their own to develop a marketable skill.

“Just learn how to do something," he said. "Whether it be sewing, whether it be baking, learn to do something. Learn a skill and perfect it. Show people what you can do. That’s more or less what I’ve done."

For more information or to order banana bread, call 208-351-7190.