Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Banana Bread Surprise


For days he studied the ever ripening bananas on the kitchen counter, often times encouraging (arm twisting) the 3 women currently residing with him to have one. Eat a banana he would say whenever anyone mentioned hunger. But his words fell on deaf (literally) ears and the little banana bunch continued along on its journey to decay.

Finally, one evening at dinner he proclaimed that these bananas would not be sent to the trash can. Not this time. He was going to make banana bread. For those of you who don't know my husband, these words were not a statement of intent. Rather these were words chosen to goad someone (anyone) into doing the job he wanted done. It has taken me 36 and 1/2 years to learn this. Call me slow but I get it and I wasn't biting. Neither did the other two ladies of the house. After several such pronouncements he found himself backed into a corner. A corner blocked by 4 quickly blackening bananas. This was a dilemma and there was nothing left for him to do except begin perusing our collection of cook books in search of the perfect banana bread recipe.

Bubba's help was solicited. She's a rather easy mark and soon found herself reading the recipe aloud to our new resident baker.


Shortly thereafter she was spotted busily chopping pecans (there were no walnuts in the pantry, only a small bag of pecans, remnants from a previous attempt at domesticity on my part) and wondering how she became so heavily involved in the project.

She is also going to hate me for this photograph, but she'll get over it. After 36 and 1/2 years I have learned that she too can be ignored on occasion!

Bananas were smashed. The remaining ingredients were mixed, stirred, whipped (remember this) and folded before being poured into the loaf pan and placed in the oven with care.


The timer was set for the required amount of baking time and the master baker relaxed with a glass of vino while his masterpiece completed its journey. Soon the house was filled with the soothing aroma of baking bananas and our mouths began to water in anticipation of the culinary delight.

With 5 minutes remaining on the timer the baker's curiosity got the better of him and he rose to check on the progress of his masterpiece. As he peeked in the oven he proclaimed it was nearly done and was bubbling away. Bubbling? Banana Bread? With only 5 minutes left on the timer? There must be some mistake.

The women quickly scurried to the kitchen, suddenly interested in the project. We four gathered at the oven door and stared in complete amazement at the site before us. Where was the rounded loaf of lightly browned, sweet smelling bread? The one prepared and placed in the oven with such care a mere 45 minutes before? In its place we found this.


A soupy, gooey pan of blackened banana mush. Something went terribly wrong and it didn't take long for the finger pointing and over analyzation of the process to begin. The first clue was the outdated baking powder. (I believe 2002 was more than a few months ago as was my last attempt at cleaning the kitchen cabinets.) Some thought it was the use of pecans in lieu of walnuts that caused the blackened mess, others the overly ripe bananas. There was one school of thought that deemed the whipping of the bananas into a liquid frenzy as the culprit but mostly we were all just baffled by the blackened goo.

Whatever the cause, one thing was certain, there would be no mouth watering sweet treat on this evening unless someone made a run to Publix.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Disney, A Different Point of View

What happens when a photographer cruises through the dark caverns of It's a Small World with camera in hand?


This is what happens.

The ride was moving and it was too dark to capture any usable photos unless a flash was used. Since I avoid the flash whenever possible, that only left one option. Make the best of the low light and bright colors. Use a slow shutter speed, add some additional motion by rotating the camera in random patterns and hope for the best.


You never know exactly what you might get.


When the lights are bright and colorful you can bet it will be something interesting, maybe even wonderful.


These last two are my favorites from the day.


If you have a camera with the ability to shoot with a slow shutter speed give motion blur a try. You might find that you like the results.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Hey Hey We're the Bubbas

Here we come, flying

Into town.

We couldn’t wait for this airplane

To put its wheels on the ground.



Hey Hey we’re the Bubbas

People always know we’re around

When we get busy rollin, look out

we might run you down.



We roll wherever we want to,

Do what we want to do

We just arrived in Florida

South we snowbirds flew.


Hey Hey we’re the Bubbas

People always know we’re around

We get busy rollin, look out

we might run you down.


To the tune of the "Theme Song from the Monkeys"

Monday, February 15, 2010

The Magical World of Disney

I have taken a little unplanned hiatus from the blogosphere. I realize that most of you will have a hard time believing this but I ran out of things to say. Hopefully the drought is over...the bubbas arrive tomorrow which should provide sufficient blog material through the middle of March.

A week ago we were part of the entourage that accompanied our little prince and princess to the Magical World of Disney in Orlando. It was three fun filled days with family which included Pop and Ma Maw.


We rode Dumbo and the Tea Cups; Peter Pan's Adventure and Pirates of the Caribbean. We streaked through the air on Space Mountain and rocked out on the Rockin Roller Coaster.


We met the Disney princesses...ALL of them. Belle was playful, tickling Allie on the nose with her feather pen.


Jasmine and Aladdin also managed to tickle a smile out of our shy girl.


Gabe on the other hand, was not impressed with the abundance of royalty that danced and flitted around the room during brunch with the princesses. He was much more interested


in spearing the "Wishing Star" with his new sword. In his eyes it made the entire trip worthwhile.


Our meet and greets was not limited to royalty. We ran into Micky and Minnie, Jiminey Cricket, Goofy and Pluto.


And while Allie was all eyes, absorbing the magic in big gulps and tiny snippets, this little guy was a trooper. He napped his way through It's a Small World and the pouring rain, smiled at passers by, and never shed a tear of frustration or anger. We should all be so accommodating.


It was a magical week in spite of the less than desirable temperatures. Our shorts and sandals remained in the suitcase replaced with jeans, sweatshirts and rain ponchos.


But at the exhausted end of the day it didn't matter. All that mattered was that our little prince and princess were dreaming sweet dreams of pirates of the Caribbean, Micky Mouse and

Happily Ever After.