Gram's Banana Bread

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Some people come from a long line of good cooks. Although there was more than one in my mother's family, most of them got their start by working with a great cook: my maternal grandmother, Ruth Magdalen (Bolen) LaBerge. Although she's been gone more than 18 years, I still can't figure out why neither my mother nor I (both of whom are considered intelligent women) can make her banana bread in quite the way she did.

When we made it at home as I was growing up, it was good but I just knew there was something missing. Gram's bread seemed even more moist and the nutty flavor was stronger. Maybe it's just a grandma thing.

Perhaps one of my readers can solve the mystery of the ingredient or ingredients that Gram, who rarely worked from a recipe, may have omitted when my mother asked her for a written recipe almost three decades ago. (Mom subsequently rewrote the recipe so we could read it in the years to come. It's amazing it was recorded with a pen, since my grandmother wrote most recipes in pencil.)

Gram's Banana Bread

1 3/4 C. flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 t. salt

1/3 C. vegetable shortening (to make it healthier, use the non-hydrogenated kind; Gram used Crisco)

2/3 C. sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 C. fairly ripe bananas, mashed

chopped walnuts (optional)

(The amount of walnuts put in this recipe depends on how well you like them. Gram just put in the amount she had handy — that is, when she felt like it.)

Sift flour; measure and add baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sift again. Cream shortening, adding sugar gradually. Add eggs, mixing until smooth. Add dry ingredients alternately with mashed bananas, stirring just enough to combine thoroughly. Do not beat.  Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees F.*

(*Use a standard loaf pan.)

Note: I had a heck of a time finding a good photo of Gram, as she hated having her picture taken; in the above photo, shot when she turned 80 (in April 1982), it's hard to say whether she was crying because she was happy or because we insisted on recording the occasion for future generations.

Product Review: Purely Decadent Dairy Free® Cherry Nirvana flavor

Want ice cream but can't eat it because milk doesn't agree with your system? Never fear, there is a solution. More than one, but I'll share my favorite.

I probably have mentioned this in passing, but Purely Decadent Dairy Free® Cherry Nirvana flavor ice cream is my favorite non-dairy frozen dessert. It even tastes like ice cream.

I discovered it in the frozen health food section at Kroger about a year ago. I've tried other products by Turtle Mountain, but so far, this is the best non-dairy frozen dessert I've had.

If you don't like cherries or chocolate, there's no accounting for it; however, I'm sure one of Turtle Mountain's numerous ice cream subsitutes (some made from coconut milk and some made with soy milk) will appeal to your taste.

Healthier Eating Out at Applebee's?

One of the places I often try to con my friends into going when they want me to eat out with them is Applebee's. I get consistently good food there, and the menu offers some lower-calorie/healthier options.


The company just starting marking items on its menus that have fewer than than 550 calories; it also has some items that show the accompany Weight Watchers® Points values.

My favorite is the Weight Watchers® Steak & Portobellos, which at 7 WW Points and 330 calories; it's great-tasting and in just the right portion size. It is just a bit high in sodium, though (1,610 mg). The best bet of the Weight Watchers items in terms of both calories and sodium is Weight Watchers® Italian Chicken & Portobello Sandwich w/fresh fruit (320 calories, 730 mg sodium and 7 Weight Watchers® Points). I'll think I'll try that next time!

When going to Applebee's® (or anywhere else, for that matter), it's a good idea to download the nutritional information (if available), look at the options and choose two or three possiblities that are fairly good for both you and your waistline. Some people don't like this approach because they say it takes away the spontaneity of going out, but I like to know what I'm eating.  

Review: Recipe Rehab

I always like it when an unhealthy favorite is made healthier, whether it's in Every Day with Rachael Ray or Taste of Home Magazine.

I found a new blog recently on the Web that does the same thing.

Tanya Zuckerbrot fixes recipes ... one at a time on Recipe Rehab, a That's Fit website feature. In her Chocolate Chip Cookies  rehab, she goes a little into the history of chocolate chip cookies (which is very cool) and replaces some of the flour with whole wheat flour and replaces butter with a mixture of uses a Smart Balance 50 percent butter blend and fat-free sour cream. I plan to try it sometime. Other wonderful sounding rehabs she's featured recently include Homemade Hamburger Helper (with whole wheat pasta and ground turkey breast) and Raisin Rice Pudding. Fill out a form to have her make over your favorite here.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter No-Bakes

Do you have any idea how many recipes there are for no-bake cookies (the chocolate, peanut butter and oatmeal wonders)? It seemed as though there were hundreds when I did a search last winter for a no-bake recipe to use in a cookie exchange.

One thing I realized, though, is that these marvelous temptations have way too much fat and sugar in them. I wanted to make something for my parents' 45th wedding anniversary.

So I checked out vegan chocolate no-bake cookies, again coming up with nearly 50 versions. The one I chose is on the Go Dairy Free website. The recipe I linked to was a success, despite my not completely following the directions and, in the first test batch, in yet another happy accident, I left out the chocolate. (Those taste a bit like oatmeal scotchies. In the second batch, I used agave nectar, rather than maple syrup. I found them a bit sweet, but that may be because those are the ones without chocolate.)

In both instances, I made a half batch and used natural, unsalted peanut butter. A few additional tablespoons of oatmeal was needed. I also adapted the cooking timing, based on prior experience.

I'd like to try these using less maple syrup mixed with water to make up the remainder (1/4 C. maple syrup, adding water to make 1/3 C). I found it a bit too sweet for me. Add the 3 T. cocoa to this recipe with the liquids and cinnamon, if you prefer a more traditional no-bake recipe. That's what I did when I used the cocoa and agave nectar.

Anne's No-Bake Wonders aka 45th Anniversary Cookies

These are the ones that taste a bit like oatmeal scotchies. I bet adding a little butterscotch flavor would make this even better.

1/3 C. maple syrup
1/8 C. vegetable oil (I use olive oil, but if you don't care for the taste, canola oil would be fine)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 C. natural peanut butter (you probably can use another nut butter, but keep in mind that if it's runnier, like almond butter, you will need a bit more oatmeal)
3/4 C. rolled oats (if you need to avoid gluten, use Bob's Red Mill certified gluten-free oats)
2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine agave nectar, oil and cinnamon. Using a spoon, stir over medium heat until thoroughly combined; once it starts to boil, turn down to low heat and add the peanut butter and stir until thoroughly absorbed into the liquid, followed by the oats and vanilla. It should take about 3 minutes. It should be starting to be a bit hard to move the spoon; if not, add more oats, 1 T. at a time.

On a greased cookie sheet, drop rounded teaspoons of the cookie mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and cool in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.

Makes 9-10 cookies, but can easily be doubled.

Slow Food

I've heard bits and pieces about the Slow Food movement, but I really didn't think much about it until recently.

Today, I was reading Food & Faith: Justice, Joy and Daily Bread, a book I received as a gift when I worked at a Catholic newspaper a few years ago; it's a compilation of essays about food, spirituality and politics. In particular, I was reading an essay by nutritionist Marion Nestle called "Food Politics." She was talking about what constitutes a healthy diet and added that basically that a diet with plenty of vegetables, whole grains and fruits is the most healthy. I immediately wanted to say, "Duh!" Not a very erudite comment, certainly, but truthful. We all should know by now what to do; why is it so difficult?

The politics of food is such that each food industry has its public relations gurus trying to promote what it sells whether it's good or bad for us. (Think California Raisin commercials, "the incredible, edible egg" and other food campaigns.) We spend a good deal of our time reading, watching or listening to advertisements and so-called food studies promoted by various food industries telling us what to eat. A good many of the studies focus on too narrow a spectrum, because it's simpler, or because it serves the purpose of one segment or other of the food industry. (It's always a good idea to learn who's promoting a study before buying into its results.) Also, the focus of food manufacturers is on "value-added" products, such as potato chips, rather than potatoes, because they are more profitable products. In addition, adding fat, sugar and/or salt to food can make it more appealing to our taste buds.

Green living includes sustainable eating, which is at the heart of the slow food movement. Buying local food as much as possible, in season, is part of it: you're eliminating the middle man and supporting local farmers at the farmers' market or roadside stand near you. Food that travels a lesser distance is fresher and has more nutrients; it's not on a fast train from somewhere.

The Slow Food Detroit site gives a clear picture of the Slow Food philosophy: "Slow Food is good, clean and fair food. We believe that the food we eat should taste good; that it should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health; and that food producers should receive fair compensation for their work". This site lists local events, as does Slow Food Huron Valley. (This website is under reconstruction, though, so it's suggested for timely updates to get on its mailing list.)

Product Review: So Delicious Minis Coconut Almond Bars

I'm just working my way down the list of Turtle Mountain's list treats. When I saw the So Delicious Minis Coconut Almond Bars on sale at Kroger for 2.99 (normally they're more), I simply had to try them. I already adore thse company's soy frozen dessert (Purely Decadent Dairy Free® Cherry Nirvana flavor, if you're interested); why not see if the one made with coconut milk is any good?

It was excellent, with a creamy consistency rarely found in anything but the best premium ice cream available, tasting rather like an Almond Joy candy bar (but with creamy ice cream-like flavor) on a stick.

While Cherry Nirvana is my favorite frozen dessert, this comes in a close second. You'll have to buy your own, though. Mine's taken.