I've recuperated.
I'm fully back in the proverbial saddle.
It's amazing how just a couple of days can totally drain your mind of all things work.  Never fear though, we haven't suffered because of it.  I've been busy making some roasted butternut squash soup (do you all really need another soup recipe from me just now??? Goopy, orange coloured soup?... didn't think so), turnip, red chard and goat cheese frittata (sound Gross but it tasted good) and some kind of rice/tofu/beet green concoction that didn't entirely work out but I'm faithfully and laboriously eating it for lunch everyday cause I'll be damned if I'm gonna chuck it just because it isn't perfect.
I had an interesting conversation with a friend recently.  She may or may not read my blog but either way I don't think that she'll mind.  We're close and we can handle this kind of stuff - or I'll soon find out if we can't.
I had the good fortune to stumble upon a lovely farmers market on the weekend (check my last post) where I got totally caught up and carried away with the beauty.  So much to look at and taste and appreciate.  Even though I was in a different country I just could not resist purchasing some apples.  They looked gorgeous and they were a kind of apple that I've never heard of... 'Jonathan'.  I asked the farmer about them, he gave me one to taste and I walked away with a small bag of them to enjoy for the next 24 hours.  Totally worth it.  Jonathan's are lovely, spicy, tangy and smooth all at the same time.  Later, my friend was looking for a snack and picked one of the apples up.  It had a black spot on the core area at the bottom.  It was the core and the apple was beautiful otherwise.  She wouldn't eat it because it was defective.  I ate the apple later and I'm still here just for the record but it tasted just a perfect as the rest of them (is there anything better than a fresh apple all juicy and crunchy when you need a snack?)  I told my friend that it was funny that she looked at the apple and called it defective and therefor unfit for a human mouth.  I thought it was also funny that she would them stuff a strawberry into her mouth in the middle of November.  I figure that if you are picky about fruit then you should be looking for the most seasonal, fresh and tasty food going... not necessarily the prettiest.
We all know about pretty.  Pretty can be awesome but shallow.  Pretty gets all the boys but you have all the character.  Pretty can't get dirty.  Pretty might look good (strawberry in November) but taste awful.  What's considered pretty is in the eye of the beholder.  Ok I'm ranting and I need to stop.  In short, I thought that the black bottomed apple was pretty and my friend didn't.


I think that this banana bread is pretty.  It's dark and moist but not goopy.  It has whole wheat flour to give it some weight and some chocolate chips to please my kids (just a little though and you can leave them out - in fact, please do).  It's gotten a bum deal because it's dark so early now that I can't take good pictures but if you tasted it then you'd know that the stuff you can get at that big chain coffee shop that sells 'banana bread' might look better but this stuff's the real deal.  Pretty or no.


Banana Bread... adapted from I can't remember what cookbook... ack!
makes one large loaf

1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas (I used 4 but they were on the small side)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Grease and flour a large loaf pan (you could use parchment paper as well) and set aside.
Combine the oil, sugar, eggs and bananas together and mix until they're all combined and fluffy.
Combine the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, baking powder, flour and whole wheat flour together in another bowl.  Mix to combine.
Throw the chocolate chips into the flour mixture and coat the chips thoroughly.
Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine.  Once thoroughly combined pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 65 - 75 minutes (I think I took about 69 minutes all together) or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool for a few minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sorry... I know that you've been waiting with baited breath (or 'bated' if you're so inclined).
I've been... busy. Away.  Occupied.  Unavailable.  Because I was off making some new discoveries.


Here's a list of things that I've discovered over the last 56 (or so) hours:

1.  I now have a new travelling companion.  My BFF KT and I think very similarly when it comes to being in a place other than home together.  Now I have two awesome travelling companions.
2.  Shopping is wayyyyyy over-rated.
3.  Sometimes critical thoughts and comments are needed and even helpful... other times... just piss off.
4.  Sunshine can make a really cold, windy day suck a whole lot less.

This is a shot by KT... I didn't have the stomach for it... just needed to get out.

5.  When you've been holed up in some store that you find overwhelming (see above) then there is nothing like finding a farmer's market bustling with farmers, locally make food and flowers.  If you're lucky enough to find it then just stay for a really long time.


6.  Not having to think about where to find breakfast in a new city is a gift from the gods.
7.  There are some places on earth where car horns never stop.
8.  Sometimes even the ungirliest of girls can be just a little girlie.

This shot was taken of me by KT - she was in shock I think.

9.  Sometimes, like when you are tired and your feet are sore, there is nothing that hits the spot quite like beer, greasy pizza and red wine.  In that order.

Here are some more things that I discovered...




I promise that I'm going to make something... I just have to finish the cupcakes that I bought from here.  Just give me a few hours.

This shot is totally KT's - I can take no credit.