The Popular Banana

Bananas. Okay, first off, we do not grow bananas in Desert Aire. But I love this fruit, don't you? Eaten plain, sliced on cereal, used for banana splits, milk shakes and smoothies, added to fruit salads, mashed in cakes, cookies, and breads, the list goes on. Some use the banana peels for facials and puffy eyes. Gardeners, you can even chop the peels and place on top of the soil to decompose and release nutrients (please do not place near plant stems for best results 😏). 

Banana is the one fruit we most likely take for granted in the supermarket. For me, it's always, "Are we out of bananas?" I seldom leave the small store in Mattawa (Harvest Foods) without a fresh bunch. At home even the overripe bananas get eaten eventually. Frozen in baggies, they become mashed ingredients for muffins, corn bread, pancakes and more. Delicious!

Did you know that a banana tree can grow 10 to 26 feet tall? One cluster alone contains 50 to 150 bananas. Packed full of nutrition, bananas are an excellent source of B6, as well as potassium, manganese, vitamin C, copper, biotin and dietary fiber. 

Unless you are one of the unlucky ones who is allergic to this yummy fruit, the health benefits are impressive. Cardiovascular protection due to the fruit's potassium and fiber content for one, and protection from ulcers. Further, bananas can help with constipation, and promote good eyesight, bone growth, and kidney health. What's not to like?

Malaysia can take credit for the origin of bananas some 4,000 years ago, where it was first noted. From there the banana tree spread to nearby Philippines and India. Bananas were later discovered in Africa in 1482 and brought to the Americas by Spanish explorers in the 1500s where they planted banana trees in the Caribbeans. But it was not until the 19th century that bananas became available in the United States. Today bananas are primarily grown in Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil and Ecuador.

Here's a fun Banana Recipe: 🍌

"Banana Dressing with Poppy Seeds"

1 banana (ripe)

1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream 

1/4 cup sugar 

1 tablespoon poppy seeds 

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

1 teaspoon dry mustard 

3/4 teaspoon salt

Mash bananas in a small bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill for 30 minutes. This is great on salad greens, fruit, and as a dip. Yield: 1-3/4 cups. Enjoy!

More fun...😄

Banana Jokes:

Question: What did the boy banana say to the girl banana?
Answer: "You have a lot of appeal."

Question: If a crocodile makes shoes, what does a banana make?
Answer: Slippers!

Banana Movies: (Remember these?)

--Bananas (Woody Allen movie) 1971

 --Herbie Goes Bananas 1980
(Herbie the VW has a wild adventure)

Banana Books:

--Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World
by Dan Koeppel (2008) (adult nonfiction)

--Anna Banana: 101 Jump Rope Rhymes
by Joanna Cole and Alan Tiegreen (2010) (ages 4-8)

Banana Songs:

(Beetlejuice fans.......Remember this?)

"Day-O" (Banana Boat Song) by Harry Belafonte
(from the movie Beetlejuice - 1988)

Peanut Butter Isn't Just For Jelly

The peanut butter sandwich has been around forever. From from what I can tell, it has long been an American tradition. And since March is National Peanut Month...

Believe it or not, peanut butter was once a delicacy in the United States, and fresh vegetables were very much a part of the sampling. In the early 1900s, peanut butter could be enjoyed at elegant New York City tearooms, where it was often served on crackers with pimentos, nasturtium, cheese, and fresh celery and watercress.

The creation of peanut butter itself dates back to 1896, when Good Housekeeping (a popular magazine at the time) suggested that women grind their peanuts into a spread and use on bread. Later that year, another magazine, Table Talk, published a recipe for the peanut butter sandwich. Few though enjoyed these sandwiches, as peanut butter was mostly a delicacy of the privileged and rich.

It wasn't until the late 1920s that peanut butter became affordable and more available to the general public. It was only a matter of time before it became a kitchen staple, helped by the fact that children loved peanut butter and jelly. During WWII, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich was even added to U.S. military rations. Peanut butter had come a long way from the tearooms of New York City.

Today peanuts can be purchased in bulk at some grocery stores and ground on site, but most of us buy our peanut butter in the jar. 

So here are some of the sandwiches I have made over the years: Peanut butter and...

- jelly (jam, preserves, marmalade)
- honey
- pickles
- bananas
- potato chips
- brown sugar

Wanting to include more fresh vegetables (and fruits) in my diet, I tried the following:

- Peanut butter and sliced apples (with peelings) and sliced almonds. (really liked)
- Peanut butter and cucumbers. (liked)
- Peanut butter and left-over salad (without dressing). Hmm.... this was a bit of a stretch.
The salad had leaf lettuce, kale, yellow pepper, broccoli and carrot slaw, dried cranberries and walnuts. (just okay; too messy)

Here are more suggestions:
(note to daughter: no peas! 😏)
 
-zucchini

-green, yellow, and red pepper

-onion

-avocado
- parsley
- grated carrots
- mint
- spinach and other greens
- pineapple slices
- sliced strawberries
- blueberries
- other berries and fruits

And the tearoom list:
- pimento
- nasturtium
- cheese
- celery
- watercress

From online, others have tried:

- raisins
- bacon
- chocolate
- maple syrup
- hazelnut-chocolate spread
- marshmallows

Nuts would be good too. Or... try sprinkling ground chia seeds and flax seeds on your peanut butter for added fiber.

How about you? Do you have a favorite?

 [History Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut_butter_and_jelly_sandwich].

Apples Left in Storage - What to Do

(Public Domain image)

Bake them of course - in pies, cobblers, breads, and cakes, or bake them alone with raisins and brown sugar. Yum! Make applesauce. Make jelly. Add them to a bowl of cereal or a salad. Apples are good on lettuce with nuts and craisins...add a fruit vinaigrette and the combo is delicious. 

I'm fond of cabbage and apples together with nuts (walnuts, pecans and almonds all work). The trick is to make a good sweet and sour sauce. I start with mayo, lemon juice (or vinegar) and a touch of honey. I've replaced the mayo with olive oil (make sure it's fresh) and also have had success. Sorry, no recipe for this one. You have to do a taste test to get it right. 

When I cook pork on the stove top (spareribs, chops and roast), I sometimes add a can of sauerkraut, along with chopped onions and apples (don't peel). Some people plug their nose at sauerkraut, but this is one recipe they might enjoy. Just don't tell them the ingredients. My husband and I really like this dish. I've added potatoes and carrots too. Give it a try and file the recipe under "comfort food."

What are your favorite recipes for apples stored over the winter? Soon the nearby apple orchards in Desert Aire will be in full bloom, preparing for a fresh new crop. Apple crates will be stacked high and pickers brought in for the harvest. A busy time, and occasionally free apples are offered to the locals. We were invited once to pick the leftovers and had apples all winter long.

Below is a family favorite. They probably don't remember "Fresh Apple Pound Cake" being a family favorite, but it always disappeared fast when I baked it. Moms and wives, as they all know, remember these things :)

  Apple Recipe

"Fresh Apple Pound Cake"

1-1/2 cup vegetable oil..............3 cups unsifted flour

2 cups white sugar.....................1 tsp. baking soda

3 eggs.........................................1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups finely chopped pared apple

1 cup chopped (medium fine) pecans or walnuts

In mixer beat oil, sugar, eggs & vanilla till combined. Gradually beat in flour mixture till smooth. Fold in apples and nuts. Turn into greased & floured 10"x4" bundt pan. Bake 325 degrees. 1hr 20min or until done. Cool in pan on wire rack 20 min.

Caramel topping:

1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup butter, 2 tsp. milk. (Add brandy or rum flavoring for an extra treat). Boil 2 min.

With small spatula loosen cake edges & around tube. Turn out on rack. At once spoon hot mixture over still warm cake, allowing it to run down sides. (Poke holes in cake with toothpick for topping to soak in). Cool completely. May be stored for a day or two in tightly covered tin box. For longer storage, cover & refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving. (A nice gift at Christmastime).

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