Flavour of the Month: Banana Chocolate Chip

We haven't been baking much. We've been too busy getting back to school. But what we have baked has been banana chocolate chip flavour. 

Over the years, the boys, and in saying that I include The Bavarian, have become very limited in the cakes they request. Brownies, carrot cake and coconut tray bake are their usual requests when I make the mistake of asking what they'd like. The only times of year they ask for biscuits are Advent and Easter. 

But recently they took me very much by surprise by asking for a banana and chocolate cake with coconut sprinkles. When I mentioned having to look up a recipe, Number One decided to play the parent on me and said "Before you do that, I have three questions for you". 

Me: OK

Him: Have you ever made banana cake or bread?

Me: Of course

Him: Have you ever made chocolate cake?

Me: You know I have

Him: Aha, and have you ever put coconut sprinkles on a cake or on buns?

Me, finally seeing where this is going: Yes

Him: So what do you need a recipe for? You can do it.

Pep talk over, he put on his coat and went to school, safe in the knowledge that his capable mother wouldn't let him down and knowing that Number Two was still at home to ensure I didn't try to change the plan. 

What the boys didn't now was that I have a recipe for a chocolate chip banana cake  in one of my notebooks. But under the watchful eye of Number Two I didn't feel I could go rooting it out and using it. We made a basic bun mixture, mashed in one and a half bananas, stirred in about 100g of chopped dark chocolate and baked it as a tray bake. When it was cool, I cut it in half and make a sandwich cake with chocolate ganache in the middle and on top. The whole thing got a good dusting of coconut and I awaited the verdict. 

It looked far from spectacular, but the boys loved it, as did our visitors. We were hard put to keep a slice over for The Bavarian, but he was very pleased we did. I am under instruction to make it again. 

A couple of days later, with the cake still fresh in our minds, I saw that Sinead from Bumbles of Rice had posted the recipe for her banana oat cookies with chocolate chips. I mentioned the combination to Number Two and he insisted we try them straight away. It was 8.45am. Normally at that time on a kindergarten morning I would try to put him off immediate baking, but these seemed so quick that we could get them made and baked before having to leave the hosue at 9.20am. And we did. 

Number Two did most of the work, starting with chopping chocolate into chunks. "I'll just taste it to make sure it is still good" is his catchphrase for these kind of jobs.

Mixing the banana, oats and chocolate chunks was a tougher job than Number Two thought. Luckily he had his Batman bicycle glove on to protect his hand, as you do while baking.

The mixture needed a final beating by mammy's strong hand to get the consistency right before being dolloped onto the baking tray.

After 12-15 minutes the cookies were ready to remove from the oven. They taste best left to cool fully and crisp up a bit on the outside. 

Number Two promptly packed a few straight into his lunchbox for kindergarten. Then he made the mistake of tasting them still warm. "Yuck" was his first reaction. Later in the day when he noticed me, Number One and Number Three tucking in, he gave them another go. This time round he enjoyed them better. So much so that we made another batch after dinner. 

So that's been our flavour of the month. I wonder what next month will bring.

Avoiding Obesity In Your Family

We've all heard the statistics over the years on the increase in obesity. As soon as a new study is released, the papers are all over the issue pointing out the terrible future that awaits our children. It seems to me sometimes that there is an assumption that all children do no sport of any kind, are incurably lazy, addicted to screen of moving pictures and only eat sweets and junk food.

I know that not to be true, but rarely do you see a sensible article on how to not become obese. Very many of us were brought up with healthy attitudes to food, we have a certain amount of common sense and care about what we eat and about our health in general. But there are others who don't live like that. Some would like to but find it hard. Some are misinformed, believing healthy eating to be out of their price range. Others simply don't care. 

That is why we need to get the message out there that avoiding obesity is relatively easy. It is a matter of paying attention to what and how much you and your family eat. Treats should remain treats. Portions should be satisfying, not stuffing you to bursting. Drinks should quench thirst, not be a further source of sugar. Regardless of the weather, time should be spent outdoors daily.  It doesn't cost the earth to change your lifestyle a little. In fact it may cost less than eating badly. Walking costs nothing and eating healthily doesn't mean you should only buy organic, if you ask me. 

Living a healthy, balanced lifestyle is something I am an advocate of and that is why I was delighted to contribute to this article in the Irish Examiner which looks at why Ireland is forecast to become Europe's most obese nation by 2030. Have a read and see if you need to change your lifestyle a bit. 

How To Get Rush Sick

"Mammy, I think you shouldn't go to the parents' meeting. You should take a break. You are always rushing here and there. You'll get rush sick". This was the lecture I was given last week by Number Two. 

          "...You'll            

      get rush sick"     

             - Number Two 

Two days later I am struggling through the day with a bad headache, barely able to summon the energy to make a cup of tea, when I have to rush to school to collect Number One at 12 o' clock, knowing I have to rush from there to Kindergarten to collect Number Two at 12.15. I pick up Number one just as the headache gets worse. I feel like throwing up. But I have to keep going. Number Two still needs collecting. All three children need lunch. We have an appointment in the afternoon that we need to keep. 

I throw up. I phone The Bavarian and he comes home and takes over. Is this "rush sick"?* The wisdom of a five year old. Who knew?

So today is a day of closing doors on untidy rooms. A day of turning a blind eye to laundry baskets and hoovers. A day of heating up last night's leftovers for dinner. A day to chill out with the boys in the garden after school. A day to buy new jeans and dye my hair. Because sometimes it is not such a good thing when all your jeans are suddenly too loose. 

I don't intend to get rush sick again.

*I am fairly sure it was migraine, but for the sake of an excuse to take a break I'll accept the diagnosis of rush sick.