Why Three Ripe Bananas and a Bad Head Cold Don't Mix.

I thought I'd share a little story. It's a true story. It happened to me on Tuesday.

This past week I have had a bad cold/flu. Could't really hear anything. Felt like my ears might explode. You know the feeling.

Hello January! What would you be without our annual colds and flu?



Anyway, this is my advice if you are sick and you have ripe bananas. . .



If you have a bad head cold that feels like it is probably turning into the flu because you are feeling a cough coming on and you feel like you might be getting achy. . . walk past the ripe bananas on your counter.

Just keep walking.



Don't let the guilt of the slowly rotting bananas get to you.

Those bananas, though. They WERE making me feel guilty. I could hear Kenneth's voice in my head "Why do you buy bananas? I am the only one who eats them and I can't eat them fast enough." Well, I thought to myself, "You aren't the only one who eats them. I've seen Caroline eat one. Margaret eats them and sometimes a banana is the only thing I can get Margaret to eat without a fight."


Oh the guilt. Wasting bananas and disappointing my husband. It was too much.

One more day and the bananas wouldn't even be good enough for banana bread. It was now or never.


I decided it would take about ten minutes to mix the ingredients for banana bread together. I could do it.

I could be a good mom and have something for the kids to eat after school. The house would smell good. Maybe the kids and Kenneth wouldn't notice that I hadn't done anything else that day because there was actually something to eat. Kenneth would be proud that I didn't waste the bananas.

Hey, it was worth a try.



I made the bread. It smelled good. It looked good. A little flat, I thought, but still good.

It was a success. Then I cut into the loaf.

The inside was thick and gummy and well, not good. It looked raw but it wasn't.


"Darn that oven" I thought. "Two weeks ago it burned those Snickerdoodles I made. Something is wrong with it. Now it has RUINED the banana bread."

It had to be the oven. It didn't even cross my mind that the problem could be me.


Until. . .

Later that afternoon I stumbled through the kitchen to get a drink. The recipe was still out. I noticed the words baking powder.

Baking power? 3 1/2 tsp. of baking powder?

Oh.

I forgot the baking powder.

I told the kids what happened. It wasn't the oven after all. The kids laughed a little and smiled that smile at me that means "Oh, Mom, I am sorry you are getting so old and forgetful and dumb."


Then right before I went to bed I stumbled back through the kitchen and looked at the recipe again. I couldn't believe my eyes. There, right under the words baking power, I saw the words. . . 3/4 cup milk.

Milk?

I couldn't remember getting out any milk when I made the bread.

Oh, my gosh.

I forgot the milk, too?

Yep. I forgot the milk, too.





Lessons learned:

1. Don't bother cooking when your head feels foggy.

2. When your head feels foggy, you can't read well.

3. Your seventeen year old son will eat anything if he is hungry enough.