Distractible me

Chocolate Banana Bread

April 8, 2018 by Mary1991 3 Comments

Growing up, my Mom made everything from scratch which meant she didn’t buy bread, cookies or prepared foods. This is just how it was. For the most part, I have followed her lead but I don’t always have time to bake my own bread.

Jessie prefers making quick breads. They are simple and don’t take all day. When it comes to food, she isn’t always patient. During the summer we make zucchini bread and the rest of the year, she likes making banana bread and chocolate is her favorite:

Chocolate Banana Bread

preheat oven: 350 degrees
grease bread pan, line with waxed paper.
make sure all ingredients are room temperature.

3 large bananas mashed
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts.
Avocado*

Mash bananas. Add sugar and eggs, mix until smooth.
Add butter and vanilla.
Combine all dry ingredients (tossing the chips and nuts in the flour helps prevent them from sinking) then add to the bananas.
Bake for 60-70 minutes
*When we were short one banana for the recipe, we substituted it with an avocado. The avocado hides in the background but does make the bread extra moist.
Of course, if you want traditional Banana Bread, just omit the chocolate and cocoa.

It took years to get her to peel a banana properly. It’s the little things we take for granted.

Friend or foe, Fox or friend

September 30, 2017 by Mary1991 Leave a Comment

Often I listen to Talk Radio while running errands. The other day, the host was wondering how news reporters can watch someone in a dire situation and not rush to aid. For a photographer, if they stop, they will lose their shot. Of course, there are times you can’t help and you can only witness. I have read about many who picked up their camera afterward and continued. They saved the day but lost the moment.

This topic intrigued me. Turning the question around, asking what would I do? I’d like to think that I’d jump in to help but you won’t know till you are in the moment.The husband says, there are two types of people. Those that run towards an opportunity or away from a problem. However, there’s a third option, those that don’t react and do nothing.

Later in the day. Jess and I went apple picking with friends. It was a beautiful day to walk in the orchard. The trees were heavy with fruit and it was easy pickings. It didn’t take long to fill our bags with apples.

As we headed back, slowly meandering out, Jess was leading the way. She was about forty-two feet ahead of us ( I’m specific because I replayed this event in my mind. I’ve also walked enough courses for fences to know my stride.)

Just after the bend in the dirt road, I glanced up at Jess and my heart stopped. There was a Red Fox jumping at her feet! Jess had a small bottle of bubbles in her right hand and she was holding it high above her head as if she were playing keep away. The fox seemed interested in what she had and was dancing around her.

Instantly, I started running towards Jess yelling, “go, go, go…”. All I could do was make noise so the fox would move along. I sensed that Jess would want to reach down to pet him like she does when she is greeted by a dog. The thought that should could get bitten made me run faster.

Fox tend to keep their distance from people. To be approached could mean he was sick but this one looked healthy. My guess is he lives in the orchard and has become comfortable with humans, maybe had been released after rehabilitation. Regardless, I reacted and didn’t think.

While I was alarmed, my friends were not. Was this because it wasn’t their child, or was it because they didn’t grow up on a farm? Their laid-back nature made me feel like a drama queen. (found out later that one didn’t see and the other caught a glimpse, so this explains)

We were a short walk back to the register (where we’d weigh and pay for the apples), Jess voiced her displeasure the whole way. Because I yelled, she thought she was in trouble and protested the unfairness all the way back to our car. She had been minding her own business, hadn’t done anything wrong, was not afraid of the fox and couldn’t understand why she had been wronged.

Over and over I repeated why I was scared. I explained that whenever an animal shows unusual behavior, you need to be careful. It took us both awhile to calm down.

Earlier this summer, the husband saw a Black Bear walking through our backyard. I griefed him about not taking a photo. Now I get it. I understand how he felt. Even though the bear was just passing through, it was unusual to see and he went into protection mode.

It’s been a few days and I can still visualize the fox standing at Jess’s feet, his eyes turning to look at me before fox-trotting off. He did not understand why he was being yelled at. I’m sure he too felt he did nothing wrong. It’s human nature to fear what we don’t understand.

Not till I had shooed the fox did I say “damn, that would have been an awesome photo”.

It’s ironic, after raising the “what would I do” question that I was tested.

I guess the answer depends on what your element is. I may not have street smarts but have lived on farms, This is my comfort zone.

I love knowing that Jess is an animal whisperer. It’s one of her gifts. Animals sense that she will not harm. Dog, cats, and horses are drawn to her, so why not foxes? It’s all beginning to make perfect sense.

Chasing dreams

September 9, 2017 by Mary1991 Leave a Comment

Over the summer, I had a bad case of writer’s block. I had nothing, nada, zilch.

Looking for inspiration, I listened to a TED talk hoping to learn how writers found their spark. One lecture, had me mesmerized. Elizabeth Gilbert shared about poet Ruth Stone, how she “would run like hell home”, chased by a poem. She had to get to a piece of paper to write before the words thundered through her. If she didn’t write, it would be lost. [Read more…] about Chasing dreams

Making applesauce

March 9, 2017 by Mary1991 4 Comments

It has taken some practice, but Jess is finally getting the hang of peeling apples.

Her first attempt, she peeled half an apple before walking away.

The second attempt, she’d turn the handle in the right direction, but the middle of the apple there was more resistance and she’d reverse the direction. This is a simple tool and going backwards doesn’t work well.

Today was her third attempt. By Jove, I think she got it! Still not perfect, we are going in the right direction.

Jess carried the pot of apples to the stove and went to town adding the cinnamon. We are still working on portion control.

The first thing my Mom taught me to cook was applesauce. It was quick, didn’t require a recipe and kept the attention of my seven-year-old self. The best part was eating the fresh sauce while it was still hot!

Mom’s method was to cut up the apples, add water, bring to a soft boil, cooking till fork tender. When the apples finished cooking, she then used a Foley food mill to remove the skin, making the sauce smooth and then would add the rest of the ingredients. Some people like to leave the peel from red applies because it gives the sauce a blush color.

Instead of using a food mill, we prefer an apple peeler. I like to get the work done up front and it is more fun for Jess to use. The peeler removes the core and 99% of the peel. Add a couple of cups of water, a hint of brown sugar, a dusting of cinnamon, a splash of lemon juice and a few grains of salt. Soft apples like Macintosh don’t take long to cook. Finish using a potato masher.

Maybe by apple season, when the fruit is plentiful, we will go into production. Jess just might make her own Christmas gifts for 2017.

Jess needs lots of encouragement to build her confidence. I love how Jess grabs another apple at the end. She makes me laugh.

New activities encourage her to use her Talker more.

The best part about cooking together is our conversation. Jess does more talking when we are doing something fun, especially when it involves food!.

Chocolate cake…one piece at a time.

September 10, 2016 by Mary1991 Leave a Comment

After seeing a recipe for a three-ingredient chocolate cake, I accepted the challenge.

1 ripe banana
1 egg
1 Tablespoon Cocoa

Blend and pour batter into a ramekin, 3/4 full and bake.

This recipe makes one large ramekin or two small, but the size of banana may play a part.

So far, so good. The original recipe suggested to microwave, however, I attempted this years ago and found it inedible. This time I baked it for the suggested time and temperature, but this was not long or hot enough.

The second test cake, I baked it at 375 degrees for 16-18 minutes. Of course, this doesn’t have the same texture as a traditional cake. It reminded me more of bread pudding but without the bread! Regardless, this was simple and tasty enough to make again. Also, it’s best served warm.

Next attempt, I may add a handful of chopped nuts or chocolate chips to the batter.

We did add a dollop of whipped cream, but ice cream would be good too.

Put this under the category of “emergency” desserts.

If you need to omit the egg, I liked the suggestions made by Joy the Baker.

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Playing hooky

August 2, 2016 by Mary1991 Leave a Comment

Even though we live an hour shy of the shore, I rarely go. I don’t know anything about traffic patterns, parking or beach badges. Thank goodness for “phone a friend”. Just like the game show “Who wants to be a Millionaire”, if you don’t have an answer, you call someone who does.

The previous days had been stormy and brutally humid. The weather was breaking and the shore seemed like an ideal place to take our house guest from Ohio. Over dinner, as we were finalizing our day trip, I turned to husband and said: “why don’t you join us?” Then asked Jessie if she wanted to play hooky too. Hooky is one of her favorite words. It means fun is to be had.

The timing was right, the husband was game. As for Jess, one trait people with Angelman Syndrome have is impulsivity. Sometimes it’s good to break the routine. Didn’t have to ask her twice, she was in.

The next morning we headed for Belmar. At the time, we didn’t realize we chose the best day. The skies were clear and it wasn’t very crowded. While husband went to get the badges, I called a rental company. Within seven minutes, we had umbrellas and lounge chairs delivered and set up. It was like hotel service but without the hotel!

Even though we were slathered in sunscreen, the shade from the umbrella was welcome. Jess planted herself in the sand and was happy as a wave that dances on the sea. I was going to say “happy as a clam”, but how do we really know if clams are happy? The ones I’ve known ended up in soup or at a clam shack…

We were not lacking for entertainment. A surf school was in front of us, on the other side of the pier is a relatively new bird sanctuary. Now that they have their own private space, rare birds are making an appearance.

Good eats were a short stretch down the beach. Specifically, Playa Bowls, a refreshing alternative to fast food.

For fear of getting too much sun, we left around noon. It was too early to head home, so we drove through a few shore towns before ending up at the Seaside boardwalk for lunch. None of us had walking shoes, so we did the tourist thing, we rented a surrey.

With the sky so blue, we couldn’t help but sing the song from Oklahoma,

All the world ‘ll fly in a flurry
When I take you out in the surrey
When I take you out in the surrey
With the fringe on top…

When it was time to head home, we realized that we had been given a gift, time together on a beautiful summer day. It’s amazing how only nine hours felt like a weeks vacation. It doesn’t get better than that!

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