FLOUR

      The photo at left shows two miniature Banana muffins that basically look the same.  However, one is sweetened with sugar and the other with honey.  Now can anyone tell the difference?  I would imagine it is not easy just looking at them.  If you could smell them as I had to do to keep them separate, the scent of honey is more prevalent.  (By the way, the banana muffin with honey is on the left.)
     I recently asked some friends and acquaintances to sample some banana muffins I made.  The purpose was to have their sampling act as a taste test.  I am gearing up to bake for our local farmers' market again, so I thought some feedback prior to this seasonal event would be helpful.  I made banana muffins four different ways.  One recipe (2) was divided so that half contained regular flour and the other half gluten-free flour.  Then I made another recipe (1) with half of the batter containing sugar (and actually a reduction of sugar), and the other half was sweetened with honey.
     It was about a 50/50 response to both flour varieties and the sweeteners.  Visually the gluten-free variety baked lighter in color and had the puffed and rounded top.  The regular kind had a flatter and more mottled surface. A few said they preferred the gluten-free because they seemed less sweet.  This was interesting since the amount of sugar in both flour varieties was the same.  The only difference with the muffins baked with sugar and those baked with honey was that the regular appealed to the adults and the honey was favored by younger samplers.  So I will definitely offer the regular banana as well as gluten-free when the farmers' market begins.  I will also incorporate honey as a sweetener occasionally, as well as sugar and maybe a reduction in sugar.  Since this test seemed appealing with banana bread, I will probably exchange these ingredients in other recipes.  Thanks to my testers.  I look forward to mixing things up a little.  Change keeps me on my toes!
     Here are the recipes I used for testing.  I use them frequently and really appreciate sharing them.

Banana Bread  (1)                                                         Best Banana Bread (2)
2-3 very ripe bananas peeled                                            1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup melted butter                                                        1 1/2 c. sugar
1 cup of sugar (can easily use 3/4 cup or 1/2 cup)            2 eggs, beaten
1 egg, beaten                                                                     1/4 tsp. salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract                                                 1 1/2 c, flour
1 teaspoon baking soda                                                     1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt                                                                      1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour                                               1/3 c. buttermilk
                                                                                          3 very ripe bananas
                                                                                        OPTIONAL: 1 c. chopped nuts
(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mash bananas with a fork until smooth.  Stir in melted butter.  Mix in the baking soda and salt.  Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla.  Mix in the flour.  I baked this into muffins, but a banana loaf can also be made with batter and baked for about an hour.  Make sure to test at 50 minutes.  (from www.simplyrecipes.com)

(2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mash bananas with fork.  Add beaten eggs.  Mix baking soda and baking powder in buttermilk.  Add rest of ingredients and mix well.  This recipe can also be made into a loaf and baked for 45 minutes.  (from St. Henry's Catholic School Cookbook, Charleston, MO December 2007)

                                                                               

    & FLOWER

     When I was a kid my parents had to go outside and call me to come home.  You could hear my name reverberating through the neighbors' shrubbery and trees until the tones finally caught my attention.  I have always enjoyed being out in nature, soaking up the sun and not minding a little shower of rain...much like a plant I suppose.  My mom did not have to coax me to go outside and play in order for her to get necessary chores done.  I would rather be out than in.  Of course as I matured and went to school, had friendships, participated in organizations, and later became gainfully employed, I had to curb my love of nature to appropriate timing and circumstances...and I did.
     However there is another side to this story.  Beginning early on in my life, I would have at least two bouts of sickness per year.  My symptoms included sneezing, head congestion, post nasal drip, sore throat, cough, etc.  I didn't think a whole lot about it.  Being sick twice a year was just something I did, even after a tonsillectomy.  Then after college graduation I got married and moved to a different area of the country.  My biannual symptoms continued, only getting worse.  Sometimes my ears would join the list of symptoms by either hurting or appearing to not work at all.  There were also times when I could not talk and it felt as if someone had reached down my throat and yanked out my vocal chords, leaving that spot on fire.  Finally one year I had enough and just wanted to ask a medical professional,"What is going on?" But, you've probably already guessed.  Yes, I have ALLERGIES to things that grow OUTSIDE!!!!! 

My initial allergy test results confirmed that I was highly allergic to five grasses and four trees.  There were also two foods pinpointed; one was a particular nut from one of the named trees.  I have since speculated on certain flowers considering my excessive sneezing when I am near them.


Photo at right is a mixture of grasses.  Photo below left is a Maple tree.

     Now what do I do?  Apparently all the time I spent outside; the place where I still wanted to be when possible, was not where I needed to be for optimum health.  Well, if any of you have ever been in this situation, you have to weigh good health against what is working against it.  Then decide how to achieve what you need as well as what you want.  For me, I chose medication and later, allergy injections.  I tried oral medications first, but continued to have some heavy bouts of upper respiratory illness.  It was less than without medication, but still bad enough to effect my work and family life.  Allergy injections were a big step and at first were pretty scary.  The strong dosages in the beginning would make my arm swell as if I had a hotdog stuffed inside at the injection site.  Once after an injection I had an anaphylactic reaction (hives, swollen face, swollen throat) and had to go immediately back to our clinic to be treated.     
     Please know that I am only sharing my experience!  Anyone allergic to natural elements outdoors must make his/her own decisions about what is right.  Don't forget to contact your medical professional too.  Fortunately I am now able to pick optimum times for me to work outside, walk and ride a bike, and attend outdoor functions.  Yes I still take medication during the spring and fall, but having more control with my time keeps me away from too much pollen.  I have finally learned one tip that has really made a difference.  I really promote this if anyone has trouble with too much pollen.  When returning indoors from working an extended time outside, immediately shower and/or change your clothes.
     So no sadness, frustration, or despair.  I found a way to be outside where I love to grow things and deal with the pollen.  I wish the same for anyone else who has discovered these same symptoms.
    

  FLOUR

   From what I have seen on the cooking shows and read in cookbooks, online, and on social media, it would seem that incorporating unusual or surprising ingredients in a recipe is popular now.  A mash-up of flavors in a recipe that might first appear....let's say, different, is what I mean.  I'm referring to unlikely spices or ingredients in a mac and cheese recipe, or an herb used in a savory dish instead of what would be added to a dessert..  Some of them surprise me at first...then I start to think about it and before you know it, my mind can imagine the change.      
     Actually unusual ingredients have been showing up for a while.  Think Carrot Cake.  The first time someone offered it to me.....I must admit it was many years ago..... I quickly turned it down.  Boy was I wrong.  I noticed a few odd ingredients in cake recipes recently when looking for a different idea for my husband's upcoming birthday.  AND, his number one favorite is chocolate.  I came across "Salad Dressing Devil's Food Cake."  First, I repeated the title in my head and thought oil and vinegar and said "yuck" to myself.  But as I kept perusing all of a sudden it hit me, "OH! salad dressing...like mayonnaise."  This is an unexpected ingredient, for sure, in a cake, but you know it would up the moisture factor.  Then I saw Crazy Chocolate Cake, which adds vinegar to a batter with baking soda, (BOOM?).  I also saw Chocolate-Applesauce Cake.  The two individual tastes have been done before, but I have not experienced them together.  One more chocolate one...Potato Cake.  Just reading those two words with no prior knowledge, what would you think about its taste?  Not chocolaty, but with a fruit flavor was Apricot Nectar Cake and Mandarin Orange Cake.  Now it IS easier to imagine cake with some type of fruit inside; apple, banana, strawberry, etc.  I have known Apricot Nectar Cake since my teen years.  I wanted to make one after eating a slice at a friend's house.  When I went to the grocery store to buy the nectar I had no idea what to look for.  But what about mandarin oranges?  Aren't they usually found in salads?

     Anyway, I settled on making the Salad Dressing/Mayonnaise Cake for the soon-to-be birthday.  I mean it is chocolate.  I REALLY don't have to tell him anything.  After he eats a few pieces, then I might spill the beans.  Here's what it looked like from the oven.  You can see that the batter made one nice size layer, enough for us.  Since the recipe did not include a frosting, I thought I would show the actual cake itself.  Then I will frost it; probably with a chocolate ganache.  Below is the recipe.  Maybe you will want to "walk on the wild side' the next time you bake.

     Mayonnaise Cake was taken from The Beta Sigma Phi International Desserts Cookbook, copyright 1968 by Favorite Recipes Press.

MAYONNAISE CAKE

1 cup sugar                                                 2 c. flour
1/4 c. cocoa                                                2 tsp. soda
Few grains of salt                                       1 cup mayonnaise
1 c. cold water                                            1 tsp. vanilla

Sift first 5 ingredients together.  Mix in mayonnaise, water and vanilla; beat well.  Pour into greased 8 x 13-inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until done.

Notes:  I tasted the batter and it was not as rich as others I have made.  Next time I will probably add more cocoa, maybe 1/2 cup instead of 1/4.  I will probably add more vanilla in the future; at least 1 1/2 tsp.  It was also not as sweet, but okay for us.  Perhaps a 1/4 cup more regular sugar or maybe brown sugar.  I used a 9 x 9 inch pan for my cake and the baking time in my oven was approximately 25 minutes.

FLOWER

White and pink dogwoods

     Most people around here where I live in Southeast Missouri seem to like seeing the blooming trees and flowers.

     Now is a really pretty time with the dogwood buds open on both the pink and white specimens.  In another week, a nearby community will have a spring celebration known as the Dogwood-Azalea Festival.  Azaleas are also known for their beauty this time of year.

     Also we have Redbud trees blooming and their purplish-pink flowers are dazzling.

Redbud

     This Snowball tree (Chinese viburnum) is one I get to see when I take a long walk in my neighborhood.  I wish the blooms would stay around longer, but they are fleeting.  This tree can be started in your yard by a cutting.

Snowball tree

Japanese Maple

     The Japanese Maples I have seen are striking.  It is as if they are stepping forward to say hello when I walk by a property where one is growing.  I think their showy deep red leaves are such a change from the gray gloom of winter, that people can't help but notice.