a simple yarn

Here’s the promised metric conversion for the banana bread muffins. Okay, time for…

Disclaimer No. 1:
I’m not a professional conversion expert, so I’ll encourage you to use your good baking common sense. If the muffin batter looks a little runny, then you may need to add some more flour, etc. I’ve found that many of my US recipes need a bit more flour when used here in Ireland. And…

Disclaimer No. 2:
Chocolate chips are one of the few things I still have imported from the US (gasp!). It’s very difficult to find a large enough quantity here without having to take out a second mortgage! So, if you’re willing to experiment, you might take a bar of plain chocolate (which is what semi-sweet is) and break it into chunks. I think the outcome will be tastily the same, buy hey, it’s still a disclaimer!

Disclaimer No. 3:
I’m not a very fussy baker, so personally I don’t mess with starting the oven out at 190ºC and reducing to 180ºC. I have a fan assisted oven and just leave it at 180ºC and bake for 13 minutes or so until they’ll nicely golden brown. They still taste the same!

And now, without further ado…..

Chocolate Chip Banana Loaf-Metric Style
241 grammes all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder (use a literal tea spoon, it’s the same. Not a level measure, but nicely rounded)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
114 grammes unsalted butter at room temperature (or take a full 454gr block of butter and use 1/4 of it)
156 grammes granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3-4 mashed ripe banana (didn’t have any mushy bananas laying around to weigh!)
170 grammes semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 teaspoons powdered instant coffee

Preheat oven to 190ºC. Prepare a loaf pan by spraying the inside with nonstick vegetable spray or coating with butter, then dusting with flour and knocking out the excess. (Or use paper baking cups for muffins)
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until completely blended. Reduce speed to low and alternately stir the flour and the mashed bananas into the mixture.
With a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips and the instant coffee. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Put it in the oven and reduce the heat to 180ºC, and bake for 45-60 minutes, until a tester inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean. (Or 12-15 minutes for muffin-size)
Remove pan from oven and let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 5 days or up to 3 months in the freezer.

I think banana bread has a bad reputation and I’m not sure why. It seems to be relegated to other unwanted, “we-couldn’t-eat-them-fast-enough-and-now-have-do-something-creative-with-them” foods….like zucchini (or corgettes if you live in Europe).

But I think this reputation is wholly undeserved. And I think I’ve found a recipe (with a secret ingredient) that will make the most skeptical and reluctant banana bread eater drool in anticipation! And what’s cool is that if you happen to have a banana that’s “past it,” you can pop it into a zip-lock plastic bag (skin and all) and put it into the freezer until you have enough bananas to make a decent batch. The banana skin will turn black and the inside will go gooey, once defrosted, but don’t be put off by the sight! Mushy overripe bananas are crucial to a good banana bread!

I found this recipe in a little Christmas baking book from a library sale…Maria Robbin’s Baking for Christmas. The recipe is written for US measurements, but if you live in Europe and would like a translation, let me know in the comments. One change I’ve made is to make muffins instead of a loaf, reducing the baking time to about 12-15 minutes. Muffins seem to work better in my household with small children!

Chocolate Chip Banana Loaf
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/4 pound) unsalted butter at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon powdered instant coffee

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Prepare a loaf pan by spraying the inside with nonstick vegetable spray or coating with butter, then dusting with flour and knocking out the excess. (Or use paper baking cups for muffins)
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until completely blended. Reduce speed to low and alternately stir the flour and the mashed bananas into the mixture.
With a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips and the instant coffee. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Put it in the oven and reduce the heat to 350ºF, and bake for 45-60 minutes, until a tester inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean. (Or 12-15 minutes for muffin-size)
Remove pan from oven and let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 5 days or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Well, I have to say that the chocolate chips are a wonderful addition, but I confess that it’s that hint of coffee that sets this recipe to singing! Yum!

It’s Monday morning…gray…raining. Not an exceptionally unusual occurrence for Dublin. It puts me in the mood to fix a nice hot cup of tea, pull a comfortably familiar book off of the shelf, curl up on the sofa under a soft, fuzzy blanket and pass the time reading.

When we decided to make the move to Ireland, we sold or gave away most of what we owned ( I wasn’t too keen on carting 16 year old very common and worn towels and dishes across the Atlantic!). But what I did make sure we brought were my children’s books. I don’t refer to the books that belong to my two kids…I mean, MY children’s books! Before we had kids, I roamed the used book shops in the US in search of vintage children’s books. Some of my favourite authors are Lucy Maud Montgomery…

Louisa May Alcott and Kate Douglas Wiggin. The characters they’ve written into existence have kept me company on many a gray and dreary day.

And of course, Laura Ingalls Wilder…all very special “friends” of mine.

In between the more modern books that I read, I find myself coming back to my old mates. Even though I intimately know their stories, I still find much pleasure in re-reading them again and again.

So, what are you currently reading?

Yesterday was a pillow day. I’ve been looking at the ‘plain Jane’ pillows on my sofa for long enough. It was time to take some action.

Pillow No. 1:  Apple Houndstooth
I’ve always wanted to weave an apple green and mocha houndstooth fabric. I love the traditional pattern with a contemporary colour twist. So, once my weaving lessons were completed, my first somewhat ’solo’ project was to do this.

The colours would go great on my coffee-coloured sofa. So, the logical thing was to make a cushion.

It looks a little lumpy. Explanation: the pillow form I purchased was 18×18 inches. Thought I was bang on the target, but when it was all sewed up, I had a 20×20 case for an 18×18 pillow. So, back to the shop for the right size! But, I couldn’t wait to have a look. There you have it, lumps and all.
To zizz it up a bit, I added a snazzy fabric for the reverse side.

Pillow No. 2:  Stripety Doo-Dah
Well, I had an 18×18 pillow form with nothing to do. So, I dug out a piece of fabric that has been waiting to be married to the right project. I like the simplicity of it, letting the fabric and buttons do the talking.

The buttons are from Will’s great Aunt Sadie’s estate sale. She had some cool vintage buttons, which I love to use when I can.

Pillow No. 3:  Speaking of Aunt Sadie
Since we’re on the topic of pillows, I had to share one of my favourite possessions in the world. One of Aunt Sadie’s crazy patterned cushion. Also purchased at the estate sale, I love the texture of the velvets and the wonderful randomness of the design!

My nine-year-old daughter looked at me innocently, big brown eyes disguising the impending ambush. I never saw it coming….

‘How come I can’t see the _______ movie?’

So, how many replies are there in umpteen? I stopped what I was doing, put on my ‘let’s-be-reasonable-and-discuss-this’ face, and began with what I considered to be a sensible, rational and, above all, logical response. I started with the plain facts, ‘You are nine, the movie is rated for twelve and older. This is why they go to all the trouble of putting age-ratings on movies. Clearly, you are too young to see it.’

She maneuvered quickly, tossing back the tried and true response, ‘But all my friends have seen it and they’re nine like me.’  Nice try, but I had ready the age-old parental comeback. Here goes…wait a minute…I don’t want to sound like my parents when they used that same rhetorical ‘if your friends jump off a cliff, would you’ tactic. I’d hated it. So, being the up-to-date modern mum, I simply said, ‘Do you wanna be a lemming?’

Of course I was feeling pretty good about myself, having resisted the temptation of being prehistorically trite. I then switched to my ‘let-me-enlighten-you’ nurturing voice and patiently explained about these rodents known for periodic mindless mass migrations that sometimes end in drowning. Following that, I asked her again, ‘So, do you want to be a lemming?’  ‘No,’ she replied, ‘I just wanna see the movie.’

Maybe I need to think about this…I proclaim individuality. But to stand out too much in the crowd cries out eccentric, oddball, or worse pariah.  I practice conformity probably more than I would admit.

And there is something to be said for living within a community. No man is an island and all that. I will, by my very human nature, have a commonality with those around me. But I suppose it all comes down to whether I do things because they are right for me or merely because I suffer from that keeping-up-with-those-dreadful-Jones affliction.

Well, my daughter has not seen the movie and probably won’t until she’s a little older. We have left the lemmings on the cliff-top for another day.

(Even the title fairly shouts the symptoms of my dilemma. Not a very dynamic beginning…)

I am looking at a pile of yarn. It’s looking back expectantly at me…patiently waiting for me to do something creative with it….waiting…waiting.  I am hoping that this mound of fibre will somehow transform itself into an artistically expressive vision. I’m to create a woolen piece for the Knitting and Stitching Show in Dublin. The Irish Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers wants to collectively create a dynamic representation of the talented hands that live here…a siren call to others who want to carry on such time-honoured crafts.

I am a weaver. Well, at least I’m a member in good standing of the Guild, which counts for something, right? I’ve had some lessons. I’ve woven a few pieces. Truth is, I have just enough knowledge to be dangerous. I don’t want to let anyone down. I’ve got the yarn. I’ve got the loom. I’ve got the idea…no, wait…I don’t have that. My mind is…well…blank. I wonder if Jane Brocket ever has days like this?

I want to blend art and craft. (nothing)
I look through books and magazines for inspiration. (nope)
I close my eyes to visualize a woven landscape. (zilch)

It is then I realize that most of my ideas exceed my ability to create them. I don’t want to weave anything that looks like it was made by a neophyte. The problem is, that’s exactly what I am…a beginner.

And why am I stuck? Well, after a bit of pondering, I think it’s less about perceiving myself as an imposter in the artisan world and more about not allowing myself to grow in this newly learned craft. Perhaps this is my very own real-world example of wanting it all and wanting it NOW. Instant gratification. Instant success. Six lessons and…shazam!…master craftswoman! No need for apprenticeship! When it’s out in the open under the lens of self-examination, I know that the expectations of myself will need to be re-adjusted to allow experimentation and risk failure. And that’s ok.

So, after feeling wonderfully philosophical about the whole thing, I accept that I’m going to turn out some hideous things as I learn and grow. There is no shame in that.

And what about the woven piece? I will proceed courageously to create something that will fairly and accurately represent who I am as a weaver at this stage of development. Or, on the other hand…I may have to knit something…

Twenty years ago I had “my colours done.”
Any self-respecting woman (and 21st century man) will understand what this means. Someone looks at your hair, your eyes, your skin, your shape, your style and tells you which colours will help you look perky and well-rested even after a week in hospital and which will drain away all evidence of life though you’ve just returned from your Bermuda holiday. The goal is obvious: aim for the former, avoid the latter.

So, twenty years ago, I was a “winter.”
Back then there were only four colour options…aligned with the seasons. Now, of course, it’s not that simple. First, I have to find my primary palette. I think that’s fairly easy, though. I mean the sample faces are so very different that it’s more or less obvious which is me. Once I’ve discovered that, I then have to look for a secondary, complementary grouping, which is certainly more obscure. I’m having my own Dan Brown moment to try and unravel the clues and symbols. My hair is dark, but my eyes are not. My hair has reddish tints, but my skin is not golden. So what am I?

I am no longer a ‘winter.’
Not only am I not a winter anymore, my whole base of colour has done a U-turn! I am now an autumn. Sorry, make that a ‘warm with tendencies toward soft and a hint of clear’ (I think). What is that all about?! I can’t wear brown and forget about dark olive! I’m a basic black kind of girl! Jewel-tones, that’s what I’m about!

I must wear warm colours.
This rocks my colour-world! My foundation (not to mention my wardrobe) is built upon black, gray and navy. None of this brown, moss and terracotta stuff! As I storm to the mirror, it hits me. On this rare, sunny day I can see that while my eyes are still very green, my hair is no longer dark nut-brown. It’s more like auburn, which is a fancy name for dark red. If I look closely I can even see a hint of gold. And what’s more, it’s my own fault.

I am L’Oreal No. 7.
I have temporarily prevented the passage of time by colouring my hair and I’ve been using a dark blonde shade to minimise the root issue. I realise I’m kidding myself on that one, but I didn’t realise that this would dramatically alter my entire life’s colour scheme.

So, I resign myself to being a ‘warm.’
Okay, there are worse things that having to make a seasonal shift. But honestly, I will never wear pumpkin or coral! However, I think I will enjoy this season of life wearing a fresh palette of colours. Of course, way deep down inside of me, I’ll always feel like a winter temporarily residing in an autumn body. And I won’t give away my black and gray and navy. The real me will return when my hair goes all-gray-all-the-way!

“What are you doing?” I said to myself. And as there was only me in the room at the time, I felt obliged to answer, “I’m starting a blog.”

“What in the world for? Aren’t there enough blogs in the world? When will you have time? What are you thinking?”

“I want to be an oracle of wisdom, wit and creativity,” I explained, “enticing people to leave pertinent comments in return. What a wonderful dialogue I will share with others across the globe!”

“No one will read it….except your mum….maybe….if she’s not busy.”

“That may be so,” I admitted, rethinking the scope of my ideals. “Then I’ll be content with telling a simple story…spinning a simple yarn.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’ve gotta ring the States and give her my web address.”

“Give who your address?”

“My mum.”