Saturday, September 29, 2012

Muffin [Wo] Man ***



The sunset tonight. So beautiful.


And in the kitchen bananas. Languishing. Since Friday. Word has it that my paternal grandmother would only eat bananas when they were completely black, which means that, since she lived in Ireland, they had to have been lying around at least six months. Blech. Where is my grandmother when I need her? Here, the aging process for bananas is faster....five days from green to black to mush. Max. And, in these parts, as soon as the first freckle appears there are two options: the compost heap or muffins. Since I am a thrifty soul, the compost heap is only a theoretical option. The Bean says, s-l-o-w-l-y and emphatically, as one talking to the feeble minded,

"Mom, why don't you just cut them up and put them in the freezer," [then he'd use them to make smoothies.]

My question for the world at large is "Why can't he do that? He knows where the freezer is;  where the freezer bags are; where the knives are.....So simple!"

But instead I make muffins.

Spanish lessons notwithstanding, I was still restless on Tuesday, Monday having been a blur of work. Two batches I made, and oh, it was so satisfying, seeing them lined up on the cooling racks, glistening deliciously! One batch was Blueberry Banana, supplemented with a little applesauce, because the one thing I've learned over a lifetime of muffin making is that, if you don't have exactly the ingredients called for, improvise. In the early, by-the-book days, if I didn't have nuts, there went my baking plans. Tuesday I only had one cup of mashed bananas so I had to improvise!

...........And one batch of Sour Cream Lemon.  Mmm!

I wish you could have been in my kitchen to smell the aroma!

 In the middle of my muffin making I heard the pool guy clattering through the door of the pool cage. As company-deprived as I'd been all weekend I was almost tempted to run out and throw my arms around him, but the plumber-butt vision that met my gaze as he bent to pour chemicals into the pool helped me to restrain myself. I did stick my head out the door to say hi. He always does a more thorough job if he knows someone is home....

It was a very satisfying morning, although, surveying the fruits of my labours, I did think to myself.

"In this house there is one adult female, human, on the lean side, and one adult male, feline, not so lean, but not a muffin eater. And now there are thirty nine muffins. Something does not compute."

God be with the days when the children would tumble in the door from school. No muffin disposal problem then.... However, Wednesday was a work day and the muffins were very well received there; the Bean had to make a lightening stop home for a decent night's sleep on a real bed, and some clean clothes, as the ones he had were turning crusty---so, in addition to clean clothes he took away a plateful of muffins;  and today I went to quilt group, bearing muffins, and no-one stopped me from entering, or barred the door.

 Since Granny went to her eternal reward more than half a century ago, and the smoothie maker is only here sporadically, I think I'll leave bananas off the grocery list for a while....


***When I came home from running errands this afternoon the Bean was home....Is it possible the week galloped by so fast that another weekend is already here?


The moon climbing...





16 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

Wonderful shots of the sky at both beginning and the end of this post.
I will not eat bananas with black bits. Freckles are even a bit dubious. So they go to the compost, to my worm farm and more rarely to muffins. When I use bananas in making muffins of course I use mushy ones, and of course that means I won't eat them. Some times I think i am not entirely sane. Other days I know it.

Ali Honey said...

Yep. My week went that fast too!

Pauline said...

All my weeks go by that fast. I should have stopped in for a muffin...

Stomper Girl said...

I don't eat bananas at all, but allegedly the ones that are starting to tun black have tumour fighting properties...

Birdydownunder said...

Tempus Fugit down here too.... just catching up although I have popped in twice to see what you are reading as I needed a new book.
I just loved Major Pettigrew - thanks. Please keep your list uptodate ! lol.
In answer to the question re the Bean's Bannana slices. I am sure he thinks thats whats Mothers are for.

keep well, good luck with the Spanish.

dianne said...

i love banana bread - and banana muffins are even more handy ... and i hear you when you think "Why can't he..." although, in my case, it is "Why can't she..." even though i know the answer is "because blah blah blah"

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

It's a very 20__ thing , isn't it .
I've just checked and I , too , have a black banana lodged in the freezer . But what I really want NOW is a banana sandwich on thick white bread with salted butter . And I haven't got any of that anywhere ....

Thimbleanna said...

Ah Molly, you always make me laugh. The plumber's butt and the Y-chromosome banana cutting deficiency in the same post -- always a fun read. When I don't have time to make muffins but I have urgently blackening bananas, I follow Bean's plan. Except that I cut mine up and bag them all by my self!

StitchinByTheLake said...

It's much more likely that after stopping at home the day before and finding muffins, the Bean stopped by to see what else you might be baking when he wasn't looking! blessings, marlene

Pam said...

Ah, if only I could describe myself as "on the lean side". Well, I could. But it wouldn't be true.

Relatively Retiring said...

I get used to catering for one....and then they arrive for a weekend. A tray of banana muffins can vanish as they stroll through the back door, closely followed by two loaves of bread, a couple of pounds of ham, and most of a large chocolate cake. Oh, and (mysteriously) several toilet rolls. Then we start to think about meals - and two days later I have to get used to catering for one again!

heartinsanfrancisco said...

Of course the Bean came home. He smelled the muffins.

I only like bananas when they are partially green and quite firm. Riper than that and they become banana bread or yes, smoothie material. I wouldn't bar the door either, if you came bearing muffins. Will send you my address.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

I had to go through no fewer than 15 attempts to prove I was not a robot, even though I am sure I got most of them right. There must be a better system.

Lee said...

G'Day, Molly...this is my first visit to your blog...I've noticed your posts on J Cosmo Newbery's blog...I've been posint on Cosmo's blog for a number of years. I hope you don't mind me popping in unannounced and uninvited!

You've reminded me...I must make a date, banana and walnut loaf later today. I've got some bananas that are too ripe for me to eat...so I'll recycle them in another form.

Cheers from Down Under.

Secret Agent Woman said...

I'm slowly finding my way back around to bloggers i used to know, and re-found you on Heart's blog.

I have a low tolerance for bananas that have started to spot - I like them barely ripe. Muffins are a good use, though. I also like them frozen with chocolate sauce or baked with chocolate and nuts.

Friko said...

Hm, muffins, yes please. Otherwise, bananas need to to be just ripe for me, neither green nor speckled. But I’ve got a soft banana eater in the house. Dogs like them too.