Movin' on up, to the east side...

Ok people, Baby Banana is moving.  Well, to tell the truth, Baby Banana HAS ALREADY moved. 

 

http://babybanana.wordpress.com/

 

No more updates on Blogger, in fact I am emailing this in since I can’t log in to my old account.

 

So come visit me over at Word Press!

Force my hand why don't you...

So is Blogger FORCING everyone to the Beta…which I guess is now their alpha?

I don’t want to upgrade.  I don’t want to use my G-mail ID to sign in.  And I can’t log into my Dashboard w/o switching.

I think I am going to leave Blogger for something else.  Moveable Type maybe?  Anyone have any recommendations?

This Beta crap has pissed me off enough…

A little humor goes a long way

For this morning’s Orange Line Metro operator–

Thank you for your humor and wit during this morning’s commute. I, along with most riding in my car, found it most refreshing. Your light-hearted instructional seminar on How to Best Board and Alight During the Morning Commute was quite helpful – even if these things seem obvious, common sense is often lost on the D.C.-area morning commuters. Your repeated instructions and praise after each stop help to cut through the morning fog and really get to the heart of things – the faster everyone gets out of the way, the faster people can alight and the faster we can move on to the next station. Of course, you said it better than I. The highlight of the trip came as we were pulling into Farragut West and you announced “The time now is 8:58 a.m.” and then in a whisper “that means you still have time to grab a coffee. Enjoy your morning.”

Enjoy it, I did.

T-minus 7 days and counting...

7 more days before I can try a little run. If anyone has noticed, that is 6 weeks since my last attempt and 13 weeks since my last run of any significance (you know, that pesky, calf-injuring Marine Corps Marathon).

This is bittersweet news since...yay, 7 days! I can totally handle that! But, BOO! For in just one day I'll be on the hard, white sandy beaches of Naples, FL without being able to do anything but walk on them--and they are just so gosh-darned-perfect for running, that doing anything but is practically a crime.

So feel for me, and my non-running feet, as I meander along the warm beaches of Florida's Gulf Coast this week. I even think there is one day of my trip with a forecast of "Party Cloudy" Oh! The horror! Too bad we've had such mild weather this winter otherwise I'd be able to milk this for even more jealousy-inspired comments.

No time for losers

What awesome conference championship games yesterday!

Grossman proved what everyone has been saying for the past 5 weeks. He doesn't have to be good for the Bears to win, he just has to not suck. And not suck he did, to the tune of zero interceptions and 11 for 26 completed passes. Not great, but good enough for a strong win over the Saints. I thought the Bears were going to lose it there in the 3rd quarter. But they pretty much sealed the deal after the safety.

Manning finally proved he can win in the post-season, because apparently winning one game (last week) in the post season didn't count. So he went out there yesterday, got down early and brought it back around for the biggest comeback in conference-title game history. The pressure's on you now Eli.

Now, all of my post-season, love-drunk rooting aside (I actually rooted for the Bears, a division rival!) I'm gonna keep it real for Feb.4 and say...

...come on Manning, Dungy and the Colts deserve this. Go Indy!

Pumpkin and bourbon and caramel...OH MY!

It's time for another Baby Bananas Baking Segment! Previously, we've had a Mother's Day Lemon Supreme pie, a Father's Day Carrot Cake, and some dirty-minded sugar cookies. Today's delectable comes in the form of Pumpkin Cheescake with Bourbon-Pecan Caramel Sauce. Made especially for the celebration of Hanumas.

Here we have the ingredients assembled so as to make sure that I have everything on hand, because believe me when I say it's a pain in the ass to start baking something only to realize that you only have two eggs when the recipe calls for four.

Crushed ginger snaps and toasted pecans mixed with melted butter will eventually lead to…

…the crust of the cheesecake, seen here just prior to it’s baking.

Now it’s time for the fun part – beating (oh how I heart my Kitchen Aid mixer). Sugar, cream cheese and lemon zest are mixed together. The lemon will help to heighten the pumpkin flavor…otherwise it could get lost in the general creaminess that is cheesecake.

Once you add the eggs and vanilla you get a really fluffy batter to which you will add the pumpkin. Oh glorious pumpkin. Do you know how hard it was for me to not put in twice the called for amount?

I can tell you that even at this stage, it tasted pretty damn good.

But there is a purpose to all this, time to add the cream cheese mixture to the crust for what will hopefully be a damn tasty cheesecake.

I am scared I will over bake it…here you can see it baking in it’s water bath, all wrapped in foil. The foil keeps the water from seeping in and ruining the crust. The water bath ensures even heating (no hard edges) and helps to avoid cracks in the top of the finished product.

Time to chill out, for four, long hours!

Now it’s chilled and crumbed out with crushed ginger snaps around the edges (I confess, I did that to hide the mess I made of the edges trying to loosen the cake from the pan).

The only thing that is missing now is the caramel bourbon-pecan sauce and the people to eat it! Unfortunately, that photo resides on Buggie's camera :(

See, winter does exist!

A weekend jaunt to the Midwest, complete with snow and freeizng temperatures (it was 11° when I left this morning), assured me that it really is winter right now.

My just desserts

So the possibly-psuedo-to-you-but-real-for-me holiday known as Hanumas is approaching this weekend. I've charged myself with making dessert for the fesivities and being that I received two, shiny-new springform pans I'd like to attempt something I've never baked before. Problem is, I can't decide what to make. Here are just some of the delectables I am debating over: ~Frozen Pumpkin Mousse Torte with Caramel-Pecan Topping ~Layerd Mocha Cream Torte ~Deep Dark Chocolate Cheesecake ~Christmas Cheesecake with English Toffee Filling ~Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel-Bourbon Sauce Decisons...decisions...

The NFL Playoffs – who will kick it first?

And by "kick it", I mean which NFL playoff coach do you think will suffer a heart attack or untimely death first? These are not healthy people, I wonder if there is a line for this in Vegas...

Bill Belichick's Patriots at Marty Schottenheimer's Chargers

My pick: This one is hard. While Schottenheimer looks like he could fly offf the handle at any given moment, I think Belichick's steely resolve could mean he is a seether. Seething does nothing for your health. On the other hand Belichick is probably too smart to get himself killed. Ok. Schottenheimer wins loses this one. He'll be the first to go.

Mike Holmgren's Seahawks at Lovie Smith's Bears

My pick: Lovie Smith. It won't be a natural death--but the city of Chicago will come after him if Grossman keeps sucking like he has been and is not benched.

Tony Dungy's Colts at Brian Billick's Ravens

My pick: Tony Dungy. He has been battling Nicole Ritchie for the Eating Disorder title for quite some time now. Add the suicide of his son last year and a history of post-season implosions; he is way beyond the help of just eating a few cookies. This man needs a SuperBowl ring or a sabbatical.

Andy Reid's Eagles at Sean Payton's Saints

My pick: Andy Reid. First of all Reid is a heart attack waiting to happen. I've never seen the man eat, but I can't imagine it's pretty. Plus, Payton is no competition. It's his first pro season as head coach and he is on this amazing ride that led his team to a first-round bye. No pressure. Reid LIVES in the pressure cooker that is Philadelphia, it's almost a blessing he's playing on the road...considering their fans and the Eagles' history of post-season losses.

So the experiment goes belly up

Literally. I didn't eat the 2lb. box of chocolates...I ended up with the flu and didn't eat much of anything (although I did find a bit of pomegranate juice w/club soda to be quite palatable even if one's stomach is rejecting all content). So, I am chalking that one up to divine intervention. Instead I did a lot of yoga and put the chocolates out for the Hungry Hungry Hippos Co-Workers...they were gone within minutes. Good riddence I say, it's not like they were Godiva's. Does anyone else think it's cool that my gas cost exactly $20.07 on New Year's Eve? In other news, I am finding myself in this really weird (yet delightful) place where everything he says is magical.

Question

(that was for you, Bugster)

Do you think that if I ate a 2lb. box of chocolates by myself I would only gain two pounds? Not that I am going to do anything of the sort, I am just curious.