Sweet Buddha

I have come across Buddha statues at some random places before but I think this one takes the cake..it literally may. This one was at the Fancy Food Show at the Moscone Center right by a dessert display. I wanted to take this sweet Buddha home but it wasn't for sale.

10 Steps to Banana Bread-Muffins

I can't get enough bananas to eat and I am running out of ways to eat them. Meaning I need more recipes. I was delighted to find out that the new food blog - Orangette that I've been reading has six different banana bread recipes! Apparently, the writer is also a big fan of bananas or at least banana bread. I really enjoyed the recipes on the blog and the stories behind them. I decided to adapted my banana bread recipe below from this post. Actually, I couldn’t find my loaf pan so I used my muffin trays and so it doesn’t look like banana bread. Until I learn the technical distinction between a muffin and bread, I am calling these Banana Bread-Muffins.


What to gather: 1 cup sugar; 1 large egg; 1 stick unsalted, at room temperature; 2 ripe medium-size bananas; 3 Tbs milk; 2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour; 1 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp baking soda; ½ tsp cinnamon.

How to make it:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter a standard-size loaf pan. I used a muffin tray because I couldn’t find my loaf pan.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream sugar, egg, and butter. I used a food processor instead of whipping it myself because I was feeling lazy this weekend.
4. In a separate bowl, mash bananas; then mix in the milk.
5. In another separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
6. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three parts, alternating with banana-milk mixture in two parts, stirring by hand until just combined.
7. Stir in the cinnamon.
8. Turn batter into muffin tray (loaf pan). I fill each little muffin holder 2/3 full and smooth out the top with a spoon.
9. Bake for about 30mins, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Allow to cool for a few minutes; then remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. Enjoy with some tea or coffee.

Going Bananas for Bananas

I remember a year ago reading an e-mail with the subject line ”Wow-go bananas! Good info!” At the time I briefly read the email and rolled my eyes before closing it. Thank goodness I didn't delete it. I was convinced it was some promotion campaign started by the society of banana growers trying to get me to buy more bananas. Today I actually searched in my gmail account to revisit the e-mail because I think there may have been some truth in it. I basically needed some more evidence to justify my recent food obsession with bananas. Ever since I read that bananas are a great snack before runs, I've gone bananas for bananas. Since I am pretending to be a runner for the half-marathon, I have to adopt the runner food choices as well. The reason runners load up on bananas is because they are full of potassium. Potassium helps normalize your heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. All important functions that need to happen while you run, well basically at all times. Other than giving your body fuel, bananas turn out to have have a lot of other important uses as highlighted in the banana email. The email states that a Professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class said the expression "going bananas" is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Bananas not only help you live by giving you oxygen, they make you happy too! The email suggests that bananas are the reason monkeys are so happy all the time. This is the one statement, I personally don't agree with since I have been attacked by an angry monkey. I have realized that there may be some truth to the banana e-mail so I’ve decided to keep a bunch of bananas in my purse at all times. The next time I come across an unhappy person or an angry monkey, I am going to do them and myself a favor by handing them a banana.

2010 New Year's Resolutions

So far we are halfway in the first month and I am not doing so well on my first New Year’s Resolutions. My first one is to write more. Considering, this is my first real blog entry in 2010, I need to pick up the pace on this one. However, I did sign up for a writing workshop that starts next week so there is still hope. I can’t really complain too much about my lack of commitment because my other resolution is not to complain so much. This is hard one because I think complaining is inherent in my culture. My last resolution is to run a Half Marathon. This one I am super excited about because I’ve been running more than I ever thought I could. I never ran more than 2 miles in my life but since October I’ve been running 2-3 times a week to be able to do the Kaiser Permanent Half Marathon next month. This week we did two 6 mile runs. For someone who barely passed P.E class in High School this is huge. I have actually started to enjoy running! I never thought I would use the work enjoy and running in the same sentence. I’ve also discovered some great run paths in San Francisco that I never had taken advantage of before. This picture is from a
View Larger Map">6 mile run from Fort Mason to the end of Marine Drive. Each way is about 3 miles so if you look back you get to enjoy a scenic 6 mile run by the bay.

FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT

Fake It Till You Make It exhibit last weekend at The Untitled Gallery . The artist Kourosh G. in front of one of his art.

Happy 2010

Cheers to 2010! May it bring you air to breathe, fire to warm you, water to drink and
the earth to live in.