Banana Bread

"If you talked to your friends the way you talk to your body, you'd have no friends left"

 - Marcia Hutchinson

On Fridays I have to wake up at six in the morning. It takes me about an hour to drive to the school to work. After a usually tiring week with the grade seven's, I finally finish Friday at about twelve thirty, then drive home. I grab a quick meal, usually microwaved leftovers or a sandwich, then head out the door to work at the pet store. I'm at the pet store until about nine thirty at night. 

So here I am at ten thirty, finally sitting on the couch with my feet up, a hot glass of tea and a small snack, and watching a movie that just doesn't suit the night at all. I'm struggling through it. It's called The Hours and stars Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and others. I can definitely see how some people would enjoy this movie and I can appreciate the history, the art, and the story that went into this movie.

I just don't care. It doesn't suit my mood. I'd much rather be sitting watching the intense K-9 Widowmaker or the bloody gruesome Centurion. So why do I sit hear watching a movie that doesn't appeal to me?

Because I'm married!

I made the silly mistake of asking my wife which of these three movies she'd enjoy the most. Rookie mistake I know. And of course, a half hour into the movie, she decided that it wasn't good enough and that she was just going to head to bed.

So now it's getting later, and I'm tired. And I've switched to watching the bloody war between the Romans and the Picts in  the Centurion, and I want to go to bed, but I'm too stubborn now to give up.

Luckily, I have a large loaf of banana bread to keep me awake and happy! This is definitely my all time favourite recipe. It tastes like what I imagine banana bread to taste like, which isn't always the case.


Banana Bread

Banana's - 6-7 Mashed
Butter - 1 cup
Sugar - 2 cups
Eggs - 4
Flour - 2 1/2 cups
Salt - Pinch
Baking Soda - 2 tsp

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease two bread loaf pans with butter and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and butter until well combined. Add the eggs and bananas and stir.

Add the flour, salt, and baking soda, then fold into the banana mixture. Pour this whole mixture evenly into the greased loaf pans. Place in the oven for about 50-60 minutes o until the bread is puffed and a dark golden colour. Let cool a little before serving.

You can always adapt this recipe with chocolate chips, raisins, cinnamon... etc.

Enjoy! 

Irish Potatoes

"Tir gan teanga, tir gan anam (A country without language is a country without soul)"

 - Padraig Pearse

"In order to find his equal, an Irishman is forced to talk to God"

 - Braveheart

I did have another recipe all set to go, but seem to have deleted the photos.So this one is a little delayed, but still well worth it! I hope you like it.


This isn't the most exciting St. Patrick's Day recipe the food-blogging community has seen. It pales in comparison to the colcannon's, soda breads, and corned beef recipes. However, this recipe to me some distinctly Irish. It's simple, hearty, earthy and filling. It's the kind of meal that prepares you for a day of work in the fields, which is what I imagine as Irish.

The problem is that I've never been to Irelenad, or really know anything about it. One of my Great Grandparents was Irish, but I never got the chance to meet them or go further back in the timeline. But as a history student, I pride myself on thinking that I know more than the average person about Irish culture. That's why when St. Patrick's day rolls around, I get a wee bit annoyed with all the people pretending to be Irish. Why not Mongolian? Jamaican? Russian? It's odd that one tiny country gets so much attention from the rest of the world.

Here's my beef with this years St. Patrick's day.

Colcannon - A mashed potato dish filled with cabbage and leeks. This dish is mainly served at Halloween.

Corned Beef - Actually celebrates more of the American-Irish traditions, instead of distinctly Irish.

Black and Tan - this goes for Brownies, cakes, cocktails...this is probably my biggest annoyance this year. The Black and Tans was a police force created in Ireland to fight the IRA. They are infamous for their attacks on civilians and property destruction. They are despised in Ireland and an embarrassment to the British. By naming your cupcakes and drinks after this group is not really a salute to Ireland at all, and is basic ignorance of Irish history.

That last one really gets my goat. I can feel my blood pressure start to spike a bit about it. Anyways, this recipe contains what I believe to be strong Irish influences. It isn't a traditional meal, just one that I imagine is Irish. Hopefully it doesn't cause anyone anxiety or stress!

PS. For historical accuracy on Irish potatoes... Potatoes were brought to Europe by the Spanish during the Exploration era. They became popular in Ireland due to their ease of growth and abundance. The potatoes were infected by disease causing most of the population in Ireland to starve(1 million) and emigrate (another million). However, potatoes have grown back in popularity and still remain a common staple.


Irish Potatoes

Potatoes - 2, chopped into bite sized pieces
Leek - 1, sliced
Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
Thyme - 1 tbsp
Salt and Pepper - a few healthy pinches
Canola Oil

Preheat the oven to 375F

Once the potatoes are cut, place them in a bag with the remaining ingredients. Add a dollop of canola oil, enough to coat the potatoes. Shake the bag until everything is coated, then place on a baking sheet. Place in the oven for about 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown. Remove and serve immediately.

Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

"I don't like food that's too carefully arranged; it makes me think that the chef is spending too much time arranging and not enough time cooking. If I wanted a picture, I'd buy a painting"

 - Andy Rooney

As I sat down tonight, I wondered what's been going on in my life that I could write about. I've come up with nothing. Basically my life has come down to school work. I did play a squash game with a friend the other day, but because he basically demolished me. That's not really something fun and exciting to write about... 

I did do a presentation the other day is school about the affect of video games on students. Video games kinda get a bad rap. They get blamed for violence in teens and youth. Every time a school shooting occurs, blame gets placed upon media, movies and video games. I went into my research with the idea that violence would definitely play a role in how these students behave. 

Surprisingly, they didn't. Some of the studies I read showed that students that played video games actually had increased sympathy and cooperation than those who didn't. There were several other positives that came out of video game playing as well. There were definitely some negatives, but most of them had to do with self-regulation... such as getting enough sleep, being active and involved in social groups.

I think the biggest thing once again comes down to parent responsibility. I was surprised to discover that the average age for video gamers is 33. This means that the majority of video games are developed for people around that age range. So if your child is 16... and they're playing a video game meant for someone that is 30... they will be exposed to some adult themes, language and violence that may otherwise not be appropriate for them. Just something to keep in mind...

I made this recipe for my mother-in-law when she came down to visit a week ago. I owed her something after she helped sweep our floors and make fresh bread! It's definitely a great way to use a spaghetti squash and change up your meals a bit. It's more of a side dish than the main attraction, but it also makes for a great weeknight meal when you need something relatively painless. The one thing I do suggest when you make it, is lots of fresh ground black pepper. Really makes it pop! 

Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

Spaghetti Squash - 1

Butter - 1 tbsp
Flour - 2 1/2 tbsps
Garlic - 3 cloves, minced
Cream Cheese - 1 tbsp
Milk - 1 1/2 cups
Parmesan Cheese - 1 cup, loosely packed
Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Start with preparing the spaghetti squash. Cut the squash in half, and discard the seeds on the inside. Place the squash face down into a large casserole dish and half about an inch worth of water on the inside. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the shell has softened a bit. Set aside for about 5-10 minutes to cool.

Near the end of cooking time, in a small sauce pot melt the butter at low-medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add the flour and whisk into the butter, cooking for another minute. Add the Cream Cheese and continue to whisk. Add the milk as well, stirring gently until well combined. Bring up to a simmer, then remove from heat.

Add the Parmesan cheese and salt and stir until melted and combined.

Take a fork and shred the inside of the spaghetti squash, separating the flesh from the shell. Once clearly scooped, add half the parmesan mix to the spaghetti strands and stir together. Smooth out inside of the shell, grate some fresh parmesan over top, and a healthy amount of black pepper. Place back in the oven for about 2-3 minutes, close to the broiler. Once the cheese is golden and the mixture is bubbling, remove and serve.