Just Crumbs

Hey!
Sorry for not being around for the last week or so…I’ve been relaxing by the fire and reading a really great book.  I also spent a day hand crafting ornaments out of foraged items from around the farm…they are really beautiful!  I found all the stuff to make the ornaments on my daily snowshoe around neighboring farms…it’s just a beautiful way to spend your days in December!Ya.  Okay.  In my next life.

Meanwhile, in THIS life, I am doing everything that you are all doing…scrambling for a parking spot within a few miles of the mall (usually just as the mall is closing); finding random weeknights to have people over (not for an elaborate meal but for some wine and cheese that I find in the fridge); spot cleaning the house because there just isn’t time to do a decent job; throwing together very uncreative weeknight dinners for our family (that has grown over the past week because my kids are back from university); putting up decorations, not in a relaxed fashion with a hot chocolate in hand – but rather, in bits and pieces as I find boxes that weren’t put back in the right place after last Christmas; making “to-do” lists but not really crossing anything off.

Sound familiar?

Not a pretty picture, huh?  None of us should feel guilty about not making this season as picture perfect as you think it should be.  It’s easy to feel discouraged when things don’t get done…but just remember, nobody’s perfect and behind every “Martha” house is a lot of stress (and probably a lot more wine!).

That being said, let’s make the most of this holiday season.
Don’t fret about perfection…most people feel better when it’s not perfect (it makes us all feel so much more “normal”).  So, tonight, when you’re cleaning your dinner dishes, throw this cake in the oven.  It takes about 12 minutes to put together and smells absolutely heavenly.  The best part is that it can be cut into squares and frozen for company later (just re-heat it and whip of the bananas foster to serve with it…you can even use frozen bananas that you threw in the freezer for banana bread).

Now, you have to excuse me while I go find my ladder (that I have misplaced…who misplaces a ladder anyways?) because I have to decorate my tree that has been in it’s stand for a week and a half.
It’s looks pretty – all naked and everything.  ‘Cause really, decorations would just ruin it.
Right??
🙂

Ingredients:
Cake:
2 c flour
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 c molasses
1/4 c corn syrup
1 1/3 c butter
1/2 c brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 c milk
For topping:
1 c unsalted butter
1 1/2 brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c rum
6-8 bananas, sliced

1.  Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9 x 13 ” pan.

2.  In a large bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, baking soda and salt (you can sift it or you can just use a whisk and mix it up that way); set aside.

3.  In a saucepan, heat molasses, butter, corn syrup and brown sugar; stir until melted.

4.  Add the melted mixture to the dry mixture and whisk together.

5.  Add the milk and eggs and whisk again (be careful…if the mixture is still hot, the eggs will curdle so add the milk first to cool it down before adding the eggs).

6. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes (the middle will spring back when touched).

7.  Meanwhile, get your topping ingredients together.

8.  In a saucepan, melt butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until it is all melted and becomes a caramel (you have to stir it constantly…it will come together…I promise).  Add the rum and stir again over heat for another minute.

9.  Add the bananas and warm through (warning:  this is so addictive…try it over ice cream!!)

10.  Cut the cake and plate it.  Pour a generous amount of  the banana caramel over top …

11.  Okay…go ahead and add a scoop of ice cream!  Delish!!

FOR AN ALTERNATIVE:  Upside Down Apple Gingerbread Cake

1.  Make the cake as directed above but, before you pour the batter into the prepared pan, dollop about 1/2 cup of cold butter (cut into smallish pieces) onto the bottom of the pan and top with a sprinkling (about another 1/2 cup) of brown sugar.

2.  Cut about 2-3 apples in slices and place on top of the butter/brn sugar mixture.  Pour the batter over top of the apples and bake as directed above.