Methods

Spend enough time with me and you'll learn that I LOVE to bake. Love to find new recipes, use old favourites, make a mess of the kitchen, harass my neighbours for more icing sugar (long story), etc. It's a stress reliever for me, which I didn't really understand until I looked back at the methodology I used to make banana bread this evening. At work, my methods have to be quite particular and precise, so as not to waste reagent, allow for cross contamination, etc. It seems that I want to rebel from time to time. Observe:

Locale: Montreal, Quebec – my kitchen

The instructions read (my actions are in pink):

I've assembled all the ingredients on the counter, along with my laptop currently blasting 'The Dance' by Charlotte Martin. I'm following a recipe I found on YumSugar (Lite Banana Bread)

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife (Look into flour container, realize there probably isn't the 2 cups required, so turn container upside down and whack the bottom to shake all the excess into the bowl).

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk (Or a fork, considering as the whisk is in the large implement vase and is nearly impossible to force it back in after use). (Start and win a staring contest with your cat. Then rub in your win by chasing her around the apartment).

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute) (Realize you don't have a mixer anymore, so again employ the fork technique. Dance to the Pussycat Dolls 'When I Grow Up' as you do so. {WHAT?! I like them……}) Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana (Which had been frozen in your freezer for an indeterminate amount of time, causing your roommate to frequently ask if you were going to do anything with those {SEE Liz? You go away, I get industrious}. So these are frozen bananas that have been thawing, and kind of squelch out of the peel. Go 'Ewwwwwwwwwww!' as you extract each, causing the cat to look at you weird), yogurt, and vanilla (Spill vanilla all over counter, use bad words); beat until blended (Or until the end of 'Promiscuous' by Nelly Furtado. Already a classic).

Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. (Add chocolate chips as seriously, there is nothing better than banana and chocolate chips. Eat a few to make sure they're still good. Add more to bowl) Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray (Don't have either in the cupboard but substitute square pan and margarine rubbed in with a paper towel. Rich in fiber!)

Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan (Drop onto plate as don't have wire racks). Cool completely on wire rack (Cut out a piece, try, and proclaim delicious. Cat still doesn't care but feel good knowing will go to a meeting tomorrow armed with baked goods. Wash down with a big glass of water and some anti skin itch drugs. My life is so glamorous….)

So I think I like to bake because it lets me hit things, dance around my kitchen and eat chocolate all to be sure that I deliver the best possible product to my friends and colleagues. I am so going to be a weird mom one day. (We'll get into my current unhealthy obsession with mommy blogs another day)