Temptation

I was listening to a debate on obesity in the House of Commons, and someone commented that it's not choices or lack of them that is the problem; the problem is we eat from habit and copy the behaviour of our friends and peers.

It suddenly struck me how much that applies to me. I'm very tempted by suggestion, be it from a friend, a conversation, a cookery programme or something I've read. I never realised until now just how easily I am led. For someone who tends to be a leader rather than a follower I find that quite shocking. Maybe I'm becoming more compliant in my old age, or lazy, or just couldn't care less!

When younger, I never tried drugs... still haven't; I just never saw the point in them. I rarely drank alcohol, and I trusted my own judgement about what was good or bad for me. But as I've got older I find myself acting on the merest hint of suggestion.

I can no longer watch cookery programmes on TV because if I see a dish that looks delicious, I just have to make it. If I'm on a diet, I might resist the temptation for a week or so, but inevitably I will eventually give in, and armed with my shopping list, will go to buy the ingredients. The thing is, more often than not I'm disappointed with my endeavors, the thought of the food far more appealing than the actual result.

The same can be said of talking to friends and family or chatting on forums. If someone says they are eating such and such for dinner, I think... oooh I haven't had that for ages. Or if never having tried that particular food/meal I suddenly develop an insatiable desire to try it.

The internet is a dangerous place for the unwary, and I'm not talking phishing, viruses, spammers and stalkers. I'm talking about that most dangerous of subjects, cake! I never used to eat cake until I joined one forum, and now find myself adding it to my shopping list with gay abandon, simply because it's constantly referred to. Likewise with alcohol; I used to drink a glass or two of wine at weekends. But chatting on line in the evenings, the drinking habits of others have somehow become my drinking habits, and pouring a glass or two of wine every night of the week soon became the norm.

I've always been wary of becoming a regular drinker, but drinking wine in the evening seems to be the norm for many people, and so it has become acceptable practice. We copy the behaviour of others, because if enough of them are doing it then it must surely be OK, mustn't it?

How easily the habits of others become our own. The recent snow has meant ordering my shopping online from Tesco. Clicking on my "favourites" made for shocking reading! There was all manner of unhealthy fayre on there, from cakes and bakery products, to chocolate, ready meals and wine. Many items I would never have previously noticed on the shelves, let alone bought. They looked oddly out of place scattered amongst the familiar brands I'd bought for years; aliens in a foreign land. It's enough of a surprise to see Tesco recommended products at the top of each section of my favourites, and unsettling if my particular brand is out of stock to see a similar unfamiliar alternative underneath. But these aliens were in my favourites because I put them there!

Can a remark or a suggestion from a complete stranger on a forum really have such an impact on my eating and drinking habits? Or am I just incredibly weak? I don't think it's just a question of weakness, although undoubtedly that does come in to it. I suppose it works very much the same way as advertising, or product placement on shelves. Or as in the case of Tesco, adding an item to the top of each section in my favourites; muscling in on my subconscious!

So, having acknowledged to myself how easily led I am, I've been through all my favourites on the Tesco web site and deleted anything that isn't what I would normally buy. Everything that is, except for Tesco's own suggestions, because annoyingly, they don't provide the facility to delete them! Drinking wine is now back to being a weekend only treat, out go the cakes, and there's to be no more baking... something that until recently I hadn't done for years.

I've also written a little memo to myself on a bright pink post it note and stuck it on my laptop so it's always there to remind me...

*Don't do as others do, do what is best for you!*

Yes! We Have No Bananas

Not being one to be beaten... and a glut of over ripe bananas festering in the fruit bowl; I decided to have another go at baking a banana cake, as my first attempt was most unpleasant... when is a soggy bottom anything but!

My banana purchases are very specific. I buy them at the weekend in readiness for the start of the Monday morning diet. But my good intentions rarely proceed beyond Monday lunchtime, so the fruit bowl doesn't get so much as a cursory glance for the rest of the week. Until, that is, pesky little black fruit flies flit around my head attempting suicide by drowning in my glass of wine, which alerts me to the presence over ripe fruit.

Not wanting to waste the black skinned bananas, I Googled a recipe for Banana cake, and the top result was this one, which everyone seems to rate very highly. But sadly, mine was very disappointing. It was heavy, with a dense texture that was so moist towards the bottom it looked uncooked. Needless to say it went in the bin. Would have been a lot cheaper and less wasteful, not to mention time consuming, if I'd just chucked the bananas in the bin in the first place!

So, realising how futile it was, I didn't add bananas to my shopping list this week. Instead, I came home from the supermarket determined to put the over ripe fruit to good use and bake a banana cake to be proud of... well one that was edible!

Having thoroughly researched the subject, I discovered this isn't the easiest cake to bake and get good results, which made me feel a little better. Believe it or not, there are probably more disgruntled banana cake bakers out there than happy ones. I also discovered that I had probably over blended the mixture, as I used a food processor instead of doing it by hand.

Anyway, always one for a challenge, I decided that this time I would follow the recipe exactly! Well, when I say exactly... I didn't have self raising flour, so I used plain flour with the addition of baking powder and a pinch of bicarb and salt for good measure. Neither did I have enough castor sugar, so I substituted half with demerara sugar. But that apart, everything else was exactly as stated.

One hour and 10 minutes later I removed it from the oven.

Looking good...
Eager to see what it was like inside, it wasn't long before I cut into it to check the consistency.

Not a soggy bottom in sight!

But it was still a little warm, so I served up a couple of slices and left them to cool while I made a cuppa.


It was at this point I think I was going a little bananas as I surreptitiously glanced around the room in a suspicious manner, and announced to the dog that I hoped there weren't any cows in the kitchen. Yes you read right, I said cows, when in fact I meant flies! Why this should be I have no idea, bus I suspect it might have something to do with a fellow Etsy member called Cow who loves cake and is always on the scrounge for it. After a quick search under the table, behind the fridge and in the pantry I was satisfied Cow wasn't lurking, and my cake was safe to be left unattended while it cooled.

Never turn your back for a minute...

Spot the difference

I am happy to report my banana cake was delicious! I say "was" because it didn't last very long... possibly on account of a couple of slices going walkabout! It had a lovely crunchy outer, moist but light centre and was bursting with flavour. Although by morning the outer had lost it's crunch and become slightly moist, which I actually think I preferred. So to my mind it improves with keeping, very much as Parkin does.

'Tis Monday tomorrow, I need to start my diet and I have no bananas!