Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Sweet or Sour, which do you prefer???







Did you know that the taste buds most sensitive to detecting sweetness are on the tip of your tongue and those that detect sour flavors best are on the sides of your tongue?  


Most everyone loves sweets, as a matter of fact, our new study for our life group includes a snack of some sort during the warm up. Warm ups are a kind of getting to know you better session. We had sweet and sour/salty choices. EVERYONE chose sweets, which happened to be cookies. And some chose more than one cookie, but that is a whole other blog :P
My son in law loves sour food, go figure. So for every birthday, Christmas, Easter basket, etc... he gets his fill of sour things. While dating, my daughter was working in Alaska for 5 months, he lived on sour patch kids alone. Bags of them!! Here are the newlyweds:
photo courtesy of MLittle Photography

Getting back to sweet and sour, the whole point of our taste test was to bring attention to our words. Our words can be sweet and sour too. Sometimes we not only need the sweet words but the sour. How can we grow if there is not honesty, we (society) have gotten to a point where no one wants to offend, or no one wants to be offended. We can not even take constructive words, we are all perfect. WRONG!! The sour words show the reality of what we have done or said or need to improve. The sweet words gives us confidence, love and hope. They go hand in hand. Just like those sour patch kids, you get the initial shock of the sour and the comfort and ending of the sweetness. That is how we should look at handling situations, always follow the sour with a sweet. Never be afraid to try the sour, knowing that you will get to the sweet goodness on the other side. Just like James said in his letter, "when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy". James was a wise man, so wise in fact that God saw fit to include him in the Bible, how cool is that!!!

Speaking of something sweet, how about some yummy banana bread? Even better, how about some yummy Chocolate banana bread??

Triple Chocolate Banana Bread
Preheat oven to 350*
Butter and flour loaf pan
3/4 cups Pecans*, chopped
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 butter (unsalted preferred) soft
4 ripe (I mean ripe) bananas smashed well
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup each white* and milk chocolate chips
Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans*
1/2 total white*, milk chocolate chips

In large bowl, mix flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.




In separate bowl, with potato masher or large fork, combine bananas, eggs, butter and vanilla.

With large spatula fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until combined.

Fold in nuts and chocolate chips,

Transfer to loaf pan. Sprinkle topping in order on batter in pan.

Bake 55 to 65 minutes, until cake tester comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack. Serve warm if possible.
You could also add 1/2 cup coconut to recipe and 1/4 to topping.
Walnuts may be substituted for pecans
Can substitute dark chips for white

Diane's Triple Chocolate Banana Bread: Diane's Triple Chocolate Banana Bread

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