Nana’s Banana Fudge

With children—or at least with my children—if a thing is someone’s special thing, such as, “pimento cheese is Mimi’s favorite,” there is a much higher chance that thing will be tried, tasted, considered and probably liked by the child.   A resounding recommendation of that funky looking vegetable on the plate from a relative or friend who isn’t even around can make all the difference in outright rejection versus open-mindedness and willingness to sample something new.

So it is with this knowledge that I shamelessly use all of you, my dear friends and relatives who read this blog, (among others) as conduits of high praise and recommendation when it comes to unknown substances or activities with my children.    You wouldn’t believe how many times saying something as simple as “did you know Aunt A. loves to eat cabbage?” will convince a child it just might be worth a try.

My mother and how she raised me to always give people credit, where possible.   She always gave credit to anyone who helped or took part in a thing, even if their contribution was very little, and it always seemed to me to be positive, so I carry on the tradition.

Where was I?  Oh yes, I was going to tell you about ice cream.   I hadn’t gotten to that yet.    We make ice cream in the summer because ice cream is so much fun to make and it’s one of the best tasting parts of summer.   I’ve dabbled around with flavors and this time I decided to try something different I’ve never done before.   I did so mainly because I had some things in my freezer I needed to use up.   First, I had two very old bananas.   They were frozen some months ago because at the time, they were past their prime and they had been waiting, slowly building up sugars as they waited to be used.

The other thing I had was a block of fudge my mother-in-law had made and brought to us months ago.  It may well have been in January, I’m not sure, but I’m pretty sure it was this year.    So, what to do with these aged items?   Make ice cream, that’s what.

My daughter and I got the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla and salt and started the ice cream maker churning. When the ice cream was close to finished freezing, we put in the partially thawed and chopped bananas.    Then, just before it was done, we put in cut up chunks of Nana’s fudge.   I hoped it was going to taste good.

It did.   It definitely tasted good.   The fudge—what was left after my daughter and I ate our fill—was just the right amount of chewy.   The bananas were perfectly soft and flavorful.  My daughter and I invited my husband and son to the kitchen by calling out, “come and have a taste of Nana’s Banana Fudge ice cream!”  She didn’t make the bananas, but her fudge definitely made the ice cream.

Hopefully there will be some left of Nana’s Banana Fudge ice cream when she comes to visit on Friday.

The Big Boy Update:  Last night my son came down in the middle of the night.   He quietly came up to me and said, “mom, I pooped in my pants while I was asleep.”   When he woke me up I was very asleep, so I told him to go to the bathroom and I’d be right there, hoping he’d go away.   I fell back asleep immediately.   He did what I asked him to, went to the bathroom and then waited.   I woke up again in a few minutes to his little face in mine saying, “mom, why aren’t you helping me?”   I got up and helped him.   He was rather forlorn about the whole thing happening while he was asleep.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  The past few days my daughter has been asking us while we’re driving, “can we go the speed lemon?”  Tonight we explained it was a “limit.”  I think she likes the idea of a lemon better.

Fitness Update:  Seven mile run this morning.   I remembered how to run.   I hadn’t done so since before vacation.