If the temperature is under 80ºF the oven is able to be used. In rare instances I’ll bake something when I could easily just set a metal box outside and let the sun work for me, but like I said – thats rare. Yesterday I felt the need to bake something for my housemate/roommate/bedmate – boyfriend I suppose. I don’t know where this domesticity comes from.

Apparently I have June Cleaver somewhere in my blood. But those genes don’t mix well with the feminist hippie ones. I don’t like relationship terms – ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’ make me think I’m twelve again and ‘partner’ makes me think John Wayne is talking to me. And I regularly threaten, lovingly, that I’d stab my darling with a broken bottle if he ever told me to get him a beer – though he never would even if I didn’t have such a maniacal look in my eyes.

I think it comes down to me wanting to do something nice for someone else. Its more like taking treats to the shop than to him. I like visiting a bunch of surly mechanics and giving them sweets. Today’s delicacies were an invention using what was in the house since I am completely broke – and will be that way for a while.

Monkey Bars – adapted from this blondie recipe.

Ingredients

1 large frozen, thawed, mashed banana

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon molasses

1/4 cup peanut butter?

1 1/4 cups flour (1/2 c. whole wheat, 3/4 c. white AP)

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup choc chips

1/2 cup walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 and line an 8×9 brownie pan with parchment paper and set aside (if no parchment is handy, spray w/ non stick cooking spray or brush lightly with margarine or canola oil)

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl mix banana and sugar with a strong fork or wooden spoon. Add oil, vanilla, molasses, and pb.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Pour batter into the brownie pan, spread with a spoon or spatula. Bake for 40-50 minutes until top is firm and brown and a knife comes out clean when stabbed into the center. Let cool completely and devour.

Maybe baking all this is just an excuse for me to eat some of the batter.