History repeated

A long long time ago, when I was but a wee lass...

Overly-ripe bananas were on sale at Alpha Beta.  (The last of which, according to Wikipedia, became Ralph's in 1995.)

Jan put about 5 bunches in the shopping cart.  "Gwen [my other mother] will find something to do with them," she told me.  The teller was shocked.  "She doesn't know you're bringing them home?"  she asked.  Uh, no.

Gwen made banana bread, banana pancakes, banana everything.  We gave baked banana goods to the neighbors.
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25 years later, Mom apparently forgot how unhappy Gwen was that day.

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When she came to Sacramento to visit, she brought me 7 overly ripe bananas, which she had at home and "didn't want to waste."

I already had 6 bananas at home that were on the verge of going.

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So.  I am not a baker.  But....

I made banana soft serve.
I made banana strawberry smoothies.
I made chocolate banana creamsicles.
I made banana fritters.

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In two days we ate EVERY SINGLE BANANA.

I am proud. :)

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Recipes, for those who are curious: 

Banana Soft Serve 
 2 ripe or overripe bananas 
2 tsp vanilla Chocolate Syrup (optional) 

Break up the banana into 1-inch chunks. Freeze. Add it to the blender slowly. Put in vanilla halfway through. Keep going, even though you have to use a spatula to push it toward the blades. 

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Chocolate Banana Creamsicles 
3 large over-ripened bananas 
1 cup coconut milk (I used rice milk) 
4 tbsp cocoa powder (I used chocolate chips) 
1 tsp vanilla extract 
a pinch of salt 
Dixie cups 
popsicle sticks 

Shove everything in the blender and process until smooth. Divide among popsicle molds (or dixie cups), insert stick in middle, and freeze for at least 4 hours. 

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Jamaican Banana Fritters 
1 ⅔ cup mashed overripe Bananas (about 5 medium bananas) 
3 Tbsp Brown Sugar 
¼ tsp Nutmeg 
¼ tsp Cinnamon 
½ tsp Vanilla extract 
pinch salt 
1 cup all-purpose Flour 
1-2 Tbsp Cooking Oil 
1 Tbsp granulated Sugar 

Mash bananas with sugar and spices; stir flour into banana mixture 
Heat 1 or 2 Tbsp cooking oil on High and, using a serving spoon, spoon batter into pan 
Fry fritters until crisp and brown on both sides; you may have to add more cooking oil. 
When you press them if no batter oozes out they’re done.
 Remove fritters from pan and place on paper towel. 
Sprinkle with white sugar and eat warm.