Conquering Banana Cake

It’s like this.

I had a banana protein muffin recipe to try.  One simple recipe.  And since we had three large bananas turning black in the fridge, I was quite happy to turn them into healthy, low-cal muffins.  But the muffin recipe only required half of one banana.  So what was I to do but make chocolate chip banana cake with the rest of them?

Banana cake in the house – not a bad thing, you say?  You must not know me.  If I have one reasonably sized piece and stop, I feel totally deprived.  Fish-out-of-water deprived.  Writer-without-a-keyboard deprived!  So I go back for a second piece.  And a third.  And several hours later, it’s calling to me again.  My guys have a piece each, one takes a piece in his lunch the next day, and by the time they come home, the last half of the pan is gone!

The problem is that, bananas or not, it’s not healthy at all.  Scrumptious, but not healthy.  And definitely not for someone trying to lose a few pounds.

I’ve modified the recipe:  applesauce for half the shortening; whole wheat white flour for half the all-purpose white.  And the biggest sacrifice, ¾ of a cup of mini chocolate chips instead of a whole cup of regular.  Once I tried using Craisins instead of chocolate chips, but it just wasn’t the same.  Must. Have. Chocolate.

So there’s the banana cake, sitting on the counter.  I cut it into 18 pieces instead of 15.  And then I run it through the recipe calculator on SparkPeople.com.  291 calories for one piece!  How am I supposed to fit that into a diet where a really really really good day finishes not too far over 1500 calories?

Day One:  I have one piece.  One.  I cut it in half and pretend it’s two, and that helps.  And late that night, even watching the Food Network, I don’t have another one.  I think about it, say meh (youngest son’s favorite answer to anything), and put it out of my mind.  Call me Conqueror of the Banana Cake.

Day Two:  I do not have a piece for breakfast, even though it’s one of the best tasting breakfasts there is.  Even better than the ice cream or pizza breakfasts of my younger days.  I have half a piece for lunch.  And I don’t have any the rest of the day.  Which might have something to do with the fresh pineapple and grapes I have in the fridge, but SCORE!

Day Three:  There’s still a lot left.  The guys have been eating grapes and pineapple too.  They’re gone all day.  I’m home all day.  I have a piece for lunch.  I have another piece as I’m cooking dinner.  And a half a piece late at night.  Sigh.  I haven’t devoured all of it, but I am no longer the conqueror.

Last Day:  I bag three pieces for the guys’ lunches because that way I won’t get into them.  I keep the foil sealed tightly around the pan so I can’t smell it.  I eat a proper breakfast and leave for the day.  When I get home, there’s a half a piece left.  One small, half piece.

I eat it with glee, with GLEE!  After all, when you add it all up, I only ate a quarter of the pan, not my usual half.  Right?

What food have you conquered lately?  Or what food has conquered you?  Enquiring minds want to know!