Distraction by chocolate

It's hard when your big brother is off carousing and gorging on sugar at a party to which you aren't invited. Johnny was all set for a sad afternoon, until I remembered DottyCookie's Magic Monkey Bananas. The perfect activity.

Peel banana, break in half. Insert lolly stick (or in our case, stolen wooden coffee stirrer in one half and disposable chopstick in the other). Slather in molten chocolate (dark - my kids have carefully cultivated very good taste in chocolate) and sprinkle on sprinkles. Bung them in the freezer on some greaseproof paper for an hour for the chocolate to set and the banana to freeze into something which tastes like ice-cream, but is healthily virtuous.

And given that Mark cannot stand even the smell of bananas, I don't feel he's been deprived. Thanks Val, you saved our afternoon!

I've come to the conclusion that when the going gets tough, I blog about food. I suppose it's preferable to opening the fridge and eating food. But only marginally. Are you bored? Sorry.

Comments

[Gemma]

Crikey woman! What are you trying to do to me. Between this and Nigella's instant chocolate mouse I am going to be the size of a very large detached house!

[lazylol]

Yum yum - these remind me of the ones they sell at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, they have done them for years and I always have to have one! I am going to make some!

[raspberry]

Not bored at all dear! and the banana looks delish!!

Does Mark appear to have a heighten sense of smell by the way?

[Marmite Breath]

God, that sounds delicous. I might have to do that today!

[sarah]

When I was a kid, those where called "Monkey Tails" and they were my favorite!

[Sarah]

Damn. After getting excited about Gemma mentioning the mousse I googled the recipe thinking, "I don't care that I'm just home from Sainsburys - the shop round the corner will have what I need! MUST make it!" but discovered that it had marshmallows in it, so isn't vegetarian (like almost all commercial chocolate mousse). Damn. Still, we have bananas, and the shop round the corner has chocolate...

Yes, I am hormonal: why do you ask?! ;)

[Carla]

Those look so good! Great way for a mommy to save the day! Maybe my kids and I will try these soon!

[dottycookie]

Oooh, glad you liked them. We nearly resorted to them today as well.
But I tell you what is funny - our hundreds and thousands are all girly pink and yellow, while yours are boyish red & green. I actually fancy a bit of a change from all the pink ...

[Abby]

My husband hates the smell of bananas too. If I put them near any other food, he says he can taste them in the food. I love the banana/chocolate combo. I make Silk Chocolate soy milk and banana shakes. so good and rich.

[monica]

oh wow. that looks good!! very good!!!

I must remember it the next time one of them is at a party... and the other two at home bored and envious. (which is like every weekend... is it me, or do our kids have a more active social life than we do?)

[hazeljoy]

oh ali you are silly - i love reading about good food ideas! now i have booked a trip to the supermarket into my head to buy some chocolate and sprinkles tomorrow after school. guess what i'll be snacking on tomorrow... xx

[Megan]

I'm too tired to think of anything remotely clever, so I'll just say I do hope life gets easier soon and thank God for chocolate.

[Junie Moon]

Nope, not bored at all. Food is fun and I'm loving that whole banana idea! And what a cute photo of your little one enjoying it all.

[Bev and Ollie O]

Bored about food? Never!

They look great, I will make a note of that for when we have little cousins visiting and for when my Ollie is a little older.
One I love is stewed raspberries (or other fruit, rhubarb is good too) stirred gently into yogurt to make it "stripey" , pop into lolly moulds, yummy!

As for bananas. yummy, never tire of new things to do with them! mmm

[Bev and Ollie O]

Also I have linked to this from my food blog, hope you don't mind?

x

[sarah]

Definitely bored, a little hungry, but absolutely not bored!

[tiel]

we had this scenario last week. Milena didn't get to go to a party ut Ari did. Many tears. But a kind daddy fixed it with new fairy wings and a trip to the museum...i think i would have preferred that to going to the 5 year old crap scooby doo party!

[Poshyarns]

Hmmm, sort of disgustingly good, I am going to try that.

[two hippos]

The banana looks yummy, a great idea!

[sarah]

Oh ali, I meant to say definitely NOT bored. The chocolate covered banana must have turned my desperately-dieting-for-wedding brain to mush- Sorry!

[vintage twist]

Oh they do look good.

[kat]

what a good idea!
I think my kids would love these.
Thanks for sharing.

[Ragged Roses]

I loved that recipe when I saw it on Val's site too (now I'm definitely going to have to make it). I've just eaten half a bar of nougat!
Kim x

[Sarah]

Yum! What a lovely sibling-having-fun-without-you activity!

A lot of Sarahs read your blog... I'm the 4th to comment! :o)

[(Angie) Norththreads:]

Thank You Ali! blogging is definiatly a pleaseure 7 I hope it doesnt ever turn into a stress, otherwise Im outa here!LOL!

[weirdbunny]

Oh your such a lovely mummy !! I bet he much preferred making these instead of going to the party, when he knew chocolate was involved, and sprinkles !