Banana Pudding

Katy has been reminded in Technicolor, THX sound, why her diet consists of chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and misc food that requires no preparation.

This was my Facebook "status update" yesterday.

Honestly, all I wanted to do was make this yummy-sounding recipe for Banana Pudding that a co-worker brought to a potluck. I didn't even get to be at the potluck (I was in South Bend), but I heard rave reviews, and apparently in the "south", that's something to not take lightly. Well, all of my family likes bananas (Jes, you weren't here, so you don't count!), and it sounded good, so while Chip was at work and Sean was outside playing, I figured I could knock it out quick without too much fuss.

I was wrong.

First, the recipe requires whipped topping. No problem. I had that! Thawed. Oh, now that's another story. So, I took it out of the freezer and took Sophie down to the park to swing for a few minutes while it thawed (didn't figure it would take too long in 80+ degrees). 35 minutes later, back upstairs to the pudding.

I started mixing the pudding, and I hear blood-curdling screams. Ok. Not blood-curdling. But potentially pudding-curdling. 20 minutes later, after cleaning up a VERY dirty, but not-so-injured, "Buzz Lightyear", everyone's hungry for dinner. I get out the hot dogs, but there's only 1 left. The kiddos fight over it. Sophie wins, but only because I offer Sean a "quesadilla" (cheese burrito, really. Too lazy for 2 layers).

That done, hands washed, I commence to cutting the bananas. Sophie's at my feet (when she's not opening the oven and standing on the door to try to reach things) screaming for a whole one - a 1/2 one just won't do, but I didn't have enough to give her a whole one. Should have skimped on the recipe to appease, I see in hindsight. Too late now - they're already cut up, and that just isn't the shape of banana she was interested in.

Finally, I get all the parts mixed together, and it ends up like this:

Very tasty. Rich. Creamy. Kinda like gramma's ice cream dessert, honestly, only with bananas. And there are cookies instead of Ritz, so no slight salt flavor that would have helped cut down the sweetness a bit. Really, really good. But...I won't attempt anything like it again soon, at least not while Chip is at work. The taste is not worth the pain in the rear it was to make, even though it's really easy.

Back to nuggets, hot dogs, cheese burritos, ice cream, pre-baked cookies, and the like...after I eat another helping of the pudding. ;-)