Ed’s Note Summer ’24

Have you ever felt…blech?

Hang on, let me elaborate; that seemed a bit random.

Just a few moments ago, I was browsing through WhatsApp and saw one of my dearest friends requesting a recipe for banana bread. Now, I’m no Nigella but I’m a decent baker (although I have taken a bit of a hiatus during my tenure as a part-time student – more about that in my next ed’s note). I rifled through my trusty, handwritten, batter-splotched recipe book and found my no-flop recipe.

When I shared it, I shared a special tip that bubbled back into my head later in the afternoon: the riper the banana, the more lip-smackingly delicious the bread would be.

There are always bananas in my house, primarily because I like them in my bran flakes every morning, and secondarily because my husband takes a meandering fancy to them every so often. So, I’m often left with a surplus, and whenever I see a crop looking woeful, I whip them out and start creaming sugar and butter. Discarding them is an act of sacrilege I shan’t allow.

Have you ever seen a sad ‘nana? When it’s getting softer, or pap like the Afrikaans meisie in me would say, and those dark spots start appearing, making it look like it’s taken a terrible fall? It’s a truly withering sight, and it’s perhaps a human instinct to instantly look for the bin. But, consider the miracle of ‘nana bread: a warm slice slathered with butter, scarfed down with a cuppa tea is a guaranteed mood-booster (there must be scientific proof of this, somewhere).

I’ve felt like a battered ‘nana, before – haven’t you? BLECH. Perhaps, the end of this year has you feeling a bit wilted and icky. But, let me remind you that the year is not over. And, that you still have use. You still have purpose! With a little baking powder, chocolate and the warm cocoon of an oven, you can become ‘nana bread.

Go on. Give yourself some grace. Use these holidays to incubate, just like ‘nana bread in an oven. Take long naps with a fluffy blanket. Affirm yourself like a sprinkling of sugar. Enjoy your family, like chunks of chocolate. It’s the most wonderful time of the year and you, dearest, are all kinds of wonderful!

Enjoy the read. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Simbithi!