Disappointing Barley

I got the baking bug last night, so I pulled out some of the frozen bananas taking over my freezer and soaked them to make banana bread.   DH noticed all the baking tools out, and asked what I was doing?

"Disappointing Barley," I answered.

He knew exactly what I meant.  Barley is a huge fan of the family pumpkin bread recipe.  Why not--4 eggs for 3 loaves, and 3 cups of sugar.  What's not to like with all that heart-stopping goodness?

The banana bread has almost as much sugar, though, and since I replaced the butter called for by Betty Crocker, with vegetable oil, it is just as light.  Despite this, Barley does not care for it.  He likes bananas...sometimes.  Just not banana bread.  He had gamely tried it on several occasions, and still does not like it, despite all the sugar.

So, whenever the urge to bake coincides with too many bananas in my freezer, I make banana bread.  When the boys come down in the morning, smell the baked goods, and see the silver-wrapped loaves on the table--Teddy goes into a paroxysm of delight.  Barley checks to see the color, and if it is not orange, is disappointed. 

I tried adding chocolate chips this time, and baked some into muffins for a change of pace.  I picked out one particular muffin that had more chips, and set it aside with a note for Barley to try.  When I came downstairs in the morning, he had taken one bite, but not finished it.  Even with chocolate, banana bread was not going to cut it for him.

I gave him a hug, thanked him for trying it, and apologized to him that it was not the pumpkin bread I knew he was hoping for.  He looked up at me and smiled, saying, "That's OK.  This just means you're going to make some pumpkin bread SOON, right?"

My baby knows his Mama well.