When you're five months pregnant people are often asking about what kinds of cravings you're experiencing and I wish I had a good answer, but as my husband often points out, I've been a very boring pregnant person. I think he's a bit disappointed as when I remark that I'm hungry he lights up and offers to thrown on the superman cape and pick me up anything my heart desires.....and then I just walk to the kitchen and have a bowl of cereal. There have been little nuances to my appetite here and there. I didn't have any morning sickness throughout my first trimester, and instead I had a large morning appetite. One of the first days I suspected I was pregnant was when I woke up and needed an omelette immediately. I've never been a breakfast person and am not all that big a fan of eggs. But there I was, for two weeks straight, eating an omlette every morning. I also immediately lost my taste for coffee (again, before I even knew I was pregnant). That was another shock for me. But since then things have calmed down and I have as normal an appetite as I always have. Sometimes I'm in the mood for something, but no more than I usually am. But the biggest, most surprising effect this pregnancy has had on me is the loss of my sweet tooth. Normally this time of year I eat ice cream after dinner, and I always, my whole life, have had a fondness for desserts. I could not go a day without eating dessert. And yet, like clockwork, I immediately lost my sweet tooth. I've been to two weddings pregnant now and could not eat the wedding cake! I'm practically ashamed of myself. On occasion a dessert will look appealing to me, but then I take one bite and my faces scrunches up over the sugary sweetness. Instead, I've been enjoying more savory sweets, like a tiny bite of bitter dark chocolate, or something simple like banana bread, with some of the sugar cut out. This banana bread was my kind of indulgence for a week. I ate a buttered slice every morning. If I had some overripe bananas now I'd be baking some. It's nearly as traditional as you can get and a loyal recipe to keep for years.
Banana Nut Bread, adapted from Food & Wine
3/4 c toasted pecans
1 1/4 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t cinnamon
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 t salt
3/4 brown sugar (original recipe calls for 1 cup granulated sugar)
2 eggs
1/2 c canola oil
3 overripe bananas, mashed
1 t vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan and line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk flour and baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, combine sugar, eggs and oil and beat on high speed with a handheld until creamy and light. Mix in mashed bananas and vanilla and beat until combined. Stir in dry ingredients and nuts. Pour batter into pan and bake for one hour.
