Repost: Sorry this went away…site upgrades

What makes a person healthy? According to Rush Limbaugh apparently it’s being a supermodel. Now I actually call Crazy Cocker Spaniel a supermodel because she is blond, not real bright, tall for her breed, and throws up her food often.  If she was a chain smoker who snorted a little coke I could probably get her an agent. So I find it interesting that Rush uses supermodels as the model for a healthy woman. Apparently who isn’t a healthy woman and who isn’t practicing what she preaches is Michelle Obama. Now I tend to steer clear of politics on here and this isn’t really a political thing, but I don’t see how someone with Michelle Obama’s guns (arms for those not in the know…aka my mom) can’t be healthy.? You don’t get those sitting around doing nothing.

On one hand, Limbaugh said, she is encouraging children to get healthy and eat “roots, berries, and tree bark” but was recently seen enjoying a high-calorie meal of fatty ribs. First off, why are people getting their panties in a wad over the fact that she is dare suggesting that we all eat better and move more? We ALL know this. Do we do this? No, not always. I know I certainly don’t and I continually work on that.

“The problem is, and dare I say this, it doesn’t look like Michelle Obama follows her own nutritionary, dietary advice…I’m trying to say that our First Lady does not project the image of women that you might see on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue or of a woman Alex Rodriguez might date every six months or what have you.”

Being healthy does not equate to being skinny. To me being healthy means you have good numbers for your cholesterol, waist ratio, blood pressure, triglycerides, and blood sugar. It also means to me that you eat 90% “healthy” and 10% indulgent the other time. Because she is photographed eating ice cream or ribs doesn’t mean she’s not practicing what she preaches. I know many people assume that all I do is sit around and eat my baked goods. They would be sad to learn that sometimes I just get a taste of them and give them to others. Yesterday I ate steel cut oatmeal with almond butter and a sliced banana for breakfast, along with a green smoothie. Lunch was Roasted Beet and Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad. Afternoon snack was Ants on a Log (celery with almond butter and raisins…not actual ants, though I have eaten ants before)and a glass of ABC (freshly juiced Apple, Beet and Carrot juice). Dinner was Ratatouille Chili loaded with veggies.  And a handful (maybe two   ) of Swedish Fish.
Michelle doesn’t need to be a stick to be healthy. I think the media has warped people’s perception of what is considered healthy, or thin for that matter. My friends just the other day were discussing that Jennifer Hudson is in no way a size six. I think she is. I’ve been that size. But we are so used to seeing celebs a size zero, that a size six seems large. Sigh. Remember the good old’ days when supermodels of the 80’s were a size 6/8. Far more realistic if you ask me.

Clearly my entire site falls into the 10% category. But you know what? That ten percent is what makes life pretty darn awesome.  And adding to that 10% is this Brown Sugar Banana Cake with Sugared Walnuts. This is not one of the things I just stuck in my mouth for a taste. This is one that got devoured by me. It’s a spinoff of a Brown Sugar Almond Cake I made awhile back that I make quite often. It’s a keeper for sure.

What do you think, do you need to be skinny to be healthy? Is Michelle Obama unhealthy? Is Jennifer Hudson a size 6?

Brown Sugar Banana Pound Cake with Sugared Walnuts

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1  cup almond meal
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounce cream cheese, at room temperature
2 medium bananas, super ripe (like scary brown ripe)
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 TBSP pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. pure almond extract
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugared walnuts (see recipe below)
Brown Sugar Glaze (see recipe below)

Spray a Bundt pan, 10-inch tube pan, or two 8 ½ by 4 ½  inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray (I used a loaf pan spring form and two mini loaf pans).
Preheat oven to 325F.
In a bowl, sift together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, cream together the butter, bananas,  and cream cheese, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in the brown sugar and powdered sugar and continue beating until pale and fluffy.
Beat in the vanilla and almond extract.
Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.

Switch over to using your hand and a spatula. Add the flour mixture and fold into the batter. Do this until no flour can be seen and batter is smooth.
Fold in sugared walnuts.
Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 75-90 minutes. For my mini loaves, it took 55 minutes. For the spring form loaf pan it took 70 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Then remove from pan and pour with glaze.

Brown Sugar Cake recipe adapted  from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Conner (if you don’t own this yet, you should!)

Sugared Walnuts
2 cups  walnut halves
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup water
Lightly grease a baking sheet.
In a 1 quart glass measure, combine walnut halves, sugar, and water. Cook in microwave oven on high setting for 8 to 8 1/2 minutes, or until sugar has caramelized. Stir several times during cooking. Pour out onto prepared baking sheet, and separate into pieces. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Sugared Walnuts recipe from Allrecipes.com

Brown Sugar Glaze
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 TBSP water
In a bowl combine all the ingredients until smooth. Pour over cake.