Bena Mae’s Kitchen: Rants and Raves

I’m grumpy.  I’m bored. I hate my house.  I’m tired of eating my own cooking. If my phone rings and someone says they have the wrong number, I keep them on the line for several minutes because I’m tired of talking to myself.  
Cooped up like we’ve been since Christmas tends to bring out the worst in many of us.
We concentrate on things that wouldn’t have bothered us before. Like sixteen year-old Justin Beiber, the teen-age idol of the bubble gum generation who threaten the life of his girlfriend if she ever hurts him.
He has written his memoirs. At sixteen!  And he makes a hundred million dollars a year!
Mothers, talk to your daughters. This is insane.
Oprah has hijacked the Health Cannel, one of my favorites. Her OWN network is not living up to the hype of the previous month or so. I’ve tried to watch it but so far it hasn’t kicked in. Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, Gayle, Suze Ormand, 24/7? They have their own shows on other channels. Don’t get me wrong, I like Oprah. But too much of anything is too much. Speaking for myself, I prefer watching the miracle of medicine and how it can improve one’s life.
During this long isolation, I have enjoyed watching the Discovery channels more and more. Especially the programs that open up new worlds of learning that passed me by in school–Nature and Wildlife and History documentaries. For example, hummingbirds that can fly 500 miles over the Gulf without stopping. And the love and protection by mothers of newborn animals, traits that are not unlike that of the human species.  
Watching a mother elephant mourn over her dead baby can evoke sympathy and understanding that we can connect with.  And rooting for the impala in the race with the charging lion only shows our caring about the under dog.
The History channel tells us things about Christ’s early life that theologians have studied for centuries. It widens our understanding and answers questions we have puzzled over for years. Thought provoking, better perspectives.
And one of my favorite subjects, the behind-the-scenes stories of WWII and the heroics of  our troops who made victory possible. And of course the genius of our generals.
We are never too old to learn. And I am truly thankful for the programs that feed our curiosity and make us hungry for more.  That is one thing that TV can do for us during this period of waiting for the weather to behave itself. If we only look for it.
Now I’m off to see how the fight between the lion and the alligator goes. I really don’t care which one loses. I don’t like either one.

Your favorite banana split ingredients on a cake base. It’s always been one of my favorites.

Banana Split Cakes
Source: All Recipes

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla  pudding mix
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups milk
3 ripe bananas
2 (8 ounce) cans crushed pineapple, drained
1 (16 ounce) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (4 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Bake cake as directed on package. Cool completely.
In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix, cream cheese and milk. Beat until smooth. Spread on cake.
Slice bananas thin and arrange on top of pudding mixture. Spread drained pineapple on top of bananas.
Cover entire cake with whipped topping. Garnish with cherries and chopped walnuts.