Step Six: Busy Work, and First Baking

My first post-college job has officially begun. It has been quite a transition, going from running my own program to learning all of the rules and procedures in a new one, not to mention the theatre games and warm-ups in the children's theatre community in Rhode Island. I'm enjoying being back in the classroom, I feel most comfortable and at home when creating performances with students. I'm currently directing one full production with 2nd through 5th graders, and one book adaptation with Kindergarteners and 1st graders. It's been a long time since I've worked consistently with the latter age group, I feel as though I'm stretching a muscle I've not used in years, and it is exhausting. I'm certain I'll settle into the routine and rhythm of teaching that class soon, and with both classes, and with work in the office in general, I'm learning a lot.

I'm also developing two adaptations of my favorite children's book, Old Turtle and the Broken Truth. One of them will be for the Stage Sprouts program (the aforementioned K/1st grade class) which will be mostly reading the book as narration, with the students doing some of the lines and using puppets. The other, however, I'm working on developing as a movement based theatrical piece for young adults as theatre for youth. My biggest goal with the project is to somehow translate the incredible beauty of Jon J. Muth's illustrations into the piece.

If you don't own this book, get one. It's really the most beautiful children's book in the entire world.


There really aren't very many other "life" updates. It's been a lot of getting settled into work, and being lazy at home. I do, however, have for you my favorite banana bread recipe.



Banana bread is the first thing I can remember baking as a child, and I've baked a lot of it. I remember walking up to my Mom the first time I made it and asking what "soda" was (because it was a Mom recipe and she didn't need to put "baking" in front of it). And I remember submitting a banana bread recipe to a church cookbook and I think writing that it needed to be baked at 100 degrees because I was very young and that sounded like a lot. Banana bread came to friends houses, church and school bake sales, and family gatherings.

Bananas had a tendency to rather often go to mush in our house growing up, but this was never a problem. As a matter of fact, I've often wondered if we intentionally ignored them in favor of the prospect of this bread. This is a heavy bread, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's dense, chewy, and full of banana flavor just the way it should be. I sometimes add some cinnamon to the recipe, or to sprinkle on top, but truly it doesn't need it. It just needs to be eaten warm, straight from the oven (because of the aforementioned impatience) with a good sized schmear of cream cheese. Were I in my parent's house, this loaf wouldn't have lasted the day, but because J. doesn't eat anything banana, I guess there's more for me.


I won't tell you how many slices I've had since yesterday. Or about how it came out of the oven as I was running out of the house because I was late for work because I never time things well never ever. And how I still stopped to chop of a very substantial slice and quickly slather on some cream cheese.

I still got to the classroom before my students did, it turned out okay.

And it was delicious.

JudyMom's Banana Bread


3 very ripe bananas
¾ cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 egg
¼ cup butter, melted
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp water
2 cups of flour

Mash bananas with a fork or pastry blender. Blend in sugar, salt, and beaten egg. Add melted butter. Dissolve baking soda in water and add with sifted flour. Mix, but do not overstir. Bake in a loaf pan for 45 minutes (to an hour -- mine always seems to take longer than expected) in a 350 degree oven.


Easy, comforting, and delicious. Tastes like home.