Fall 2020 PLATO VIRTUAL Breakfast Get-Togethers

Fall 2020 PLATO Virtual Breakfast 
Get-Togethers
1st and 3rd Fridays

Make new friends and meet new and longtime PLATO members; with special guests and possible topics suggested each week via the PLATO newsletter. 

 

Conveniently online via your computer or phone from the comforts of your home!

1st and 3rd Fridays in Fall 2020

• Days:  September 4th, September 18th, October 2nd, October 16th, November 6th,  November 20th, and we'll query attendees if they want to meet in December.

• Time:  9:30 am to 10:30 am

• Organizer:  Sue Dentinger and special guests.

• To join,  just click on this url at the right date and time: 

• https://meet.google.com/czb-vorm-cvy

• If you do not have a computer or smart phone, join by calling +1 501-803-2238  then when asked, enter the PIN 475483052#  

• RSVP or Questions?: Let Sue know you're coming the Wednesday before the breakfast by email or phone, or just show up!  

• Weekly PLATO emails will let you know of special guests or topics.

Questions? RSVP:  Sue's contact information is:  flumpo@gmail.com or 608 469-8766.

Banana Bread was a topic at our first online breakfast meeting (as was Carol Maas, the Waunakee Banana Bread Lady, who bakes banana bread three times a year to deliver to all the Waunakee schools to say thank you to the staff!)

Here's the recipe from Mary Karau for the Best Banana Bread Ever.  You could also call it "Small Batch Quarantine Banana Bread":

It's a small recipe and I put it into two large-ish ramekins.  You could also use a 5-inch oven pan.  As I mentioned, one recipe of this is 4 servings for me.  I would say each serving is about like a regular-sized muffin.  Ramekins are 3 1/2 wide

Ingredients:

One very ripe banana, medium (need not be "rotten"!)

1 medium egg

4 Tablespoons oil (neutral flavor, such as avocado)

1 scant teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed

1/4 Cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 rounded teaspoon baking powder

1/4 rounded teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt (more if Kosher salt)

1/4 - 1/2 cup broken nuts (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts)

Mash the banana in a wide bowl.  Add the egg and mix well.  Add the oil, vanilla, and the sugars and mix well.

In another small bowl, add the flours, the baking powder, baking soda, and the salt.  Mix well.  Add the nuts and toss.

Grease 2 large ramekins or a smallish oven pan.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients, folding rather than stirring, until just blended.  Do not overmix!

Bake at 325º for about 15 minutes.  Check with a toothpick in the center.  Cool 10-15 minutes and then turn out of the pans.

Notes:

This goes together very quickly and is really good--no fail!

I think plain whole wheat flour would work as of course would using all all-purpose flour.  WW Pastry flour makes the result very tender, great texture.

This banana bread keeps well for several days (if you can stop eating it that long!)

This is plenty sweet for me but some folks who have a big sweet tooth might use 1/4 cup granulated sugar.  

Enjoy!

Waunakee Banana Bread Lady (Carol Maas) 

favorite Banana Bread recipe via Steve Sparks: 

3/4 cup butter or margarine (whatever margarine is on sale)

1 1/2 cup  sugar

1 1/2 cup  mashed bananas

2 eggs  (well beaten)

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups sifted flour

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup  sour milk

3/4 cup  chopped nuts (optional)

Mix butter (I melt it into liquid in the microwave) and sugar thoroughly. Blend in bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add to banana mixture alternately with milk, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add nuts. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 75 minutes. Yield one loaf.....or  3-4 small loaves which are baked for 40-50 minutes.

To sour milk...add 1 Tbl.  white vinegar to milk. Bananas can be mashed and frozen until needed.

Other helpful tips for being in a Google Meet meeting:

• Join the conference, click on the link:  https://meet.google.com/czb-vorm-cvy.  The link will be active now and you can go to Google Meet at any time although other people will not join you until the meeting date and time.

• Use the link above before the meeting to:

• • Make sure your device’s camera and microphone work.

  • Get familiar with the interface.

  • Make sure you look good on camera (for example, I have a window behind me that casts me in silhouette so I close the blinds for the meeting).

• Joining the meeting:

• • Clicking on the “Joining info” link will open a tab in your browser and start Google Meet.

  • Depending on how you have your browser’s privacy settings configured, you may be asked to allow the browser to turn on your camera and microphone. Accept those permissions (otherwise you won’t be seen or heard!) and you will see yourself on your computer or phone screen.

  • If you’re the only one on the call, it will tell you that. If anybody else happens to be on, it will tell you that.

• Using the interface:

• • Use the icons in the center of the white bar at the bottom of the screen to control your participation.

  • § The microphone icon – Click on the icon to turn the mic on or to mute it. In the meeting you should always have your microphone muted unless you are speaking. This will prevent any background noises in your house from disturbing while others are talking.

  • § The camera icon – Click on the camera icon to turn it on and off.

  • § The red telephone receiver icon – Click on this icon to disconnect from the conference. If you leave Google Meet completely and then want to return to the conference, go back and click the “Joining info” link the invitation email.

  • § If the white bar at the bottom disappears from your screen, click anywhere in the main picture area to get it back.

  • Chat :  In the upper right corner of the screen is a chat function, this allows participants to send and receive texts. If there are many people in the meeting it may work better to write via Chat that you want to make a comment or question.