It’s a girls’ night again.
Because I am a jerk 99% of the time, I decided to do something kind for my husband and relinquish my ticket to tonight’s Coldplay concert so he could take one of his guy friends along instead.
Truthfully, I am not all that much of a Coldplay fan and find that if I listen to more than two of their songs in a row I am overcome with the need to immediately sit in front of a sun lamp, hold a puppy and chase an entire bottle of Vitamin D pills with a jug of Sunny Delight to try to cheer myself up.
And so I’d rather stay home with the girls where there is a steady stream of estrogen and good cheer.
Mani and pedis in shades of pink with Hello Kitty faces on our big toes to boot.
Movies that involve either Barbie, princesses, mermaids or all three. Yes, there is such a thing.
Dinners of strawberry filled-salads.
But to round it all out, something bold, like firing up the grill and throwing on a few juicy slabs of….
…plantains.
We’re wild women.
Plantains, if you aren’t familiar, are banana’s starchier cousin.
They’re not nearly as sweet, not nearly as banana-y and not nearly as easy to peel.
*Not a plantain.*
But they withstand heat well, and make a great starchy side when you are wanting something other than a potato.
Something a little frutier.
And dare I say, something a little girlier?
Grilled Plantains
Adapted from Cooking Light.com
Serves 2-4
- 2 soft black plantains, peeled
- 1 T. coconut oil, melted
- 1 t. brown sugar
- 1/2 t. cinnamon
- salt to taste
- chopped cilantro, optional
Prepare grill to medium heat.
Peel plantains and cut in half lengthwise and crosswise. Cut plantain halves in half crosswise. Combine coconut oil, cinnamon and salt brush evenly over cut sides of plantain sections.
Place plantain sections, cut sides up, on grill rack.
Grill 7 minutes or until flesh is soft. Brush plantains again with oil mixture and turn sections over; grill 3 minutes.
Sprinkle with extra cinnamon and salt and garnish with cilantro, if desired.
Though these were a fantastic side to our salads, they’d also hold up to heartier fare.
Beneath some zesty Tempeh Chili.
For dunking in a Spicy African Peanut Stew.
Or even in place of fries next to a homemade bean burger.
But we were far more ladylike tonight.
Until Gigi decided to teach Lulu how to burp the alphabet at the dinner table.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
Which I think was exactly the point of girls’ night in the first place.
No Sunny D needed here.
1. Gigi had her first sleepover Friday night. Lulu was destroyed. I said, “We’re just loaning her out.” Lulu cried, “No! Families have to stick together!”
2. I blame this mindset for Lulu coughing in my face, elbowing me in the ribs and trying to remove every visible mole from my skin after worming her way into our bed at 6 am.
3. We took the girls to see Chimpanzee Saturday. While Pea Daddy and I loved it, it was a little too Circle of Life-y for the girls. The girls wanted to leave when things got hairy. Who knew chimps were omnivores? We all do now.
4. We have ants. Pea Daddy laid out some bait for them this morning, telling the girls it was their “special food.” I said, “Honey, they just watched chimpanzees hunt and viciously kill monkeys, I don’t think telling them you’re getting rid of the ants is going to traumatize them.”
5. Simply my trying on a pair of Vibrams at the store this weekend traumatized Pea Daddy. “I’m married to a frog,” he said.
Ribbit, ribbit, baby. I didn’t buy them. Yet.
6. No trip to the mall would be complete without putting our grubby paws all over the iPads at the Apple store. Gigi played some Scrabble.
Yes, that’s “GAS.” They immediately tried to recruit her at the Genius Bar.
7. Today we took the girls to Silver Creek Falls, the scene of our first date almost exactly ten years ago to the day. There was no nervous small talk this time, just debate about whose turn it was to carry Lulu. Baby Bjorn needs a model for four year-olds. I’d strap that kid on in a heartbeat.
8. I’d tell you more about our weekend, but the rest of the family is in the middle of root beer floats and a House Hunters marathon. And you know what Lulu always says.
“Families have to stick together.”
Truth.
