As Pinterest has now integrated into the culinary experience, I found myself spending a lot of time discovering other people’s posted recipes. During the course of Lent, during which I could not indulge in any sweets, I found myself re-pinning an alarming amount of cookies, cheese cakes, and other unique types of desserts. But I did manage to find some great recipes to possibly create in class. While finding the recipes was one thing, I wanted to take advantage of the resource and create some of the things that I discovered instead of just marveling over them. So, after weeks of talking about it, I finally prepared to create the “Banana Bread Granola Bars”; a healthy snack I could enjoy after school, or in the morning.
Boy was that a mistake. I had all of my ingredients at the ready, everything organized and measured out. Out came the two cups of rolled oats, chia and flax seeds, mixed with the liquid portion of: honey, egg whites, vanilla extract, a banana, and a few other things. The combined product went into an 8x8 pan and baked for a little over a half hour. When they came out the smell was great and I anticipated something similar to the Nature Valley bars I have had. After letting them cool for a significant amount of time, I finally got to try my home-made concoction. I must say, I was pretty disappointed with myself. The product came out with a taste of pure oats, very dry and coarse, and the texture of the bar was not something to be desired.
From the experience, I learned that the recipes posted on Pinterest are often not great recipes. Some are legitimate sources, but other are simply posted by the average person who wants to share something that they make at home. In the future, I will continue to use Pinterest, but mainly for the ideas. Once I discover a great idea on the website, I will look for a recipe from a better food source like foodnetwork.com or epicurious.com. Hopefully then I will have more success with my home creations.
Wesley M.