This week’s questions are about common food thoughts or myths that I’ve heard from other people.

1. Bananas. Do you think the smaller ones are sweeter?
I never thought about that, never heard of that. I always thought color belied sweetness. Now I am curious! I’ll have to try this out.

2. Watermelon. Do you think that if the outside is darker green that it means the watermelon is sweeter?
Another myth that is news to me. I find it difficult to accurately judge ripeness in melons. WHY must melons be so shrouded in mystery? Why can’t modern man– with all his amazing gadgets and technology and fancy spaceships and brake pads and everything– why can’t scientists have invented a melon-o-meter or something?! Why, after thousands and thousands of years, is humankind still rapping on the rinds of melons to determine ripeness??

3. Grapes. Do you think the round globe shaped ones are sweeter than the more ovalish shaped ones?
Probably. My husband, a wine connoseur conniseur connisuer expert says that smaller grapes are sweeter and therefore used for wines. Larger grapes have more water content and are milder, so they are table grapes. Who-da thunk.

4. Pears. Do canned pears taste completely different than fresh pears?
Yes. I dislike processed foods. They have to much sugar in them, and I can’t stand sweetened stuff anymore. When I consume prepared salad dressing, the sugar in it almost makes me gag. So fresh pears are definitely nicer.

What do you think about melons? Are you able to detect a ripe one of not? Inquiring minds want to know!

With my recipe, you can adjust your sweetener to your own liking, whether you want light brown sugar, or dark brown sugar.

Homemade Brown Sugar

Molasses
White sugar
A very large, tall container
A wooden spoon

Beware, though– this gets a little messy.

Dump the white sugar in the tall container. I recommend a tall one because it’s easier to mix and keep the molasses in the container while stirring. If you use a low, round bowl, you may wind up with your sugar all over the counter. Unless you are a neat-nik. I am not, so…

Once you have the sugar in the container, dump in some molasses. BE SURE to keep the molasses away from the sides of the container, because it will stick to it and you’ll have to stir like the dickens to get it off and mixed into the sugar. I create a small well in the center of the sugar and dump molasses in, a little at a time.

Mix by hand for 4.67 hours.

KIDDING.

But it will feel like it.

Mix and mix and mix, until it is, well, mixed. I usually recruit a few of the kids to take turns. They are usually reluctant, until I promise them I will make them the Bread Machine Apple Donuts, which at the mention of those, they turn into salivating, slathering slaves ready to build the pyramids if I ask them.

When the enslaved minions have mixed your molasses and sugar, cover the container well and place in storage. I don’t know how long the stuff will keep; ours is always used up within a few months.

So now you can rest easy, knowing that you are feeding your family some REAL sweetener for their goodies. I know I feel like a better mother after doing it.