Seeing how things are going bananas in my life, it seems fitting to go bananas on the blog this week. The results are in… our union voted 87% in favor of striking, and the Board said publicly they won’t back down. It looks like a strike is emminent. My hope, at this point, is that parents in our community continue to support teachers, and not be influenced by the spin factor. I know that I  have little control in the matter, and am on standby waiting to see if the flight is a go or not. And truth be known, I’m not sure whether or not to get on it.

So today, life needs something refreshing ~ something sweet to get rid of the bitterness. I like the flavor of bananas, but am not a huge banana person. I prefer the flavor when it’s combined with another flavor.  The chocolate-banana martini awhile back was a great combo for a dessert martini. This martini is perfect for a warm day.

This time around I’m pairing bananas and oranges. Orange County, at one time was known for its orange groves. Sadly, we’re now known for that group of local housewives! Historically speaking, I think the orange-banana combo can be traced back to all of our childhoods, with that ridiculously annoying knock-knock joke. Funny, how it didn’t seem annoying back then! 

I usually move way too fast to take the time and garnish. I need to get better at garnish because it does just add that extra flare. My mom is the queen of garnish. (God forbid, she forgets the parsley.) I decided to make a twist of orange for the rim of these martinis, and I remembered to grab my camera to share it. There may be a better way, but this worked for me.

Orange Garnish Spirals

First off, cut both ends off of the orange. Make a cut into the orange on one side, without going all the way through on the other side. Next,  remove all of the orange segments with a large spoon or sharp knife. The knife worked best, especially since the peel of this orange seemed particulary thick. Once you’re left with just the peel, roll it up tightly and stick a barbeque skewer through it to hold it in place. You may be able to use a toothpick, if you’re using little oranges. Use a sharp knife to cut the orange peel into slices. It will naturally make a spiral. You may want to roll it tighter before adding a toothpick to to hold each spiral in place. Balance on the rim of a martini glass. This works great with lemons too!

Orange-Banana Martini

printable recipe

1 oz. vanilla vodka

1 oz. banana liqueur

equal parts orange juice and pineapple juice

Combine vanilla vodka, banana liqueur, pineapple juice, and orange juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. The amount of juice depends on how strong you like it. Shake, pour, enjoy!

Cheers to keeping your cool this week, even if things go bananas!