The Banana Dilemma (& Other ‘Singles’ Conundrums) by Shira Strassman

(Warning: This entry contains therapeutic satire.)

Being single has its perks. (See my article on Aish.com.)

It also has some interesting challenges.

Take, for example, a “simple” task like a quick run to the convenience store. Got an empty fridge? Grab a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk, right? WRONG!  

For us singles, questions of waste, shared refrigerator space, and cost-benefit analysis arise faster than you can say “shnitzel.” I’ll probably only make two sandwiches the whole week...Should I just buy the bread and freeze all but four slices? Leave it out and risk it going stale, in which case it’s a lucky break for the birds? Skip the bread and go on Atkins?

I guess there’s always French Toast.

If you live on your own, sans roommates, pre-calculating your food consumption is crucial.

How much milk can one person drink before the thing expires???

Not that having roommates solves the problem entirely. (I once had a roommate who, no matter how many times I tried, would not agree to my suggestion that we share milk...even though she probably consumed triple the daily amount that I do. True story.)  

And then there’s bananas. Ever buy a bunch of greenish bananas and before you can blink, there are 6 rotting bananas on your kitchen counter? (Sometimes I feel like they secretly multiply when I’m not looking.)

It’s way too embarrassing to rip off two or three bananas from a bunch at the supermarket, especially at wholesale suppliers like Costco. (I tried it once---got a strange look from a mom with three kids in tow.) But I like bananas. So I just bite the bullet, buy the bunch, and suffer the consequences.

Unsurprisingly, banana bread became my go-to recipe/snack of choice---and, if I may say, I make a pretty darn good one. But now that I’m getting a little tired of banana bread, (--ok, I can barely hear those words without feeling nauseous--) as are my friends, colleagues, and every guy I’ve ever dated for more than two weeks, I’d love to know what other people do with their rotting bananas.

So feel free to send in your recipes. Seriously. My neighbors will thank you.