Banana Floats

Kitchen Parade loves! recipes from readers, like this one from South Dakota: “This is an old recipe I grew up with. It is light and served in a sherbet glass. At my home, we always had it after a big meal with roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, potatoes, gravy and lots of vegetables. In those days, we didn’t worry about fat!”

Thank you, Marilyn! Banana Floats are a perfect treat for this will-it-be-cold-or-warm-today? time as late winter slopes into early spring.

The days are noticeably longer, leafy daffodil tendrils burst lightward, knobby hyacinth bulbs nudge aside the dirt. Even if snow falls again, spring will soon don its flowery bonnet.

But speaking of fat, is your coffee shop abuzz with questions about the new study that says a low-fat diet doesn’t prevent breast cancer? and the one that suggests chocolate lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of death?

Research flaws are being revealed – isn’t reducing the risk of death from 100% to even 99.9999999999% preposterous? But more than that, for all the research, we understand precious little about the relationship between food and health. One study says X, another contradicts X but posits Y except Z.

So how about sticking to Plan A: lots of vegetables, some fruit, some grains and beans, some meat and fish? And of course, the occasional treat. Banana floats, anyone?