Tropical Vacation

A lot of babies get jaundice. Some babies get jaundice so bad you think to yourself "omg she gave birth to a carrot!" and then you are confused. It's a pretty common complication and most babies are able to bounce back without having us to intervene. However, there are times when treatment is required. The best way to treat really bad jaundice is with phototherapy.

Phototherapy is basically exactly what it sounds like. We put the little new babies under tanning lights. Like a ton of them. Well, at least three. They wear little diaper speedos and we put sunglasses over their eyes and lay them down on the tanning bed. Yesterday morning, the hospital lost electrical power, so we plugged the tanning beds into the emergency outlets and let the babies laze around under the lights. In the dim nursing lighting, it looked like all the babies were on tropical vacations, and I mixed them all up a bottle of pina colada to sip on. Because nothing clears up a touch of jaundice quite like dark rum. Fuck yeah spring break!

In keeping with a tropical theme, I mixed up some banana cookies the other day for some fun and healthy flavor! 

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp butter, very soft

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup mashed banana (1 small/medium)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups oats

Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking sodaand salt.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugars. Beat in egg and banana, followed by the vanilla extract. Gradually, on low speed or by hand, add in the flour mixture. Stir in the oats. It'll be thick, so I usually mush with my hands (then lick them later).
Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 11-14 minutes at 350F, until set and lightly browned.

You can add chocolate chip to these for some variety. I'd probably use mini chocolate chips so they don't overwhelm the banana flavor. What I really love about these cookies is that they bake up super high and airy, instead of being dense and heavy like you would expect. But this does make them super addictive! I hid them in my pockets, then passed them out to random patients who look they they needed a boost, because I might be early for spring break, but babies can't tell time anyways.