Monthly Archives: November 2012

My favorite Banana Bread recipe

2 Replies

This weekend I made the family Banana Bread (banana loaf), which is already gone – yes, in 36 hours (with 2 adults and one 5-year-old devouring it). It was perfect with a latte (or hot chocolate) on these colder days. This recipe easily doubles and you can make two loaves and store one in the freezer in a Ziploc bag.

 

Ingredients (from the Edmonds Cookery Book)

1 3/4 cups self-raising flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
75 g butter (melted)
1 cup of mashed ripe banana (~2-3 banana’s)

Sift flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Mix in sugar. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Add milk, butter and banana into egg mixture with a spoon. Quickly add the dry ingredients stirring until just combined. Place mixture in a loaf tin (greased and lined if not using silicone). Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 50-55 minutes (until top is golden brown). Leave in tin for 10 minutes before turning out on a cooling rack.

NOTE: I use very ripe banana’s that I basically have to turn out of the skin for the really banana’ery taste.

NOTE: Once cool store in a Ziploc bag or air-tight container to retain freshness. I usually wait a few hours so you first get the bread with a slight crunch on top.

Serving suggestions:
1. I have eaten as is just as a slice with a cup of coffee or
2. You could try it as a dessert with a hot chocolate ganache and whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Both are great!!!

Backyard design and garden update

Leave a reply

We survived the night in the tent, but we did wake up to a frost. I am very thankful that it was for only one night. I get to sleep in my own bed tonight.

After spending time outside yesterday, I realized that the backyard has come along way since we posted our design progress a month or so back. We are in fact ready for sod (though it might be too late for us to lay it down before winter).

The winter vegetable gardens are coming along too, though slowly but I suppose that is due to the colder temperatures now. Here are photos of the everlasting bell peppers (still growing from Summer), the swiss chard, broccoli, cabbages and spinach.

    

We have carrots and cauliflower too but they were planted a little late and are still quiet small.

That’s it for today – my new dwell magazine just arrived in the mail and the banana bread is about to come out of the oven – time for a coffee break :-). I will post the banana bread recipe tomorrow.

Thanksgiving and our wine arrived!!!

1 Reply

Today, was thanksgiving here in the US. We are very thankful for our family. Sean and I are camping in a tent, in the backyard tonight, to have some quality time together. It is a little cold out here but not too bad under the sleeping bag and duvet. We will see how it is early in the morning.

Talking about family, I am very proud of my brother who is the assistant winemaker at Moana Park Vineyards, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. He has been kind enough to send over a case of wine which arrived yesterday. I am so excited, the last lot we got was amazing, and I am sure this will be too.

Here are the reserves that we got; Merlot Cabernet, Syrah, Chardonney, Viognier (and yes those stickers are awards and medals on the bottles 🙂 ):

Here are an assortment of wine for the rest of the case (Viognier, Merlot Malbec, Syrah and Chardonney):

Now to enjoy it!!!