BANANA BREAD - DOMESTIC GODDESS ISSUE 3

It is becoming a bit of a habit of mine to do some Sunday afternoon baking. I have just been finding it really therapeutic and I get cake at the end of it, so it is a win/win situation.

This week, I thought I would share with you my recipe for my famously delicious banana bread! This is another really versatile recipe and you can add pretty much anything you want from cinnamon to nuts - this time I went with chocolate chips, as banana and chocolate is one of my favourite combos.

Ingredients 

3 over-ripe bananas

125g margarine

150g caster sugar

1 egg beaten

200g chocolate chunks

190g self-raising flour

1 tsp of vanilla essence 

60ml milk

Step 1: Set your oven to 180 degrees celsius (350 fahrenheit or gas mark 4) and grease a loaf tin. I have used a silicone loaf tin as I find them much easier to use!

Step 2: Peel the bananas and mash them in a bowl with a fork.

Step 3: In a separate bowl, cream together your butter and your caster sugar.

Step 4: Once your butter and sugar is combined to form a creamy texture, add your mashed bananas, vanilla essence and milk - stir until just combined.

Step 5: When you have combined your butter, sugar and bananas, sieve the self-raising flour into the bowl a little at a time. Once you have done this, fold it into the mixture gently - insure that the ingredients are combined evenly.

Step 6: In a cup, crack your egg and beat it with a fork. Once beaten, add to your cake mixture and carefully fold into your mixture. Again, insure that all ingredients are fully combined.

Step 7: Add your chocolate chunks at this point. I prefer to use the chocolate chunks rather than drops, as I find they don't melt as fast and have a better bite to them. I like mine to be really chocolatey, but it is up to you how much you add. Fold them gently through the mixture, insuring and even spread throughout.

Step 8: Pour the cake mixture into your greased loaf tin. Spread evenly throughout insuring an even rise. Bang gently on the table top to get rid of any air bubbles within the mixture.

Step 9: Bake in your preheated oven for approximately 35-45 minutes. Check occasionally. Cake is ready when you put a knife in the centre and it comes out clean.

Step 10: Leave the cake to cool in the loaf tin for around 15 minutes, then transfer it onto a wire tray to cool. Leave to cool for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Step 11: Slice and enjoy with friends and family!

Hope you enjoyed this recipe, let me know if you give it a try.

Much love

ROCKY ROAD - DOMESTIC GODDESS ISSUE 2

I needed cheering up yesterday afternoon and so that called for some Sunday baking! I decided to go with some chocolatey goodness to put a smile on my face and thought I would share with you one of my all time favourite recipes...Rocky Road!

Now, rocky road really is the ultimate treat and is great for friends and family, it might even be a nice idea to make for someone as a birthday or Christmas gift. The recipe itself is totally adaptable and you can add as many or as little ingredients and flavours as you want and you can change it depending on occasion and season so what is not to love?

Here is the recipe and steps for the batch I made:

Ingredients

600g of good quality dark chocolate

250g of rich tea biscuits (fingers are easier to crush)

3 large tablespoons of golden syrup

100g mini marshmallows

150g of margarine (I didn't have butter)

100g chopped mixed nuts

Step 1: Melt all your chocolate over a double boiler on the hob, be careful that your chocolate does not burn, so I suggest having it on a low heat, stirring continuously.

Step 2: Whilst your chocolate is melting, put your rich teas in a good quality food bag, tie a knot and put it in between a tea towel. Bash the biscuits with a rolling pin so that they crumble (don't beat too hard or you will split your bag and get biscuit crumbs everywhere). You want a mixed consistency of crumbs and bite sized bits.

Step 3: Once your chocolate has melted split it into two bowls, put roughly two thirds in one and a third in another. After your mixture has cooled slightly, add your butter to the two thirds of melted chocolate (you need to ensure your chocolate has cooled slightly otherwise the mixture may separate). Gently fold this through until the butter and chocolate is just combined. It should look smooth and glossy.

Step 4: Next add your 3 large tablespoons of golden syrup. Again, gently fold this through the mixture until just combined.

Step 5: In a separate bowl combine your biscuits, marshmallows and mixed nuts into a bowl. Fold them through with each other so you have an even mix throughout.

Step 6: Pour your chocolate mixture onto your dry ingredients. Fold this through gently, it can be a messy job and quite difficult to get it evenly through the mixture so give it some time.

Step 7: Once this has been evenly combined, you need to put it into a rectangular dish. Spread it evenly throughout, pushing the mixture into any gaps and ensuring it goes right up to the edges and corners.

Step 8: Using the third of melted chocolate you put aside earlier, spread this evenly over the top of your mixture, again ensuring it is spread evenly and reaches to all gaps, edges and corners.

Step 9: Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, but best left overnight.

Step 10: Cut into squares, dust with icing sugar, serve and enjoy!

What would you add to your rocky road?

Much love

COME DINE WITH ME...

Apologies for the disappearing act I have done over the past week - the bank holiday weekend seemed to fly by and I had no time to sit down and write!

I thought today I would share with you a restaurant trip I made last night,to celebrate a very special person's birthday. The restaurant in question is called 'Miller and Carter' and predominantly it is known for its incredible steak (not that I would know, as I don't eat red meat, but that's the word on the street). However, that is not all they do - they have fantastic burgers, meat and fish dishes on offer and it is quite easily one of my favourite restaurants in my area. Oh, and it must be said, that the cocktails are to die for!

So, yesterday was my boyfs 23rd Birthday and so what better way to celebrate the evening with steak (for him) and cocktails! Here a couple of pics I have of the food I ate...

Now, as I mentioned above the cocktails at Miller and Carter are IN-CRED-IBLE! We started off the evening with a Long Island Iced Tea for him and a fruity Mango Moijo for me, which was made with Bacardi rum mixed with mango puree, served over ice with a dash of lime and sugar and garnished with mint leaves...delicious.

I swiftly move onto our starter. I don't often order my own starter at a restaurant, because I feel too full to enjoy the rest of my meal. However, that doesn't stop me from sharing a starter with someone else! Today we decided to go for their classic Nachos, because they are the tastiest thing in the world! Homemade tortilla chips with jalepeno peppers, cheese and a selection of dips (soured cream, tomato salsa and guacamole). 

If you aren't a massive fan of fish this may seem slightly daunting and even as a lover of fish it was still slightly daunting (thank goodness it was de-boned and there was no head), but it was absolutely delicious and has overtaken the salmon as my favourite! Here, I had sea bass that was marinated in chilli, garlic and rosemary - served on a bed of grilled vegetables and baby potatoes with a roasted tomato dressing and then garnished with a lemon wedge. It was beautifully cooked and the sea bass melted in my mouth.

Finally, you can't go to Miller and Carter and not try their famous 'Onion Loaf' - it is hard to describe, but it is like an onion ring but in a loaf form if that makes sense? We absolutely love it and when we go, we always share it as a side - it would be a complete onion overload to have it just for one! So tasty and compliments every meal I have ever had there!

Unfortunately, we were way to full to order a dessert at the restaurant, so I don't have a picture of the AMAZING desserts they have, but I will be sure to snap one when I next go! I've left the website details here if you are interested in checking it out - as it is a little on the pricier side of things I would say it is a great night out for a celebration. Oh and definitely make sure you grab a cocktail too!

Have you been to Miller and Carter?

Much love

**This post was not sponsored and all opinions are my own

SNACKING SAVIOUR - GRAZE LIGHT BOX

Two days down, three to go...hmm that still sounds like quite a long time when I put it like that! Oh well, the week has begun and we have the bank holiday weekend to look forward to! Today's post is a food post, because I wanted to share something that has helped me through those long days at work where the time just doesn't seem to be budging!

I had a free Graze box coupon that came in an order I recently made with Amazon and so I thought 'what the heck' why don't I give it a try. Those who know me, know I am a constant grazer. I am not one for having 3 big meals...I like to graze throughout the day! I think it's because I can be so indecisive sometimes, that grazing allows me to 'get a bit' of everything and no big decisions have to be made!
I logged onto the website and had a browse around what boxes they offer and I was amazed at the choice! I tried a graze box a couple of times when they first started, but to be honest the choice was pretty limited, so I was shocked at how far they had come! You can get boxes for breakfast, bakery boxes, savoury boxes, chocolate boxes and even sharing boxes! I was stuck for choice, but as I am trying to be healthy at the moment, it was between the popcorn box and the light box. I decided to go for the light box, purely for the variety and the fact that all snacks are under 150 cals (I will be purchasing the popcorn box next).

Now, I love receiving post...there is something SO exciting about receiving post. I think it's because I am of the 'technology generation' and everything is done online. After ordering my light box, I was super excited for it to come and checked my mailbox every day in the three days that it took to arrive, and when it did, I've got to say how impressed I was with it. The box is a cardboard box that is perfect letter box size (I haven't bothered to measure it, sorry). The cute summer design of ice cream cones on a turquoise blue background was really appreciated and really entranced me to open up the box. As I opened it, I was greeted with 4 snack-sized portions of what looked like some pretty exciting stuff! My box included;

Maple and Pecan Granola 

This was absolutely delicious, I was so impressed with how nutty the granola tasted, but also how they managed to incorporate the maple flavour throughout. I often worry with granola that is is full of fat, but this little portion only had 0.6g of sat fat...perf! As it was a snack-sized portion, I had it over some strawberries, blueberries and greek yogurt and it was absolutely delicious.

Super Carrot Cake 

Now this certainly was a sneaky surprise! Cake...under 150 cals in a light box! I love cake, it is 100%  my guilty pleasure and I always try to sneak in a slice on a cheat day! This little slice came with a tea bag...perfect for afternoon tea and cake. The cake itself had a lovely spiced flavour to it which really complimented the carrot.

Lightly Toasted Pistachios

I can be fussy about eating nuts on their own...don't get me wrong I love nuts, but you won't often find me gnawing on them plain. I was a little dubious about these, I haven't had pistachio nuts for years and couldn't quite remember if I liked them or not, but when I tried them...they certainly went down a treat! I enjoyed this little portion whilst at work when it hit that awkward 3pm slump and it certainly cheered me up!

Pitted Beldi and Kalamata Olives 

Another firm favourite of mine! I love olives. I think they are a great snack and just so plain damn tasty. This perfect punnet provided SO much flavour and I really enjoyed them. I took these to work and put them on my salad at lunch and they added so much to it! Not something I would have expected in the box, but it certainly was a nice addition.

The box also came with a list of nutrition and allergen advice for each punnet, which I think is really good, as people (especially me) like to know that kind of information! I was really shocked how each snack was so tasty, but was also low in fat and under the advertised 150 calories. Although each box retails at around £3.89, which is a little pricey...I really did enjoy the novelty of having a graze box! It was great that someone picked my snacks for me and I didn't have too! I probably won't order one weekly, purely because of price, but it is definitely something I would look at doing perhaps fortnightly or monthly.

Have a try and see for yourself...


Much love

MIDWEEK BREAKFAST - SUPER SMOOTHIE

It is a well known fact that I am not really a breakfast person. The last thing I think of when I open my eyes is food - I have never been a massive fan of breakfast and I don't think I ever will be! It is not ideal, because as I am sure you all know breakfast is THE most important meal of the day!

Since starting a new, full time job, I have realised just how important it is to feed my body in the morning! It is such a dilemma because I love my sleep - I slam my snooze button about 5 times in the morning before I rise and my only goal of the morning is to squeeze in as much sleep as possible. This proves difficult to have a healthy, nutritious breakfast and only leaves the options of grabbing something ready made, which is most likely full of sugar and other questionable ingredients! 

I got into juicing and smoothie making about a year and a half ago and when the idea clicked that I could chuck a bunch of things into the bullet and it would create a nutritious and tasty meal, my breakfast woes were over. 

I often find that a smoothie keeps me going longer than a juice. If I am using the nutribullet as a meal then I will do something thicker, like a smoothie, but as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack I will do a juice - so I thought I would share with you this delicious breakfast smoothie recipe that keeps me going at work for hours!

You will need:

1 banana

1 handful of blueberries

1 handful of strawberries (around 5/6 strawberries)

3 tablespoons of 0% fat greek yogurt (you can use full fat I just prefer fat free)

1 tablespoon of porridge oats

1 teaspoon of Nutriblast Superboost 

Chuck it in the nutribullet and away you go!!!

What smoothies do you enjoy?

Much love

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK - MERIDIAN ALMOND BUTTER

This week's product of the week is completely different to what I normally do...and by that I mean it is not a beauty related product at all. 

Now, to start us off, as I child I pretty much lived off of peanut butter. Any chance I would get, I would stuff my face with the thing! You can imagine my dismay, when I found out that it wasn't the healthiest thing in the world!

I am constantly on the look out for healthy replacements for foods that I love, so after some hefty research, I finally found the BEST replacement for peanut butter ever.

Meridian nut butters pride themselves on being 99.5% pure nuts (with the 0.5% being a tiny bit of salt). The nuts are roasted in the oven and them somehow crushed and made into a smooth butter. After my immense research, I decided to go for the almond butter, as almonds are lower in saturated fat than other nut alternatives and they also are high in both fibre and calcium and of course high in protein. I am not gonna lie, I was a little unsure when I purchased the almond butter, as I didn't know if I would like it, as I had never really had almonds before...but my my my it was incredible!! I can not describe to you how happy I was that it was genuinely so delicious. In fact, I think it has a better taste than regular peanut butters. The butter itself is really smooth in consistency (I bought smooth not crunchy) and it is really, well nutty. It is so great to know that you can eat something knowing it is purely what it says it is and it doesn't have any of the added rubbish that other products have.

I will always pick almond butter over peanut butter now, and meridian nut butter over any other brand. I now buy myself a 1kg pot as I eat it so much and so it is way better value! If I am not having it on toast or a ryvita, I like to chop up various fruits such as bananas and apples with maybe some celery as well to dip into the almond butter. I find it can be a really satisfying and healthy snack and is great after the gym or when my blood sugar levels tend to drop around 3pm and I lose all hope and concentration!

I would massively recommend checking out the meridian nut butters and especially the almond butter itself...it is just so darn tasty that it is not worth missing out on.


Have you had almond butter? What do you eat it with?


Much love

SATURDAY AFTERNOONS

I thought I would share today how I spent my Saturday afternoon. I love going to cafes, sandwich shops or tea rooms...I am an absolute sucker for them. Wherever I go, I have to stop for a tea or a coffee somewhere...it is just a must!

Anyway, quite recently I found a hidden gem of a tea room, quite local to where I live and I have already been there a couple of times since (I actually mentioned it in my post about my birthday weekend here), but I went there today and I thought I would share my trip with you. The cafe in question, is called 'The Drawing Room' and it is located in Locksbottom which is a small village/town just outside of South London. 

We shared a pot of tea for two, which came in the the most charming, bone china teacups with the matching teapot. To eat, I had a delicious hummus and roasted vegetable panini, which came with a side salad and the greatest homemade coleslaw I have EVER had! My boyfriend had a bacon, brie and mushroom toasted baguette, that I also had a sneaky taste of and was incredible too!! I loved how the food was presented, it came on a beautiful floral china tray and the side salad and coleslaw were served in little teacups! Absolutely delightful! 

The tea room itself is really cute and quaint with the walls covered in picture frames and pretty mirrors. The table and chairs are all wooden and antiquey looking, which give a really cosy feel to the place (even in the blazing sunshine). It also has seating outside, which is always a plus. The staff that work there are really kind, and nothing is too much trouble.

Now just look how amazing those cakes look...I am definitely going in for the kill next time and having a great big slice of Victoria Sponge!

It is unlikely that many of you would be able to go if you aren't local to the South London/Kent area, but if you are, I massively recommend it. I love reading posts like these and seeing how other people spend their days, so I thought I would do the same. 

Have any of you been somewhere similar, or to the Drawing Room itself?

Much love,