Banana Loaf Recipe

I've been baking!!!!!

My repertoire of Cakes consist of two recipes:

a classic Victoria Sponge Cake and a Banana Loaf ... ....

I love this one as it is very easy to make and
I like using up bananas that have seen better days, as we are all trying to be less wasteful with everything especially food!

Here's the recipe for my

Banana Loaf

75g / 3oz Margarine or soft butter

110g / 4oz Caster Sugar

1 large egg

225g / 8oz Plain Flour

2 level teaspoons of Baking powder

4 medium bananas or 3 large ones

Preheat the oven to 180c (350F)

Grease a loaf tin (size 31/2 x 71/2 inches)

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl

and whisk all ingredients together

(I have an electric hand whisk which makes this job easier). 

pour mixture into the greased tin and level the top

 place on the middle shelve of oven and bake for 50 - 55 minutes,

until the cake is golden brown, risen.

leave to cool for a bit and then loosen from the tin and cool on a wire tray.

Nice on its own or spread with butter.

An easy to bake cake and easy to eat!!

bee x

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Woodland walk photography finds

The August Break days 22, 23, 24 and 25

Enjoy!



Hand knitted little girl's dress

You might remember me telling you I was hand knitting a cute little dress for my other's half's great niece for a present for her Christening ....

well I am pleased to say that I have finally finished it.

 

 

I decided to omit the pink velvet ribbon I bought to go around the waist as I couldn't tie a good enough bow and crocheted two little flowers for embellishments which work really well I think.

She is being Christened on Sunday so it's finished just in time. 

Now I have to think of the wrapping paper and a card.

I enjoyed knitting again, just got to find something else that I want to knit now too!

bee x

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Swan Lake

The August Break Day 19, 20, 21

A beautiful swan on the river

Riverwalk Photos

The August Break day 17

in the rain!



Flowers & Cake

The August Break day 16

flowers and cake for

afternoon tea with my mum

A good weekend

I hope you all had a good weekend. 

I had a quiet one with my other half,

with a bit more knitting on the cute little dress,

quite a lot more blackberry picking,

I think that's my lot for the season now after making .......

11 jars of jam,

3 jars of coulis,

and an apple and blackberry crumble!!!

mostly for my other half, as he loves blackberry jam and crumble! 

Then some relaxing, watching DVDs (The Tourist and French Film), both films I enjoyed but I think the other half preferred the Tourist to the French Film.

 

As I have missed a few days of posting on the August Break 2011, here are my photos for the weekend and today.  I have enjoyed playing around with the photo effects in Picnik and love the results. 

 

There's Something about Cow Parsley

Branching Out

August Grasses

I am looking forward to my Mum coming to stay for a few days tomorrow, so I might be a bit more erratic with posting this week.

Have a lovely week!

Bee x

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Blackberry Jam Making

The August Break 2011 Day 11 photo

At the weekend, my other half and took Buzz for a walk in the forest and ended up picking a lot of blackberries. 

It became a bit addictive.  The more we saw, the more we wanted to pick! 

So to add to the fun, I suggested a 'guess the weight' competition between ourselves so when we got home, out came the scales and the results were:

My other half guessed 3 1/2 pounds

My guess was 4 pounds

actual weight picked  5 1/2 pounds!!!!!

 so neither of us won but I was the closest.

I thought, well I'm not sure how I am going to manage to do something with all of those.  However, I didn't want them to go to waste, so I have been trying to make jam in my bread maker.  It is quite easy to do, just add the fruit, sugar and lemon juice and put it on the jam program and away you go. 

I had one batch that was a success and set really well, but the second batch didn't set so it has ended up a coulis.  I had some with a yogurt and it is delicious, so all was not lost.

I think it is to do with the pectin content in the fruit.

And the rest we kindly donated to my other half's mum who is notoriously famous for her apple and blackberry crumbles, so I am told!

I had fun creating pretty little fabric jam pot covers with a compass and a pair of pinking sheers .............

I am sure I will be making more as the blackberry season is a good one this year and I am duly informed that my other half has found some more jam jars!

bee x

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The August Break Day 10

Here's today's August Break photo which I have manipulated using Picnik photo effects (thanks to Magie at Teacups & Bunting) who told me about Picnik. 

You can see the difference from the photo used in the previous post to the one posted here

Knitting a cute little dress

I've been knitting again ....

 I had forgotten how much I like to knit as I have been crocheting like mad recently. 

picture of finished dress in Claire Montgomerie's book

I started this 'ittle dress'in April and

knitted away until my wrist started hurting and put is down until the weekend,

when I decided I really needed to get my needles clicking again.

It is a present for my other half's great niece

 as she is being christened in a few weeks.

I think I work better under a bit of pressure as I need a deadline,

otherwise, I tend to take my time and I put things off. 

I am using Sirdar Supersoft Aran in Apple Green and Raspberry as I thought these were a lovely fun combination, on size 5mm needles.

The pattern comes from Claire Montgomerie's Easy Baby Knits book which is full of easy, very beautiful knits for babies, suitable for beginner knitters (or those who like straight forward patterns like me and love baby knits).

so far I have finished the front ......

and have started the back so I am well on my way now!

I will keep you posted on the finished dress.

bee x

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Cow Parsley

I have had a few days off from taking photos for the August Break 2011.  I have been feeling a bit iffy over the weekend.  I managed to get out today, however, with Buzz and my camera. I took this lovely pic of the Cow Parsley on the side of the river bank on my walk today.

I hope you like it.  I've found Photobucket and all its little effects which are brill and very easy to use so here is the result ....

Cow Parsley

bee x

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And the Winner is ...........................

Today's the day I picked the winners of the 'Great Tutorial Giveaway' .......

I had five entries which was not bad for my little blog  and as I couldn't choose a winner as all the entries were equally lovely and great in their content, I decided to put the names in my little vintage Pyrex bowl and pick the winners this way.

so here goes

drum roll please .................

 

1st Prize goes to

 Sam over at Knitting Adventures

who  is the proud winner of the hand knitted tea cosy

For Sam's tutorial entry
http://aprettylifeinthesuburbs.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-wreath-obsession-continuesspring.html

And 2nd Prize goes to

 Madeline over at Meeni

who is now the proud winner of a hand knitted pumpkin pin cushion

For Madeline's tutorial entries
http://www.meeni.co.uk/2011/04/making-rabbit-finger-puppets
 http://www.purlbee.com/emilys-memory-game

My thanks goes to the other entrants for their lovely contributions to the great tutorial section which I will be adding to my blog soon.

bee x

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Happy Birthday Mum!

Happy Birthday to my Mum today

who is 68 today!

I thought I would share with you my favourite photo of her when she was about 15 years old on holiday in Eastbourne.

Her dad had written on the back of the photo:

THE SIGN SAYS ......

'NO PADDLING........EXCEPT FOR FAY!'

Naughty mummy! Typical of my mum and done with a cheeky grin on her face!

And for that reason, this is one of my favourite pictures of her.

I thought I would show the presents I have made for her:

a lovely felt brooch

she loves the colour purple

and

a practical, vintage floral fabric apron which she coveted when  she saw what I had been up to in the crafty stakes. 

I have to be careful when she is around when i'm crafting something new, as she usually buys up all I have and then I have nothing left for my little shop.  Nice  for my products to be admired though!

bee x

p.s. I will do a giveaway winner post on Monday for those who entered.

What a difference a day makes ....................

Where's the sun gone today?  Just rain, rain, and more drizzly rain!

Here's today's photo for the August Break photo challenge:

Puddles!

You can guarantee that on the day I do the cleaning, he decides to find the most dirtiest, and muddiest puddle to play in!

And what does Buzz get when he gets home when he's been paddling?

A  Bath!!!!

much to his disgust ...... the little monkey!

Bee x

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Wednesday Round Up

You may have noticed that I have been updating the blog and added some new features, like the link within widget, which I think is a brilliant little tool to show off your old blog posts to readers that they may find interesting.  I have added some search features, and rss feed, but still working how to create a button for 'grab my button'!  I think I've mastered it but not 100% sure so may be a work in progress!  I am trying to keep up-to-date on the blogasphere!!

I've been enjoying taking photos wherever I go for 'The August Break 2011' photo challenge.  Although I haven't managed to go very far as yet.  So far, I've been to the forest and back, with Buzz for his daily walkies, as it is so lovely and cool!  

my local forest

Today's pictures, however, come from my front garden, the lavender is out in full bloom and the bees are lovin' it!

August Break Day 3

 Lavender in my Garden

 Lavender Bees

Lavender Blue

I've been in the mood for nesting and sorting things out in my flat and clearing the decks so to speak, so not much crocheting or crafting has been done this week so far. 
I have a beautifully ordered wardrobe now, not sure how long it will stay this way as it seems to get in a mess rather quickly. 
 I have bought a few new things for my flat, a rapid boil kettle which is fab,
 so I can have a cuppa in double quick time,

a new shower curtain and an all important loo brush for my little shower room,
all in the sale, so I saved a few bob!!

 and a little reminder ..........

DON'T FORGET

TO


 enter my blog giveaway by sending me a link to your favourite tutorial,
you have until Friday 5th August 2011 to enter so hurry! (Click the link to find out more).

bee x

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Apples

 photo number 2

Apples in the Forest

I found this gorgeous apple tree by the picnic area in the forest on my walk with Buzz today.  I wonder how it got there as it seems a strange place for an apple tree! I suspect someone dropped an apple core due to its location.

bee x

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The August Break 2011

I have decided to join in 'The August Break' 2011, the creation of Susannah Conway.

I think it is a lovely, fun idea to illustrate the summer holidays.  All you have to do is to upload a photo on your own blog throughout August.  There  is no pressure, just join in the fun, so I thought I would give it a whirl.  You can find out more on her blog here

Here's my photo for today's post

On my walk today ...... in the forest

bee x

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