Happy 2012!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

BYE FOR NOW!

PB x

Mistletoe And Wine

Well the big day is finally here! If you’re like me and are planning to get the roast in the oven by 10am, or follow Gordan Ramsey's Christmas Cookalong Live (I wish!) and planning not to be in a sugar coma by the early afternoon (because the tin of sweets just can’t stay there on the table and be mistaken for decorations, now can it?) And say to yourself, your not going to overeat, then overeat, and then proclaim to everyone at the dinner table your not going to eat anything until New Years…

Well it is good to plan? But we all know this isn’t going to happen! So when the so-called planning becomes a figment of your imagination, and chaos is beckoning and family members start getting grumpy, I always start to sing Cliff Richard’s Mistletoe & Wine to break the mood, as this was my tune! When I was little. Although the first reaction is usually annoyance, it all so makes everyone reminisce. So crank this at full blast and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!

Bye for now!
PB X

Polar Bears

I was mesmerised this morning by the most cutest Polo bear cub I’ve ever seen. I was thinking I want one. Then I remembered I am not 5 years old anymore and it will grow up and be bigger than me!

Although this is the cutest polar bear, it is not my favourite, as for some strange reason I love creepy stalker polar bear from the Birds Eye adverts! Have a watch and you see why?





Bye for now!

PB x

Leon's banana bread

Hi all

On my way to the 9-5 in the mornings, I like to pop on my trainers so I can get off the tube a stop early then walk it into the office. I am sure you’re thinking, good for her trying to keep healthy and fit. This is just a side benefit as the only reason I am getting off early is for the shop Leon’s spelt and banana bread! Oh my gosh! I cannot explain how incredible this tastes; it is a sweet dense, smooth slice of bliss, which has telepathic powers, as it tells me to eat it before I reach the office! So when I saw Grazia magazine had printed the recipe I had to make this. In the orginal recipe it had pecan nuts, vegetable oil, and natural yoghurt. I had to change these due to what I had in my fridge and cupboards.


Ingredients

50g Walnuts
150ml Grapeseed oil
200g Dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
350g/5 ripe skinned bananas
75g Plain soya yoghurt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
225g wholemeal spelt flour
½ Banana peeled for the top
1-2 tbsp of caster sugar for the top

Preheat the oven at gas mark 3/150oc. Line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper and put to one side for later. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper, spread the walnuts over the sheet and toast in the oven for 5-7 minutes. Leave to one side to cool.

Whisk together the oil, dark brown sugar, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mash the 350g/5 bananas roughly. Add the yoghurt and mix well. Sift the bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and cinnamon over the yoghurt mix then add the salt.


Add the banana and egg mixture together stirring well. Add the flour (I didn’t sift the flour, as I wanted make sure I kept all of the wholemeal) Chop the walnuts in small pieces and add to the mixture.
Pour mixture in the prepared loaf tin. Slice the half of the banana length ways and lay over the cake. Sprinkle the caster sugar over the top of the cake, I only used one tablespoon as I thought this was enough for me, if you want to add all three tablespoon you can.


Bake in the over on for 45-50 (mine took a little bit longer) or until springy to the touch and a skewer comes out clean when inserted. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool.

I found the bread tasted better the next day, although not exactly the same texture as the one I purchased from the shop. So although I will be making this banana bread more often, I still will be getting off a stop early.

Bye for now!

PBx

Deck your plate with all things yummy!

I do love this time of year, the last few weeks to Christmas and New Year. It is were you start to wind down, make plans to meet up with friends and family before the year is out, avoid embarrassing yourself at the office party and working out goals you like to achieve for the coming year. But to be honest I am more concerned with how warm can I get my house! And what I'm I going to eat! With my friends and family of course.

December is all about the food, Mince pies (mmm! My weakness), ginger bread, my interpretation of my Aunts fruit cake, crispy roast potatoes, honey parsnips, roast chicken (I don’t like turkey) stuffing, gravy…. I think you get what I’m trying to say? As I’m trying to keep to a spelt or gluten free alternative diet, there are many things I will make myself. So it's time to roll up my sleeves and in embrace the festive gluttony. Bring it on!

Bye for now!

PB x

I like the way you Moo!

Every time this advert comes on, it always makes me laugh, and slightly confused. As I am not sure I would be busting a move while you make me into gravy for your dinner? However a cow doing the running man gets me every time!

Bye for now!
PB x

Cinema Mix

Hi All

When I was child, I loved going to the cinema, the excitement hit me at the door, buying your treats, the Pearl & Dean intro and not forgetting the adverts. My favorite was Butterkist, Butterkist ra ra ra, Butterkist ra, ra, ra, ra! Hmm! Got slightly carried away there? Anyhoo. So I know what it is like when you go to the cinema with more than one other person especially those under the age of 16, they never want to share a large box of popcorn, they all want something different but want some of everyone else’s, huh?. By the time you pay for everything at the counter your thinking of how to take out a consolidated loan!


So after a recent trip to see Harry Potter with my nieces, I came up with a solution to all my problems. PB’s Cinema Mix! All you need is a pack of popcorn, jelly beans, and M&M’s you can use what type you like. I used three, chocolate, crispy and peanut.

Put your popcorn in a large bowl and add the sweets and lightly mix together if you mix too much then the heavy sweets will sink to the bottom. You can share in front of a home movie or make up individual paper bags to take the cinema (hopefully you don't go to one where they search your bag, for food which isn't theirs) I think I will take this to see the new Ryan Gosling and Steve Carrell Movie Crazy, Stupid, Love, click the link and check out the trailer.

Bye for now!

PBx