Dad

Happy Birthday Dad. Apparently I got the age wrong, he is actually 21 today. Though what better way to celebrate than with hand felted balloons.

Banana Tea Bread

The challenge is, if you choose to accept it is; to work my way through the Be-Ro Century Edition cookbook. Ok so I remember making lots of recipes from this cookbook growing up, and when my Mum, Grandad and myself started to discuss these fab memories and yummy food. I wanted to make them all again, so with my Grandad's Be-Ro cookbook (which is in immaculate condition and not like the one my Mum let me and my sister get our hands on), I have set to work.

Banana bread seemed a logical place to start, no not at the front. I will work my way through the bread section and then I will start at the beginning of the book (yes that is the logical way to work).

I am very impressed with this cake, I think I may even start using this recipe for Banana Bread over Delia's which has been my go to recipe for Banana bread for ever. It was lovely and light, and rose more.

My work friends have agreed to be my guinea pigs and eat my produce, I managed to fill my tin twice and was told after the first tin went in to refill and bring more tomorrow, which I am taking as a compliment. I only brought four pieces back on the second day and the cake got positive complements. I think the one that stood out was 'it's tidy cake cut into edible peices', this apparently is a good quality for a cake to have in a nursing environment.

Mug protection!

I carry around a mug in my work bag, I do this for a number of reasons 1/ I like my mug, 2/I can drink from it whilst walking and I can carry lots of things and fluid does not spill from it, 3/ I work at different locations and having my own mug mean you can have a drink without hunting around to much. I also do not trust that the cup I may be using has been cleaned to my standards, namely as they tend to look dirty. My friend brought me this mug as a birthday present so it has sentimental value also. So for all of these reasons it need protection in my bag, so I made a cover for it out of felt.

Now its nice and cosy and all set for winter. I call my mug Fred.

Almond croissants

I decided that I wanted a challenge! I haven't experimented much with pastry so I thought I would start with croissants. This recipe was from Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess book. Croissant's take at least two day's to make though I liked that fact I could make a big batch and freeze half of it. I made six, and took them to work for breakfast. They were all gone by the end off the day, though in my profession that doesn't mean that they were tasty just that there was food around. They were nice but didn't taste as croissanty as I was hoping for and they wern't very flaky!.