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Archives for June 2012

Easy Moist Banana Bread Recipe

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Easy Moist banana bread recipe. If you are looking for a simple and yet delicious moist banana bread recipe, than you have found it!

 

This recipe is so easy to make and results in scrumptious moist banana read.
The BEST if I don’t say so myself!!

Easy Moist Banana Bread Recipe

INGREDIENTS
1 ¾ cups Self Raising Flour
¼ cup Plain Flour
2/3 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup milk
2 eggs
60g butter (melt and cool)
1 ½ caps of vanilla essence
3 over-ripe bananas (mashed)

 

METHOD
1.     Preheat oven to 180°c
2.     Grease loaf tray and line with grease proof paper (allow it to overhang) & 6 muffin tray
3.     Sift flour (both variants) and cinnamon into a large bowl
4.     Add sugar and mix
5.     In a separate bowl mash bananas
6.     Add to the bananas – milk, eggs, vanilla essence and butter. Stir until well combined
7.     Make a well in the flour mix
8.     Add banana mix to flour and mix until just combined
9.     Spoon into loaf (approx. 3/4 full), smooth top and fill muffin trays
10.  Bake loaf for approx. 30mins
11.   Bake muffins for approx. 15mins
12.   Check with skewer to ensure it’s cooked. (Will be removed clean if cooked)
13.  Remove from oven and cool in trays for 5 minutes
14.   Turn onto wire rack and cool completely

 

 

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Have you tried my banana bread? What did you think?

A Journey Sure to Test!

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A Journey Sure to Test!

This story begins with a young, vibrant 18 year old woman. She was full of life and optimism, not a care in the world! That is until the moment her night ended abruptly in an emergency room. Yes this story is about me.

As my plane landed from its long international flight from Australia to Canada I was so excited. It was my first ever trip overseas and I planned to travel for just shy of a month. I was going it alone! Taking on the world! I saw some absolutely amazing and breathtaking views, snow for the first time, the ballet and so much more! This was the trip of a life time; or so I thought. Well one thing is for sure, I will never forget it!

One night as I was waiting out the front of a restaurant I was dragged to an alley and severely beaten. I will not go into detail as it’s not something I really like to think about let alone put it into writing. I have accepted what happened a long time ago (7 years ago this happened) but it still brings shudders when I think about it. I was extremely lucky that a very kind and I must say heroic man came to my rescue. If it weren’t for this man I probably wouldn’t be here now.

Anyway, I am basking on another journey to the exact city that this unfortunate incident happened to me in exactly 15 days! This time I am going with my husband and sister in law to see the 100 year anniversary of the Calgary Stampede. I know this time it will be different, I am smarter, wiser, physically stronger and I won’t be alone but I am so nervous, frightened and basically scared shitless. Not that it will happen again, not really about what could happen but about what did happen. I can’t explain it in a way that anyone but me can understand (not really sure I do at this point) and so when I was asked if I wanted to go I said yes. I knew my husband was really keen on going and he had the excited puppy look. I couldn’t say no.

When my 18 year old self went to Calgary, I wanted to see the stampede but I missed it by a couple of weeks. Yes I should have done more research! I want this trip to be memorable for all the right reasons. I want to have fun and enjoy myself, we are even lucky enough to have my father in law babysit. Yep that’s right we are going without the kids overseas! Yes I am a bit nervous about this too. Please don’t confuse my hesitation and fear with being ungrateful, I am extremely lucky to be able to go on an overseas holiday and spend some time with my husband all alone. It’s been so long since that has happened.

In the spirit of being brave and facing my fears, I want to embrace this with all the strength and fight I have inside me. I am going to need to find other amazing things to do in Calgary also to keep me busy.

Have you been? Do you live there? What fun, exciting, touristy attractions are there? Any great places to eat? I want to know everything anyone has to offer. Also if anyone knows how to stand up and so no to being scared please let me know.

Sincerely,

Your scared fighter

Kell 

 

Forgive Me Hairdresser!

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Forgive Me Hairdresser!

Forgive me hairdresser, it has been 6 months since my last cut and colour! My split ends are extreme and I look very similar to a skunk (only reversed). I am ashamed of how bad I have let this become and promise tomorrow I will rectify the damage I have caused.



Image Credit
This is me but in reverse and not as fancy or well known!
Oh and of course I smell like freshly cut flowers.
I know that I am not alone when it comes to feeling the want, the desire, the need to refresh and change something! For so many this is simply accomplished by a change of hair colour, a cut, a facial, etc. I am no different!  I love nothing more than going to the hairdresser with no idea what to get done and then leaving looking and feeling like a completely different person. I love the confidence a new cut and colour can instantly bring. I go from feeling tired, exhausted and boring to self-assured, sexy and ready to take on anything besides the rain or wind that may destroy my perfectly styled hair!

My problem (and I’m sure there will be so many others in the same boat) is that I don’t go nearly as often as I should or would like to for one reason or another. The main culprits are lack of time one week and no money the next but not this week!!



Image credit

My appointment is made and I am going to get sexified and a bloody good head massage (which I should add never goes for long enough!) I have no idea what colour I’m going to get, I was thinking red but as I have blonde currently I’m not sure that’s a great idea – bring on pink says my 15 year old self! Not sure if I’ll get it cut short or keep some length and I tend not to really think about it too much. I like the surprise!      

I am also wondering is it just me or are there other Mums out there who would just like the hairdressers to shut up occasionally? Don’t get me wrong, I love a little bit of chatter – how are the kids, what have you been up to, etc. But I personally love nothing more than enjoying my coffee in peace and quiet! It is really the only time I am away from everyone at home and don’t HAVE to speak. I enjoy some quiet!

Do you plan what cut/style and colour you are going to get before you arrive or do you wing it like me?

Review – Mumtrepreneur – Breast Mate

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Review – Breast Mate

As we all know being a Mum to a newborn can be very overwhelming at times and we may get a little forgetful or lose track of things. If something can make a Mums’ day easier than it is a win in my book.

I would like to introduce you to a fantastic new product on the market designed and made by a Mum for Mums.

This product is practical, full of fantastic features and is so easy to use. It keeps track of feeds (what time, which side & how long), lets you know which side you need to use next. All it takes is the push of a button!

The screen displays all the information you could want to know from feeds, the time, temperature, etc. One of my favourite features is the colour changing thermometer; it glows blue when it’s cold and red when it’s hot. The other feature I am a bit crazy for is the night light; it is so handy to have (even with toddlers and older kids) so you can check on them without having to turn the house lights on.

All the data that this amazing product stores can be uploaded your computer so you can keep track and monitor. The Breast Mate comes with a docking station and rechargeable batteries. You can also get interchangeable face plate designs so you can match it with your nursery or childs room.

This is perfect for any Mum or Mum-to-be!

“Breast Mate will be your best mate”

Pop over to this very clever Mums Webpageand Facebook page for more information or to buy online!
Disclaimer: I have not received any cash payment for this review. I received a breast mate for review purposes. Everything I have said is my own honest opinion!  

Make the Time – Its worth It!

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Girls Day Out With Mr 3!

As you can probably tell by the lack of posts lately that I have been absolutely run off my feet, between studying for exams, assignments, looking after the kids, keeping the house semi-organised from being a complete shambles, organising dinners, the kids’ homework, sorting out our house, our holiday, etc. I have had no time for anything ‘fun’!

I decided as K (3) and I haven’t really had time to do anything alone recently I’d forget about all the shit I ‘need’ to do and just spend time with the little guy. We got a day that D was at school and C was at work where he should beand we took advantage of it. We had the ultimate girls day (yes I realise he is a boy) but we had so much fun.

He got a haircut (he loves getting it cut and spiked up); we bought him a new pair of shoes ($15 Slazenger sneakers from Spendless Shoes or something like that. What a BARGAIN!! And to top it off we went to an actual real café for lunch.

We dined at Cino’s in East Maitland – Greenhills.

The service was fantastic, food was great and the coffee was delicious.

I ordered a big breaky – Don’t be judging me I was freaking starving! – $17.90

K got chicken nuggets and chips – $7.90 which I might add was a waste of money. K was only interested in helping me devour my meal. I did find the prices a bit high but I think that’s the chef coming out in me (I know roughly what everything costs and how much profit they would have made). However the atmosphere was good and best of all it was kid friendly. K and I talked about loads of different things and he got really excited, I just loved the look he had in his eyes.

He was having fun and so was I!

This is something I am going to have to make time to do on a regular basis with the family, whether it is all of us at once or just one on one. It was almost therapeutic to actually sit, relax and just talk (yes I am aware I was talking to a 3 year old but gee has he got some interesting stories to tell)  ;p

Do you have regular dates with your husband/wife/partner? Kids?

What do you do to mix things up?  

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