Banana loaf or-anyway-you-want-it-cake.

No you don't have to make this as a loaf cake. My mother-in-law makes it in an 8-inch tin and slices it like a round cake.

Something about banana cake tells me it has to be in a loaf, unless there are multiple layers and an abundance of icing!

I promised my Nana that this was the EASIEST banana cake recipe and it has proved so popular with her neighbours, that they bring her old bananas in hope that she'll make it again!

Ingredients:
1 large very ripe banana, although I usually use 2!
5 oz. self raising flour
1 egg
5 oz. Caster sugar
2 oz. butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Method:

 

Put oven on - 170'c. 

Mash banana and put aside.

Beat butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy.   Because there isn't enough fat, it sort of forms a solid lump.  Keep going.  I turn the speed down and it becomes smooth.

Add egg and mix in.

Add banana and mix in.

 

In a separate bowl, mix your dry ingredients - flour, bicarb and salt.

 

Fold the dry ingredients into the batter using a METAL spoon.

 

At this point I sometimes add chocolate chips or nuts.

 

Pour into a lined tin.

 

Bake in a loaf tin for 35 mins or 45-50 mins if you add chocolate chips.

 

 

Today I'm experiementing by making smaller loaves in mini tines.  Already the batter is rising over the tin, despite being two thirds full... (The batter does make 6 but 4 fit on this baking tray!)

 

I've baked these for 20 mins so far.  Adding another 5...

 

 

Ta-daaaaah!!

 

 

170'C for 25 mins.  Going to my Aunt's house for lunch tomorrow. 

Can't wait to put these in pretty bags for her!

 

 

 

The mother-in-laws method:

 

"Put everything but the flour and Bicarb. into a liquidizer for 1 minute at low speed.

Pour into bowl and all flour and bicard and mix.

I cook mine more as a cake in a loaf tin at 170'c for 40 minutes or a 7" round tin for 25 mins."

 

 

 

Slimming World Watercress Soup

Long time, not blog! 
So much has happened in my personal life.  The main one being that I'm restricted to school holidays to type as I'm a teacher and the intensity of teaching means that my inspiration can tend to fail in term time!
Nick and I have joined Slimming World, though.  He's lost 14 lbs and I've lost 21 lbs!  I've been saying for the last 3 months that I should post some of the delicious Slimming World recipes that we've created. So I will try...

Today's delight is my favourite soup in the world - Watercress.  I could have this every day!

It's stupidly simple and completely sin free!  Way hey!!

ingredients

• 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 800ml stock  (You could actually make this 1 litre)
• 2 bags of watercress, chopped

serves 2-3
1. In a large saucepan, sauté the potatoes, onions and and garlic in olive oil. Add the stock and simmer until the potatoes are soft. Add the chopped watercress and cook for 3–4 minutes.
2. Liquidise the soup until smooth.

 

 

The colour is so green.  I made the mistake of devouring it as soon as I had liquidised the soup.  It was a little foamy!! Next time, I'll let it sit for a while.

 

This made 4 portions.  Enjoy!