Recipe: Banana Choc Muffins

 

Not a lot has been happening around these parts lately. The weather has been somewhat inconsistent and rather awful (hot. Windy. Dusty. That kind of thing), so a lot of time has been spent inside.

 

I received this recipe for Banana Choc Muffins from my penpal, Ursa, in Slovenia sometime ago and I finally got around to making it.

 

It has been awhile since I've shared a recipe, so here's my (slightly altered from original) version:

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon bi-carb soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large bananas, pureed

1/3 cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

2 eggs

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

* Preheat oven to 180*C. Line 12 muffin cups with paper cups. Set aside.

 

* Add flour, cocoa, sugar, soda and salt in a bowl and mix together using a whisk.

 

* In a separate bowl mix bananas, oil, eggs and vanilla.

 

* Add the wet mix to the dry mix and using a wooden spoon, stir until combined.

 

* Use a large scoop to fill the paper cups with batter and bake in oven for 30 minutes (or until done).

 

 

I like to eat them warm with a bit of butter.

 

Shane likes to smother his in chocolate icing, which I contend turns them into cupcakes, but either way they are simply delicious.

The Week in Pictures...

 

 

** I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend and had a wonderful Easter (if you celebrate it)? Ours was very quiet and relaxing: A well-earned break from the usual routine. I wrote letters, caught up with reading my blog list, and watched some DVDs. I can't eat chocolate so our weekend was Easter egg free, but I did eat my weight in hot cross buns. A fair trade, I reckon.

 

** Autumn in the Flinders Ranges is the best time of year. I know I whinge about the summer, which is so long and hot, but when autumn finally arrives it is simply glorious. Most days we wake to slightly chilly mornings that are wonderfully clear and bright. The dewy nights are great for the garden and the lawn has started its regeneration after being burnt to a crisp during January and February. We also had two days in the past week where it rained: Wednesday was slightly disappointing with less than 1mm falling, but then on Saturday it was grey and wet all day (and decidedly cold), which gave us 15mm. It may not sound like much but as long as we get a little rain regularly it isn't so bad. We hope to invest in some more rainwater tanks in the coming months to catch as much rain as possible. At present we are only catching rain from the back half of the house, so we need to start collecting it from the front and also from the shed. This will make a huge difference to our supply and hopefully once they are full we'll not run out of rainwater again.

 

** I received some fantastic pieces of mail art this week but my favourite came from Alison in Australia. She made me an awesome lotus flower postcard (pictured above). If you're into paper crafts then I strongly recommend her blog, Paisley and Brown Paper. She makes the most amazing stuff.

 

** Apparently Google Reader will be closing down, so if you are using it to read this (and other) blogs you might want to import your blog list into another feed, such as Bloglovin'. I've already done mine and it's fantastic: So easy to use and I get an email every day advising of any new posts from the blogs I follow so I can access them from my inbox. I love that. It's super convenient and it's completely free.

 

The Week in Pictures...

 

 

** With each passing week it is feeling more and more like autumn, which is a relief since Indian Summers are frustratingly common. The mornings are cool and bright, the afternoon shadows long and the evenings are notably chilly. The autumn equinox (Mabon) passed on Thursday so now the days are becoming shorter and shorter.

 

** We are still receiving the odd hotter day (or two) every week where the daytime temperature will suddenly soar to the mid-30s (*C), but a series of much cooler days generally follows. We had thunderstorms and 2mm of rain fall in the early hours of Thursday morning; the lightning was so bright and the thunder so loud we would wake with the arrival of each new storm, of which there were 4 between the hours of 2am and 5am. These came from the same front that spawned the tornadoes in rural Victoria.

 

** During the summer months we live on a lot of salads and fresh fruit, but now that the weather is cooling we are craving roasts, fresh breads and soups. If you've not tried this recipe for roasted vegetable soup then you must: It is absolutely delish and an autumn/winter favourite in our house.

 

** Had a lovely book haul this week with the arrival of an order I placed prior to my birthday, plus the surprise arrival of a belated birthday gift from the lovely Nicki. I've already read one, am halfway through another and I'm itching to get to the final two. I look forward to the days when it is cold enough to sit by the fire and simply immerse myself in a book for hours on end.

 

** Bailey-dog is enjoying the cooler days also. Every morning I find him soaking up the sun's rays on the back deck, a look of perfect contentment on his sweet spoodle face.

 

 

I hope your week was just as pleasant?

The Week in Pictures...

** The week started as summer with hot days and humid nights, but by week's end it had morphed into autumn with cool, breezey days, bright orange sunsets and damp, dewey nights. Today it was only 11*C at 7.30am, a temperature we've not seen for at least four months and its sudden arrival gave us goosebumps. But that is what's so great about autumn: After months of seemingly endless heat you don't mind a bit of chill.

 

** We are eating the last of the summer fruits and veg (that which didn't die in the heat) whilst the weather forecast for the coming week only has one day above 35*C. Hopefully this means summer is well and truly drawing to a close for at least another 7 or 8 months, and we don't end up with an Indian Summer in May like we did last year. We pray for abundant, rejuvinating autumnal rains.

 

** Bailey-dog had his last "summer cut" this week. From now until next summer he'll only need a trim every 6 weeks or so. He's super cute all the time, but even more so with a bit of curl.

 

** Autumn has me unpacking my stampers and inks and decorating all sorts of items in the red, yellow, orange and brown of autumn leaves. This month I am taking part in the Love Notes Postcard Project and sent out my first postcard on Friday to J in Melbourne.

 

** I continue with the mail art, although this week I had to undertake a shopping trip to stock up on pens as I was officially penless. I think I've bought enough to last the next two months, but I have a terrible habit of scattering my pens throughout the house and then forgetting where I've put them, so when I need them I don't know where they are.

 

** I've been quiet on the blog these past couple weeks whilst I work on a novel critique and complete assignments for my editing course. I have many things to write about but just struggle to find the time at the minute, but I'm hoping the critique will be finished by the middle of this week. That should free up some time.

 

** Oh, and Happy Saint Patrick's Day! I hope your day is wonderfully green.



Eggplant Parmesan

 

I made Eggplant (aubergine) Parmesan for dinner last night. Shane was adamant he wasn't going to like it but then when back for seconds. I was eating the toasted eggplant fresh out of the oven, before it even had a chance to reach the casserole dish. It really is delicious, so I thought I'd share the recipe so everyone can enjoy it.

 

It's based on a Quick, Light & Delicious recipe, which I've modified to suit my own tastes.

 

Ingredients:

3 eggs whites, lightly whisked

1/4 cup water

1 large eggplant (or 2 small) cut into 5mm slices

1/3 cup of plain flour

1 1/2 cups dried breadcrumbs

440g can diced tomatoes

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (extra sharp)

Dried garlic flakes

Salt and pepper

 

1. Preheat oven to 200*C and line two baking trays with baking paper.

2. In a small bowl lightly whisk egg whites and stir in water.

3. Add grind of salt and pepper to flour, and garlic flakes (as little or as much as you like) to breadcrumbs. Dip eggplant in flour, then egg whites followed by breadcrumbs.

4. Place eggplant in a single layer on baking trays and bake in oven, turning once, until golden and tender (approximately 30 minutes).

5. Spread 1/3 of the tomatoes over the base of a medium casserole dish. Cover with a layer of the eggplant, 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layering with remaining ingredients, finishing with tomatoes, mozarella and parmesan on top.

6. Bake in oven until cheese melts and ingredients are heated through (approximately 15 minutes).

 

Enjoy!

 

The Week in Pictures...

 

 

** As the relentless summer continues (minimum of 35*C almost daily) there's been little action in the kitchen, although I did bake some bread this week (using the breadmaker), stewed the figs from last week (in the morning before it got too hot), and cooked most meals outside to keep the inside as cool as possible (it's what BBQs were made for!).

 

** I spent a fair portion of my time this last week lost in correspondence as I try to catch up on some of my letter-writing. I desperately need to go to the post office to get postage stamps but there was a movie being filmed in the centre of town for most of this week and I decided it was just too much hassle, especially with the daily influx of people (I'm not just referring to cast and crew because every day also brought in an influx of onlookers. I hope they didn't leave disappointed).

 

** I finally found made the time to get in a bit of reading for the online course I'm currently doing and worked on the assignments: If I can't go outside on account of the weather I'm going to at least put to good use the time I'm stuck indoors, because I know the moment it begins to feel like autumn I'll be spending endless hours in the garden (it is going to need a lot of work after this summer).

 

** I'm currently reading two books: The Great War by Les Carlyon and Not Wisely but Too Well by Pauline Montagna. I normally recommend people not do this but as they are completely different from one another there's no risk of confusing them. I've just reached the halfway point in The Great War, which is no small feat considering the book is over 800 pages in length. It's emotionally wrecking and yet I can't seem to drag myself away from its pages...

 

** Speaking of books, I also got the most wonderful surprise from Laura, who decided she needed to cull a few books from her shelves and so sent them my way. Even though I've no room left on my own bookshelf, I can never say no to a book or two, and I'm pleased as punch with the selection. 

 

 

What occupied your time this week?

 

 

The Week in Pictures...

 

 

** This week was all about fruit: Nectarines, figs, rockmelon, plums and peaches. I've had them all! I have a basket of white figs in the fridge, kindly donated by my mum, and I am trying to decide whether I should stew them so they can be enjoyed with baked custard, or simply make some jam (only the best jam in the world, I should add). That is, of course, assuming I don't eat them all first because I can't help but grab a handful everytime I go to the fridge.

 

** It was another week of H-O-T and I think Bailey-dog is as fed up with the scorching summer weather as I am. To keep himself entertained, Bailey has taken to spying on the dog across the road: She's only a puppy and gets into the greatest mischief. Every now and then she'll trot over to our place to say hello, which puts Bailey into a right tither!

 

** A big shout out to everyone sending letters this month! InCoWriMo is in full swing and although I'm not participating myself (I think it's quite obvious I don't really need to dedicate a month to sending mail), I am making a concerted effort to catch up on my correspondence instead. But I really enjoy seeing what everyone else is sending, so if you are participating in InCoWriMo please leave a comment and link to your place on the web - I'd love to follow your progress.

 

 

The Week in Pictures...

 

 

** The days just seems to be flying by! Although they are full, busy days I didn't take many photos. I need to be more mindful of enjoying the small moments and the simple things. Stopping to take a photograph helps me find more appreciation in things: I can look back on it later and remember a fraction of time that might otherwise have been lost and think, "Oh, that was such a trial/so exciting/completely amazing/a learning curve" etc.

 

** My parents came up for an afternoon cup of tea and a chat. They brought a bounty of homegrown goodies: Pumpkins, rockmelon, nectarines, capsicums, Japanese eggplant and cucumbers. There was also a jar of homemade nectarine jam, which I am keen to try. We spoke about the poor quality of supermarket food, the absence of a regular farmer's market in our region and the importance of growing your own fruit and vegetables.

 

** We also received some homegrown figs from Shane's parents. I ate them all.

 

** There's not a lot happening in our own vegetable garden. The zucchini has a few small fruits that I hope to start picking in the coming days, but I don't think it has fully recovered for the hot spell we had the first three weeks of January. The corn didn't survive the heat at all: Not a single cob was worthy of keeping. We pulled the plants out earlier in the week. We are still getting cherry tomatoes, but the marmandes are doing poorly. Eggplant is thriving, the potato plants seem healthy and I picked a gigantic leek this week, so not entirely disappointing.

 

How did you spend your week?

The Week in Pictures...

 

 

** It was a pretty uneventful week, despite the burst of cooler weather.

 

** I reorganised and sorted and cleaned.

 

** I came down with an ear infection. I could put up with the fever, the lethargy and the general ickiness, but I could not handle the pain. I didn't complete any of the mail art pieces I started because I spent most of my time on the lounge watching nothings on television and feeling sorry for myself.

 

** I finished one fantastic book and started another.

 

** I whittled away an afternoon in the kitchen after an electricity blackout (hurray for gas cooking!) and made tomato soup, herb foccacia, and preserved eggplant in oil.

 

** Shane had work in Port Germein so the Bailey-dog and I tagged along and went for a splash on the beach. The tide was out - perfect for a certain Spoodle that cannot swim, although he still managed to dive head-first into one of the creeks (estuary?) after misjudging its depth. He got a mouthful of sea water and splashed his way back to the bank. Funniest thing I ever saw.

 

 

The Week in Pictures...

 

 

** The garden is a wonderful place to be: We had a slight reprieve from scorching summer temperatures this week (2 whole days!) so I got out into the vegie patch, did a bit of mulching, some pruning and picking. I am genuinely surprised by how well eggplants (aubergines) and potatoes survive persistent daytime temperatures of 40+ (degrees Celsius, obviously). They are faring better than the tomatoes, which are really beginning to look tired and forlorn.

 

** Also looking tired and forlorn is the patch of garden that is supposed to be our lawn. Once-upon-a-time it was beautifully green and lush, but that was during the La Nina years. These days a decent shower of rain is as scarce as hen's teeth, and the salinity of bore water tends not to do wonders for a garden in crisis. I think it's time we returned to the books and begin to look at other landscaping options for the patch of lawn that simply refuses to grow.

 

** I picked our first eggplant this week and am now looking forward to more as I want to try my hand at making aubergines in oil (my favourite way to eat eggplant). I have a fancy of it on toast with crumbled fetta for lunch one day in the coming week, so watch this space (that's assuming it works out, of course!).

 

Did you spend time in the garden this week?

 

The Week in Pictures...

 

 

** Due to the persistent heat we've spent most of this week indoors. I think poor Bailey-dog is a little stir-crazy as he insists on going outside so he can lay in the sun. I keep telling him he'll get sunburnt and what-not but I think he's in denial about the whole thing.

 

** The garden is...coping. The zucchini is faring worst with this heat and the tomato plants look a little limp by the end of each day but there's still hope: The cherry tomatoes are ripening, there's cucumbers on the vines, cobs of corn and plenty of baby eggplant. The tent village we created to keep everything shaded is working surprisingly well, although I still need to venture down to the garden three times a day to ensure the soil remains damp.

 

** "I am half-sick of salad". Said I.

 

** To wile away the days I've been keeping myself occupied by reorganising the kitchen cupboards. Dull, no? I've also been reading and indulging in a bit of family research. I've lost count of the number of hours I've spent reading about the Battles of Ypres and searching through military service records, but as a history-nerd I am completely in my element. I'll enjoy it whilst I can because eventually I will have to return to the painfully frustrating task of trying to find people who seemingly never existed.

The Week in Pictures...

 

 

** We finished painting the bathroom the day before Christmas Eve (what is that? Christmas Eve Eve?)...Actually, I lie: It's not finished at all. The walls and ceilings are done but the architraves and doors currently have nothing more than the undercoat and I'm not rushing to get it done. We're coming into the hottest part of the year now and it is simply too hot for paint: It'll dry on the brush and become nothing more than a sticky mess. So I shall finish the painting when the weather cools.

 

** I know it's supposed to be an enjoyable time but Christmas stresses me out! I didn't finish cooking, cleaning the house and wrapping presents until 12.30 in the morning. We were both so very, very tired and yet barely a wink of sleep was had on account of the noisy neighbours across the road. They partied in the noisiest way possible until 9am Christmas morning (and then no doubt slept all day). I'm fairly certain that isn't appropriate neighbourly behaviour.

 

** Despite being uber tired, Christmas Day was nice: BBQ breakfast with the in-laws followed by lunch with my family. I received a bunch of wonderful, useful gifts - cookery, crockery, kitchenware, framed photos, books and jewellery, plus my sister made me carrot cake cupcakes. We handmade 99% of the Christmas gifts we gave this year and although it required a lot of preparation, we didn't have to fight the Christmas shoppers to get any of it done. It felt good to give without blowing the budget too.

 

** The rest of week has passed rather slowly, much to my delight. The weather for the most part has been pleasant with temperatures in the low 30s (degrees Celsius) and cool southerly breezes in the evenings. Until last night even the neighbours had been quiet! But now we are getting ourselves ready for the first heatwave of the summer, which is looking to be a real stinker (a heatwave in South Australia is 5 or more consecutive days of 37*C and above, by the way). I plan to wile away the days with a good book or two.

 

How about you?