The Pink Hyacinth...

The delightful scent and beautiful form make the hyacinth one of those most sought after flowering bulbs.
 If grown indoors the pot needs to be in a warm position.
 The position of the pot also requires good light conditions.
 Keep the soil slightly moist.
Too much watering will make the hyacinth grow tall and leggy.
The scent will fill the room the plant is in!
 To help stop the plants growing towards the strongest light source,
just give the pot a half turn everyday.
Hyacinths come in the most gorgeous colours.
I chose bright pink for a pop of colour in the decor,
but they come in a range of hues in the colours of white, purple, mauve, pink, and peach.

But:








Classic Banana Cake...

Banana Cake
Nothing beats a classic banana cake!
Banana Cake
Always popular and delicious too.
Drizzle cake with passionfruit topping for an extra tropical flavour.
Banana Cake
Another sure fire way to use up your over ripe bananas in the fruit bowl!
Banana Cake
This cake recipe is from the 'Edmonds Sure To Rise Cookery Book'.
You'll find this iconic cookbook on the shelf
 in most New Zealand Bookstores or supermarkets.
Or online via Fishpond.
This book is probably the most used in my cookery book collection.
It's so used the cover has come off and a few pages are loose!
I just bought my son a new Edmonds cookbook because he is about to leave home, and you simply must have this cookbook in your kitchen!
Banana Cake
Get the banana cake printable recipe HERE.


Chocolate Cake
  • Ingredients: 
  •  125g butter, softened
  •   ¾ cup fine white caster sugar
  •   2 eggs
  •   1 - 1 ½ cups or 3-4 mashed ripe bananas
  •   1 and a half teaspoons Baking soda 
  •   2 Tablespoons hot Milk
  •   2 cups white flour
  •   1 tsp Baking Powder

  •   Chocolate Icing
  •  1 and 1/2 cups powdered icing sugar 
  •  1 Tablespoon Dark Cocoa Powder
  •  25 grams melted butter
  • Milk to mix to consistency.
  1. Method:
  2. Preheat the oven to 180ÂșC. Butter the inside of a 20cm deep round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
  3. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  4. Add the mashed banana and mix well.
  5. Stir the baking soda into the hot milk and add to creamed mixture, then sift the dry ingredients together and fold through the creamed mixture.
  6. Scoop the mixture into the prepared tin, level the top, and bake for about 50 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
  7. Leave in tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. When cold ice with Chocolate Icing or dust with icing sugar.

#banana #bananarecipes #bananacake

A New Pot Plant Standard...

Do you ever go into the garden centre,
 and see a plant that is screaming at you 'make me into a standard?'
Well that is what happened with this Ficus.
The main trunk is so straight.
How more perfect is that!
I bought it with no idea where in the house it would go.
But once home decided it was time for a change in the French Masculine Bedroom.
I have had black wrought iron pieces on the side table for too long.
Time for something new.
Time for a pot plant!
So I just repotted the ficus into a bigger plastic pot that would fit inside the display planter.
Then trimmed the plant into a standard by removing the lower leaves.
A slight prune to round it a little was needed.
As the plant grows the shape will improve with regular trimming.
I always like to do this as a gentle slow process.
This fiscus variety is called 'Baby Ben'.
It's a variety that is great for topiary.
They like part shade, so the filtered light in the bedroom,
 and no draughts means it should thrive.
If you like the black & white photographs that are framed above the Ficus, 
they are available HERE on the Mia Bella Passions Photography page for your free personal use.






Choc Chip & Banana Brownie...

It seems I have an overabundance of very ripe bananas in my fruit bowl!
Brownie recipes
Brownie recipes
Now that is a great excuse to make brownie don't ya think?
Brownie recipes
 Chocolate Chip & Banana Brownie to be precise!
Brownie recipes
 Serve warmed or cold.
With or without cream.
Too make it extra special add some custard.
 It's a very nice lunchbox treat too!
Brownie recipes
 You'll find the recipe HERE.
Brownie recipes
To make the stencil for the icing sugar I  printed a butterfly template from the net and cut it out.
Place on each brownie segment, sieve icing sugar over the top, and carefully remove the stencil.
(My gorgeous daughter came up with this idea and it really works!)
Chocolate Chip & Banana Brownie 
Nom Nom!
.

Note: An ingredient conversion chart can be found HERE


Palm Tree Print

Visit My Saatchi Art Print store HERE



#brownie #chocolate #banana #baking #homemade  #cakedecorating




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