This month’s bake over at Sweet and Simple Bakes was a recipe for Double Chocolate Cookies that no true cookie lover would be able to resist! I found this recipe to be wonderful and one that I will definitely be making again and again whenever that fix for double choc cookie arises. If you would like to recreate these wonderful cookies, you can find the recipe here.
Perfect accompaniment to a cold glass of milk!
I would like to apologize for not having blogged much recently, it's been a busy time for my family and I recently. My beautiful baby niece Maya arrived into the world on Sunday 8th June at 7.34am!! She is absolutely precious and looks just like my sister.
A great portion of my life is spent baking with bananas, especially when they go ripe, as I hate to throw away food and my boys would much rather me make up some home-baked goodness that they will no doubt enjoy than to see good ripe bananas go to waste. This recipe is excellent when time isn’t on your side, you won’t believe how quick they are to mix up and bake! In no time you have delicious yummy muffins to enjoy at breakfast or an afternoon snack.
Banana White Chocolate Muffins
Ingredients
3 very ripe bananas
125ml vegetable oil
2 eggs
250g plain flour
100g caster sugar
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
150g white chocolate (or butterscotch or dark chocolate morsels)
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6 and line a 12-bun muffin tin with muffin papers.
Mash the bananas and set aside for a moment.Pour the oil into a jug and beat in the eggs.
Put the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder into a large bowl and mix in the beaten-egg-and-oil mixture, followed by the mashed bananas.
Fold in the white chocolate morsels, then place equal quantities in the prepared muffin tin and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Pasta plays a big part in our weekly meals and I often love trying out and introducing new pasta dishes to our table. I had some lovely Italian sausages begging to be used in the fridge, so my loyal friend Google went into action to find me the perfect pasta recipe to incorporate those yummy sausages into. I came across this recipe on Myrecipes, where it immediately caught my eye and I knew this was the one! This pasta dish is simple and quick to make but its pure comfort food and just the kind we love. I added a splash of red wine and oregano for that added flavour and let it simmer for longer. If you love your pasta and are looking for an easy quick meal that your family will appreciate then look no further. My son and hubby really enjoyed and loved this dish and so did I. I will definitely be making this again and again!
Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomato, and CheeseIngredients
1 (1-pound) package uncooked ziti (short tube-shaped pasta)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pound hot turkey Italian sausage links (I used pork Italian Sausages)
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Cooking spray (I used butter)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain the pasta, and set aside.
3. (I added 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pan.) Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil.
4. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes (I simmered my sauce for 25 minutes), stirring occasionally.
5. Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4-quart casserole coated with cooking spray or butter. Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.
I had to post this pic of my beautiful princess Coco. This is how I sometimes find her, on her back in all her fluffy glory! Yep, she definitely has a good life ;o)
After having a break from baking last week I was sure my boys were starting to miss their home-baked goods and I couldn’t have been more right! The Apricot Seed Bars I made yesterday have been devoured in less than 24 hours; do you reckon they missed my baking? So being the good mummy and wifey I have baked them these Apple & Cinnamon Muffins. I wonder how long they will last?! I am sure they will be a great success, they really are wonderfully delish. If you have some spare apples sitting in the fruit bowl, this is the perfect recipe to make use of those apples. These muffins are beautifully moist from the grated apple and personally I think apple and cinnamon flavours work great together. I love how the topping adds that extra crunch. This muffin recipe is a "must try".
Apple & Cinnamon Muffins
It seem's like ages since I last baked or blogged. Sorry for not having been around much lately but recently I have been feeling run down and lost my baking mojo. I woke up today and decided that I had to bake something for my boy's who have missed my baking. So this morning whilst drinking my cup of tea I came across these Apricot Seed Bars, an easy and rather healthy recipe that I've had bookmarked. These bars are packed full of dried fruit, seeds and home-baked goodness. They would make a perfect energy snack if you’re hiking or biking or just need an energy boost fix during the day.
