Banana loaf

As requested by Yvette and Isabelle!

Banana loaf

2 ripe bananas

100g soft butter

175g golden caster sugar

2 eggs

225g self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2-3 tablespoons milk

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.

Mash the bananas, then beat together with the other ingredients in a large bowl using an electric whisk, for about 2 minutes. Add a little extra milk if it looks a bit stiff. It should pour quite easily into the tin.

Pour into a buttered and lined loaf tin (900g), and bake for 1 hour until risen and golden brown. Cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. It freezes well.

Variations: add a pinch of cinnamon, some chocolate chips, or some dried fruit (e.g. raisins) for a twist!

Lakeland sell wonderful loaf tin liners which are really useful!

Babies don't keep

A poem by Ruth Hulbert Hamilton:

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullaby, rockabye, lullaby loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due,
Lullaby, rockabye, lullaby loo.
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew,
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo,
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo,
Lullaby, rockabye, lullaby loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait til tomorrow,
For children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs;
Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.

Sophie's new blog

Sophie has a blog!

sophieannlouise.blogspot.co.uk

Goals for 2013

I was out on a long walk with Sophie and I started thinking about some things I would like to do this year. As life with baby is vastly different to life before baby, I mostly think now about things I would like to do in terms of whether they are with, for, or without Sophie. I decided to jot a few ideas down here, as reminders for me about some things that would be fun to do, and as a reminder that what I do is not as important as the attitude of grace, love, and giving which should accompany all of my thoughts and actions.

Take Sophie to London
Have a facial and a manicure
Go to a place with animals with Sophie
Throw a birthday tea party for Sophie
Go to Paris
Have tea at the Grand Cafe

April already

Where did March go?

We've done lots of fun things recently. We took Sophie on her first holiday, to the Lake District.

Sophie has also been having a little bit of food. Lots of mess has ensued!

We had a visit from Nana, Grandad and Aunty Rachel. I made my usual Easter nests, and some simnel muffins, fruity and delicious and much less rich than traditional simnel cake. It doubled as a birthday tea party for Dad / Grandad!

Sophie's getting bigger, stronger, and more fun by the day. Here's a recent photo. I couldn't do a blog post and not include one!