Sharabelle bakes

Bananas about Bananas It's the Friday before Christmas, or should I say it WAS  the Friday before Christmas.  I had every intention of writing my blog but I had one of my hyper turns. After working all day in a kitchen for other people, I just wanted to cook something I could eat.  Which is why 2 hours after I got home from work, I had made  - Lentil Dahl - Winter Vegetable soup - Banana Mincemeat Scones I also managed to fit in washing my dirty dishes and cooking my dinner.   Hyper turns are one of the side effects of my Anxiety problems.  There also the main reason why I avoid caffeine.  First Experiment: Banana Mincemeat   You can't have Christmas without mincemeat, I love the stuff.   I like to bling up a bought jar of mincemeat with my own little touches, in this case Banana. Easiest recipe ever 1 Jar Mincemeat 1 Large Banana - Mashed Mix the 2 ingredients together in a bo...

Bananas about Bananas Thank Bananas it's Friday, because ......  I've had to wear a Santa hat to work for the past week and I don't have to wear it for the next 3 days xxx The Banana project my slightly demented mission to make as many recipes using my favourite fruit (The Banana) in a year.   No matter how bizarre the recipe sounds.... The rules all the recipes must be dairy free Banana Coconut Tea loafs My last attempt at a Banana coconut cake was not that great.  It was a bit too moist in the middle, though they were perfectly OK to eat when they were cut in half and toasted. Instead of using someone Else's recipe, I decided to adapt a tried and tested banana bread one from   vegetarian.about.com Banana bread cake  Changes: I reduced the flour by 1/2 Cup and instead substituted a 1/2 Cup of desiccated coconut. I then poured the batter into my mini loaf tins.  Finally I sprinkled a little more d...

I'm Bananas about Bananas My 1 year mission to make as many meals and recipes using my favourite fruit the banana. Thank Bananas it's Friday, I'm not working this weekend.  Instead my weekend is going to be filled with family fun.  What could be better xxx Raw coffee banana cake pops This is one of my own recipes.  I get cravings for sugary foods like any other individual.  However it does not agree with my IBS, as too much sugar is one of my triggers.  I discovered this recipe for  Date and Cocoa Raw truffles  while surfing the Internet looking for healthy snack ideas.   Its now become my base recipe for my own date truffles, you can customise them any way you want. - Ground Almonds - Desiccated coconut - Rolled Oats - Muesli Last time I made a breakfast truffle with muesli, dates and bananas.  This time I went a bit more grown up, by using coffee.    Note : I make mine slight...

Bananas about Bananas The Banana project: - To make as many recipes in one year using the humble banana.  No matter how weird or strange they appear.   I am especially Thankful this Friday, because it's pay day. Im even more thankful for the extra money I made from doing overtime.  All my Christmas presents are bought, along with the cards.  I'v also got pressies and cards for the Birthdays that fall in December.   This weeks recipe was inspired by my love of Nutella.......... I fell in love with Nutella when on a holiday in Paris, France.  Since becoming Lactose intolerant it's been off the menu for me.  So I got excited when I discovered Sun.Pat Chocolate Peanut butter, shopping in Asda. Im one of those people that can eat peanut butter straight from the Jar.  So I find the safest thing to do is use it too  bake, in case I overdose.   I used a Recipe I from my Vegan Cupcakes take over the world co...

Fruit and Nut ' War' Cake BANANAS ABOUT BANANAS I'm especially Thankful it is Friday this week.  I forgot to re-order my prescription for my medication, which I take for my IBS.  The one that stops me waking up at night as I feel my digestive system working.   I pick it up today so  I'll actually get a decent sleep tonight.  Tired and cranky may be cute in children, not especially in Adults.  Hence my friends and family will also be especially thankful this Friday as well.   The focus of my Banana project this week has been - Fruitcake.   It seemed appropriate considering my sleep deprivation.   For this recipe I took inspiration from a  Fruit and Nut war cake Recipe , that I found when searching the Internet.  So many dairy & egg free cakes were created due to rationing, Necessity being the mother of invention.   I halved the recipe quantities for testing and left out the alcohol, since it is one of...

Bananas about bananas It's Friday again at last, thankfully.  I've had a really busy week and really glad to be off work this weekend.  So am extra thankful this Friday.   I may have been busy but I still had time to fit in another Banana Project Experiment.   Sweet and sour Sauce with Banana I took inspiration from this  Meatballs in sweet and sour sauce Recipe  on the Good to Know Internet site.  I don't eat meat so used Chicken style vegetarian substitute instead. Don't ignore meat based recipes.  The sauce which is the best part of the recipe is usually vegetarian/vegan based, or easy to convert.   The notorious chinese sweet and sour sauce from local chinese takeaway, often turns to a solid mass once its cold.  Which to me seems pretty un-natural.  It also always contains chopped peppers and pineapple chunks.  So why not Banana....... Raw bananas would just turn to mush in the sa...

Bananas about bananas Had a great Friday this week, there was a celebration for the 10th Anniversary of my local reading group.  There was a lot of old friends and met some new ones.  We all have one thing in common, we love to read........... and are very opinionated.   Re-joining the reading group was one of my first steps on working towards managing my depression and anxiety.  They helped me gain the confidence to apply for jobs, go to interviews and finally returning to paid work.  So last nights celebration had extra special meaning for me. Banana project Experiment: Hindsight is a great thing, just a pity it never occurs to you till after the event.  I don't really know what possessed me to take a whoopie pie recipe and decided to bake cake pops instead.   Its a really strange paradox that someone like myself with an anxiety disorder has absolutely no fear in the kitchen.  When the thought "I wonder what would happen ...

Bananas about Bananas Banoffee Oat Tray brake It's friday again and time for another recipe, as part of my Banana Project. Oat bars or traybakes, are a wonderful cross between  a scone and a cake.   Soaking the oats before hand makes the traybake   lovely and moist.   While the crumble topping brings a crunchy texture to contrast.   This is my healthier version of a banoffee cake, using homemade date syrup  instead of the toffee sauce.   One of my more successful baking  experiments.   Even better it contains  3 of my favourite foods  - Oats, Dates & Bananas. Perfect with a cup of herbal tea xxx Sharabelles Banoffee Traybake Pre-heat Oven to 180 Celsius  (160 Celsius Fan assisted) Grease and line an 8 inch Square Baking tin. Date Syrup 1 Cup Dates - chopped 1/2 Cup fresh boiled water - Pour hot water over dates and cover with a cl...

Bananas about Bananas I wasn't feeling too hot last Friday.  I either had a cold bug or I had done too much again and run myself down.  Either way even my favourite blog post on Banana's couldn't pep me up. So this Friday I'm thankful it's not last Friday...... Wholemeal Banana & sultana scones First Experiment: It's Scone time again..... With my varied shifts I don't really have a normal eating pattern.  So I like to start my day with a healthy breakfast.  While my Porridge is cooking slowly on the hob, I have a mug of peppermint tea and a scone. I made these using my  Basic Soda Bread Scone Recipe  .  I adjusted the recipe by using half white flour and half wholemeal flour.  I added 1 large mashed banana into a jug, then topped with soya milk till it measured 200ml.  Finally I mixed in 2 oz of Sultana's.   These are great for breakfast, as they are filling and tasty.  They also make a great sna...

Bananas about Bananas Still on late shifts this week so desperate for a healthy snack to eat before work.  When I leave home it's not quite lunch time yet, however I need to eat something since I won't again till I get home after 6pm.   When most mum's visit they bring biscuits or cakes, my mum brings me peppermint teabags, Free from fish fingers and recently mixed seeds.  Do you know how hard it is to get Fish fingers Free from yeast!!!!! (I'm not totally mad....They use it in the breadcrumb coating) The idea of making a brunch breakfast bar originated with a way to bake with my mixed seeds. Seeds, grains and fruit are all great slow energy release foods, making them perfect for eating before work.    First Experiment: Banana & Marmalade Breakfast Bar I'm not on a health kick, I just genuinely love the majority of healthy food.  Which is just as well, since due to my IBS triggers am intolerant to most of the unhealthy...

Dental Dilemmas Not really that thankful this Friday, having one of my rare self pity sessions today.  Just got back from the Dentist after learning what I thought was a mouth ulcer, was in fact a small abscess.   I'm now on a course of Antibiotics for 5 days, which I know from previous experience, is going to set of my IBS.  I hate taking Antibiotics and avoid them as much as possible, as there not great if you have digestive problems.   I have also had to make an emergency appointment for the Dental Hospital, for next Monday.  I just started a new job over 3 months ago, and the appointment is during my shift.   I just hate mucking people about.   In an attempt to avoid the side effects of the Antibiotics for those of us with IBS, I asked for a liquid solution instead of tablet form.  (I'm lactose intolerant, and lactose is a  common ingredient used to bulk out pills) They must normally prescribe it too kids.  I...