Top bananas

I am at home today still, getting better but still not well enough to be in work although my face is starting to look like the old me instead of a puffed up swollen me - it's the first time I look in a mirror and see an improvement! lol

Anyway, I was thinking about bananas. And no this is not random thank you very much, it is a follow up to my last post where I mention just how many bananas I eat and that got me thinking about them. See it all makes sense. 

I decided to research a few facts about bananas and I thought I'd share my findings with you. That's how generous I am. 

I never thought that there was so many website dedicated to bananas! It's amazing. And there are so many facts! So I decided to only put here the ones that I think are most interesting:

1. Some horticulturists suspect that the banana was the earth's first fruit. One of the first records of bananas dates back to Alexander the Great's conquest of India where he first discovered bananas in 327 B.C.  (OMG bananas are older than Jesus!)
2. In 2001, there were more than 300 banana-related accidents in Britain, most involving people slipping on skins. (300!!! haha this is just brilliant!!)
3. You can buy banana beer, the beer is brewed from bananas. (I've had it before and let me tell you...Ewww! It's not for me!)
4. Eating  a banana can cheer you up! (not sure if it's because of what's in them or the fact that you can draw on them...)
5. Banan means finger in Arabic (A cluster of bananas is called a hand and the bananas are known as fingers -  see what I did there? A fact within a fact!)
6. Bananas are radioactive (holy crap! maybe this means I will turn into my own banana superhero!)
7. Last but not least: we share 60% of our DNA with a banana! (I swear! I read it here, and I believe EVERYTHING on the internet)

Moral of the story: I am not weird with my banana eating habit; bananas are awesome, they are full of good stuff for you, they are old as hell (or Jesus) , they make you happy and there is a chance that if you believe in it enough that it will give you superpowers...AMAZING!

A little bit of muffins...

So, again it has been a while and I have neglected this space. I have been, yes you guessed it, ill...AGAIN! This is getting totally ridiculous. I don't know what to do about it anymore! I eat really well, good for you food, vegetables galore and a banana every day! (it is the easiest fruit to eat while typing in work, I am not a banana nut...not sure why that made me giggle...). 
I don't drink ( a glass of wine here and there), I stopped smoking about 5 months ago, I take vitamins every day, I take the car to work - I know it's bad for the environment but what about my health dam it! Buses don't turn up, you stand in the freezing cold for 20mins, then you finally get in and people are coughing and sneezing all over you...and there is always some weirdo staring at you...eurgh! It is not that I hate public transport, I just hate buses.


Anywho! I had the most horrendous head cold, my eyes were streaming for 48hrs straight which made them swell and it looks like I was crying non stop (for once that I wasn't...you see I cry all the time... I sympathise too much with people I was told - real people or people in adverts, films, programs, cartoons...anyway that's a conversation for another time...off topic again!).


So, although feeling crap and all today, it is still Christoph's birthday and he is so amazing with me and makes me feel so special every time there is a celebration - or not! - that I would not have forgiven myself if I hadn't dragged my sorry arse to the kitchen this morning before he got up and make some breakfast...muffins! 


The good thing about my muffins is that I have made them so many times for years now that I can honestly say that I would be able to make them with my eyes closed (which is kinda of happened today). As I didn't get a chance to plan today at all last week I had to make do with what there was at home so the muffins were made of a little bit of everything! They are so very easy and super delicious and I am going to share the recipe with you. 


This is a big deal for me, this recipe was given to me by a very good friend I have not shared it with many people and when I told Christoph that I was sharing it here he looked at me with concern - I think he thinks I have a fever or something. But I think you are worth it :) (cheese alert!!!!!). No idea where the recipe comes from but it's the best!


I am sorry for the bad photo, I am a terrible photographer and Christoph was getting impatient after I had been trying to take a picture for 5 min...and now we ate them all!

Chocolate and Banana Muffins:

• 2 cups of self raising flour (I like to use half white and half wholemeal but you do whatever you like!)
• 1/2 cup of golden caster sugar
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 3/4 cup of milk
• 1/3 cup of sunflower oil
• 1 egg (if the egg is too small feel free to put 2)
• 1 large ripe banana (if banana isn't ripe yet you won't be able to taste it much. If small banana put 2 in)
• 1 bar of chocolate (I like milk chocolate but again it is up to you!)

The wonderful thing about muffins is that you can make them in whatever flavour you like and with as much or as little of what you like. It really is up to you!

Pre-heat the oven at 180C.

Butter your muffin tray (or line it with casings if you want it extra pretty!). In a bowl put your banana and mash it with a fork. Break up the chocolate bar in as little or as a big pieces as you like. Add to the bowl.

Add the flour, the sugar, the baking powder, the milk, the oil and the egg. Honestly, don't worry about mixing the dry ingredients first and all that. Just put everything together! Mix it well. The consistency should still be wet but not runny!! It often depends on what you use for flavour. Bananas can something make it really wet so be careful with that.

Divide the mixture in the tray. You can sprinkle nuts on top if you want or a simply a bit of sugar on each of them as it slightly caramelise when in the oven and it makes wonderful muffin tops!

Bake for 20-25 min. 

Et voila!

There are sooooooooo many variations you can do (apple, cinnamon and raisin - pear and walnuts - red berries and white chocolate - etc etc) and this recipe goes with all! Today like I said I put a little bit of everything we had left over, so a banana, some honey, cinnamon and 4 little squares of chocolate. It was lovely!

Enjoy!