Banana Loaf With Chocolate Chips

I’ve been wanting to bake a banana loaf for a few months.

So when the May Bank Holiday came along and I had an hour or so to myself, I decided to use up our over ripe bananas.

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Bank Holiday Picnics With Baker Street

I haven’t had a picnic since I was a child.

But when the weather is glorious and you don’t fancy a BBQ, the next best thing is to gather as much delicious food as possible and to enjoy a picnic surrounded by your family and friends.

For me, the main player of a picnic is the sandwiches – especially if you make them yourself rather than trying to decide which one you want from the local shop.

I was very kindly gifted some delicious loaves of bread from Baker Street and after reading up on their rave reviews, I couldn’t say no and quite frankly, I’m glad I didn’t.

The Sweet Breakfast To Kick Start The Weekend

When it comes to breakfast, 99% of the time I will opt for a savoury breakfast – eggs benedict, avocado on toast, a crispy bacon butty.

I’ve never really been the person who will eat pancakes or waffles, but once in a blue moon, I push the boat out and opt for something a little sweeter to begin my weekend on a great note.

When the wonderful team at Baker Street kindly gifted me some of their products, I knew that I was going to eating well for a good few weeks.

A Slice Of St. Pierre Bakery

Pastries are the perfect way to start your day.

I can remember being in Paris at the age of eight, being fascinated by the pastries in the shop window and wondering what they tasted like.

Fast forward twenty years and you can get great pastries from pretty much anywhere in your local town or city, but will they ever be as good as the real ones from France?

I was very kindly gifted a generous box of pastries from St. Pierre and even though I’m currently on a healthy eating bandwagon, I have sampled them for the purpose of my blog. That’s a good enough excuse, right?

The Best Breakfast Spots In Liverpool

Going out for breakfast is a real treat at the moment.

Over the past few months, I’ve been scouting out the best places to eat breakfast whether it’s pre-work, post-meeting success or you’re catching up with friends over the weekend.

There are so many places to eat in Liverpool; ones in which I’ve been loyal to for a number of years, some which I’ve only just discovered and some which I haven’t eaten stumbled across yet.

But I wanted to share a handful of fantastic food spots with you all – for the times you may be visiting Liverpool or for those who are in the area majority of the time like I am.

The Five Ingredient Pasta Dish

I have two fun facts for you.

One. Pasta is my all time favourite food.

Two. One of my aims of this year was to cook more often.

Granted, I’m not the best cook (more of a baker) but I’m twenty-eight, I can’t live on frozen food for the rest of my life and to my utter surprise – cooking is very relaxing (sometimes stressful when things go pear shaped but it’s worth a go).

I’ve relied heavily on BBC Good Food throughout the past month or so as they are incredible when it comes to simple recipes – you can simply type in a word such as shrimp or risotto and within a few seconds, they’ve given you plenty of options.

Creating A Quick & Easy Breakfast: Egg Muffins

I’m still very much one of those people who can’t always be bothered to have breakfast.

But if I do, I’ll opt for an easy option of a bagel or cereal – minimal effort and can be eaten within a few minutes.

Since I’ve been exercising more frequently and making better food options, I’ve found that breakfast doesn’t always have to be bread or fibre that floats in milk.

Breakfast can actually be interesting and I’ve found the exact recipe.

The Healthy Snack For Any Occasion

Since July, I’ve been on a accidental healthy mission.

I found myself a personal trainer, I work out at least two times a week, I give my body the correct ingredients and I found that cutting out the bad food wasn’t as horrific as I actually thought it was going to be.

I knew that I would miss crisps more than any other food and so, I’ve spent a fair bit of time in the supermarkets trying to find that healthy alternative and eventually, I did.

Not only am I pleased to have discovered Hippeas but I am also honoured to be collaborating with them on this post.

Why I Am Taking Part In Dechox This Month

I have challenged myself to Dechox.

You may be thinking of what that is and essentially, I am giving up chocolate for February in support of the British Heart Foundation.

Whether it’s the last chocolate from the Celebrations tin or a cookie with the nephew, I’m saying no to anything with chocolate in it for twenty-eight days.

Anyone can take part. Anyone can sign up. Anyone can say no to chocolate and more importantly: anyone can raise money for a fantastic charity.

The Only Cake You Should Bake This Winter

When it comes to baking, I’ve always baked what I know: butterfly cakes, Victoria Sponge, lemon meringue pie, apple pie, Eve’s pudding and my well-loved cookies.

But a few weeks ago when I was baking for my Mum’s Macmillan Coffee Morning, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try something new.

Marble cake is what reminds me of my childhood.

It’s delicious, it’s light, it’s moist (sorry!) and the contrast between vanilla and chocolate is truly wonderful. I found a recipe on BBC Good Food and decided to give it a whirl.