I’m so thankful to be able to share this guest post with you today from Gude. She is genuinely one of my favourite craft bloggers, whose blog I found when I guest edited the Mumsnet Craft Blogs Round Up. A couple of months later and I discovered (spooky music alert) that she is actually a friend from my teenage days (should have guessed that as her twitter profile is a picture of her drinking. Obviously we went to a school where we learnt all the important stuff!) I’m always in need of some hints on how to encouage a picky toddler to eat so I’ll be trying all of these ideas out soon, especially the dinosaur sandwich cutters which I am in love with! Anyway, here’s Gude…
cooking
Tea Loaf Recipe
My friend Rachel Marek makes a brilliant tea loaf, and as she always seems like one of those mums who Knows What They’re Doing, I presumed it would be somewhat difficult to make. Hmm! So earlier this year Rachel went off skiing and I lent her my Out and About buggy for the trip, because quite frankly that thing could survive a nuclear war so baggage handlers and a couple of foot of snow would be no issue at all. Anyway I asked in return for her tea loaf recipe and it turns out its about as difficult to make as a ready meal. Personally, I’m currently making this about once a fortnight, and if I didn’t have to turn up at the office as often I’d probably make it every other day. Its perfect for those among us who like to bake, but for whom life tends to get in the way….
Super easy banana cake
The small thing is not the greatest eater. I’ve tried Baby Led Weaning, I’ve tried Annabel Karmel, I’ve tried softly weeping while he won’t even look at something beautiful from the River Cottage book that took me hours to make. His favourite meal would probably be rice cakes and water. In essence it’s like living with a fourteen year old girl.
But what a shock, he likes cakes! Pfft… This contains two types of fruit and therefore must be pretty close to being nutritionally perfect, right?
Stupidly Easy Banana and Raisin Cake
(This is taken from nibblous but has a couple of changes)
4oz butter or margarine
6oz any sugar you can find
8oz self raising flour
2 eggs
2 or 3 very ripe bananas
A couple of handfuls of raisins
Heat the oven to gas mark 4; 180C
Grease a loaf tin.
Mash the bananas
Cream the butter and sugar together and mix in the eggs
Mix together the two yellow sludges and the raisins
Mix in the flour.
Scrape into the loaf tin and bake for 40 minutes. Check it’s cooked by popping a knife through the centre and if it doesn’t come out clean then then lower the temperature to gas mark 2; 150C and cook for a further 30 minutes.
Wait for it to cool slightly then pop out onto a wire tray and then eat. You could wait until it’s properly cool first but I’ve yet to manage this…