Baking success: The Best Banana Bread recipe!

Recently my flat-mate bragged to a friend of hers about my apparent baking skills, which all of a sudden culminated in some kind of banana bread bake-off! I am a huge fan of banana bread; it's the perfect mix between cake and bread which basically means it becomes excusable to have cake for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or dessert ;) So being involved in this funny bake-off meant my Banana Bread just had to impress. The other weekend when I was at Granger & Co in Notting Hill (review here) I had the most delicious Chocolate Banana Bread so my mission was to recreate this recipe! 

Lucky me I found the actual recipe by Bill Granger, from his cookbook 'Bills Food' online. 

Banana bread on it's own is already pretty yummy so when it's teamed up with chocolate,  you know it's going to be pretty special.

So this weekend I got my bake on and produced this b.e.a.u.t.y. of a loaf....

Sweet but not too sweet, bread-like but lovely and moist on the inside!!

Banana bread is the perfect accompaniment to that afternoon coffee or cuppa, and they're also brilliant to have ready-sliced in the freezer, so they can be taken out the night before to take to work or even lightly toasted straight from frozen when you need a quick pick-me-up :)

Check out all the little chocolate chips...they really made this Banana Bread super indulgent!

Game over!!! Because there is no doubt that this is one of the best banana breads out there ;)

Bill Granger's Choc Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS 
♥ 250g (2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
♥ 2 teaspoons baking powder
♥ 125g unsalted butter, softened
♥ 250g (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
♥ 4 ripe bananas, mashed
♥ 2 eggs, lightly beaten
♥ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
♥ 175g (1 cup) good-quality dark or milk chocolate chips

METHOD
Serves: 8
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).
2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl.
3. Mix the butter, sugar, banana, eggs, vanilla extract and chocolate chips in a separate bowl.
4. Add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine, being careful not to over mix.
5. Pour the batter into a non-stick, or lightly greased and floured, loaf tin and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the bread is cooked when tested with a skewer.
6. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Best served in thick slices, toasted with a slab of butter!!
For an easy printable version of the recipe click here!

When baking banana bread you can also just follow your tastebuds and experiment by adding a little bit of whatever you fancy, be that a few roughly chopped walnuts (or any other nut) here or some slivers of dried apricot or raisins there. As long as the loaves are baked until they're still a little moist in the middle, you can't go wrong. I promise you this, you won't regret baking this Banana Bread and the (lucky) people you feed it to are bound to be impressed. Just a little tip; you might as well make two loafs while you are at it because the first one is bound to disappear in seconds....ENJOY :)

"Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zuchini bread, and pumpkin pie!!"
Happy Hump Day :) xoxo

LK Bennett shoe love >

I'm definitely a sucker for pretty shoes so when I spotted these in the LK Bennett sale last weekend I couldn't resist adding them to my (ever growing) shoe collection...

What beauties right??

"Redefine glamour with the high-heeled Selina court. 

Jewel-like patent leather dazzles, offering a gorgeous sheen. 

The totally modern silhouette is enhanced by the fresh interpretation of the classic bow design."

These LK Bennett Selina Court Bow heels are from their 2011 collection and I'd admired them many of times before but the price tag had restrained me from buying them....Until now that that is because last weekend whilst browsing the LK Bennett sale, there they were staring at me from the sales rack discounted from £175.00 to now £125.00. I mean how could I not?

And in my perfect size!! The slightly high price tag of these shoes is definitely justified by the quality of the LK Bennett shoes. The beautiful leather sole alone already is just so lovely!

Think these bows are just so adorable and glamorous. Can't wait to wear these to work or out with jeans as they are the perfect accessory to glam up many outfits! These shoes also came in navy, rose, sage and lipstick which are all nice but but think the black is more versatile.

Confession...these are now the second pair of LK Bennett shoes I own..

These are my nude original Shilo Courts which are part of the LK Bennett Signature Collection. I love these nude shoes and they are very similar to Kate Middleton's favourite shoes so hey, if it's good enough for Kate Middleton...then it's good enough for me ;)

I also bought this lovely gold/beige scarf at the LK Bennett sale for £35!

What do you think of my LK Bennett purchases? xoxo

OPI Skull & Glossbones NOTD

I first spotted this nail polish on Laura’s blog (Buy Now, Blog Later check it out, it’s FAB) and then my little eyes were drawn to it again at the OPI store in Selfridges and I just knew I had to have it. 

I ended up buying it on e-bay (link!) for only £6.99 including free postage! 

Skull and Glossbones is a Limited Edition colour from OPI's Pirates of the Caribbean 2011 line. 

The collection contains seven shades. From left to right:

♥ Silver Shatter - a shimmering silver with a crackled, two-texture silver finish

♥ Skull & Glossbones - a gorgeous light gray

♥ Sparrow Me the Drama - a pink that means business

♥ Steady as She Rose - a dangerously seductive rosy pink

♥ Planks A Lot - a lust-worthy purple

♥ Strangers Tides - an unchartered sea of sage

♥ Mermaid’s Tears - a magical green

I wasn’t 100% sure how this would look on me, in fear of it making me look washed out, but surprisingly the nail polish compliments my (NC20) skin tone.I think this shade is a perfect greige (combination of beige and grey). It also has the slightest hint of green/sage that gives this polish that distinctive ‘dirty’ look at that colours in this collection seem to have. 

I love the look feel of this lacquer; it looks sophisticated and modern chic! 

The formula is creamy, goes on smoothly and opaque in two coats and has a lovely glossy finish.

Skull & Glossbones is neutral whilst eye catching at the same time! What do you think? Xoxo

Best & Worst Dressed: SAG Awards 2012

The 18th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards took place on Sunday night and all the stars came dressed to impress in couture. However, not everyone actually impressed me so here are my picks for the best and the worst of the night.

BEST

♥ Amber Heard oozed sexy in a very on-trend cut out black Zac Posen dress!
So HOT and love the edgy quiff hairstyle too. 

♥ Rose Byrne took a risk at the SAG Awards with this outfit which meant some people loved it and other hated it. For me the risk paid off because I think she looked amazing in this embroidered Elie Saab jumpsuit with structured shoulders.

♥ Stacey Keibler looked sophisticated in this stunning lace Marchesa gown. 

♥ Emily Blunt looked vibrant in this green Oscar de la Renta one-shoulder gown.

♥ Kyra Sedgwick showed off her flawless figure (at 46!!) in this cut-out fiery Pucci gown.

♥ Glee's Jayma Mays sparkled in a sweeping Reem Acra gown. 

Aside from the fabulous sequin-and-shine factor, the back of the dress features a black lace cut-out which was equal sweet and sexy. Total winner in my books :)

WORST

 ♥ Total failure of the night for me was Heather Morris in a black leather-trimmed Masai Payan dress with a sheer skirt. Hated everything; the dress, the clunky platform silver heels, the bulky bracelet, the hair and the long chandelier earrings. Such a shame, she is such a knock-out beauty :(

♥ Funny woman Kristen Wiig ruined an elegant Balenciaga gown with a bold choker necklace. 

What on earth was she thinking?? This outfit is the perfect case of accessories gone bad.

♥ Busy Philips tried to channel her inner Californian flower child in a blue floral gown by SIMONE by Katie Nehra. Wearing a print on the red carpet is a daring choice. Wearing a muumuu is an even worse choice. Think this look is more appropriate for a beach party rather than an awards show

♥ Newcomer 'The Descendants' actress Shailene Woodley should have left the floral print on set in Hawaii in this floral L’Wren Scott gown from the Spring 2012 collection. 

♥ Amber Riley in Badgley Mischka.
Sorry but the huge bow in the centre of her chest doesn't do her any favours!

♥ As much as I ADORE the mint green colour of this gown, Kaley Cuoco just didn't impress me in this Romona Keveza gown. Too much like a sweet meringue princessy look....but loving the hair though (just not with that dress)!

♥ Jenna Ushkowitz looks on-trend in a Rebecca Minkoff cut-out dress but am not a fan of the print and pleating and just think it looks a little 'bleh'.

♥ I almost didn't put Lea Michele on the worst dressed list because I do love the style and colouring of this Versace one-shoulder gown. It's uber glamorous and sexy BUT just think the slit-to her-waist is a little too much...sorry!

♥ Young and (normally stylish) Ashlee Simpson looks about 30 years older than she actually is in this slightly 'costumy' Jenny Packham dress. 

Who's look did you love or loathe at the SAG Awards this year?

Happy Hump Day everyone :) xoxo