Banana and Nutella Swirl Muffins

What better to do on a Sunday, than lounge around in your PJ's and bake numerous amounts of muffins?! Well nothing really...

After a long week at work, sometimes you just need that little distraction of utterly self-indulgent baking.

To whip up 10 little bundles of joy you will need: 

200 grams of self raising flour
2 tsp of Salt 
125 grams of white caster sugar
2 free range lightly Whisked eggs 
Nutella at room temp
A dash of vanilla extract
100g melted butter (i used stork) 
and for the magic ingredient: 3 extremely ripe mashed banana's 

Pre - heat your oven to 200C or 392F. Line your baking tray with muffin cases and set them to one side. (I always grease proof the muffin cases just to make them easier to get out)
Then in a bowl mix your flour, salt, sugar together until even. Then in a separate bowl mix your butter, eggs, banana's and vanilla extract in to one mixture. Once mixed, gently fold into the first bowl until you have a smooth(ish) mixture - allow some bumps and lumps as this will give some texture to the muffins. 
Once all that's done. Start filling up your cases with the mixture until they are about 1/2 - 3/4 full and get a tsp of the nutella and place on the top of each muffin then mix this in to the mixture, with a cocktail stick. 

Once your muffins are ready, place them into the oven for around 20-25 mins. Take out and leave by the window to cool and enjoy them when still warm. 

Black and Blue

Just thought i would share a little temptation for you all of my meal i had last weekend. 

Me and a few friends went to one of my all time favourite restaurants in London, called Black and Blue. We happened to go to the one in Borough Market but they are also located in Nottinghill Gate, Waterloo, Mortimer Street, Wigmore Street and also The Archduke. 

I ordered the beef burger (medium rare) with extra bacon and cheese, with a very needed large glass of white white and it was as always extremely scrummy. 

 

Now, if you feel like being very naughty and cheating on your diet i highly recommend this is the place to go. However, if you just fancy a drink its equally quite a trendy spot for a few cocktails. 

Let me know what you think! 

A little London Hide Away

You know those days where you just feel like being fabulously British? 

I had one of those today....so what better to do than hiding away in a little London bakery, reading the Times and catching up with emails and instagram posts. So i popped over to the Primrose Bakery in Covent Garden for a cupcake (or two) and a seriously good cappuccino. 

If you haven't tried red velvet cupcakes before, you should. They are quite frankly heavenly! 

 

 

This violet one was also equally delish! (Delicious...i really need to stop abbreviating words huh?) 

There are so many yummy flavours to try! I just had to buy the cook book so i could experiment at home. I think i'm going to try baking the earl grey ones, fingers crossed they turn out ok! 

A good tip for all you city girls, if you have a special event or birthday coming up and you don't have enough time to bake a cake then here is your answer. The Primrose Bakery also bake larger cakes and giant cupcakes for you and all of your friends to devour, hope this helps!

This was one from my 18th birthday and it served 10 with left overs!

Well worth a trip. 

'The Don'

There was only one thing i was massively craving this week, a burger. 

So on wednesday mummy and i payed a little visit to the Gourmet Burger Kitchen in Covent Garden. GBK is great if you want friendly service, laid back atmosphere and great understated food. 

We started with grilled Haloumi Bites served with a kiwi and jalapeno dip, which was simply delicious! 

I then ordered 'The Don' burger and oh my was it good. 

Lots of crispy rocket, bacon aioli, tender beef (i always have mine medium rare), blue cheese, american cheese, onion jam wedged between a fluffy brioche bun. 

This went down very well indeed. 

Doesn't it just look terribly naughty!

We had this with a helpful side of skinny cut chips and Oreo milkshakes. 

This is a great place to go on a lazy London afternoon/evening, if you fancy yourself a seriously good meal and you are in the mood for something yummy & easy going. You even go up and order your own food and pay the bill there and then....hassle free! 

GBK's are dotted around the country, so head down to your nearest one to check out this bad boy of a burger!  

Or even if your in it for the free peanuts....

Pep Talk

Just stumbled across this video on you tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-gQLqv9f4o

So cute! Worth a watch....

Honey Asparagus and Poached Eggs

Yesterday lunch time i cooked the most loveliest lunch. 

This is one of my all time favourite things to whip up on a spring afternoon. When i'm lounging around the house, after a trip to the gym or a jog around Hyde Park, i find my self almost craving carbs. Now i love carbs...and that is an understatement i mean i really love carbs. So by adding two slices of toast totally helps make you feel that little bit more human! 

This recipe is quick, easy, sweet, seasonal, healthy and just straight up yummy. I serve mine with a tall frosty glass of elderflower cordial, which slips down a treat!  

To make enough for one person, you'll need:

2 slices of bread (i always have 'Burgens' soya and linseed)

4 spears of asparagus

2 farm house organic eggs

1 tsp of honey

Coconut oil,

Olive oil,

Sea salt flakes,

Pepper,

Butter

Start by melting a dash of olive oil and a tsp of coconut oil in a pan for around 2-3 minutes, then add the asparagus and sprinkle with sea salt flakes. Next, lightly drizzle an oozy amount of honey over the asparagus and leave to sizzle and glaze for 7-8 minuets. Then boil up water in a pan until bubbling and crack your eggs into the water and leave for around 4-6 minuets, depending on how gooey you like your poached eggs. Then put the slices of bread in the toaster until glowingly golden brown, take them out and butter. Lift the eggs from the water and place on the toast and add the asparagus and season with black pepper. And hey presto! Its complete! Pretty simple chicka's.

Don't you just love a good poached egg?

Cheers! xx

A New Blog. A New Beginning.

That 'fresh start feeling' always comes around spring time, the birds are starting to chirp, bikini and maxi dress shopping commences, the summer evenings are creeping in and you bravely wear just jeans and a t-shirt outside (even though, lets face it, we all know you really need a coat...or at least a jumper eh?). This year, i have never felt it so much thus i have started a New Blog, for a New Beginning. A place to document my days and share my thoughts. 

Enjoy! Holly x