i am currently obsessed with....

bananas and peanut butter! Mashed together, separate, on celery, in smoothies, on toast, on bread, together in pancakes (amazing, by the way!).. the list is endless. So I wanted to share a couple of recipes I have come across including these 2 obsessions!

Bananas first......
I came across this recipe from A cup of Jo. Its a wonderful blog, you must check it out!
It is called "The best banana bread you'll ever have (with Bourbon and Chocolate chunks)" Sounds too good to be true!

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (from about 3 bananas)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chunks

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8x4-inch or 9x5-inch loaf pan. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. Stop the mixer, scrape down sides of the bowl, and add bananas, lemon juice and bourbon. Beat until well incorporated.

Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture all at once. Beat until almost incorporated. Stop the mixer and remove the bowl. Add the walnuts and chocolate chips and incorporate the last of the ingredients with a spatula.

Batter will be thick. Spoon the mixture into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow loaf to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Serve with milky coffee and enjoy!

Motoi Yamamoto: Salt man!

While browsing my google redder on the weekend, I came across these amazing pics posted by This is love forever ...

Following the untimely death of his young sister, Motoi Yamamoto began making these incredibly intricate ephemeral installations of salt. Not only are his pieces a commentary on the fleeting nature of life but salt is a large part of the death culture of Japan, used often in funerals. Can you imagine seeing one of these in person?
via Trendland

Isn't it incredible?

foodie weekend! yes!

I love when I get to indulge in a food inspired weekend! It started with Grill'd on a very wet and rainy Friday night. I missed the BrisStyle Twilight market due to said wet weather and boy, did it set in! I quickly ran from my car with the brolli, picked up my take away and ran back to the car! I enjoyed the crispy bacon and cheese with the tasty rosemary salt chips! yum!

On Saturday morning, Sam and I made our way to One Drop Coffee.

These guys really know their coffee and I was served a delicious El Salvador Piccolo. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. I'll definitely return now they are open on Saturdays 8am-1pm. The breakfast menu looks very appealing too! mmmm...

                            

On Saturday night, Sam and I booked a table at The Crosstown Eatery in Woolloongabba. I have been wanting to try this place since it opened. 

Sam and I enjoyed 3 courses of gorgeous bistro-style cuisine in a welcoming and cosy environment. We started with the sticky pork spare ribs and pan fried haloumi with beetroot, quinoa, lemon and almond. One word for the ribs - AMAZING! The meat was falling off the bone and coated in a sweet and rich sauce that tasted like heaven! I would go back just for that as (consistently) good ribs are hard to find these days. The haloumi was a generous size with the lemon providing the great acidity to cut through the salty cheese. The nutty quinoa was well paired with the earthy beetroot. 

My main was the spatchcock and it was enormous. I didn't realize I would be getting the whole bird! It was beautifully cooked in a rich, meaty jus and served on a bed of cavalo nero with a side of duck fat potatoes. Sam ordered the lamb cutlets with tzatziki and served with beetroot puree and israeli couscous in a tomato sauce. It was tasty, but not as good as mine! It was also on the smaller size, but that didn't matter as I had spatchcock to share!

For dessert, I chose the mini vanilla bean panna cotta which was perfect - in size and flavour! Lovely texture and topped with a thin chocolate layer on top which added an extra somethin' somethin'. Sam enjoyed the chocolate nut brownie with vanilla bean ice cream and toasted coconut. This was so yummy and had a bitter chocolate taste - not too sweet :). The service was attentive, but not over the top as well as friendly and fun. We left The Crosstown very happy and very full! We will be back again!

Unfortunately, the menu on the website is different to the one currently in house and I forgot to take pictures as I was so involved with eating the food! D'oh! Thankfully, the reviewers of Urbanspoon remembered to take pictures!

haloumi

sticky pork spare ribs - must try!

dining rooms

bar

Sunday was fairly low key. For our morning coffee, we went to see Naomi at Shucked in Newstead. I enjoyed their new signature blend "Shuck n awe"- smooth and well balanced. I love the breakfast menu here and would've dove in had I not eaten so much the night before! :P

 source of pic

For afternoon tea, Sam and I went to visit Bien at Dello Mano. They opened up on Doggett st, Fortitude Valley last November and have enjoyed growing success ever since. I tried the signature hot chocolate (filled with spices) and a peanut butter brownie. Sooo good! Dello Mano really does make the best brownies EVER! Sam had the iced chocolate which had the same spicy, chocolate base as mine, but mixed with ice cream. Delicious!

I hope you enjoyed a fun, foodie weekend too! x

Honestly...wtf

This a freaking cool website, and the name is even better: Honestly...wtf. I have just spent so much time gazing at its delicious pages. Take a look.

Divine.

J'espere que vous passer un bon week-end!

Bisous.

I had to share.....

Cake Pops! Have you heard of them?? I can't wait for the day that i finally make them - I just need the right occasion! For future reference, the lovely girls at A Beautiful Mess have put together a "How to" for the amazing cake pop! (I think I'm a bit obsessed.. :P)

An afternoon with tea and cake pops would go perfectly with the dress I received today from People Tree. It's a lovely dress made with organic cotton :) So cute!

It has coffee cups on it! *squee!*

more headband-ly goodness!

little bee for little Lola!

floral head band with buttons! 

You can find these lovelies and more at this weekend's Young Designer's Market on Sunday - Little Stanley Street, South bank 10-4pm. I'll also have a little sale going on, so come by and check it out!  yay!

Here's to great weather in Brisbane!

introducing.... hair bands for little ones!

Isn't she cute? But to divert your attention for a moment, the hair band is one of 3 that I sent down to my little niece, Lola, in Sydney. She had her nappy bag stolen while on holiday in the UK recently, which had all her cute little hair accessories.. I was quick on the case to whip up some more for her, but I forgot to take pics of the other 2! Oops! I also made a little bear with blanket stitch detail and a bumble bee :)