GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS AND A BANANA CAKE

We are but a few days away from Christmas day. I´m back to my decorations, I love the ornaments. Did you know I started to write this entry on a date we will never see again. Before I forget, thanks to Aisha, she knows why.

I always start decorating the first week of December. I look inside the containers, chose a colour..

Funny I always break something...no big deal.

I got up very early this morning, outside it´s freezing cold.

My cousin who lives across the Atlantic, sends me this picture of her christmas tree, it´s beautiful.

And my tree is filled with ornaments.

I stopped for a couple of hours, baked the cake that I´m going to share today. It will be perfect with a cuppa.

BANANA CAKE

INGREDIENTS

200grs unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease

200grs soft sugar

4 large eggs, beaten

2 ripe bananas, broken into chunks

75grs of walnuts, sliced

200grs self-raising flour

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180º. Grease and line a 20cm deep cake tin with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and suggar with an electric hand whisk until pale and fluffy..about 5 minutes.

Gradually beat in the eggs, mash the bananas with a fork, (this brought me back to those years I made the afternoon snack for my babies, with fruit and biscuits).

Fold the flour and bananas into the mixture. It may look a little curdled, but don´t worry. Using a large metal spoon, fold in the walnuts too. Spoon into the tin and bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. 

Leave to cool in the tin for 5min, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I´m going back to my decorations now. My L. has given me a handmade sculpted goose egg that I love for two reasons. One is because it´s beautiful, I love it! and the other is because it has a light inside you can turn on/off. It´s gorgeous!!.

And she gave me pine cones too. I love pine cones.

I´ll have many people over for dinner, so I need to find out more napkin rings. 

By the end of the evening, I´m about to finish. I´ll put the stars I made with clothepins in the fireplace, and I´ll put candles inside too. I´ve got some Christmas cards already.

DONE!