March Photo a Day

I've decided to participate in the March Photo a Day that Fat Mum Slim has created. I will try and update on the blog daily! I am excited, I've never done a photo a day before but have always been intrigued!

Sugar-free Banana and Date Loaf

I have made this banana and date loaf 4 times since I found the recipe three weeks ago. I also have bananas at home right now ripening enough so I can make another loaf!

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup of flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

4-6 bananas

6-7 dates

2 eggs

2 tablespoons rolled oats (I use oatmeal)

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

about 1/4 cup of butter

To make:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius

1. Combine all dry ingredients (using a sieve) and mix well

2. Add bananas, eggs, butter and dates to a blender and blend until smooth (I don't have a blender, so I just mash the bananas and chop the dates really finely and then mix it together in a bowl

3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.

4. Pour the mixture in to a loaf tin and place in the oven for 50-60 minutes (until cooked)

(A couple times I haven't used dates and it still works fine)

It is the best! I love it.

Bowls

Sunday afternoon we went and played bowls with our neighbour and a handful of her friends.. cheap bowls and cheap good cider.. A perfect Sunday afternoon!

I love silhouette photos!

Date night - Shark Beach, Vaucluse

Last week, S and I went on a date in search of a 'hidden' beach in Vaucluse. I had studied google maps and was sure I knew where it was but when we got to the end of the bush track that we walked down there were only rocks...no beach! Rather than wander around trying to find the hidden beach, we took the bush nature walk to Shark Beach because it was getting dark and we didn't fancy getting lost.

 Trying to get silhouette photos

 Our bush walk

 Sydney skyline

 Spot S!

 Shark Beach, Vaucluse

 Homemade Banana Bread..mmm

A new dress

A few weeks ago, Lincraft had a sale so I snapped up some fabric and a pattern. I don't have many summer dresses, so after looking at quite a few pattern sites, I decided on Vogue 1236, which is part of the DKNY collection.

I read the reviews on sewingpatternreviews.com and they all said that this dress was easy to make. A few mentioned that the instructions were a little hard to follow and they were right, but I still got through!

I started with a red cotton voile and realised I'd have to line the dress too. I got as far as sewing the front and back of the dress together and have had to put it to one side because I can't figure out how to finish the dress with the lining. 

On Saturday, I started making the dress in cotton which has thick black and white stripes. I worked on it in between going out and doing other things over the weekend and finally finished this afternoon (Sunday). I love how it turned out! I made a little mistake with the pockets and I have no idea how, but I did fix it with some hand stitching. I also had to tack the facing down, because it kept coming up when I put the dress on.

Other than that, I made no alterations at all. I wanted it to be as simple as possible.

Baking

Last week I decided to unleash my inner housewife girlfriend and bake for S and I. I am doing sugar free February and found a perfect recipe for a sugar free Banana and Date Loaf.

We went shopping on Thursday night and I went to the fruit section only to realise the bananas were green. Cue annoyed me! I couldn't bake it right away and I spent the week willing my bananas to hurry up and ripen.

Last night, finally I had rippened bananas so I baked.

It is amazing! Even though there is no sugar or sweetener, waiting for my bananas to ripen made them extra sweet and the loaf is perfect!



Hair woes

I recently had my long hair cut to a 'long bob'. My hair has been long my whole life and I have always had some sort of fringe.

 The long bob is the shortest it's ever been. While it looks great when I've just straightened it, the reality is it will never ever sit like a bob and will do what it wants, when it wants.

 The hairdresser straightened and styled my hair and I walked out and it had already curled a different way and was going fluffy.. It just doesn't co-operate..ever!

It went from this

 to this

The 'after' photo looks great because I re-straightened it after I got home..then I slept on it and it became a semi-straight, semi-curly mess. I have resigned myself to the fact that my hair will never sit the way I want it to and that's fine.. but I think I prefer it to go wild when it's longer. At the moment it looks like I have a triangle hair cut and it is not flattering at all!

Kudo's to the hairdresser though. She took 2 hours alone to cut it and then straightened it so everything was sitting perfectly..and it only cost me $78!!

Sugar free February

There's no denying it, I love sugar. I love lollies, I love chocolate and anything with sugar in it.

My all time favourite lolly

I would usually buy a muffin for morning tea and it is not uncommon for me to have lollies for an 'afternoon snack'. I decided this has to stop. Whilst I am thin, it is still making me unhealthy and generally tired all the time. I am pretty sure it's also contributing to the awful bags under my eyes.

So my plan of action to get healthier (along with cutting out sugar) is:

1. Drink more water, at least 2 litres a day (I struggle with this!)

2. Replace sugary (refined sugar) treats, snacks etc with healthy ones

3. Wake up when the alarm goes off in the morning and walk Ted with S instead of laying in bed waiting for the next alarm which is half an hour later.

4. Exercise at least 4 times a week (whether it be running, cycling or walking the dog)

So far, I have replaced muffins for morning tea with grapes and cherry tomatoes and have been eating a full lunch so I don't get peckish of an afternoon. I just drink tea if I do get peckish.

Day two and I am feeling great. I am less bloated, am more awake and generally feel good. Fingers crossed I can keep it up!