Big Girl Booties and Banana Bread

Can you remember me threatening to knit booties for my own "big girls", in general protest at the fact that they're growing up far too quickly for my taste? Well, I did it! And, the results are above! They're for my eldest, she's nearly ten, and she says they're lovely and comfortable...I had to wrestle them off her feet before I photographed them...but hey, the blog comes first...I kid, I kid! I knitted them in some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky from my stash and the blue seems very bluebell-y and slightly 1930s vintage. The pattern came free in the knitting magazine I buy, but I think you can find it in this pattern book.

My youngest girl wants me to make her a pair in white. Why white? Well, when the slippers are on they look a little like ballet shoes, and for my youngest, to dance on tiptoe is the highest of all female accomplishments. "I can go balleting in white ones mummy!".

Next, up we have my recipe for banana bread. As regular readers may have guessed, I have no real fear of ingesting natural animal fats...but I am concerned about our consumption of white flour and sugar. My trouble is that I am a keen baker (and eater!lol!) of cakes. So, just recently I've been trying to reduce the amount of sugar and white flour in some of my regular recipes. Here's my healthier version of banana bread...please note I could not wrestle the plate of banana bread out of my offspring's hands quite quickly enough to get a photo, so in the interests of blog honesty you have a picture of the washing-up to grace your computer screens!

Healthy(ish) Banana Bread

• 2 ripe bananas
• 150g softened butter
• 50 g soft, brown sugar
• 50g date syrup
• 300g plain, wholemeal, spelt flour (or wheat if you prefer)
• 80g chopped dates (or other dried fruit)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 100 ml vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 180 or gas mark 4. Butter a 900g loaf tin and line with greaseproof paper.
Peel and mash the bananas. Put the butter, sugar and date syrup in a bowl and cream together until fluffy. Stir in the bananas and dates. Sift in the flour the baking powder and bicarb a little at a time, and the beaten egg a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Sitr in the oil.

Pour into a loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes until well-risen and firm to the touch. The bread is better left a day before you eat it and is nice when topped with cream cheese icing!