You, Beautiful You . . .

"To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life."
~Robert Louis Stevenson

You are the perfect you. No one, absolutely no one, can be a better you, no matter how much they might want to be. That doesn't mean that we can rest on our laurels, or that we don't have the potential to become more. It simply means that we don't have to constantly feel like we are in a competition with anyone else.

Accepting that fact was like giving myself a new lease on life. It was very empowering, and it freed me from trying to be someone I just was not, artificial and self created. Trying to be someone you aren't takes an incredible amount of energy, energy that can be better spent elsewhere.

We are, each one of us, truly one of a kind, an incredible being . . . a being with awesome potential and individual talents. We have things to offer in this lifetime that will never again be possible, because we are unique. To think any less of ourselves is tragic . . . for us, and for the world. Today be the best YOU you can be. Nobody can ask for anything more than that.



I found myself scribbling this little girl down on a scrap of paper the other day and was able to bring her to life yesterday afternoon. I fell in love with her right away and I hope you will too. I'll be posting her, in her entireity a bit later on over at Blossom Time Creations, but for now I'll share this little tidbit with you.

I had some bananas that were quickly turning over and decided to make a banana loaf with them yesterday afternoon as well. A few years ago when we were visiting friends in Wales, I picked up this little baking book in Marks and Spencers. I happened upon it yesterday as I was searching through my cookbook library, looking for something to do with the bananas. I had forgotten all about it. This recipe looked different and delicious. It smelled incredible when it was baking and it was all Todd and I could to to wait for it to cool down before we dug in!! Adapted from the book, "The Home Baking Bible, the guide to baking all things sweet and savoury," by Marks And Spencer. This is a keeper.



*Fruity Banana Loaf*
Serves 8

Bananas on their own in a loaf are enough to make it rich and moist, but the addition of chopped nuts, candied peel, fresh orange juice and dried sour cherries make a very moreish loaf indeed!

8 ounces of self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
4 1/2 ounces soft light brown sugar
2 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
1 3/4 ounce of chopped mixed peel
1 1/2 ounce of chopped toasted walnuts
2 1/2 ounces of dried sour cherries (the recipe actually calls for dried
cranberries, but I had cherries and used them instead)
5 - 6 TBS orange juice (use the larger amount if you are not
using large eggs)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
150 ml of sunflower oil
For the Drizzle:
3 ounces of icing sugar, sifted
a bit of milk

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Grease a two pound loaf tin and line the bottom with some non stick baking paper. (wax or parchment) Set aside.

Whisk the flour and baking powder together in a large bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, mixed peel, nuts and dried cherries.

In a separate bowl, whisk the orange juice, eggs, oil and banana together until well combined. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients all at once and mix until thoroughly blended. Spoon this batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface over.

Bake in the heated oven for 1 hour, or until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack and remove the baking paper. Allow to cool for several minutes.

Mix the icing sugar together with a little milk until smooth. Drizzle this glaze over the warm loaf and allow the loaf to cool completely before serving.

This loaf will keep for several days when wrapped carefully and stored in a cool, dry place.

PS - I will be picking a winner for my Spring Giveaway this afternoon, so stay tuned. It could be YOU!