Chocolate and Banana Muffins

banana-choc-chip-muffin

These tasty muffins got the thumbs up from the kids, they turned out very well indeed 🙂

Makes 12-14

Ingredients:

  • 225g / 8oz self raising flour
  • 55g / 2oz cocoa powder
  • half a teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 225g / 8oz caster sugar
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 85g / 3oz plain chocolate chips
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 30g / 1oz unsalted butter, melted.
  • 225ml / 8fl oz milk, warmed to blood temperature.

Method:

  1. Heat the oven to 190 degreec C / 375 Degrees F / Gas mark 5.   Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cases or grease the tin well and line with greaseproof paper discs.
  2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda together into a big bowl.   Add the sugar.   Make a well in the centre and add the banana, chocolate chips, egg, butter and milk.   Mix well and pour into the muffin cases.
  3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops spring back when pressed lightly with a finger.   Cool on a wire rack.

Recipe courtesy of : Leith’s Baking Bible – ISBN 0-7475-8189-4

A Trip Down Memory Lane….

I took the kids to Pittencrieff Park in Dunfermline today, and it truely was a trip down memory lane for me, I used to live in Dunfermline for 24 years until I got married and moved away to the village where I now live..

Many a time my friends and I would spend time down the glen, long summer holidays spent there.   Some of it still remains the same as I remember it, the only real big change is the animal enlosure, now boarded up and closed down, which is a great shame.

At the bottom of the glen, which lies at the foot of the Old Dunfermline Palace, there are lots of caves and hiding places, some with historical interest… like Wallace’s Well

 

Just along the path from Wallace’s Well is this lovely bridge….

Pittencrieff Park or “The Glen” as it is known affectionately by the local populace extends to 76 acres and was given in trust by Andrew Carnegie to the people of his birthplace, Dunfermline.

Before it was purchased in 1902, by Andrew Carnegie, Pittencrieff Park formed the estate and grounds of the house, owned by the lairds of Pittencrieff. 

Pittencrieff House Museum

Pittencrieff House Museum is a historic house with a difference. The 17th century shell has a 20th century interior. Although there is no furniture, there are 3 display galleries with beautifully plastered ceilings. Here you can begin to discover, among other things, the history of “Dunfermline Toon”, who was Dunfermline’s giant and what clothes were worn in those days. The story of the house reveals a number of owners, the last of whom was Andrew Carnegie. He never lived in the house however, and eventually gave it to the citizens of Dunfermline.

Formal Gardens

  

Laid out, colourfully in front of the Glass Hall conservatory is a Formal Garden. In days gone by this area was used by Pittencrieff House as a kitchen garden and orchard. Now developed round the laird’s walk with its own breathtaking vistas of the Abbey and Palace ruins, the garden is a kaleidoscope of colour throughout the spring and summer. It is a peaceful, relaxing setting in which to idle away the afternoon in the warmth of a summer sun.

Greenhouses

Completing the formal gardens is the 200ft Glass Hall conservatory. Built in 1973 on the site of the old conservatories the present structure is divided into three sections. The main area with its wooden bridge over the running stream and its regal display of flowers creates for the visitor an entire new world, the exotic plant world. Distributed throughout the three areas the visitor can see on exhibit plants from many countries. Look out too for the exhibit which features the fossilised trees.

We took a wander around the formal gardens which were full of beautiful flowers….

     

  

  

  

From the formal garden you can look over towards Dunfermline Abbey..

  

I enjoyed my trip down Menory Lane 🙂

Robin Galloway & Kat Harvey

Robin Galloway & Kat Harvey

Originally uploaded by T o w n i e

Day 2 of my “Summer Holidays”…

We all went along to the village of Burntisland to see the presenters of the Real Radio Breakfast Show ~ Robin Gallow & Kat Harvey.

It was great to see them in “Real” life, thought Robin might have made the effort and had a shave tho’ 🙂 perhaps travelling in a camper van just isn’t his thing after all lol….

The kids got a postcard and managed to get it autographed by both Robin and Kat.

Tomorrow’s show is being broadcast from South Queensferry.

Chicken Little’s Gone Broody!

Our wee Bantam “Chicken Little” has gone broody, she is quite happy sitting inside the Eglu on the nesting well…, in the last 2 days I moved her off to lift the eggs..   Today I posted a thread on the forum  www.neeps.co.uk asking what normally happens when one of your chookies goes broody on you, just to find out what I should do etc etc..

Now, as a result of this post, (and Julie’s reply 🙂 )   We have decided to buy some hatching eggs and put them under Chicken Little.   My daughter and I had a browse through ebay today and I have let her pick the breed and I’ve put a bid in for some …… now bearing in mind she is 15 and likes all things girlie… she chose these………. because they were white and fluffy!!

 Miniature White Bearded Silkie’s 

I’ve ordered chick crumb, and growers pellets and i’m looking to either buy a 2nd hand coop, aquire one through freecycle (a long shot) or make a small poultry arc myself.

The kids are going to love it 🙂  not told my OH yet tho LOL – he’ll be fine about it i’m sure 🙂

 

…..and Naimh

NaimhOriginally uploaded by Towniesmallholder

This is Naimh (pronounced Neeve) she is our 9 year old Irish Setter.

Naimh is my faithful companion, who sits with her head on either my lap, my arm or my laptop most evenings when i’m on here.

Its not very often you can get a good photograph of her as she usually disappears when I get the camera out… she’s a bit camera shy… but today a wee biscuit helped get her full attention.