laurasaur

A lot has changed since I last posted my banana cake recipe, oh my gosh, that was almost FOUR years ago… I had a full time job as a programmer, I was going to the gym heaps, living in an apartment in Auckland with my husband of one year. I baked those banana cupcakes late at night and took them to work the next morning, I can remember that time so well… but it feels like an absolute lifetime ago.

This time I made this cake with the help of my son, standing on his little step beside me he is the best kitchen assistant anyone could ask for. Sure I have to double check what’s in the bowl every time I look away for rouge cars or spoons but he measures ingredients for me, cracks eggs, mixes and is a great taste tester.

I’ve made this many times over the years (oh god this makes me sound really old) and each time we change it up a bit, chocolate chips, spices, wholemeal flour… it’s a fab recipe.

Banana Cake

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (350 farenheit) and prepare your cake tin or muffin pan.

125g butter
1 cup sugar <- we use brown but you can use whatever is in the cupboard
2 large free range eggs
3 medium bananas <- use some nice ripe ones from the fruit bowl
2 cups flour <- try replacing up to half of this with wholemeal
1/2 cup chocolate chips <- totally optional
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon of mixed spice
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time beating well after each one.
Throw the bananas into your mixer and beat well. Or mash them and mix them in.
Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until all the flour is just incorporated.

Pour into tin or pans and bake until the middle springs back when pressed, about 12 minutes for muffins and 25 for a cake.

Get cake all over your face and enjoy!

I’ve had some of the best two weeks of my life. I feel so blessed to be in New Zealand with my baby, relaxing, catching up with old & new friends and generally just loving my life. Time passes so quickly especially when you have a baby and responsibilities and it’s too precious not to love every moment of it and everyone in your life.

This face. I love. So much. What a freaking cute boy.

This is our second car seat and what an amazing workhorse of a seat.
The best features:
Can be used rear facing till 25kgs in the front and rear seats of the car (front seat with no airbag, and you can use it in the middle rearseat)
Can be used forward facing and as a booster. You should never really use any car seat forward facing though if you can avoid it.
It is really one of the easiest RF seats to install ever. No support leg, just tethers.

Other positives
Lovely zip off cover
I think it will fit all cars really. Especially for older children where you have it in the upright position. I’ve installed it in the front and rear of a 4 door Renault Clio (1999 shape) and it’s just fine. Remember only to install it in the front if you have NO airbags. It easily fits in a BMW 7 series (2002 shape) and gives much more legroom than the BeSafe Izi.

The downsides:
It does look kind of basic, compared to say the BeSafe IZi Combi x3, it doesn’t have the same level of padding and head support/side impact protection. In saying that, I have no problem putting my son in it, it looks sturdy and comfortable.
To adjust the shoulder straps or recline angle (just 2 reclines) it’s kind of a mission. Adjusting the shoulder straps requires re-routing the straps through the shell. The recline is even more tricky and means re-installing the seat.

All in all an amazing seat – one of the cheapest around for extended rear facing. Pics coming soon.

This was our first extended rear facing car seat, and is permanently in one of our cars until R outgrows it. It is a gorgeous seat, very plush and has tons of fancy features that really make this a luxury car seat – and as such comes with an accordingly high price tag. I think you can get this for around £260 if you shop around.

The main plus points for this seat are:
It is one of the highest scoring ERF out there. With excellent side impact protection as well.
I think the softest, comfiest, most solid rear facing seat money can buy.

Other great points
Has an amazing magnetic belt system, which keeps the straps out of the way so you don’t have to fish them out from under your baby when buckling him in.
Wonderful shoulder/headrest adjustment system. You just grip a bit on the back and pull up, which at the same time moves the shoulder strap height. Really easy.
Multiple reclining positions. This would be a huge plus in most other cars than ours. Our rear seats (7 series BMW) have a very steep angle on them which means that the most reclined position is barely reclined at all, and the most upright position is too upright. But a huge plus in other cars. You just lift a lever under the seat and adjust with your hand.

Negatives
It is huge and weighs a ton.
The first time we installed it was rather fiddly. I have since removed and installed it and it was much easier, although I’d be lying to say it is a piece of cake.
And yeah… once again it is pretty huge. I’m going to see if it fits in the middle soon but I think it probably wont due to how wide it is and how far back my husband needs his seat to drive.
It only rear faces to 18kgs. This is probably ample for some kids but my son is pretty huge and I can imagine we will have to retire this seat at some point unless we have another baby!

I think Reuben can almost be considered a toddler. He’s now walking 70% of the time, the other 30% is an extremely fast crawl

Ah I love him so much. He learnt to say “car” two days ago and can say it if you point to a car. It’s kind of a big deal because everything else he says with his mouth totally closed haha but this one he pronounces it so well with kind of a gutteral C sound if that makes any sense. Also because a family(in-law) members seems to think I don’t talk to him enough and therefore its my fault he hardly talks lol. Whatever I talk to him all day long!

We may have just had an indoor sprinkler party where I spray him with the mister bottle I use for ironing and he goes crazy hysterical. We may or may not have been right next to the TV and stereo system… ahh I’m such a good mum.

He’s kind of a danger child and likes to pretend to climb over the sides of the couch and stuff like that. He loves books, both reading them by himself and being read a story.

That’s him holding a wicket from his cricket set that is rather sharp on one end … great for bashing stuff with

What else is new.. ummm… I’ve been doing some stuff around our crappy flat, man it’s hard work living on the second floor with a baby! I can highly NOT reccomend it. Just don’t ever pretend it’s a good idea unless you have a lift. Anyway, I digress, I give to you the bathroom shelf:

easy installation and led me to the discovery that our bathroom wall is curved. cool. ah the joys of renting. Also bought some new bedding which clashes horrificly with our magnolia bedroom walls, it’s making me really want to paint them but can I really be bothered? My guess is … probably not. Watch this space (or not)

Made a hat, I don’t love it I was going to give it to one of the mums who is expecting in my knitting group but the wool isn’t very nice. I should have guessed, It’s Sirdar Eco Wool and I don’t feel like it’s the nicest thing I could have picked from my stash for a newborn gift so not too sure what I’m thinking. I might give it to charity when I send off the jumpers for african babies…. and reknit this in Sublime merino cashmere silk or something.

Wow that was a boring ramble. Big love to everyone – be happy xoxox