Sunny Weekend Mornings.

Blue sky and bright sunshine, after all the blustery winds and rain this winter and top that off with two Monkey-Moos letting us sleep in till after 8am - Is simply the most perfect way to start the day!

Sunny mornings call for impromptu batches of banana muffins! (do you really want to argue?)
Since it was still "Valentines" month, what better muffin cases to use than these gorgeous heart ones I received for Christmas. (all the way from New Zealand I should add)

You remember the vegan recipe I totally rave about. Well that's the way I started the morning. Filling the house with a warm baking smell. (I'd like to claim that it would remind me of mom's kitchen, but lets face it, she was never one for baking unless it was necessity! Don't get me wrong, she can whack out a batch of totally to die for muffins, biscuits, and loaf cakes, she just wouldn't choose to bake without a reason)

You can find full recipe and method here

Cup of tea and freshly baked muffins and we are ready to start planing our day. 

We couldn't possibly waste the glorious weather! Wellies on and out into the sunshine,we head off to our nearest city farm. We weren't the only family with that idea this morning.

It was busy.
Monkey-Moos didn't seem to mind. Owls,bunnies and cows, a couple pigs some sheep, horses and goats plus a stroll round the community garden and time to head home for lunch with four pairs of really muddy wellies!

The go-to cupcake recipe

Whenever I need to whip up a batch of cupcakes for school fairs, church bake sales or simply because Monkey and Moo need keeping busy on a rainy Saturday morning. This is my "go-to" recipe. It's adapted from this little gem The BIG book of Baking.

The recipe I use is a standard fairy cake recipe, I make a few subtle changes to get it just the way we like it, particularly I like to add flavouring, occasionally colour, and changing the method slightly. 

You will need 

115g unsalted butter or baking margerine

115g caster sugar

2 large eggs

115g self raising flour

5ml vanilla extract or other flavouring(I favour Caramel essence, but use whatever you like)

Here's what to do. 

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. (I'm getting lazy since having Monkey-Moos so use the electric mixer instead of elbow grease)

Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add the flavouring with the last egg addition.

Fold in the flour until just mixed. Don't over mix. 

Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases. Filling to about three quarters full. 

Place in pre heated oven 180' C for 15-20 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean. 

And the finished result awaiting the decorative icing skills of two little MonkeyMoos. 

Enjoy!