The Final Product

Yesterday I was bored, my laptop was on the fritz there was ,as usual, nothing on TV and as I am trying to save money so I didn’t want to go out and spend money just to kill time. As I looked around the kitchen I saw a bunch of bananas that were on their way out, the intent that I was going to start eating fruit was obviously standing strong. It then hit me that I could use up these bananas by making bread! It had been years since I had made anything but thanks to the power of Google I soon had a recipe and was ready to get my bake on.

The recipe that I used was from allrecepes.co.uk and looked a little like this:

• 250g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• pinch salt
• 115g butter
• 115g dark brown soft sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 500g mashed over-ripe bananas

The first problem that appeared is that I don’t own any scales. Fortunately I had worked in a deli weighing meats and cheeses for many years and one of the weird things you learn is that you can guestimate weights pretty well. So on I went guessing at how much 115g of butter was and thinking about what 250g of flour looks like. The recipe is straight forward and worked a treat, the preparation method doesn’t take long.

Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 1 hour 5 mins

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas mark 4. Lightly grease a 23x13cm loaf tin.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour mixture into prepared loaf tin.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a knife inserted into centre of the loaf comes out clean. Leave to cool in tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire cooling rack.
After around an hour I opened up the oven to find a glorious, if slightly misshaped loaf of banana goodness staring back at me. After letting it cool I tried a bit and ,amazingly, it was really nice. Looks like the guestimation paid of this time. For something that is so simple and takes up so little time I’m surprised that I hadn’t made this sooner and I will be making it again.

Do you have any recipes that are so simple you can’t believe people don’t do it? If you try this recipe let us know how it turns out for you in the comments below.

Shop during Chelsea Flower Show by Steve Elliott via Flickr

If you’re one of the lucky attendants (The 157,000 available tickets sold out last week in record time), make sure you’ve checked the flights to London deals offered by airlines such as Aer Lingus and be ready for 5 days of intense garden sightseeing!

Although most of the gardens showcased in the event are prepared under artificial conditions to ensure that they are flowering during these 5 days, this year’s designers believe that real gardens are designed to grow throughout the year.

Andy Sturgeon, designer of the M&G Garden, explains that longevity is one of the main aspects in his work.

‘My original vision does not disappear in just a few short years. I always design gardens with this in mind, using plants and materials that have longevity.’

Arne Maynard, designer of the Laurent-Perrier Bicentenary Garden, believes in creating ‘usable’ gardens that work through all seasons.

“The garden is designed to be an inspirational yet achievable realisation of enduring elegance – something that can be grown and enjoyed in a real situation. It will bear fruit and provide flowers throughout the year, with each element having its time to shine.”

Have a look at  TV personality and garden designer Diarmuid Gavin’s views on the show.

With over 30 garden designs, the visitors to the event will be able to see some of the world’s most innovative designs in each of the four categories: show gardens, artisan gardens, fresh gardens and generation gardens.

For engaging and interactive features, the visitors can head to the Great Pavilion. This venue will showcase interesting exhibits related to the horticultural world. From talks on communities and the environment to advice on troublesome plant pests in towns, the Great Pavilion is the perfect place to learn and engage with the other visitors to the event.

If you’re attending the event, the organisers recommend travelling to the show using public transport; Sloane Square tube station is a 10 minute walk from the showground. Last Minute has great deals on London hotels around the area, these are perfect if you don’t want to waste your time travelling and just focus on visiting the gardens!

If you can’t wait until the show opens next week, head to our Pinterest board and take a look at the best designs from the previous editions!

Are you going to the show this year? Have you been to any of the previous editions? Let us know in the comments section below!

If you drank a little to much wouldn’t it be funny to be buried in a beer bottle?

These caskets are usually on display as a bit of a talking point for those of us that are still drawing breath, but they are available for purchase. You can even request a custom design, so if you know you are going to be around for at least 2 weeks and have £10,000 to spare start thinking of your own crazy coffins now.

The Mobile Phone
For those of you want to keep chatting from the other side.

The Viking Ship
I suppose this would be good for those with a hearty beard.

The Luxury Yacht
For those that want to go out in style.

The Guitar
Well if god gave rock n’ roll to you, why not give him some back?

The Ballet Shoe
Dance your way through the pearly gates.

The Cork and Screw
There is nothing worse than having a bottle of wine and no way to open it. Be prepared!

The Skip
I’m not sure who would buy this for themselves, but I remember fondly John Cleese’s speech at Graham Chapman’s memorial serviceand think this may have fitted in with the general mood of the service. If you haven’t seen it already, click on the link above, but be warned it’s not for the faint hearted.

So there we are some very crazy coffins for those that want something different.

Which one would you choose? Let us know in the comments below.

Wedding photography

Quality of Images

Obviously this has got to be the first thing you find out, do you actually like the pictures on their website/ portfolio? If not, why not? Too posed, poor choice of shot? This will help you discover what kind of style you would like for your wedding day.

Price

Prices of photographers vary widely but as a general rule, you get what you pay for. Budget as much as you can for the photographer and then keep some more spare for buying prints etc after the wedding! It is very easy to carried away with the photographer but it is worth it. You also need to find out what packages there are available and what types of albums there are available.

Personality

This may seem judgemental or superficial but ultimately you are going to be spending the entire day with this person, you have got to like them and feel comfortable round them otherwise you are not going to enjoy your day or getting your photographs taken.

Style

What kind of style are you both looking for? Would you rather they were natural and relaxed or would you rather that they were posed and stylised?

Are they insured? Do they have a back-up photographer?

This is such an important factor that often gets forgotten about. You need to ask if the photographer is insured against something awful happening to him/her and you also need to find out if they have an alternative photographer available if your photographer is too sick to attend.

You also need to find out if they are part of the BIPP (British Institute of Professional Photography) which invite members to be part of and are checked on their quality of work.

Have they been to your venue before?

Obviously this will not be the case for all photographers but if they have been to your venue before they will already know which pictures to take where.

Ask your venue

If you really get stuck searching for a photographer, ask your venue if they can recommend someone. This way you will know they are reputable and already have a good relationship with the venue.

Do you have any top tips to help select a wedding photographer? Tell us in the comments section below.

Take a deep breath

It sounds silly, but taking a big deep breath and a step back is the first and foremost way to learn to control your anxiety. Breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth in a typical ‘from the diaphragm’ or yoga ‘cool down’ technique. If you have tried these and they aren’t always effective, try a more specific breathing technique like this one.

Avoid unnatural stress relievers

This means alcohol, excessive caffeine, ciggies and dare I say it, drugs. These will only aggravate symptoms although they will seem like temporary alleviations from the initial onset of stress. It’s easy to come home at night after a long day, pour yourself a big glass of red and smoke a cigarette on the back door step, but try to stop yourself. Alcohol is a natural depressant, and will only make you feel worse in the long run.

Get Sweaty

Unfortunately, most exercise isn’t fun, otherwise we’d all being doing it, and Britain wouldn’t have an obesity epidemic. “YAY lets go on the elliptical!” said no- one, ever.

But when it comes to stress there really is NO better cure than a short burst of exercise each day, even if it’s only a 20 minute run. I find pilates both a strengthening workout for the muscles and great for regulating your breathing pattern. Particularly if you are a sufferer of panic attacks. Something like yoga, pilates or swimming can be great in this instance, as anything too cardiovascular can lead you to feel out of breath and even more panic stricken, so take it easy. Just a ten- minute jog or brisk walk can burn up to 250 calories and get the blood flowing. If you suffer from insomnia as a consequence of stress, this is also a great way of tiring yourself out.

Find a work/ life balance that suits you

If you are a long term sufferer of stress, you should think about a career change. If you work long hours, night shifts or erratic shift patterns these could make your ability to adapt anxiety relieving techniques into your lifestyle very difficult.

Try Meditation

Admittedly, it’s not for everyone. I find all that empty head space a little intimidating (and frankly a little lame), but for some people, it’s the only way they can find a peaceful moment in their otherwise hectic day. It is something you should understand the basic practises of however, so don’t be afraid to do your homework.

Catch some Z’s!

Experts say we need about 8 hours to function normally on a day to day basis. Sleeping problems can be tackled without medication but it is something you should consider. Sleepless nights can cause irritability and can prevent you from getting on with the day normally, there are many yoga and relaxation stretches designed to chill you out pre- bed time but also a range of great herbal medications on the market.

What are your best stress relief tips? Whats your favourite way to relax? Don’t forget to let us know in the comments box below!

Photo by trickyfish via Pinterest

The award winning, target beating, record setting blockbuster Avengers Assemble is still going strong in cinemas all across the country. Guess what, it’s setting a style trend, it figures right?

If you haven’t heard of the Avengers (which is pretty doubtful), it’s a about an international peace keeping agency (S.H.I.E.L.D) managed by Nick Fury. The agency is made up of several popular Marvel Super Heros including Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain American, Hawkeye and Black Widow. The universe is threatened by Thor’s evil demi-god brother Loki and the agency strive to stop him destroying the world blah, blah, blah you get the point.

Boyfriends have been dragging their girlfriends to screenings all around the UK, to educate them so to speak. However, instead of the girlfriends learning the hardcore ins and outs of the Marvel world they’ve turned their attentions to making the Avengers as fashionable as possible and ogling over Hawkeye and Thor, naturally.

First and foremost Avengers-styled make-up, that’s got to be awesome right? Well you are right it is awesome. My favourites make-up experiments are Thor’s and the Hulk’s. Imagine turning up to a dress-up party sporting some of this make-up awesomeness, you’d definitely get first prize, for sure. But it’s not just make-up, it’s everything else.  Avengers themed nails, shoes, jewellery, clothing, there is even Avengers themed hand sanitiser!

Personally I think this should be a trend for all upcoming movies. Who wants to design fashionable items related to The Dictator, Sacha Baron Cohen’s next mildly (massively) offensive movie? What about a line of designer sunglasses fashioned in the upcoming Men In Black III style.

Here are some more Avengers themed accessories we really want to buy, add all these to your Avengers make up and if you don’t win the prize for the best costume, I don’t know what will. In fact, I’d wear all these on a normal day, perhaps to work or to walk the dog, we’ll see.

Photo by VintageVir2 via Etsy

Photo by Ruiva Cohen via Pinterest

Photo by FaithisFabulous via Etsy

We love movie themed accessories but what is your opinion on them? Have you seen any amazing movie themed accessories that you’d like to share with us? Let us know in the comment section below. 

Being the best chef no longer means spending a ridiculous amount of hours in the kitchen and running a successful business. The best chefs in the world can be regarded as scientists; they research and experiment with ingredients until they come up with the formula to produce the most tasteful dishes.

Every year Restaurant Magazine publishes the list of the best restaurants and chefs in the world. Have a look at our three favourite chefs and discover the key to their success.

René Redzepi of Noma

René Redzepi is the chef and co-owner of Noma, the best restaurant in the world this year. This two Michelin star restaurant is located in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is not the first time Noma is considered the best restaurant in the world, it was also on the first of the list in 2011 and 2010.

Noma via Wikipedia

Redzepi’s work is famous because of its reinvention and refinement of new Nordic cuisine, as well as its inventiveness and use of clean flavours.

During the early years of his career, Redzepi worked at El Bulli, Ferran Adrià’s restaurant and previous best restaurant in the world from 2006 to 2009. In December 2002, Redzepi was approached by Danish chef Claus Meyer, who offered him the head chef position at Noma.

Ferran Adrià of El Bulli

Spanish chef Ferran Adrià began his culinary career in 1980 when he was working as a dishwasher at a hotel in a small town of Catalonia. Three decades later he’s considered one of the best chefs in the world and one of the main names, along Heston Blumenthal, in molecular gastronomy.

El Bulli's kitchen via Wikipedia

Adrià joined El Bulli in 1984 and was named head chef in 1987. The restaurant was closed on July 30 2011 but will reopen in 2014 under a totally new format which will focus on creativity and innovation.

Adrià’s cuisine has been the subject of controversy in the last few years. Spanish chef Santi Santamaria described Adrià’s approach to cuisine as pretentious and said that the chemicals used in his dishes could put diners’ health at risk.

Heston Blumenthal of The Fat Duck

The English chef is entirely self-taught. Before opening his three star Michelin restaurant, his only experience in a professional kitchen was one week at Marco Pierre White’s restaurant and 10 unpaid days in Raymond Blanc’s kitchen.

Blumenthal opened The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire in 1995. The restaurant is one of the major exponents of molecular gastronomy, serving unusual dishes such as “snail porridge” and “bacon and egg ice cream”.

Henston Blumenthal via Wikipedia

Blumenthal owns two other restaurants in Bray, Hinds Head and The Crown at Bray. He opened his first restaurant outside of Bray in January last year. The restaurant, called Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, is located at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London and has already been considered one of the 10 best restaurants of the world on this year’s list.

Apart from running 4 restaurants, Blumenthal has starred in different TV shows and even launched his own line of kitchenware, including precision thermometers, scales and knifes.

Who knows, maybe using his products improves your dishes! We’ve found that Boots Treat Street has some special offers on Currys and Comet’s products, check them if you’re interested in buying Blumenthal’s kitchenware and becoming the next top chef!

Have you ever been to any of the restaurants mentioned above? What do you think of molecular gastronomy? Let us know in the comments section below!

Image by: Corey Leopold via Flickr

This month’s featured home decor trend comes from those quaint country-side cottages that are scattered around the UK and North America, most predominantly. This decor trend can be broad in style, accepting Spanish or French touches to add a bit of exotic flare.

Country Farmhouse is a great look with just enough rustic to be able to collect gorgeous antiques while offering warmth like curling up to a fire on a cold, rainy day. It throws back to a simpler life, focusing on the home’s gathering spaces like the living room and the bustling kitchens of country houses, which invited hard working farmers to settle in for a hot meal at the end of the day.

We’ve gathered a collection of our favourite elements of the Country Farmhouse decor trend, including weathered wood, massive dining tables and muted, cosy tones.

Country Farmhouse by calmyourbeans on polyvore.com

One of the best parts about Country Farmhouse is that it makes room for a variety of antiques and vintage artefacts. You can scour markets, auctions and ebay to find the best pieces to complete your collection. You might want to consider home and contents insurance for your peace of mind.

These are some of our favourite Country Farmhouse must-haves to complete the look:

This massive and rustic dining table will suit any Country Farmhouse look. This is an easy DIY if you have an old wood table you want to spruce up a bit. We love the choice of individual chairs or the traditional picnic table-styled bench.

No farmhouse kitchen would be complete without a traditional “brown betty” tea pot. These were easily found on every wood stove in every farm house. Today’s version might be a bit more modern but the look is a classic touch.

Bright, potted flowers and an old-fashioned pump water tap brighten up any kitchen. A functional pump water tap makes the trend even more authentic!

Exposed wood beams around doorways or across ceilings gives every room a rustic touch.

Show off your grandmother’s Blue Willow plates in a distressed cabinet. Those delicately painted plates are meant to be showed off!

We love this month’s home decor trend. The old, rustic and warm feeling to every room makes the house seem invited and cosy. Light a fire and curl up with a good book and enjoy country living.

What do you think of Country Farmhouse decor? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Image humberpike via creative Commons License

Our Queen has just finished making her very important speech! So did you watch it?

This year’s speech was considerably shorter than normal. She mentioned roughly 15 bills but under previous governments she would often discuss around 40.

There was a bit of commotion before the Queen’s Speech when Dennis Skinner comes out with his traditional quip:

Skinner goes with “Jubilee year, double-dip recession, what a start.” Yawn. #MustTryHarder bit.ly/KlgafE

— Seph Brown (@SephRBrown) May 9, 2012

The queen started her speech by saying :

My ministers’ first priority will be to reduce the deficit and restore economic stability.

Which caused a bit of concern since in the last Queen’s Speech she said: “The first priority is to reduce the deficit and restore economic growth.” Many people are speculating that the government are trying to lower people’s expectations.

If you missed the Queen’s Speech then you can find out about the main things she talked about via our Queen’s Speech Storify.

What are your thoughts on the speech? Leave a comment below.

Of course, that’s not going to stop me from getting on my high horse over the course of the following post though. Consider myself in Willie Carson mode from this point onwards.

Driving home to see my folks on a nice Bank Holiday morning (you know, the one we had this week), I approached a roundabout at the end of a stretch of motorway, which I needed to turn right at. Now, I’m sure you’ll agree with me that these roundabouts are a bit of a pain at the best of times (slowing down from 70 miles per hour to a complete stop over a couple of hundred metres, that’s never going to be an issue…) but with the right amount of common sense they shouldn’t ever pose too much of a problem. After all, they are pretty well signposted.

So anyway, back to the story in hand…

Knowing fine well that I’m going to be turning right at the roundabout, I get into the correct lane about thirty seconds or so before I have to grind to a halt and turn. As I did so, I saw there was a car speeding behind me, but figured that he was far enough behind me that he’d need to be going in excess of 100 miles an hour to catch up with me before the roundabout. It turned out he wasn’t far off that, and within about ten seconds he was, to use a somewhat Calm Your Beans friendly term, up my bottom.

Now, knowing that we were both going to be stopping I figured this wasn’t the end of the world. In fact, channelling my inner James Dean, I decided I wasn’t going to speed up and break the speed limit to appease Ayrton Senna behind me.

Of course, this approach went down about as well as One Direction opening for Motorhead. There were probably only about 3 inches between us when I decided that moving into the other lane and letting him past – before moving back into the lane that I was in approximately ten feet away from the roundabout – was a safer option than braking with him behind me.

In case you can’t tell by the fact that I took the time to write an entire blog post around the topic, the whole affair rather annoyed me. As I mentioned before, I’m hardly perfect behind the wheel, but jeezy-creezy, a little common sense would go a long way. Could he not have just swallowed his pride and slowed down for all of five seconds to avoid putting everyone on the stretch of the road in jeopardy, and auto glass repair specialists on stand-by?

With me being on a roll, I guess I’ll keep going. Indicating at roundabouts – is it really that hard? No, you literally take one of the fingers on your left or right hand off the wheel and indicate, that’s all there is to it, so why are some people too lazy to even bother?

Being the inhabitant of one of the country’s busiest cities, I’m probably in no position to go on about people that accidentally cut up traffic, but in smaller towns and the like, why do some people find themselves in a position where they do it anyway?

Ach, I’ll end it there – I’m far from perfect myself, and I should really improve my own driving skills before I make generalisations about anyone else’s, but still, if you’re coming up to a roundabout, just slow down if the car in front of you is going slower than you! It’s not that hard.