Banana & Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

I was sorting through some magazines earlier today and came across a Mary Berry recipe suplement.
I skimmed through and saw a recipe for Banana and Chocolate Cupcakes. Now this is not normally a combination that I particularly like, however, I had a couple of ripe bananas so decided I would give it try.
I must say it's very easy to put everything into a bowl and beat!
This was the end result

Banana & Choc Chip Cupcakes
Mary Berry Recipe
Makes 12

100g (4oz) butter softened (can use marg)
2 eggs
175g (6oz) castor sugar
225g (8oz) self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons milk
2 very ripe bananas mashed
50g (2 oz) choc chips

For Icing
50g(2oz) dark choc melted

Pre-heat oven 180C/160C(fan)/ gas 4.
Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Method
butter,eggs,castor sugar,flour,baking powder, milk & bananas in bowl beat together until combined and smooth  Mix in choc chips
Spoon into paper cases and bake for about 25 mins until well risen, golden brown and shrinking from cases.
Cool  Drizzle choc in zigzag pattern.
Freeze well for up to 3 months.

My Saturday....

Present:
I had to show you a picture of the lovely handmade chocolates that my grandson's girlfriend gave us (as you may know EmBee is diabetic so he could only try one)-oh dear what a pity I will have to eat the rest!
You might need to enlarge the second photo to see some of the unusual combination of flavours.

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Package:
Yesterday I also had a package arrive from the tour operator, Wendy Wu, who is organising our China trip, I was most surprised to find it contained a leather wallet. Well maybe not leather but it looked like it!
Inside it contained our itinerary, tickets, labels, ID tag and a phrase book, space for cards, pen and a zipper purse. I thought this was a very neat idea and I was very impressed with the company. Maybe this is normal service but it's not something I've experienced before.
Having this arrive makes me realise it's only a week away before I head off to China and I've so much organising still to do.

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Tortoises:
The other thing we did yesterday was take the tortoises for their post hibernation weighing and measuring. Topsy and Tom had both lost just over 4oz over the winter and Tog a little less. Topsy weighs 5.3lbs; Tom 4lbs 15 oz and Tog 3lbs 13oz. They were all deemed healthy so that was good news.
Now look at the little tortoise below it fits in the palm of its owner's hand and is 3 years old.
I bet it doesn't weigh much and it looked so tiny when you compare it to my three or to Eric (below) he is enormous and weighs a whopping 7stone (98lbs). His owner says he eats masses-so is an expensive pet.
The last photo was a small group that were brought in for show.

There were lots of children at the garden centre, where we go, and they were fascinated with all the tortoises. Some had never seen a real one and wanted to touch them. We got talking to a chap who must have been in his 40's and he said they had always scared him as a child. He wanted to get over his fear and he did touch them and said we had done him a service. So I think we did our good deed for the day.

Archives:
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2007: Why is it that