In rapture

Picture from Naomi Devlins blog

The blog "Milk for the morning cake" by Naomi Devlin is just a food lovers dream, especially if you are coeliac or intolerant to gluten. I love this blog not just because she has the most fabulous and mouthwatering recipes with combinations that have you drooling in anticipation as well as sending me back to my grandmothers kitchen hmm.  But also because it is just heaven to read her descriptions of things, it has me completely enthralled and in raptures and i feel i am right there with her tasting and experiencing it all.

This is her heavenly gluten free banana and walnut bread ( text in red are my additions):  

Gluten Free Banana and Walnut Bread

Ingredients

2 large extremely ripe bananas

4 large free range eggs

6 oz ground almonds

50ml rapeseed oil (organic or non GM) i used organic sunflower oil

juice of half a lemon

pinch salt

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda ( or gluten free baking powder)

2 oz chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon honey

1 tsp cinnamom

Method

Preheat the oven to 160C fan assisted (175C without fan) and line a 9 inch square deep sided tin (Bread tin) with greaseproof paper. If you don't have that size of tin then use something approximate, round even - hey nobody will complain about the odd bits that get sliced off the end, believe me!

In a food processor (or using a hand held electric whisk) whizz together the bananas, eggs, oil, lemon juice and salt (mash bananas first if using whisk). When everything is smooth and frothy sprinkle over bicarb and whizz again for a bit to mix it in thoroughly. Then tip in all the almonds and blend to incorporate.

Pour immediately into the waiting tin and scrape every last bit out. Sprinkle chopped walnuts over the surface of the mixture and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown on top and a cake skewer comes out clean.

Cool for ten minutes and then remove from the tin using the paper to help you. Leave the paper attached until completely cool and then carefully peel off, using a knife to help separate crust from paper. Slice the square in half before cutting slices off - to make two loaf shaped peices. The bread will keep for up to three days in an airtight box in a cool place, but don't let it get warm or the fruit sugars will attract mould. Alternatively, slice and open freeze before storing in an airtight box in the freezer for up to a month"

I am not sure that this bread will last that long. I made it for my sons lunchbox but have already scoffed almost half a loaf..ooops but it is delicious and sooooo light and fluffy. Wow gone are the days of heavy saw dusty creations of old......mine that is. I have had to wait for others to come along with their culinary genius before i could turn out anything edible. Thank you Naomi i love your blog!!!!

Naomi is also a Homeopath, from Dorest in the UK (which is where i grew up, aaah it is such a gorgeous part of the world) and has written a post about Chronic Fatigue in which she advises about homepathic remedies as well as dietary advise for this condition which is very much in line with what i had to do in the early days and infact still do: http://milkforthemorningcake.blogspot.com/2008/07/homeopathy-for-chronic-fatigue-syndrome.html

In an extract from the above post Naomi Says:

"Most doctors draw a blank when confronted with CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome). So it can feel pretty bleak when you finally get the longed for diagnosis. As it is an auto-immune condition, the best thing you can do is rest, de-stress your life and start to strengthen your immune system, so you can heal yourself from the inside. Good advice for all of us really – but hard to put into practice in the hectic bustle of the modern world. Those of us with a pre-existing auto-immune condition (celiac disease in my case) can be more prone to CFS than the general population because our immune system tends to over react to stimuli and our weak adrenal glands can easily become exhausted.

My strategy is threefold. First to support the adrenal glands with gentle stress relieving exercise such as yoga, or relaxation techniques such as meditation and conscious breathing if you are severely debilitated, and exercise would deplete you further. The point is support and relaxation, not stress and strain!

Secondly, to eat food that does not cause fluctuations in blood sugar. By maintaining the blood sugar at a constant level and avoiding peaks and troughs, the body can focus on repairing itself rather than producing large amounts of insulin and adrenalin which burden the liver and lead to exhaustion. CFS is often accompanied by digestive disorders such as diarrhoea, leaky gut, candida and food intolerance. By eating only what your gut can digest fully, you will absorb the nutrients you need from your food, rather than having it pass undigested through the intestines – causing inflammation and feeding yeasts and harmful bacteria on the way.
Thirdly I use homeopathy to rebalance the body and support the emotions. Homeopathy is great for CFS because it does not chemically burden an already weakened system. It can help raise energy, manage aches and pains and soothe the difficult feelings that arise from such an overwhelming condition."

For the full article go to the link here and do also visit the rest of her blog for her fabulous recipes and the way she writes......mmm mmm, yummy stuff for your tummy.