Financial woes and domestic bliss

I have never really been broke before, there's always been Dad to the rescue. This time it's different. I'm waiting for my university to refund some fees - ex boyfriend needs to pay me back some money I lent.
Now I wish
1> I had been smart and crosschecked with the university before paying them the extra fees.
2> That I had never offered any money, feeling bad that my poor ex would have no money at all and how he would manage.
3> That I had never been his girlfriend in the first place!

Now my jeans are torn - I have no money to buy a new pair, and I have to stay longer because of the fees, so the rent is driving me mad and my friends are sick of listening to my stupid stories, and sick of writing dumb money emails to the ex and well it's blog to the rescue.

I'm finding cleaning therapeutic. I've been sweeping the whole house, mopped the floors with nice lavender soap and cleaned the hob. My flatmates and me baked a lovely chocolate banana cake -perfect for Sunday afternoon, tea and cake. We used the new iphone to download the recipe from Nigella's website (grocery lists with pen and paper are so passé, then went hunting for ingredients in the Sainsbury next door. (In case you are so out of it - Nigella Lawson is the domestic goddess with tons of sex appeal)

It turned out incredible, although a little bit dry and I will share the recipe with my own personal changes -

75g (3oz) chocolate (we used the Lindt 85% cocoa version)

110g (4oz) soft butter (M&S softer yellow butter)

125g (4 ½ oz) caster sugar

2 eggs

125g (4 ½ oz) self-raising flour

1 level tsp baking powder

1 rounded tbsp cocoa (Fairtrade from Africa)

2 medium bananas, peeled and mashed (Organic)



Preheat the oven to 180oC/350oF/gas 4. Line with parchment paper a 900g (2lb) loaf tin. Melt the chocolate in a low oven, microwave, or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. With a wooden spoon, cream the butter, add the sugar, and beat well; then add the eggs one by one, beating all the time. Add the sieved flour, baking powder and cocoa, followed by the melted chocolate and the mashed bananas. Stir to bring together. Pour into the prepared loaf tin and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 50-55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before removing.