McIvers Baths

Mc Ivers Baths in Coogee is quickly becoming one of my most favourite places in Sydney. I was introduced to Mc Ivers through my friend Ruby's blog. It looked great in the photos but is even better in real life.

McIvers is a women and children only ocean bath in Coogee, nestled in the cliff face below Grant Reserve. It is thought that the site was originally a traditional bathing place for Aboriginal women. It has been operating as a women and childrens bath from about the 1860s.

McIvers is managed by Randwick Ladies Amateur Swimming Club and the entry fee is a 20 cent honesty system.

My favourite place with my favourite cousin.



The view of Coogee Beach from the pool

Looking south towards Wylies Baths

Little Cuthburt the crab. One of the many local residents of the pool

Shaany rockin the goggles

Banana Sour Cream Bread

I picked up this recipe from the very first Workbake competition i experienced 4 years ago. Workbake is just what the name suggests: baking at work. Well, more of a baking competition. Very very competitive....and delicious.

Anyway, in my first competition, I thought i had it in the bag with a very luscious white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake. It was not to be. I was beaten by what i thought at the time was simple banana cake. It wasn't until i made this recipe that i realised that it is a little slice of heaven.

I am often asked for the recipe so here it is:

3/4 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

170g butter (room temp)
600g white sugar
3 eggs
6-8 very ripe bananas, mashed
450g sour cream
10 ml vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 heaped teaspoons baking soda
560g plain flour

Preheat oven to 150 degrees C. Grease three 20cm x 10cm loaf tins with butter.

Mix together 3/4 cup caster sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and use to dust the pans. Once dusted, spread half the left over sugar mix evenly across the bottom of the pans. Keep the other half until the end.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugar. Mix in the eggs, mashed banana, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour.
Divide into the pans and sprinkle with the rest of the sugar mixture.

Bake for an hour or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

The cinnamon sugar mixture results in a crispy flaky top

So my hints for this bread would be:

• Absolutely let the bananas over-ripen before using them to avoid a bitter tasting bread
• Don't be tempted to use bicarb soda instead of baking soda. It will make the bread bitter
• Invest in a bottle of vanilla extract rather than using essence of vanilla

I have to credit Hamish 'man-cage' Manzi for this recipe, plus the person he ripped it from. 1st place deserved.

Sleep talking......or singing

So, i heard about this cool app for my iPhone called Sleep Talk Recorder. Kyle and Jackie O were banging on about it being the number 1 app blah blah blah. No i was not listening to Kyle and Jackie O, i will not admit to that, totally not true. Anyway, i downloaded the app on Tuesday and tested it out on Tuesday night. You just turn it on and leave the phone on your bedside table and it records any noises it hears. Come the morning time, you can play it back but just the sound bites of noise minus all the silence.

I was really curious to find out if i still snore like i did when i was a kid, or, what the hell i am saying in my fits of sleep talking.

So, on the first night i trialed the sleep talk recorder, it just recorded me turning over or getting up for water etc. But oh the second night......last night i was belting out a little Lionel Ritchie about 1 hour into my sleep. It was only a couple of lines but i was really getting into it by the sound of it. Was very funny to be hearing that this morning.

I am now looking forward to listening to the recordings each morning now. Well worth the $1.19 investment i think.

Why the blog?



Ruby and I at my 26th birthday



So I have often been told that i should write a book, keep a diary or blog about all the things i get up to. I often reply with the standard "who would honestly give a shit about what i do". But after being inspired by my good friend Ruby, i have decided to give this blogging thing a stab.

My blog will not be filled with opinions on politics or boring subjects but with short tales of the things i get up to in life. Some people might find this boring or annoying, but i am not forcing you to read it. Hopefully i make some of you smile and i really hope that i will inspire some of you to experience the great things in life similar to how Ruby has inspired me.

Happy reading folks!