Seriously yummy pumpkin, vanilla and peanut butter milkshake

This "recipe" is good solution for a quick snack, for a sudden sugar drop or as a dessert substitute for people who're not into baking. The only "slow" thing about this milkshake is the pumpkin puree, but you can prepare it in advance and put the excess amount in the freezer. The process is extremely simple:  you just need to clean and dice a butternut pumpkin in big pieces, cook it in the oven at 180 degrees until it's soft and then mash it. Put it in a container if you wish to keep it in your freezer, it will last for one or two months. Sweet without being too sugary, this milkshake is tasty and nourishing! 

Here are the quantities for one glass:

Blend the pumpkin, the milk, the ice-cream and the peanut butter together, grate some nutmeg on top and serve.

Gluttons can add some whipped cream, but I assure you this milkshake is extremely yummy as it is. If you want to variate, you can use vanilla yogurt instead of ice-cream. It's not the same of course, but you'll get a really good smoothie anyway. This combination was inspired by a pumpkin and macadamia nuts ice-cream I tasted at Gelateria Islanda in Bologna, Italy. On a sultry, hot Italian summer day this wonderful and fresh hand-crafted gelato prepared by super-skilled people made my taste buds go crazy and just made me feel much better. Here's the link to Gelateria Islanda's website. I strongly suggest to stop by if you're visiting Bologna! www.gelateriaislanda.it

Enjoy!

Camilla's Special Banana Bread

This yummy and fluffy nibble is perfect for kids and grown up gluttons alike, you can have it for breakfast with a glass of milk or as a snack with a cup of tea (I had this while drinking a cinnamon chai latte and it was great). It's a shame that cameras can't capture the softness of this sweet loaf: the crumb is moist and delicious with a delicate banana scent. I recently used these three magical ingredients for another treat but I can assure you that the difference between the results is huge. I added some peanut butter to increase the fragrance of the bananas and probably if you tasted this bread without knowing it you wouldn't be able to tell. The chocolate warms up the overall flavour and also in combination with brown sugar, it gives an inviting caramel colour to this bread. Here we go!

 Ingredients for a medium loaf pan:

Preheat the oven at 175 degrees and grease a loaf pan. In a medium bowl mix together sugar, oil and eggs until smooth. Slowly add bananas and peanut butter while whisking energetically. Sift in flour, baking soda and baking powder, keep on mixing and add the last two ingredients: chocolate and sour cream. Now pour the dough in the loaf pan and bake for an hour. Let it cool down before slicing it.

Buon appetito!