Recipe: Banana Coconut Ice Cream

When reducing the amount of junk I eat I struggle as I really love desserts. That's when I go searching for alternatives. This 'ice cream' is really yummy and a fantastic healthy treat! If I make a curry with coconut cream I put a little aside. I keep sliced frozen banana in the freezer as its great for this dessert and smoothies.

BANANA COCONUT ICE CREAM

INGREDIENTS:
2 small Bananas or 1 large
2 TBS Coconut Cream

METHOD:
1) Place the frozen banana and coconut cream in a food processor. Set aside for 15 minutes so the banana softens.
2) Process until smooth. Place into a ramekin and put in the freezer to set.
3) Enjoy your simple healthy dessert.

TIPS: Add peanut butter, nutella, berries or choc chips for a different combination

To save this recipe for later click the title and pin this image

Colour Pop: Purple & Teal

I asked for colour suggestions over on Lime & Mortar Facebook page. One of our readers Tammy asked for purple and teal. I love this colour combination. One of my favourite set of stickers called 'purple peppermint' is this combination. When looking for homewares there was not a huge range of purple items but i did find some which works lovely with teal and wood.

a) Adairs - Arkana Cushion
b) Kmart - Memo Pad 
c) Kmart - Bath Towel
d) Target - Bath Text Bath Mat
e) Design Stuff - Umemi Knot Cushion
f) Freedom - Raffaelle Vessel 37cm
g) Freedom - Raffaelle Vessel 29.5cm
h) Freedom - Astrid Chair
i) Myer - Purple Glass Vase
j) Target - Brooklyn Candle Pillar 
k) Freedom - Clarity Table Lamp
l) Freedom - Frankie Throw
m) Freedom - Chelmsford Side Table
n) Myer - Vintage Lace Frame
o) Freedom - Seafoam Velvet Cushion
p) Myer - Vue Placemats 
q) Design Stuff - Umemi Knot Cushion
r) The Furniture Shack - Salt & Pepper Teapots
s) Myer - Sheridan Luxury Towel

My Kmart Buys

Recently Kmart launched many new homewares in their stores. It sent my instagram and facebook crazy with everyone's finds and purchases. I read stories of arguments and crazy shoppers and all sorts. Rest assured I want not one of those crazies... I managed to calmly get the items I wanted with both the kids in tow.

Here are the items I got for my home. I also got 4x black matt stools for when we do the alfresco bar area and black wire basket for the balls outside. No photos of those yet but I am looking forward to sharing the outside progress with you soon.

 Yellow Plant Stand

 Yellow Ceramic Vase

 Ceramic Dog, White Tray and Silver Vase (only the dog was new)

 Tall Aqua Basket - going to fill it with pretty wrapping paper

 Couldnt resist these wire serving baskets. Will be great for entertaining. Wooden board also from kmart

What did you buy from the recent new range? Did you encounter any crazies?

The Block: Week 2 Bathroom Reveal

I love bathroom week however i do always get tile envy. So many pretty tiles! My favourite this week was Dea & Darren's bathroom. I really liked the separation of the shower/bath to the rest of the bathroom. I guess having more space than the others really made a big difference this week. I think they all did really well. Only thing i didn't like was the use of all the hexagon tiles in Jess & Ayden's bathroom. They lost their effect. I did like the separate toilet though. I find sitting in middle of a bathroom on the toilet weird.

Unless you are doing a bathroom reno it is a bit hard to 'shop the look' for these bathrooms. If you are renovating it appears wooden with marble and dark fittings is the trend.

FIRST PLACE: Dea & Darren. Jess & Ayden used their one point prize to take a point from the D's however they still won.

65h Bells Candle, Aesop Body Cleanser, Giacomo Bath Towel and Candy Black Mosaic Tiles

SECOND PLACE: Tim & Anastasia

Eclectic Tom Dixon Candle, Trent Bath Towel and Carrara Bianco Diamond Tile

THIRD PLACE: Josh & Charlotte

Grown Alchemist Exfoliant, Round Antique Mirror and Nu Marble Bianco

LAST PLACE: Ayden & Jess

Pure Cactus Bristle Brush, Saba Pendant, Circa Home Candle and Calacatta Hexagon Tile

What did you think of this week's bathrooms? Which one is your favourite?

Fruit Tree Garden Growth

Our fruit garden is doing amazing! I posted photos of the garden when i first started to blog in July last year (see post here). I thought id do an update on the amazing growth we have it. The fruit trees are thriving. There is currently fruit on both lemon trees and the orange tree.

May 2014 - The day we planted the trees in the garden

January 2015 - 8 months later

Today - Amazing growth in just the past month

Our berry plants from when they were first planted to now 9 months later, The raspberry is a monster so is in a cage trying to restrain it a little.

Do you have any fruit trees/plants in your back garden? Are any fruiting right now?

Recipe: Jess' Salt & Pepper Calamari

Today's post is by Jess from A Little Part of The World

I have been using this recipe for years. It is dead easy and super yummy. You just have to be ok around hot oil. One NYE hubby was cooking it (we were having it as a starter for a dinner we were having with friends) and got some splash back from the oil and burnt one of his fingers. He is fine but it was painful at the time. So please… with any dish that uses hot oil, please use caution.

This is the perfect started for an adults dinner party, as a great addition to a seafood buffet, or great nibbles plate for a cocktail party. It’s great for lunch served with a salad and chips or even for dinner. I cook it a lot for the kids as they love it and serve it with homemade oven baked potato chips.

JESS' SALT & PEPPER CALAMARI

INGREDIENTS:
2 x Squid hoods
3 x Tablespoons Flour (enough to cover your plate to toss the squid in) You can also use Rice flour
Vegetable oil (enough for shallow frying - covering the bas of you frying pan about 1cm deep)
Salt & Pepper to season to taste

METHOD:
1) Cut down one side of the squid hood to open it up to be one flat piece. Make sure it’s clean enough and if need be tidy it up some.
2) With your sharp knife score the inside of the squid diagonally one way (make the cuts about 2cm apart) being careful not to cut it all the way through. The cut diagonally in the other direction which will make little diamond shapes on the squid.
3) Cut the squid into strips. (1-2cm wide) it really depends on your preference
4) On a separate plate cover the base with the flour. Season the flour with the salt and pepper. An option for adults is some dried chilli added to the mix if you like some added spice
5) Lightly toss the squid in the flour so it has a light covering. Do this right before cooking so the flour doesn't become too soggy on the damp squid. I tend to do this piece by piece as I find it gets a great light coating. It’s a little more time consuming but I think it gives a great result
6) Cover your frying pan with about 1cm oil and turn on the heat
7) When the oil is hot enough place the squid in small batches being careful not to splash yourself or overcrowd the pan
8) Toss the squid gently and then golden remove from the oil immediately and place on to paper towel to dry and absorb the excess oil
9) Cook any remaining squid
10) Serve hot with some lemon wedges or some aioli and ENJOY!

To pin Jess' recipe for later simply click the title and pin this image

"I’m Jess. Wife to 1. Mother to 2. Blogger at A Little Part of the World. I write about all things lifestyle & parenting… you’ll see lots of lovely photos, stories from the parenting trenches, yummy and easy food, fashion and beauty items I love and bits and pieces from our home that we have completely renovated over the last 3 years. I love my family, nutella, wine, sleep and people who make me laugh!! I dislike people who are fake, when the nutella jar is empty, ironing and toys everywhere.”

This Month's Sponsors

A shout out to this month's sponsors. We have some new faces this month which are new to Lime & Mortar. Be sure to head over to their pages and share the love.

THE BLOCK SHOP
Together with The Block i will bring you weekly post about the block reveal room. Along with 'shop the look' with links to items sold at The Block Shop so you can create a similar look in your home.
The Block Shop have a huge range of homewares, furniture and artwork by many different shops, designers and artists. Some have not been seen on The Block so head over and check out the range, you may find that piece your have been looking for!

GEE YOU'RE BRAVE
The lovely Michelle has been featured a few times. Michelle has recently moved interstate with the whole family and starting a whole new life. Read about her traveling adventures, parenting advice and her recent back to school series.

ANDREW'S RECLAIMED
A gorgeous range of homewares made from recycled wood. Whilst based in US Andrew is offering free shipping if you spend over $50 US. Head over and see the range... i love the wall hooks and succulent planters.

LIFE DOESN'T END AT MUM
Wendy writes about life beyond being Mum. Finding that balance between family, inspiration and personal growth. Wendy's family are also in the early stages of building their dream home. I look forward to watching their home come to life.

MELINDA MCQUEEN DESIGN
Melinda loves all things interior and building design. On her blog you'll find a mix of creative ideas, home interiors and finds from Australian designers.

WILLING ME
The blog is a mix of parenting, beauty, politics and more. W also takes part in FMS Photo-a-day and shares her photos on the blog weekly. W also has a little etsy shop called 'The Silver Lining Co' which sells invites and party printables.

Colour Pop: Orange & Teal

This week's colour pop is inspired by my Mum's home. The colour combo is used subtly through the main living space. I shared a few photos back in September last year (see post here). This is a great combo to mix warm and cool colours together. I created this board using only 4 national chain stores (minus the chair). You can easily create a great look with affordable, easy to find items.

a) Freedom - Clover Table Lamp
b) Kmart - Hudson Cushion
c) Target - Herringbone Cushion
d) Adairs - Paraguay Throw
e) Kmart - Wire Plant Stand
f) Target - Chevron Throw
g) Target - Glass Candle
h) Matt Blatt - Hans Wegner Shell Chair
i) Adairs - Super Dry Towel Range
j) Target - Chenille Cushion
k) Adairs - Arkana Cushion
l) Freedom - Lychee Vessel
m) Adairs - Reiko Mat Cool
n) Freedom - Postman Stand
o) Kmart - Orange Wire Basket
p) Freedom - Sole Table Lamp

Four Ways To Enjoy Your Pancakes Today

Today is Shrove Tuesday aka Pancake Day. I was asked by Baby Hints & Tips to do a guest post on pancakes. I have shared an easy pancake recipe that we use at home along with 4 delicious toppings.

Head over to check them out: Basic Pancake Recipe + 4 ways for the Whole Family

Have you tried any of these combinations? How do you like your pancakes?

The Block: Week 1 Bedroom Reveal

The last elimination saw Kim & Matt and Bec & George leave The Block. This means Dea & Darren have won the final spot on The Block. I'm not sure how I feel about this... whilst I do love her style we have just seen them last season and I kind of feel it's because they had a tantrum. Hopefully there wont be too much drama this season. It would be a nice change to see everyone get along as just renovate/decorate their little hearts out but it seems Dea and Anastasia are set to clash already.

I'll start with the elimination rooms

DEA & DARREN
I really like this room and I can see why it won. I think the coloured pendant lights made the room. Without them it wouldn't have looked as special.

Chris Warnes Artwork, Dome Light and Ethan Dark Grey Blanket

BEC & GEORGE
My favourite room out of the all star teams. I love fresh plants and I really like how they had the furniture custom made. The floors are simply stunning! Shame to see them go but I'm sure we will continue to see more of them else where.

Portbou Quilt Cover, Chunky Knitt Cushions, Fig Tree Copper Candle, Creativity is Limitless Cushion and Print by Trevor Mein 

KIM & MATT
I love the decisions they made and it's different to any style they have done before. It was a romantic room. I liked the wall lights, never seen lights like them before.

Bend Limited Edition Print, Range of Sarah Stockman Prints and Handmade Vessel

For the other teams Ayden & Jess are the winners this week. Charlotte & Josh came a close second and Tim & Anastasia were third.

AYDEN & JESS
I miss the fun colour they had previously done in other rooms. Whilst I know this is the general style I hope they bring some more fun colour back to the future rooms otherwise they all start to look the same.

Ice-Dyed Cushion, Ragnar Pendant, Reindeer Hide and Muse Print

CHARLOTTE & JOSH
I agree with all the judges comments. The table is bit big for the room and the prints didn't suit the feel of the other items in the room. It felt a little hotel to me with the white bed and bold prints.

Azure Bedhead, Darling Poster, Penny Poster and Caroline Poster

TIM & ANASTASIA
Loved the splash of colour. I really like the yellow and I did like the crosses in the room. I was not a fan of the items on the bedsides or that cat toy.

Amalfi Coast Candle, Cashmere Mix Throw, Sunrise Over Sea Bed Head and Karpenter Vintage Bedside

What was your favourite room this week? Are you happy with the judges decision?