Thanks everyone for the glowing compliments on my new blog design! I am glad to hear you like it, can comment easier on it, and that it loads faster for many of you. Thanks to everyone who also de-lurked and said hi for the first time. Thank you!
If you couldn’t see my new layout and site re-redesign yesterday, or are reading this from your Google Reader and you’re trying to click off and are getting an error message from my old Blogger site that the page is not found, rest assured your servers will recognize the change soon. Likely within 24 hours or so, and you will be able to see my new site.
My servers in San Diego (Cox Cable) have been painfully slow to update and I cannot see my own blog unless I access it in a very sneaky behind the scenes way.
As for the links being broken and not directing you to where you need to go, that’s another glitch that is being ironed out and everything should be up and running and totally normal by Wednesday. And hopefully late Tuesday, fingers crossed. So for those you who need recipes, everything in the Recipes Tab should be back to normal very soon.
Thanks for your tips about how to size photos and what you do. The comments section had quite a few tips and tidbits about how to do this.
As I mentioned, “medium” seems too small, and “large” was huge. I am still playing around with things and I will let you know what ends up working the best for me. Here is a link with a 1 minute video that was helpful for me. I still am not sure what size I should configure large at. Some of the photos below I configured at 500 x 500 and others at 600 x 600. I like BIG pictures.
I once did a post called What Blogging Really Entails. And I will link it once I know links are working again. All these things you never think about when all you want to do is talk about recipes, life, workouts, or whatever the theme of your blog is.
Enough shop talk.
Let’s talk about an Extra Large Microwave Banana Cake. Enough to tame your big, hungry beast all at once. Or save half for later. And, it’s portable.
Or perfect to share with someone. Like this someone.
Biggie Microwave Banana Oat Cakes
1 ripe medium or large banana, mashed
1/2 c dry oats (or a little more if you have an especially big banana)
1/4 c brown sugar
1 Tsp Cinnamon (more if you love it)
Optional: Dash of Vanilla Extract, 1 Tbsp of Chia Seeds, 1 Tbsp of Coconut Flakes, 2 Tbsp of Cocoa Powder for a chocolate banana cake
I love how TJ’s sells bananas for 19 cents each. So I buy the biggest ones I can find since they are priced by unit, not weight. And since these are big bananas, that’s why this recipe is entitled Biggie.
Directions:
Mash the banana
Add everything else to it and stir to combine
Spray a clean bowl with cooking spray and put the banana mixture in it
Microwave for 2.5 minutes to 3.0 minutes. You will know when it’s done because it will not be “juicy” looking anymore. And will have some “holes” on the surface. See first photo below.
After mircowaving, allow to rest for a couple minutes. Eat in that bowl or easily invert/remove from bowl and re-plate it, or take as a to-go snack.
Top with syrup, jelly, agave, nut butter, raisins, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or nothing.
After microwaving and resting
Plate up your extra large cake….
…Or break it off section by section and eat with your fingers
Enjoy!
This recipe is based on my other Microwave Banana Cake Recipe. Which I will link, but I don’t know if the link will work. For today.
Questions:
1. When do you Pay and When do you Do-It-Yourself on Projects?
To everyone who asked, no, I did not do my site migration myself. I paid for it. It took a team of professionals dozens and dozens of womanpower/manpower hours. And we are still not done.
Between the time involved and the technical aspects, although I am sure you could do a Blogger to Self Hosted Wordpress migration, import you comments from a third party site like Intense Debate, secure your own servers, re-point your own DNS, get your domain hosting to jive with your server hosting, not to mention do the creative and artistic side to it, so yes, you could do this. But I could not. So I paid for it. Happily. I plan to do a glowing review and give you all the details about who helped me, very soon.
Time is money to me and I evaluate projects on not only time spent, but the emotional and mental cost. And if I am going to be a walking stress case or get in way over my head, I’d rather just have it done by someone else. Who can do it Right.
2. If anyone still wants to chime in about the picture uploading/sizes to choose stuff, please, enlighten me!
Oh and can you import more than 1 picture at a time with WP? I am doing them one by one and it…is not efficient.
3. How good are you at “saving the other half for later”?
I am moderately good with this. It really depends on the item, though. I can open a bag of chips or savory things and really not go to town that much.
Protein/energy/snack bars, I am so-so.
With sweets like cookies, well, not as good. What other half?
See you later!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE your site. I decided that in 2011 I would change my dieting habits to a completely vegetarian (one day vegan, but it’s a slow process) and your website has been a daily piece of heaven. The banana oat cakes are my staple breakfast/snack. I have a glass of soy milk with them and spread almond butter on top and it’s honestly the most delicious and satisfying meal I’ve ever had. I am a sweets/baking person as well and I can’t wait to try out the other recipes!
I’m also new to the yoga world. I’ve begun practicing Bikram’s 5x a week and I’m feeling rejuvenated, happy and balanced in life. Thanks so much for all your wisdom!!
Thanks, Lindsay,for the awesome praise..”the most delicious and satisfying meal I’ve ever had. “—that’s high!! praise!! Thank you :)
I am touched when I get comments like yours…from the recipe part to the life part “rejuvenated, happy and balanced in life”–thank you for LMK me and my site have helped you :)
Hi Averie,
Just thought I’d mention that these microwave oat cakes are awesome and so quick!
I followed ur recipe but instead of brown sugar i added some vegan chocolate chips. once it was done and smeared some PB on it and then added some more banana slices! it was fantastic!
Thanks again!
thanks for LKM, Anne! :)
ohh my god that’s tasty! your gonna break my diet routine for this. haha lol..no way, i must continue my diet ^_^.
I’m always amazed at the recipes you come up with! This looks so simple and delicious!!! I seriously wish I had one right now. I’m making this as soon as I get home!
averie -that microwave banana cake is AMAZINGLY PERFECT!!!
it’s yummy & especially perfect b/c you can make 1 at a time & not have a box staring back at you.
i changed it up w/: some agave instead of sugar, added spoon of coconut butter& raw cacao nibs -it’s crunch, i like the banana flavor & the cacao nibs give it a dark chocolatey taste -thanks.!!
glad you made it and it was a hit! :)
I made the transition to a new site a couple of months ago and learned a lot of lessons the hard way. Number one, don’t trust that someone will follow up on what they say they will do after paying them in full! My web designer totally disappeared, but I ended up learning a TON about web design, wordpress, and blogging – so it was a really negative and expensive experience, but I’ve learned a lot now!
I think you blog looks amazing – I love it! If you’re like me, there is a lot of trial & error involved with learning a new platform, but everything is looking so good, I am sure you will do great!
Oh, and I usually use medium as a size for pictures… but in all honestly, I’m not sure if they should be bigger or smaller – so maybe I should consider other sizes too?
I’m half and half when it comes to saving things for later. Depends on what else I will have to eat later (if this is it, then I can save some); also depends on the food itself. Bags of chips don’t last to long. But cookies, bars, cake, muffins all last longer. Not as long as they could, but longer ;)
YAY! I can see you again! The new layout is awesome and it does open MUCH faster for me.
As for leaving the other half…..I’m good with salty stuff, but there is no saving chocolate around my face! LOL