Happy new year! I hope the final bits of 2021 were good to you, and there is hope and excitement for the coming year. While my holiday plans were changed drastically, I was safe, happy, and healthy here in West Cork. A quiet holiday season allowed me to reflect on the last year and make some intentions for the coming seasons. 

In anticipation of what Mercury retrograde could bring, I am sending this a day early. 

I recently posted this image on Instagram, it’s a larger painting for me, sizing up at 24x36”. Created from memory it’s how I remember my first bike. My dad up-cycled a used bike — spray-painting it a bright yellow, adding sesame street themed stickers, and adorned the handles with streamers. I think there was a horn. Then attaching training wheels to help me as I teeter tottered my way into learning mobile transportation, by the following year he would be taking them off, holding the seat as I try and work around the art of balancing.  The bike is placed outside of the home we lived in at the time, I remember seeing it just there waiting for me for my birthday, age 4. 

'So Mollie, what have you been up to?!'

....Oh you know, re watching twin peaks and changing into sweatpants before lunch.

While the external part of my practice is a little quiet for the moment, my google docs folders are getting loads of attention and the brushes are busy trying to push some new ideas around. 

• I am thrilled to have I have a short essay and painting about a favorite sandwich published in Cheese magazine

• Gemma Tipton of the Irish Times asked me to write a short piece about my favorite kitchen object, read all about my popcorn obsession here. 

On my radar

I just received my 2022 planner from Badly Made Books a cork-based book maker that uses recycled paper to make their products.

Dance party of one happens daily in my house to this cracker of a remix.

I learned so much watching this series, Love, Sex, & Goop. It reiterated how out of touch we can be with our own bodies and relationships. Offering tools on how communication and vulnerably can help us connect and understand those closest to us. 

I am really enjoying Anne Marie’s 30 days of climate change action newsletter. So many tips and actions to make a difference and educate myself on how to be a better inhibiter on this planet.

I am reading, but nothing is worth recommending at the moment so if you are so inclined, please send me book ideas! 

Recipe Time!

So last year I set myself the new year’s resolution of trying one new banana bread recipe a month. When I want classic banana bread no doubt my mom’s recipe is the best, so for the purpose of my resolution I made banana breads that were on the healthier end. I tried a wide range: ones made with chickpeas (don’t try this, ever), some made with sourdough starter (highly recommend), others with oats. Below is my favorite, which I reworked from a pumpkin muffin into a banana bread. Leaning into healthier sugars I opted for coconut sugar, but I assume brown sugar would be an easy swap. 

Oat Bran Banana Bread

Ingredients

330g Oat Bran

20g Quick cooking or porridge oats

75g Coconut sugar

118g Flour (I use white spelt)

10g Baking Powder

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Salt

225g Bananas

115g Milk (I use a plant based milk)

30g Oil (anything neutral here works)

1 egg

Options to go wild 

Chocolate chips

Walnuts

Coconut flakes

1. Preheat oven to 375 and prepare a loaf tin by greasing and laying a strip of parchment paper in the bottom.

2. Whisk Oat Bran, Oats, Sugar, Flour, Baking powder, Cinnamon, & salt together in a large bowl.

3. In a separate bowl using an electric mixer or in a food processor blend together Bananas, milk, oil and egg.

4. Dump the wet into the dry and fold over itself until mixed.

5. Fold in any mix-ins

When adding in walnuts I like to crush them with my hands rather than chopping them. They are soft enough to do it this way, and I don't end up with bits of them scattered on a cutting board not making it into the bread!

6. Bake for 50 Minutes, its ready when the edges are nice and dark.

I sometimes set a timer for 40 minutes, then pop it out of the loaf tin and let it bake the last 10 minutes on the rack, allowing for any excess moisture to escape. This is a tip, not a necessity!