Make It, Bake It

My Tarte Tatin Disaster

2012-12-05T10:58:00.000Z

I was sent a Tarte Tatin dish from Mermaid to try out. I’ve always been a little scared of trying to make one and to be honest I was right to be so, I am useless at them!

I attempted a Apple Tarte Tatin twice and both times it was a disaster. The first time I over cooked the pastry and it was really tough. The second time it was all soggy, I'm not sure where it went wrong.

I should have taken pictures but I was annoyed with myself I binned them. The dish however survived the disasters very well, washed up a dream both times and the tarte didn’t stick to it.

If you would like to attempt a Tarte Tatin you can purchase the Mermaid dish from Harts of Stur £21.60 and other retailers.

Mermaid Hard Anodised Bakeware is twice as hard as stainless steel and is not coated. The tough, easy release surface is the actual metal so it will never peel off or go rusty. All Mermaid Bakeware has an aluminium core for excellent heat distribution and is suitable for use on the hob in the oven and the grill. It is dependable and a sure investment. Mermaid Hard Anodised Bakeware is manufactured in the UK and has won the heart of many top TV chefs.

If you have some failsafe tips on how to make a successful Tarte Tatin please tell me.

Win a Greek Gods Hamper

2012-11-28T11:47:00.003Z

Greek Gods Greek-style yogurts launched last week.

Greek Gods yogurt boasts a rich and creamy taste, with fewer calories than traditional luxury dairy products. This makes it a perfect alternative to ice-cream or cream.

There are four delicious honey-infused flavours; Honey, Honey & Clementine, Honey & Strawberry and Honey & Vanilla, which are available in 680g tubs in Sainsbury’s.

To celebrate , if you ‘Like’ Greek Gods UK on Facebook there’s a coupon that you can can print off the page allowing you to save £2 on Greek Gods at Sainsbury’s.

I have a Greek Gods Hamper to giveaway to one lucky winner it includes:

1 x high-quality extra virgin olive oil

1 x jar of organic mixed olives

1 x jar of stuffed vine leaves

1 x organic Greek honey

1 x Greek Delight

1 x nifty garlic zoom

1 x stylish lemon squeezer

1 x set of two oil drizzlers

Doesn’t it look fab!

To enter just follow the instructions below in the widget a Rafflecopter giveaway

Halloween Baking

2012-10-18T10:41:00.000+01:00

Halloween isn't far away. I love a good party and use excuse to have one including Halloween.

A party isn't a party without some cakes and home baking. I have found some great Halloween products that will make your baking stand out.

Halloween 3 Tier Cupcake Stand £4.99 and Halloween Cupcake Cases £1.99 from Delights.co.uk

Sugar Pumpkins £2.99 from Cakes, Cookies and Crafts.

Cookie Cutter - Orange Pumpkin £1.78 from Funky Muffin

Witches Hat Silicone Mould £3.99 from Lakeland

Baking: Witches Fingers

2012-10-17T14:01:00.000+01:00

I made these last year for our little Halloween lunch party and they went down well. I was inspired by a TV show that made similar ones though they used almonds for the finger nails and I used jam. I also added chocolate chips because I had some hanging round but you can miss out.

They are really easy to make and look great.

You start with a basic biscuit recipe feel free to use your own but this is mine:

110g Butter
110g Caster Sugar
1 Beaten Egg
220g of Plain Flour
Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
50g Chocolate Chips

You will also need jam we used strawberry but choose your favourite.

Beat the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy
Beat in the egg and vanilla
Add the chocolate chips and flour and combine to make a dough
Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins
Once its chilled pre heat your oven to 180oc/160 fan
Shape pieces of dough into long finger and make a little dip at one end
Place a blob of jam in each dip
Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown
Enjoy!

Review: Twinings Tea

2012-10-17T11:35:00.002+01:00

Last week a lovely box of tea arrived from Twinings Tea Shop. As I am pregnant they kindly sent me decaf versions.

I was sent Early Grey, English Breakfast Tea, Green Tea and Lemongrass and Lavender.

It was a hard task trying them all out. I have had Earl Grey and English breakfast before I really like them. I find English Breakfast is a good all day tea. I like Earl Grey in the afternoon with a slice of cake or a biscuit.

I hadn’t had the other two before so it was nice trying the new teas. The Green Tea is a bit of an acquired taste but very refreshing I found.

The Lemongrass and Lavender has a very subtle taste and is perfect just before bed and the Lavender helps aid sleep, perfect for anyone that needs a little help at bed time.

I do love Twinings teas and Everyday tea is one of my favourites. I think I am going to give Redbush tea a go next time as it’s naturally caffeine free.

Thank you very much Twinings *goes off to out the kettle on*

Homemade Pizza vs Dominos Gourmet Pizza

2012-10-10T11:03:00.002+01:00

I was asked to take part in the Homemade Pizza vs Dominos Gourmet Pizza challenge which I accepted.

Domino's Pizza just launched their Gourmet Pizza Range as a limited edition. The four Gourmet Specials are Firenze, Florentine, Rustica and Four Seasons.

Firstly we made our own pizza, now it wasn’t really gourmet but it was homemade and very nice if I do say so myself.

We then had to order pizza online which is really simple to do and actually I prefer it as I am fussy so it’s easier to make amend online. I choose the Rustica which is chicken, bacon, spinach and roasted tomatoes with a tomato and garlic sauce.

Now as I mentioned I am fussy so I swapped the sauce for standard sauce and removed the tomatoes.

It was very nice; I really liked the thin base. You don’t fill so bloated afterwards.

We booked it to come at 7.30 and it came on time nice and hot.

But which was the best……

Sorry Dominos the homemade won!

*Disclaimer the cost of the Dominos pizza was credited back to me.

Baking with Great British Bakeware and Aldi

2012-10-10T10:39:00.002+01:00

I was very kindly sent some Great British Bakeware with GlideX which is amazing non-stick Bakeware. Aldi also sent me some baking goods so I decide to test them both at the same time.

Great British Bakeware sent me a 12 Cup Deep Muffin Tray, Loaf Tin 1lb and a Pie Plate.

Aldi sent me a large box which included Mixed Grain Bread Mix and Ginger Cake mix.

And this is what I made:

I use the mixed grain bread mix and made rolls using the muffin tray. The mix was really easy to make up.

I sprayed the tin with a little oil and floured it. The rolls came out so easily and they tasted really good. The tin washed up like a dream.

I made the ginger cake into a loaf and also cupcakes.

Again the mix was easy to make up. The loaf took 50 mins to cook and the cupcake 20 mins. I sent to cupcakes to nana’s which they loved and we had the loaf at home, well I said we OH ate most of it.

Again the loaf came of the tin really easily and it washed up really well.

Lastly I used the pie dish (which I have wanted for ages) to make a chicken and mushroom pie.

Ingredients:

400g of Chicken Tighes Diced
4 Rashers of Bacon Diced
300g of Mushrooms Sliced
1 teapsoon of Dried Thyme
1 tablespoon of plain flour
400mls of Chicken Stock
Oil of frying
Pastry (I cheated with readymade)
One beaten egg

To Make:

Fry the bacon in a little oil unto brown and crispy and then add the chicken.
Once the chicken is cooked add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the dried thyme and flour and stir.
Add the stock bring to the boil and then simmer until thick.
Leave to cool.
Roll out pasty and cut out two circles using the pie dish as a guide.
Line the dish with pastry and add the cooled filling.
Place the 2^nd circle on top and seal the edges I use a fork to crimp them. Make a small hole in the top.
Brush with beaten egg and cook for 25-30 mins until the pastry is golden brown.
Enjoy.

The pie came out of the dish really easily.

I am really impressed with the Great British Bakeware equipment I was sent. They are super non-stick and wash up really well. They didn't buckle in the heat at all. I will be buying from them. They also come with a 15 year guarantee. Find your nearest stockist here.

The mixes from Aldi are great especially if you want to bake but aren't very good or just don’t have the time to go through all the steps. Find your local store here.

Big thumbs up to both of them.

Halloween Recipes & A Giveaway with Baking Mad

2012-10-04T10:15:00.003+01:00

Have you ever looked on the Baking Mad website it? It is packed full of recipes including some fab Halloween Recipes.

If you are looking to do some Halloween baking then look no further, here are some of my favourites:

Pumpkin Cookies

Chocolate Dipped Apples

Halloween Cupcakes

I have two wonderful prizes to giveaway!

Tart It Up by Eric Lanlard and a Baking Mad Apron

To enter follow the instructions in the rafflecopter widget below and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Soupalicious: My Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

2012-10-03T10:54:00.001+01:00

As promised here is my Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup recipe. I did have a mini disaster the first time I made it, I used far too much stock and it was really thin, however I did manage to save it with lentils. I have since adjusted the amount and it’s perfect!

Ingredients:

2 Carrots Diced
1 Stick Celery Dices
1 Sweet Potato Peeled and Diced
1 Butternut Squash Peeled and Diced
1 litre of Chicken or Vegetable Stock
Dried Thyme
Two Bay Leaves
Seasoning

Add all the ingredients to a big pot bring to a boil and simmer for 40 mins
Take out bay leaves
Blend and serve

This will keep for a few days in the fridge and freezes well.

It’s really filling and warming.

Soupalicious: My Lentil Soup

2012-09-19T11:09:00.000+01:00

Autumn is upon and that means its soup time! I love making my own soup I get a real sense of achievement and something yummy to eat.

I was rustling through my cupboards last week and found some red lentils hiding at the back so I decided to make a lentil soup. I asked on twitter for any good recipes and did a little search online and then basically made it up as I went along based on what I have in the fridge.

Ingredients:

2 Diced Carrots

1 stick of celery diced

¼ cup of frozen onion (I hate chopping it)

1 cup of red lentils

Dried mixed herbs

2 Bay leaves

Litre and a half of stock (I used chicken)

Seasoning

Fry the onion in a little olive oil for a few minutes then add the carrot and celery and cook for a further 5 mins.
Add the dried herbs and the lentils and stir.
Add the stock and bay leaves.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes.
Blend to your liking.
Eat

I added a little black pepper to my bowl.

It’s keeps in the fridge for a few days and freezes well. Today I am making butternut squash and sweet potato soup I will share the recipe later.

Have you got any good soup recipes?

Kitchen Gadget Review & Giveaway: OXO

2012-09-13T13:58:00.002+01:00

I love a good kitchen gadget, anything that makes my life a little easier I’m all for. I was sent some kitchen gadgets from OXO whose apple divider I already own.

This is what they sent me:

Hand Held Mixer £20

I rather love this hand mixer it makes easy work of pancake batter, cake mix and whips up a lovely light egg which made a divine scrambled egg.

It’s super easy to use and mixes things us really quickly. The handle has a good grip and the beaters pop out easily to wash. The handle turns smoothly and even BG had a go with it and found it easy to turn.

Ratcheting Pineapple Slicer £9

We love fresh pineapple in this house but I really hate cutting it up and often to put it off until gone mouldy.

The Ratcheting Pineapple Slicer is really simple to use. You cut off the top of the pineapple, and then you measure how tall it is against the numbers on the slicer. Twist the slicer until you hit the same number as you measured and pull up. Don’t keep going like I did or you will take the bottom of the pineapple out and get juice everywhere!

Cherry/Olive Pitter £11.25

I don’t like either cherries or olives but BG is a Cherry fan so we tested this out together. It is so simple to so, just pop the cherry in the pitter and push the handle down and the pit is out.

BG loved using this and you don’t need much force, much better than fiddling around with knifes.

Big thumbs up for all of these products from us.

I have one set to giveaway to one lucky winner.

The winner will get:

Hand Held Mixer £20

Ratcheting Pineapple Slicer £9

Cherry/Olive Pitter £11.25

It’s very simple to enter just follow the instructions in the rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Morphy Richards Innovators Review: Hand Blender Work Centre

2012-08-17T12:26:00.001+01:00

We have been sent our first Morphy Richards product to test and review and we have been having fun with it.

We have the Cream Accents Hand Blender Work Centre £69.99 which is a hand blender and food processor in one and it’s great.

It comes with a blending leg; chopping blade, shredding Blades, slicing blades, 800ml beaker and you can do loads with it.

This is what we have been up to:

Strawberry, Banana and Blueberry Smoothie

We used the blending leg and beaker to make this. It took about 15 seconds to blend this smoothie and BG did it as it was so easy. As you can see it went down very well!

We used use natural yogurt and vanilla paste with the fruit and it was really nice. You can use honey but I have gestational diabetes so can’t add any sugar.

Pork Meatballs

These are our favourite thing to make and they are super simple you need pork mince, parmesan cheese and fried sage. You can see my recipe here.

We used the food processor bit for this which is really cool as you use the motor from the hand blender to turn the blades. There is a docking station on top and it just slips in and off you go.

I have also used the food processor to grate carrot for a salad.

I really like this work centre it’s really easy to use and clean. Everything slots in easily and its really light weight as it doesn’t have the big motor underneath.

I must have for every kitchen.

If you would like to buy one yourself or anything else from the Accents range then I have a special 25% off code for you to use. It is valid until 31^st August.

Just enter the code FP1002

There is also a chance to win a food preparation set with Foodie 100 Summer Baking competition.

I can’t wait for the next product!

In July I Tried….

2012-08-09T14:21:00.000+01:00

Total Greek Yogurt

The very lovely people at Total Greek Yogurt sent us a range of yogurts to taste test and this is what we did with it:

One of my favourite things to do with Greek Yogurt is to add a splash of vanilla and then mix with fresh fruit and meringue. It's so yummy and if you use the 0% version it is fat free! The 0% is just as creamy but without the fat, win win.

On a Sunday morning we sometimes like to have pancakes. We added a dollop of Greek yogurt and some fresh fruit and they were divine. BG had the full fat version and I had the 2% and again it is really creamy just lower fat.

The split pots are lovely, I mixed one up and then froze it for frozen yogurt, however you only need to freeze for a few hours.

I did have one disaster I tried to make a mushroom sauce with the 2% and it split I am not sure what I did wrong.

I will be and have bought more Total Greek Yogurt as it’s yummy and versatile.

Club Chocolat Francais

This is one for the chocoholics, Club Chocolat Francais is a monthly club and they send you the most scrummy box of chocolates from France every month. I was sent a box to sample and they really are divine.

My favourite is the flat ones filled with caramel.

The box lasted ages as you can only manage one or two a time because they are rich and yummy. Your first box is £9.95 and then its £19.95 a month and you get a new selection each month.

Cranks Wholemeal Bread

The first thing I noticed about this loaf is that it’s not sliced and I don’t think I have seen that in a pre-packed (not from bakery) bread before.

I really like this loaf it had a really lovely taste and texture to it and smelt really good not like normal packaged bread.

Cranks Wholemeal bread is available in Waitrose Sainsbury’s, Budgens and Ocado – RRSP £1.52

Hovis Farmers Loaf (white)

Yes more bread! Hovis teamed up with two of their British wheat farmers, Gavin Davies and Drew Smith, to develop the new loaf. The end product is two loaves to make farmers proud, with Gavin and Drew featuring on-pack in both name and image.

This again was really nice; it was lovely and soft and tasted good. It toasted really well.

Available from all major retailers in two 800g loaves; White and Wholemeal, with a RRP of £1.40.

Chinese Rose Buds and Rose Cordial from the East India Company

These came at just the right time for me being pregnant, though I can only use the cordial a small amount as I have gestational diabetes.

The Chinese Rose Buds make a lovely cup of tea, its caffeine free which is perfect for pregnant ladies and I found it really relaxing and of course the smell is divine.

I loved added the Rose Cordial to soda water it makes a really refreshing drink and would be perfect in cocktails (which I am not allowed to drink). I also added it to some buttercream for cupcakes and it was really nice (forgot to take pictures)

I can’t wait to experiment more.

Diamond Jubilee Foodie Memorabilia

2012-05-31T11:15:00.000+01:00

Love Hearts Limited Edition Jubilee Tin

Cadbury Jubilee Biscuits

Jubilee Tea from The East India Company

Jubilee United Services Tin from Fortnam & Mason

Diamond Jubilee Preserve and Ceramic Gift Set from Harrods

Diamond Jubilee Cups

2012-05-30T13:00:00.000+01:00

As promised I searched and found you my favourite Diamond Jubilee cups.

Street Party Crown & Corgi Mug from T&G

Queens Jubilee Cup & Saucer from ASDA

Diamond Jubilee Wessex mug from Selfridges

Royal Worcester Diamond Jubilee Tankard from Millys Store

Royal Crown Cup & Saucer from Liberty

Recipe Review - Barts Jubilee Sponge

2012-05-30T10:13:00.000+01:00

I am not great at baking large cakes, I am really good a cupcakes but large cakes never go right for me.

Barts have been working with Great British Bake Off winner Edd Kimber to come up with a modern twist on the Victoria Sponge to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee this summer. The recipe features a unique and exciting blend of ingredients from all over the word.

It sounded so interesting that I agreed to the recipe myself and they sent me the Bart ingredients to do so.

This is what it should look like:

This is what mine looked like:

Told you I was terrible at big cakes!

The most important thing was it tastes divine, I was worried about the peppercorns that are in it but they really add to the taste. Its a bit like a carrot cake but without the carrot.

Its really moist and the frosting is really creamy. BG who is 3 wolfed down her slice and it went down very will with OH.

It was simple to make, I'm just not great at cutting the cake. I think my tin was two large and one cake was larger than the other!

If you would like to try it here is the recipe

BART’S JUBILEE SPONGE

Serves 10

Ingredients

½ tsp Bart Bristol Blend Five Peppercorns (ground)

½ tsp Bart Ground Cinnamon

1 tsp Bart Ground Ginger

¼ tsp Bart Ground Nutmeg

2 tsp Bart Mint (Freeze Dried)

250g self-raising flour

¼ tsp salt

250g margarine or butter

250g Bart Vanilla Sugar

4 eggs, beaten

For the filling and topping

250g cream cheese

150ml double cream

100g icing sugar

250g strawberries, quartered

200g blueberries

Method

Grease and line 2 20 cm round sandwich tins. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
Cream together the margarine and vanilla sugar until light and creamy.
Mix all the dry ingredients together and slowly add to the mixture, along with the eggs.
Divide the mixture between the two prepared tins and smooth the tops. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until well-risen and golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
When completely cool, cut each cake in half horizontally so you have four thin cakes.
To make the filling, beat together the cream cheese, cream and icing sugar until thick and smooth. Spread the cream on top of one cake layer and scatter over one quarter of the strawberries and blueberries. Top with another cake and repeat

Two Great British Icing Packs to be Won

2012-05-23T19:41:00.000+01:00

The Queens Diamond Jubilee is just around the corner and I know many if you will be baking for the celebrations.

Renshaw have released a limited edition Great British Icing Pack which contains four ready-to-roll icing blocks in Union Jack colours.

They have some great ideas how to use it including this Union Jack Traybake and Union Jack Cupcakes.

I have two of these Limited edition icing packs to giveaway.

To enter leave a comment below and tell me what you will be baking for the Jubilee.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm a Morphy Richards Innovator

2012-05-23T10:44:00.001+01:00

In March I wrote a post about my domestic disasters to apply to be a Morphy Richards Invovator in association with Foodie100.

I am overjoyed to say that out of over 100 entries I was chosen as one of the 25 innovators.

Over the next 12 months I will testing Morphy Richards products and giving my honest feedback on them. I know this is going to be lots of fun and I am really looking forward to trying new things.

Watch this space.....

Diamond Jubilee Tea Towels

2012-05-18T11:08:00.001+01:00

Last year I shared with you 7 Royal Wedding Tea Towels which proved to be very popular.

I love a good tea towel and have a collection of 'nice' ones that never get used, I get this from my nan who has a great collection of tea towels from around the country. I'm not sure what I am going to do with them, ,maybe when I finally have a kitchen table and chairs I will cover the seat cushions in them.

There are some lovely Diamond Jubilee ones around and here are some of my favourite.

Commemorative Tea Towel £3 from Tesco

Jubilee Olympic Woof Tea Towel £11.95 from New House Textiles

Diamond Jubilee Tea Towel £8.95 from The Royal Collection Shop

Diamond Jubilee Steadfast and True Tea Towel £10 from Emma Bridgewater

Queen's Diamond Jubilee Traditional Cotton Tea Towel £6 from Ulster Weavers

2 Jubilee Crowns Tea Towels £9.99 from Lakeland

Diamond Jubilee Travelcard Tea Towels – Sandringham £11.99 from TfL Shop

Diamond Jubilee Tea Towel £2.99 from Baker Ross

Diamond Jubilee Hand Illustrated Tea Towel £10 by 3 Blonde Bears

Come back next week and I'll have Diamond Jubilee Cups for you.

In March I Tried…..

2012-04-07T11:06:00.000+01:00

Chocolate Philadelphia

If you love chocolate cheesecake then you will love this!

We have used it ice fairy cakes, had it on toast and used it as a dip with banana and strawberries. It is made with Philadelphia light and Cadbury’s Chocolate and is available in tubs and little individual pots.

Kenco Millicano Stick Packs

I have taste tested Millicano in the past I do love it, I have a tin in my cupboard at the moment. Kenco have now launched a stick pack that comes with 10 sticks and cost £1.99.

I think these are a great idea. Ideal for when you are going on holiday to stick in your bag.

Whether you are travelling in the UK or abroad it’s easier than taking a whole jar with you. We are off to Scotland soon and we will be staying in a caravan and these are coming with me!

Warburtons Brioche

Warburons have launched a Brioche and range and they are divine! We tasted the Brioche Butter Rolls (8), Brioche Raisin Swirls (6) and Chocolate Chip Brioche Bread.

They are all really soft and taste so good. The rolls and swirls come individually wrapped which is a great idea, perfect for taking out with you.

I had the swirls for breakfast & as an afternoon treat with some really good coffee!

The Chocolate Chip bread went down the best, BG actually had 5 slices for breakfast before I had to hide it. I had it toasted and it was good.

A nice breakfast treat.

My Domestic Disasters

2012-03-20T22:26:00.002Z

I love being in the kitchen, over the years I have become quite good as rustling something out of nothing (handy when you are a poor student).

When my daughter was born a really got into baking and I have a soft spot for Cupcakes which is one of my 3 C’s (Chocolate, Coffee and Cupcakes).

Some successes

I also have cupboards full of gadgets from electric knifes (a Christmas present!) to cupcake makers, bread makers and my new food mixers.

I may be a domestic goddess now *cough* but I haven’t always been successful in the kitchen:

There was the time when I put orange juice in the mash potatoes instead of milk. In my defence they were in the same coloured carton!

My first attempt at Christmas was a slight disaster. I took the turkey out of the freezer the day before but in my wisdom but it in the microwave and it didn’t defrost in time for Christmas lunch. This is why we now have our Christmas dinner at 4 in the afternoon I started a new tradition that day.

When I made my first ever cake I filled in with too much jam and cream and it oozed everywhere. Though it was rather nice.

More recently after making some homemade meatballs I discovered I do not like cumin. Thankfully OH does and they have been frozen for him to take to work for lunch.

It’s not always my fault when it goes wrong like when my microwave exploded or my cooker decided to die on me on Christmas eve! I managed nearly a whole just using the tiny top oven, that was fun.

My domestic disasters have made me a better cook and baker as I’ve learnt from my mistakes and it’s fun to experiment, though I don’t recommend you putting orange juice in your potatoes!

I am applying to be a Morhpy Richards innovator with Foodies100.

Bargain Kitchen Buy: Food Mixer from Aldi £34.99

2012-03-15T14:24:00.001Z

I love a good bargain, especially on something that I really, really want! I am also a huge fan of Aldi my local is a 5 minute walk away and I buy quite a bit from there.

I love their special buys that they have twice a week you can often get some great products at great prices. In the past I have had two cast iron pans and they are just as good as Le Creuset (I have both).

I was very excited last wee when I saw that they were going to be selling Classic Food Mixers for £34.99. I have been after one for ages but they can be quite expensive. So on Thursday I dropped BG off at preschool and rushed to Aldi to buy my food mixer and here it is...

Pretty isn't she?

I couldn't wait to try her out so I whipped up a batch of fairy cakes!

It was really easy to set up and it worked a treat.

Great value for £34.99 and it comes with 3 years warranty, oh and dough hooks!

Its worth keeping you eye on Aldi that have some cracking deals.

This is NOT a review or sponsored post I bought it myself with my own money.

The In Season Challenge - Apples

2012-03-14T13:23:00.001Z

As per usual I am running behind on the blog so this month's challenge is a little late.

This months chosen In Season ingredient is Apples and what a lovely collection of recipes you come up with!

Over at Cheetah in My Shoes they are baking Spiced Apple Cakes.

Its Apple Crumble Muffins at Bangers and Mash and on the crumble theme Ali at Plus2.4 has a great recipe for Baked Apple and Plum Crumble. I do like a crumble!

Apples aren't just for sweet dishes as these last two show.

Tasha from WAHM-BAM! has been making the most of the lovely weather we had and has been making Salads, including Apple, Pear, Strawberry and Cheese Salad and Apple, Carrot and Celery Salad.

Ali from Over a Cuppa has two recipes for us Sausage & Apple Bake and Little Apple Sponges.

Thank you so much for taking part I know have some amazing recipes to try out.

I have managed to secure a little prize for my favourite recipe which this week is the Apple Crumble Muffins by Bangers and Mash.

You win a copy of Marshmallow Madness which packed full of marshmallow recipes. Its available to pre order from Amazon for £8.15

I will be setting the next challenge on Monday!

Treat Your Mum To A Tea Party

2012-03-06T14:00:00.000Z

One of my favourite things to do with my girl friends is to have a tea party. They make fantastic Birthday celebrations, Baby Shower themes or great for a plain old girlie catch up.

However, they work fantastically for spoiling your Mum on Mothers Day. They are low cost, easy to organise and avoid the high priced resturant meals that these occasions usually bring. If there are a few siblings then why not all pitch in with the preperations.

With a few pretty flowers and a table cloth you can soon make tea and sandwiches look too good to resist.

You dont have to spend a fortune on tea sets either. I managed to find 6 cups, saucers and side plates for just £3.50 in a local charity shop. They dont have to match either, you can create a stunning table using a mixture of old and new.

Home made sugar cubes add colour to the table as do a few odd flowers in milk bottles.

Food Suggestions

The main thing to keep in mind is small and simple. Think finger food for adults.

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Cucumber and Cream Cheese Sandwiches
Goats Cheese and Water Cress Sandwiches

Scones with jam and clotted cream
Almond Cookies
Fruit Tarts

I love that tea party food is quick and simply to make. Even younger children can help with the preperations and make an effort to spoil mummy on Mothers Day.

Pancake Day with Aldi

2012-02-19T17:11:00.001Z

The nice people at Aldi sent me a box full of yummy pancake related items to test out.

It included:

Classic Pancakes – 99p, 480g (pack of 8)

Classic Pancake Mix – 69p, 232g (10 servings)

Lemon Juice – 29p, 200ml

Dairyfine Milk Chocolate Buttons – 35p, 70g

Grandessa Pure Canadian Maple Syrup – £2.99, 250ml

Grandessa Hazelnut Chocolate Spread – 99p, 350g

Fiddes Payne Vanilla Sugar – £1.09

We have tried some of this out we haven’t had time to try it all. We decided to give the ready made a go and save the mix for Tuesday.

Now I know some people hate the idea of readymade or mixes but I have a total block when it comes to pancake or Yorkshire puddings. I can never get them right not matter what recipe I use so I often reach for the packet mix for them. I had never had readymade before.

You can eat them hot or cold, we warmed ours in a hot frying pan.

I had my favourite filling bananas and chocolate spread.

My OH had lemon and vanilla sugar.

The Grandessa Hazelnut Chocolate Spread is *really* nice. Thick, rich with a good hazelnut taste to it.

OH enjoyed his but thought the Vanilla Sugar had a weak taste. We both agreed that the pancakes were really nice, a good texture and taste and you would never know you hadn’t made them yourself well apart from my disasters. I would buy them again.

I will be testing the Pancake Mix on Tuesday with my 3 year old, I will post some pictures afterwards.

Apart from the Grandessa Hazelnut Chocolate Spread and Grandessa Pure Canadian Maple Syrup which is available all year round the pancake items are on special buy and are in store as long as stocks last.

Aldi have some great recipes for Pancakes on their website.