"Never Eat Wobbly Jelly"

Do something NEW for the New Year!

2012-01-06T05:27:00.000-08:00

Build a bike & get cycling!! Behind the Deptford Project Cafe you'll find a couple of great little enterprises. One of which is The Union Cycle Works. They make beautiful bespoke bikes for people and at the same time work with disadvantaged people from diverse backgrounds.I don't have a bike myself, but when I get round to it, I will be definitely going to them to get one! (Have already fallen in love with one of their creations! - see photo above :) so pretty!!)

Buy Local & Explore your local Area: Start off Saturday morning by heading down to the Brockley Market which is on from 10am - 2pm. They got some great produce on sale from fruit & veg and also some tempting eats! From Motherflippin burgers, Mike&Ollie, and not mention The Red Herring which do an amazing Smoked Rare Breed Bacon sarnie!

Then why not head across the road to The Aladdin's Cave? I've been wanting to go in there for ages, maybe this is the weekend to have a good nose? :)

The go root out some good local-ish pubs!
Just down the road from the Brockley Market you've got The Old Haberdasher, which I've been informed is one of the most 'comfyist pubs, ever.
Closer to home you have the recently refurbed The Ravensbourne Pub (part off Antic pubs Ltd) in Lewisham. Then even closer to home (Hither Green) The Lord Northbrook Pub in Lee has just been taken over new management and I've been hearing a lot, a lot of goods things about it. Good food, good choice of ales and incredibly welcoming.

After all that Sunday should be a chilled out affair. You could start off with a lazy brunch at The cafe of Good Hope.

Then pop home put your feet up with a good cuppa tea before heading down to Hither Green Hall for a vintage cinema experience. Watch a silent film triple bill with live electric accordion accompaniment from Igor Outkine who has played on some major film soundtracks and played to audiences all over the world. Meantime beers, homemade cakes & savoury snacks will be on offer.
Hither Green Hall, SE13 from 6.30pm (£5).

Wow! Who'd a thought there'd be so much to do in SE London :)
Bring on the weekend!!

Cloche Burger & Brioche Bap

2012-01-04T07:51:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year All!

I've started as I mean to carry on 2012 by beginning with some serious savoury cooking. This year the sweet stuff is being put on the back-burner and we begin with one of London's new trends!

In previous posts I've talked about London's 'craze' of pop-up restaurants, well now it's all about the Street Burger! You may have about places such as Lucky Chip, The Meateasy & Honest Burger.
I've had the splendid joy of being to, two of the three above and I have to say, I don't think I'd ever had a proper burger before I had tried one from the above establishments!

The Meateasy also known as The Meatwagon has now moved to the west-end & re-named itself Meat Liquor. I went to the Meatwagon whilst it was still based in New Cross & have to say it was a fabulous experience of trying my first cloche burger!

So here are the two recipes I used to get the creation above in the photograph.

Light Brioche Burger Buns - Got this recipe from Smitten Kitchen
Adapted from Comme Ça restaurant in Los Angeles, via the New York Times
Go! Make these! What are you waiting for?
Makes 8 4 to 5-inch burger buns
3 tablespoons warm milk
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Sesame seeds (optional)
1. In a glass measuring cup, combine one cup warm water, the milk, yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about five minutes. Meanwhile, beat one egg.
2. In a large bowl, whisk flours with salt. Add butter and rub into flour between your fingers, making crumbs. Using a dough scraper, stir in yeast mixture and beaten egg until a dough forms. Scrape dough onto clean, well-floured counter and knead, scooping dough up, slapping it on counter and turning it, until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. The dough will be on the sticky side so it can be a bit messy, but keep in mind that the more flour you knead in, the tougher the buns will get. Try to leave them tackier than you would a round loaf.
3. Shape dough into a ball and return it to bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, one to two hours. (In my freaky, warm apartment this only took an hour.)
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using dough scraper, divide dough into 8 equal parts. Gently roll each into a ball and arrange two to three inches apart on baking sheet. Cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap lightly coated in nonstick spray and let buns rise in a warm place for one to two hours. (Again, this only took one hour in my apartment and I suspect, you’ll also only need an hour for a second rise.)
5. Set a large shallow pan of water on oven floor. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in center. Beat remaining egg with one tablespoon water and brush some on top of buns. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using. Bake, turning sheet halfway through baking, until tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Cloche Burger - recipe found on The Independent website

1kg coarsely minced chuck steak with about 20 per cent fat (get this from your butcher not the supermarket)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A little vegetable oil for grilling
4 slices of cheese
4 soft homemade Brioche buns

Mould the mince into round patties the same size or a little larger than the burger buns. Season the burgers then heat a griddle or heavy frying pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, keeping them nice and pink. When it's almost done, splash a little bit of water into the pan and then puts a cloche over the top to let it steam a little.
If you are using cheese, just place on top of the burger for 30 seconds or so to melt it.
Meanwhile, lightly toast the bun, assemble with your chosen relish and serve immediately.

Dill Relish
Chopped dill
Tommie K
Mayo

Once you make a cloche burger you'll never do it any other way.

Go on give it a try!!

Sticky Spiced Ginger Cake

2011-12-19T06:34:00.000-08:00

Another birthday, another reason to BAKE! :D

So after 'Jamaican Ginger' had being discussed quite a lot in the office in recent months, a sticky ginger cake seemed to be the way forward.

This recipe did not fail in hitting the spot ;) Good old BBC Good Food website, is where I found the recipe.

Ingredients

250g pack butter

250g dark brown muscovado sugar

250g black treacle

300ml milk

2 eggs

100ml glacé ginger from a jar, finely chopped (or ginger jam!)

375g plain flour

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp allspice

2 tsp ground ginger

Butter and line a 23cm square baking tin (or use a shallow roasting tin, approx 30 x 20cm). Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Put the butter, sugar and treacle into a saucepan and heat gently for about 5 mins until the butter and sugar have melted. Stir in the milk. The mix should be just warm to the touch; if not, leave to cool a little longer, then beat in the eggs.
Mix the chopped ginger and dry ingredients together in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour the melted mix into the well, then gradually draw the dry ingredients into the wet with a wooden spoon, until you have a thick, smooth batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin, then bake for 1 hr until risen and firm to the touch. Resist taking a peek beforehand; the cake will sink if the oven temperature drops too quickly before it's cooked through. Poke a skewer into the centre to check that it's cooked - it should come out clean. If not, give it 10 mins more and check again. Leave the cake to cool in the tin. Once completely cool, turn out of the tin ready for icing, or wrap well in cling film and keep in a cool, dry place for up to a week.
To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the gingery syrup. Beat well until you have a smooth, runny icing. Once the cake has cooled, drizzle with icing and cut into squares. If you're planning to let the cake mature for a while, make the icing on the day you want to cut it.

Serve warm with a blob off Creme Fraiche & enjoy!

Linzer Biscuits

2011-12-15T07:19:00.000-08:00

So even though I made a large batch of Flapjacks for the office, they were all eaten in one day!? So as it's turned out, I did end up baking some more 'Christmas-y' biscuits (Well they have red in them).

I made these last year and I think they went down well, I was too busy eating them myself! They are individual hazelnut shortbreads with raspberry jam in the middle - a posh jammy dodger if you will.

Ooo I do like a jammy dodger and a cuppa tea (yes there is an 80yr inside trying to get out)
Anyway, my Dad very kindly made me some boxes this year - He runs a box company - makes boxes for the Queen, don't you know! ;) It's quite funny actually, recently I was near Green Park with a friend. You know near Buck Palace. It dawned on me that there might be a Buck Palace gift shop near by. So mid conversation, I yelped with excitement (I do make myself laugh) and proceeded to drag the individual over the park into the shop. It was full to top with all my Dad's boxes!?

Now, even though I've known he's made boxes for them for a while, to see them on display in the shop, in Central London, Outside Buck Palace!!! Well was rather RUDDY exciting! Ha! It was like having a famous box making Dad!! (Took me a while to explain my sudden surge of crazy antics) LOL

(Just had re-read what I had written, cause couldn't remember how I got from biscuits to Buckingham Palace - lol) This will be down to the fact I was up till 1.30am baking last night (got a bit carried away - as I always do).

So yeah, the boxes. My Dad, originally designed me these beautifully fabric coated, bright coloured boxes, that if I wanted could be lined with fabric, so on and so forth. They were truely great! So he was a bit perplexed when I asked for basic basic boxes, just brown, no coating inside or outside. But I do love a classic brown box. There is a true beauty in the simplest of things.

Thanks for the boxes Dad ;)

I gave a couple of Boxes to one of our clients, Tim and his crew (also gave him a box of flapjacks, as he mentioned how much he liked them). A box to the Touch Crew (my work) and another to Anne at FUSS (it's her birthday this weekend).

Get such a buzz from baking these biscuits. I think it's because they look so smart when you put them together. Hmm. It's just such a great feeling that in a short period of time you can create something so delicate and pretty that will consequently be eaten and then gone forever.

Flapjack Cookies revisited

2011-12-07T08:24:00.001-08:00

Did you know that the main reason people visit my blog is to read one of my first posts on my Mum's Flapjack Cookies recipe 239 people to be exact!?!

I haven't been home for a while and even though Christmas is on the horizon ( & tempted to make Christmas-y looking biscuits) I felt compelled to make a few home comforts. Ahh my kitchen smelt just like back-home when I was baking them. I grew up on these and will always consider them as proper flapjacks and not the slice variety that everyone else are used too.

This lovely new batch of flapjacks were for my clients and work colleagues.
Half the tin was eaten by midday!?

Victoria's Famous Flapjacks

170g Traditional whole rolled oats
140g Sugar
140g Plain flour
1 tsp bicarb of soda
2 tbsp Boiling hot water
170g block butter
1 tablespoon Syrup
(makes around 34 biscuits)

Preheat oven to 180oc

Mix the oats, sugar and flour together in bowl. In a separate bowl mix the boiling water and bicarb of soda, then mix into the oat mixture.

Melt the butter & syrup in a bowl over boiling water. once melted add to the oat mixture.
Roll into small balls and place on a baking tray covered with baking parchment, press two fingers into each blob. Make sure they are too close together as they will spread. If you're using one tray, do it in three batches.

Pop in the oven for around 12-14 mins, they won't take long.
leave to cool on the tray a bit to crisp-en up, then onto a wire rack to fully cool.
Package up and hand out to people to make yourself smile ;D

A blog called Constellations have blogged about my mum's recipe too, and it looks like they went down well. Lets just hope that the office and my clients like the oaty variety treats to the jammy linzer biscuits I made last year.

Questions is ... how should I package them?
Hmmm will post some photos once I decide.

FUSS POT to W.I.

2011-12-07T01:22:00.001-08:00

From all my different, random hobbies that I've started & stopped, tried and tested. I've found that one in particular I have gained the most from - joining F.U.S.S.

Since going along to that first meeting, all on my own.... & even though it did take over my life, over the last couple of months, with the organising of the Christmas Fair...

....it has not only given me an outlet of making random posters, nattering on twitter and been encouraged to be just generally excited about stuff. It has also opened up a whole new world to me.

I've lived in Hither Green for over six years, but it has only been the last few months that I've actually began to feel not only part-of but also (dare I say..) a local! I've made so many friends and met so many people that the rewards I now get since joining FUSS definitely outweigh the odd late night designing another poster.

Not to mention the momentous occasion last week, when I realised I didn't have any fresh thyme for a meal I was cooking.... I was able to pick up the phone and call my neighbor Ann if she had any. Within 5minutes I'd popped over to hers, where she gave me a large bunndle of thyme fresh from her garden!

I live in London.

This sort of thing does NOT happen.

Well it does in Hither Green!!

Seriously, by the time I got back to my flat, you'd have thought I'd won the lottery. I was so excited that I had become part of such a friendly wonderful community. If you don't get why I'm excited - you haven't experienced what I'm on about.

Trust me, being able to smile and say hello to people when you walk down the street is such a great feeling. It makes me feel, well, calm (calm isn't a word I use very often) and incredibly happy.

As you can tell it has had a great affect on me. To the point, that I have an urge to get out in the world, well my 'local' London, and meet more people. So I've decided that I'm going to Join the W.I.

Yes, The Woman's Institute! And NO I'm not 60, or 30...yet....

But after bumping into The Goldsmith's W.I. at a fanzine event at The Amersham Arms a month ago or so, I saw a group of young like-minded girls who get together to do Stuff.

I like to do stuff!

So I went onto their blog and had a read, went onto heir facebook page, then came across another London based W.I. and another and another....

When the first British WI meeting took place in 1915 at Llanfairpwll on Anglesey in North Wales, its aim was to revitalise rural communities and encourage women to help produce food during the First World War. Later, it campaigned for improvements in women's education, and lobbied governments on issues ranging from free access to family-planning facilities, to equal pay.

People have a preconceived idea of what the W.I. is like - Blue rinse hair, quiet, not much laughing and very serious....visually seen in black & white! But this is just not the case and now a new wave of W.I. groups are appearing in london!

The ones I've been looking at include The Shoreditch Sisters, Borough Belles and Goldsmith's W.I. The majority of the women attending these groups are in their mid + late 20's and they hold onto to the traditional learning, craft making mixed with a modern approach. The Shoreditch Sisters hold the most of their meetings at Concrete, a funky bar that's situated under Pizza Eat in the Big Tea Building.

Now, I feel I need to mention that I am yet to go to a W.I. meeting - I'm planning on going to my first meeting in January! For just over £30 a year you go once a month to meet other people & chat, learn crafts and basically have a laugh. And if you're not too sure you can just go along to one meeting for £3 to try it out.

I shall come back and report after my first visit!!

If you're reading this and want to come along with me, just give me a shout on facebook or twitter @EatWobblyJelly

Here are a couple of articles on these new breed of W.I. groups:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23762626-sushi-cocktails-and-male-escorts-the-womens-institute-inner-city-style.do
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/3636360/Womens-Institute-is-this-the-trendiest-WI-in-Britain.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/stuartbailie/2008/08/frock_the_casbah.shtml

Here are the links to find your nearest W.I. group:

England
Wales
as well as Jersey , Guernsey , Isle of Man and the Isle of Wight .

Christmas FUSS Fair

2011-12-07T00:49:00.001-08:00

So you might have noticed that my posts have been getting shorter and shorter and less frequent. Well it is all due to the fact that I had turned into a complete FUSS POT! Since joining FUSS just over 4 months ago, I managed to throw myself into helping out with the Christmas Fair that took place last Saturday.

And I have to say I think it was a complete success!! So much fun, so many new faces and just a generally great Christmas vibe throughout. The fair has been going for around 5 years now and usually is around 20 stalls just at the entrance to the station. This year, we had 40 stalls and closed off twice the amount of Staplehurst Road. Even though there were gail force winds and a few stalls had to batten down their goods :D the sun shone and people turned up in droves!

As well as helping out with the event itself, I managed to have a stall of my own... which I sold homemade Vintage fabric baubles and handmade Swedish stars. ( Not quite sure how I managed to make all the goods in time, help with the event organisation and have a full-time job!!???!!) Oh, mind you the odd amazing friend did give me assistance with the making - Thanks Rach! :D

I shared my stall with a friend, who came up from Welsh Wales & also has a blog - Hyfryd. She made fresh Welsh cakes (she made that morning in my kitchen - the smell was AMAZING!!) Barabrith and Individual Christmas cakes, iced beautifully.

It was SUCH great fun!! Especially cause I had some other friends who had stalls on either side of me: Bex & V - Girl With Beads and also the Fabulous Gisela Torres! Gisela is a photographer by proffesion, but on this occasion she took on the role of 'Vintage Stall' holder!

To keep us all going and cheerful. I decided a bit of home brew Mulled Cider would do the trick!!
And I tell you what... they practically jumped on it when I came down from the flat with a giant vat of steaming hot spiced goodness. It went down a storm.

Here's the Mulled Cider recipe I used - it was delish!! And yep, it's a good old Jamie Oliver recipe.
Oh, the only difference was I was Old English Cider... and 3 liters of it!! ;D

If you've never had mulled cider.... try this one out!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

Christmas FUSS Fair Stall

2011-12-01T05:35:00.001-08:00

Hello!!

And welcome to Never Eat Wobbly Jelly.
Did you just 'scan' the QR code on my stall?
If, YES, this is very exciting!! If, no, you have no idea what I'm on about :)

Saturday 3rd December, 2011 - NEWJ combines forces with HYFRYD at The Christmas FUSS Fair in Hither Green, SE London. Together we're holding a stall selling, my homemade Christmas decorations and Sian's delicious Welsh delicacies!

We shall be there from Noon till around 5pm. Pop down and come have a nose at the fair. There's gonna be 40 stalls this year!!

Will post photos after the event & probably be tweeting on the day too :)

Happy 1st Decemeber!

Tweet Twit Twitter

2011-11-21T05:55:00.001-08:00

Yes I've finally made the leap to twitter.
Follow me via @eatwobblyjelly

So Much To Do!

2011-11-10T02:43:00.000-08:00

Fly me to the Moon
18th November

7.00pm

£5

At 8pm we will explore the moon with renowned Astrophysicist Dr Robert Massey,

who will give us a fascinating talk and answer your questions on all things intergalactic.

YDBMF

http://www.youdontbringmeflowers.co.uk/

Lee Green Open Studios 2011

19 & 20 November

Lee Green Open Studios is an annual event in November based around the SE12 area.

It seeks to increase awareness of arts and artists in the immediate locality and thus encourage interest and participation in the arts.

Local residents have free access over two weekends to a broad range of arts on display and for sale including painting, prints, jewellery, textiles, sculpture, photography, cards and more.

http://www.wakelin.eclipse.co.uk/

Junk n Treasure
26th November

From 7.30pm

We will be holding a boot fair in the cafe where you can bring stuff to sell and buy stuff you like - just in time for Christmas!

And not a muddy field or a car in sight!

If you're interested in selling please email Lynne

YDBMF

http://www.youdontbringmeflowers.co.uk/

I'm starting to realise that actually... there is quite a bit going on around Hither Green.

Trust me, I'm sure this is just the tip of the iceberg!

Why SE London is the place to be

2011-11-08T01:41:00.000-08:00

South East London has always seemed to be an after-thought of where to go or live. However in recent times I have heard more and more people getting excited about it, even suggesting that it might be the 'New Hoxton / Shoreditch'. An up and coming creative hub. What with having Goldsmiths College on it's doorstep and a large array of affordable art studios and places to live, not to mention the new transport links, it is no wonder it's beginning to gain the reputation it deserves!

Here is a short film I came across on the Deptford Dame & Transpontine blogs.

Some interesting debates going on the video post on the Deptford Dame blog...

Ooo I do love a good debate! :)

What to do, what to do?

2011-10-25T01:52:00.000-07:00

So what do you do when you're strapped for cash and the sun decides to go on strike, canceling the option to go sit in the park, people watch, read book & sit outside?

Hmm yes well I currently don't have the answer as such... However because I'm a bit of a curious sod who likes to attempt a challenge, I'm gonna see what I can find to do nearby for little or no money.

This immediately cancels out:
The Greenwich Picturehouse (fab little cinema)
Also going out for food (coffee is allowed & maybe a bit of cake??)
Paying for the Greenwich Observatory -this used to be free :(
(Not that I ever really went other than to show friends and family the 'line in the ground'. You can still, sort of, do this through the bars)

My aim is to try and find out about the random not so well documented things you can do in SE London. A bit like when I found out about pop-up supperclub culture - Major Excitement!

There's got to some cool underground stuff going on somewhere nearby!?

So after doing some research I have decided 'event's' are the answer. London is the epicenter for one off events, happening all the time, all over London. The best bit most are free!

So here is what I've found that is going on around SE London:

DIY DJ (entry free).
Thursday 27th Oct 8pm @ The Ravensbourne Arms, Lewisham
Everyone can be a DJ at a new South London vinyl night.The organisers of unique music night DIY DJ are asking everyone to scourtheir record collections and playlists for tunes with a ghostly connection. Lynne from my local cafe - 'You Don't bring me Flowers' will there DJing to!

Blackheath Fireworks (entry free).
Saturday 5th Nov 8pm, Blackheath

South East London Zine Fiest (entry free).
Saturday 12th Nov 12 - 6pm @ The Amersham Arms, New Cross
Comix, Zines, and all kinds of self published goodness! Readings, storytelling, poetry with the readhorse zine collective and exhibition upstairs. Stalls, workshops and fun and games downstairs!
If you read my blog and don't know what a zine, a fanzine is - you'd better find out ;)

Christmas FUSS Fair (entry free).
Saturday 3rd Dec 12-7pm @ Staplehurst Road, Hither Green

If you know of any other things that might be going on do let me know!
:)

Admit to being a GEEK?

2011-10-21T05:23:00.000-07:00

This is my random post on 'geek-i-ness'.

A part of me has always been a bit of a geek. Or at least craved to be one. Which is strange, because from an early age we're taught that being a geek just doesn't get you anywhere...

My geek credentials are as follows:

Lists, lists, lists! Seriously I can't get enough of them. I write lists for the lists I need to write. I have been told it is a family trait.

Bags. Oh I am bag lady. Always have been always will be. If you ever see me with just one bag, it'll either be the same size as my body or the second one isn't far away.

Third point, is a bit embarrassing... Or is it!? Since being a child I have craved the need to wear glasses. As it turns out, my whole family have worn them at some point, yet I have great eyesight!? So never had a pair, until last year, I thought 'You know, I work in Shoreditch!' So bought myself a pair. How I loved those glasses..... Until I ended up standing on them and broke them and now haven't been able to find another pair :(

Forth point. Have been known as the Blue Peter girl for some time. began at uni, something about being excitable and over organised (this can scare people a lot) Anyway it was all strengthen when Jimbo and Jo who I didn't know that well, presented me with a Blue Peter Annual in the student bar. After that there was no going back. Since then people just presume cause u like cooking, organising, wearing glasses and smiling that you are indeed a harmless geek.

You see at one point I thought I wanted people to see me differently than just a 'geek'.
I wanted the m to respect me, be impressed by me and not go "arr bless" what a 'sweet geek'.
So certain things that I'd see that I thought looked fun to do (but perhaps were rather geeky) took a back seat...

Well wobbly jelly lovers you'll be glad to hear that I've that in! I am now embracing my geekiness with both hands! I've learnt to go ahead and do stuff I want to do, even if it means going alone. Since taking this approach, I have actually found quite a few wanting to join me in my adventures! :D

....And to continue with my new embraced geek-i-ness, NEWJ is going to attempt to make it's first FANZINE! :D

New Obsessions...

2011-10-14T07:13:00.000-07:00

So as you've probably noted I having been blogging a lot recently.... Well to be fair, not at all! Well I'm here now :) better late than never ;D

So let me tell you what's been happening in the world off Wobbly Jelly!
I have joined a local group and am now officially a 'FUSS POT'. I live in a place called Hither Green, it's a lovely place, sort off village-esq. Anyhow this group I've joined F.U.S.S is a group of local individuals who care about it the area and want to make it a fab place to live. We sort out the plant pots on the street and organise events like the Christmas FUSS Fair ( which I have to say was one of the main reasons I joined ). It gives me reason to play around with designing posters etc as well as just getting to know people and also I get to chat.
We get together once a month for chat and... Champagne!! Oh we had won Lewisham in Bloom award, yeah we don't drink champagne at every meeting that would be crazy!? ;) hmmm maybe I suggest it at the next meeting?

It's funny really, I'm what... Twenty something? and the average age at the fuss meetings must be around 55-60? But you know they are hysterical and so much fun, with great senses of humour! Best of all, they encourage my geeky-obsessiveness! Hmm which some may believe, is not a good idea. But am loving every minute!

Some of the guys at work have been laughing at me (I think I scare them) Last year my thing was knitting (if you look back on the blog u might see it) The knitting began like everything else... With a lot of enthusiasm however it took me going on 2 yrs to complete one scarf....I soon moved from this skill realising it might not be a strength :s Then it was the general baking / cooking... Chutney making :)) Now it's FUSS.... what will be next...

This weekend I gained two brand new obsessions, and have to say I am soo excited about them both.
You know how the one thing everyone has these days is a computer, a laptop? Well I don't have either. Last month I did quite a lot if overtime, and was thinking I'll invest in a computer, well an iPad.
But oh no! I might be twenty-something but GUESS what I got this weekend!!!??!!!? Seriously it's bloody brilliant! Some may even say Genius - Gorgeous - Stunning - Elegance at it's Best.

Yes that's right.. I now own a typewriter! Isn't it beautiful!? TRIUMPH TIPPA-S ALDER
Seriously planning to revert back to writing letters, well typing them anyho.Being vintage has never been so exciting!!

Once I got the typewriter home, I couldn't stop smiling. I was over the moon. However if I said this is the most exciting hing that has happening to me, I would be lying. If I said it was my biggest obsession so far, I would be lying. As this weekend I also gained something else...A brand new Nephew!
He's a great little fella. And I can't wait fulfill my role as the 'Crazy Auntie'.

Sidney Joshua Follwell

5th Oct 2011

I got him a little something for his arrival to the world. A beautiful lambs wool Baby Blanket with a boat sailing the sea on it. The boat reminded me a bit of the Blue Peter Boat, which I thought was apt, as my nickname for a while was ' The Blue Peter Girl'.

I couldn't help but 'go to town' on the wrapping and even decided to print my message on hessian. (my sister was a huge fan of Winnie The Pooh when she was a kid) I think it went down well.
Can't wait to see my nephew again soon....

Wobbly Jelly goes DIY!

2011-08-18T06:03:00.000-07:00

Well not exactly DIY.... but I have aspirations to do lots of DIY in the flat :)

Whilst I have a scrap book full of great ideas, designs and styles I have also ventured into looking into ways of using the space in my flat more 'ergonomically'. Which as it turns out involves in a lot off planning and organising...
In the process I have come across a couple of websites which are genius! Great ideas for using space to it's limit and approaches I'd never thought off.

Ikea Hackers
"IkeaHackers.net is a site about modifications on and re-purposing of Ikea products. Hacks, as we call it here, may be as simple as adding an embellishment, some others may require power tools and lots of ingenuity.'

Storage Glee
"A collection of ideas for those who love to stow, and benevolent options for those that don't."

So one particular thing i've found solves the problem of my new fuse box. It's situated bang slap in the middle of the wall in the hallway - where I was planning to put up a mirror...
But look, I've found a solution:

http://storageandglee.blogspot.com/2009/11/cover-up.html

more details here:
http://www.ikeahackers.net/2009/11/philip-and-cats-home-ikea-shoe-room-and.html

This is obviously someone elses flat, I'm to do it.
Wish me luck!

Cafe of Good Hope

2011-07-29T06:40:00.000-07:00

So after managing to get myself a two day hangover. I woke this Sunday morning with a need for coffee! After very quickly realising I had none in the house, it was decided that I should go to another Cafe off my list.

The Cafe of Good Hope is on Hither Green Lane on the other side of the tracks. It was set up by the Jimmy Mizen Foundation. The foundation was set up by Jimmy's family in his memory, with all profits from the cafe feeding back into its work. Jimmy was killed in May 2008 in the Three Cooks Bakery in Lee, around the corner from the Mizen family home. It was a terrible story and I remember it being in the news at the time, as I only live around the corner. So sad.

The two people behind the counter were really lovely and friendly. The guy was very helpful and smiley after I agreed, that I wouldn't take his photo - you see everyone wants to know what you look like now ;) My caffè latte really hit the spot and..... the cakes looked so fresh and so tempting I couldn't resist! Ooo a slice of that homemade Coffee and walnut cake for me, Please!
Such a delicious slice of cake. Beautifully moist, light, tasty and not too sweet. Perfect!

All the food is produced fresh. They do breakfasts, lunches, they even have a garden out back.
Will be back to try more am very impressed! And it's all for a good cause too - even better!

They also sell chutneys, preserves, coffee and loaves of fresh bread that is delivered by the 'Paul Rhodes' bakery from Greenwich, who also supply the pastries as well. The cakes however are made by the cafe and I can't say this enough - "Go try for yourself!".

It's also the small details that make a place. For example, to help encourage you to relax, let the world pass by whilst sipping on your latte, they put out a selection of papers. But what I loved even more was a small book shelf full of novels that you could borrow whilst having your coffee.

Whilst I was there, a guy was taking advantage of this luxury and was happily sitting in the corner with his coffee and one of the many books.
On departure he placed the book back on the shelf and left. He was there before me. Wonder if is his Sunday ritual? He nips, to Good Hope has a coffee and continues with his chosen book? Or had he been there really long and is an incredibly fast reader? hmmm .... Don't you just love people watching?! :)

Facebook Page Created

2011-07-12T02:02:00.000-07:00

So I'm slowly trying to get the blog out there a bit more. I am sill contemplating twitter, but in the meantime I've set up a Facebook page. This'll show any updates and new posts as well as extra random short posts that wouldn't usually make the blog.

I have to get at least 25 people to like page to keep it going... so if you do like my blog, it would be great if you could 'like' the NEWJ Facebook page too! Click HERE

thanks in advance :)

Brioche Summer Pud Stack

2011-07-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

First off I have to admit that the thought of summer fruit pudding has never filled me with excitement. I mention in passing to my German friend that I was thinking of giving it a go, and her response was quite funny. "Are you crazy!? Soggy bread and squishy fruit, don't do it. It sound revolting!" LOL. Anyway this in tern, made me decide to give it a go and try and find a recipe / approach that was not only delicious but also looked really appetizing.

So Sonja, here you go. I dare you to try it and dislike. I bet you a jar off nutella (she's obsessed with Nutella) that you will not only like it, but will LOVE it!

So after doing a lot of researching, I found that Gordon Ramsay had created such a recipe and it uses Brioche instead of standard bread. Brioche, not cake not bread something in between... and perfect for such a recipe.

The next task was to find a brioche loaf of bread, now I could've made it myself. But you know, sometimes it's ok not to do it all yourself. Saying that, at some point I'll probably give it a go. Anyway it turns out that most supermarkets sell them for around £1.70, so it doesn't even break the bank. Tip: Tesco's version is quite flat and you need one that you can cut into circles. I found Sainbury's & Waitrose sell such a loaf and also the small shops in London sell St Pierre Brioche sliced loaf - which is perfect.

INGREDIENTS
Stock syrup

 250 grams caster sugar 
250 ml water
 Juice of half a lemon

Blackcurrant coulis

250g ripe blackcurrants
100ml stock syrup
Sprig of mint

Berry Stacks

100ml crème fraîche
zest of 1 lime
1-2 tbsp icing sugar or lemon curd
200g ripe strawberries
100g ripe blackberries or redcurrants
100g ripe blueberries
50g caster sugar
100g raspberries
Frozen raspberry sorbet

Stock Syrup Method (makes more than you need, but it'll keep in the fridge & will be useful for other recipes)
Place sugar, water and lemon juice in a pot and bring to a simmer. Remove and once cool store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Now, on the actual Berry Stacks Method:
1. First, make the blackcurrant coulis. Place the blackcurrants into a pan with the stock syrup and mint and simmer for a few minutes until the fruit has softened and starts to bleed. Remove the mint, whiz the mixture in a food processor or blender, then rub through a fine sieve. Leave to cool completely, then chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight.
2. In a bowl, mix the crème fraîche with the lime zest and a little icing sugar to taste, I used lemon curd :). Cover the bowl with cling film and chill until ready to use.
3. Cut off all the crusts from the brioche loaf then cut the loaf into eight long thin slices. (You can chill the loaf overnight to make it easier to slice). Using a 5-6cm deep round cutter, cut out 12-18 rounds from the brioche.
4. Hull and slice the strawberries crossways into rounds. Halve the blackberries and blueberries (this will enable them to lie flat between the brioche layers). Taste the fruit and dust with a little icing sugar if they are too tart.
5. Lay a small square of baking parchment on a board and place the pastry cutter on top. Quickly dip a brioche round into the blackcurrant coulis to coat all over, then place in the base of the cutter or even better, a rosti ring. Arrange a layer of strawberry slices in the cutter, then cover with another coulis-dipped brioche round. Make a layer of blueberries and blackberries on top, followed by a final piece of dipped brioche. Press down lightly to set the shape of the pudding stacks.
6. Using a palette knife, slide the stack onto a serving plate, discarding the paper. Remove the cutter and use to make the other stacks. Top each stack with a quenelle of the crème fraîche and a final drizzle of blackcurrant coulis. Garnish the plates with a few raspberries and if you're feeling extra naughty a small scoop of raspberry sorbet ;)

Now how good does this look!?! Can't tell you how excited I was about the results, to the point it could be classed as one of my fav puds!!

Adventures of a wobbly blogger!

2011-07-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

So the new Hoxton is indeed Deptford, considering I actually work in Hoxton I can definitely see the growing similarities. A gem of south London with its cool flea market, numerous art galleries, trendy pubs and great transport links, train, overground line (old east London line) and DLR. It is situated in walking distance to Greenwich and Blackheath.

New Cross and Deptford are right next to each other and between them they have a growing number of independent shops/cafe's and restaurant's popping up. It wasn't till recently that the now, New Cross House, pub was housing the meat-wagon pop up restaurant, which had rave reviews! I was fortunate enough to sample it myself - Trust me when I say "you need to go!". Anyway I managed to locate some of the places on my list which I tell you about now and will return to try out the others another day (There's only so much coffee and
Food you can consume in one day!)

Saturday morning I woke up to sunshine beaming through the window, onto the heaps of washing that I needed to do. I thought to myself, what a perfect day to start looking the local area for the blog! So off I went, out the front door, half way to Deptford, when it actually dawned on me - "I'm on my own". Heck, I've never gone out for breakfast on my own before and have to say that I usually find it hard to chill out. But today was different I was doing it for NEWJ, there was focus to the adventure.....

My first stop was going to be the Deptford Deli, but unfortunately it was still closed. On the plus side I found two little bric-a-brac / vintage / second hand furniture shops and what looked like a really good butchers call "WellBeloved" (what a great name!) Since doing a bit off research, it turns out to be highly recommended!

As the Deptford Deli was shut and I was now rather ravenous, I continued walking (with the help of the handy iphone maps!) to The London Particular. Which as it turns out was pretty much round the corner. Very handy considering it was now 11am and I hadn't eaten! :s (The walk from Hither Green, had taken around 40mins..)

So as I walk up I see a few tables outside, that are already fully occupied by people who are delving into what looked like delicious brekkies. I pop my head in the door and am welcomed by the smell of fresh coffee, sausages and mushrooms. A girl turns round to see my face of confusion, and with giant smile asks if I'm alright ;) 'Are you still serving breakfast?' I ask. 'Yes, till 12 noon. Here's a menu'. There was four people working behind the counter, running around at lightening speed and yet all smiling - I do like people who smile :)
So me thinking I should be 'heathly', orders a bowl of granola, yogurt and fruit with a cuppa tea.
I go and pop myself up on a high stool out of the way, but with a great view of both the street and the cooks at work.

As I sat there I saw breakfast plate after breakfast bowl of beautifully looking dark mushrooms, roast tomatoes, artisan breads and sausages go past..... and started to think I'd made the wrong decision. soon after one of the guys popped over and poured me a glass of water. Then very apologetically re-asked what I had ordered. Ha!! I'd never been so happy!! :D "I had ordered a cuppa tea and the granola. But after seeing, smelling and generally drooling over the breakfasts can I change it to the 'The Particular Brunch Bowl and a Late?!" He gave me such a grin and then proceeded to go into the details of the breakfast and said there were 3 three types of sausage I could choose from (now this is where it gets a bit fuzzy, can't remember exactly what they were, but they were all spicy. one was made by the Greenwich Butcher and another by a butcher in Borough Market.) I went for the Greenwich Sausage.
My brekkie consisted off homemade baked beans, roast tomatoes, roast mushrooms (seriously these were to die for!), 2 sausages, bit of spinach and some artisan bread.

There was also a selection of things on toast like:
Roast tomatoes, smoked ham & greens organic cheddar.
Or garlic roast mushrooms, spinach & goats cheese with streaky bacon.
Or grilled mackerel fillets with a roast cherry Tom salsa.

They were also making up the salads for lunch which pretty darn good too! So not only will i be back to try some more of those mushrooms, perhaps on toast with the goats cheese :) hmmm yum! I'll also have to go back to sample one of the lunches too! No rest for the wicked!?!?!

After writing this post I am now starving!! So will have to continue about the other places I visited another day... I'm off to get myself some food!

To be continued.....
The Deptford Project/ OxJam
Art Hub Studios & Gallery
APT studios & Gallery

Some of the few places yet to visit:
The Big Red
Deptford Deli
Manze's Pie & Mash
Chaconia

Birthday Pasty

2011-07-04T01:35:00.000-07:00

So as you've probably gathered I like baking and making cakes. It also turns out that eating sweet stuff is a past-time loved by mainly females. So as it was a male colleagues birthday at work I decided to take the initiative ;) and make a savoury Birthday thing to put candles in.....

I chose Mini Pasties!! (I say mini, but still the size of your hand)
I found the recipe from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Every Day. The pastry is really delicious and so quick and easy to make. I use the same recipe for my sausage rolls.

For the rough puff pastry
250g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
550g plain flour
A good pinch of salt
240-300ml iced water

METHOD (2 variations..)

How to make leftover stew pasties (use my Spiced Beef Stew Recipe here)

1. For the filling, drain off any excess juices from the stew so that the meat and veg are just lightly coated in gravy. Take any large chunks of meat or veg and chop them up roughly before stirring back together. Taste the stew and make sure it's seasoned to your liking. Leave to cool completely.
2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to about 3mm thick. Using a plate or a cake tin as a template, cut out four 20cm circles; you may have to gather up the trimmings and re-roll them to get your fourth circle.
3. Spoon the stew on to one half of each circle. Brush the pastry edges with water, fold the other half of the pastry over the filling to form a half-moon shape and crimp well to seal.
4. Place the pasties on a lightly oiled baking sheet and brush the tops with beaten egg. Bake in an oven preheated to 190°C/Gas Mark 5 for about 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Eat warm or cold.

Squash and Lentil Pasties

Main Ingredients:

Brown lentils
Butternut squash
Shortcrust pastry
Onions, carrots and celery
Mustard, white wine and balsamic vinegar

First one onion, one carrot and one celery stick were fried in olive oil, then simmered in white wine. Then the (rather unappetizing-looking) brown tinned lentils were added along with bay, thyme and half a pint of vegetable stock and simmered for 10 mins. I then hacked away at the squash until we had some nice cube-shaped chunks, which were chucked in and cooked for a further 20 minutes.

The resulting mixture was rather watery, so I set about it with a potato masher to help the vegetables soak up some of the juices. Finally, two teaspoons of English mustard and the same of Balsamic vinegar were added to give it a kick.

Anyway they flew off the plate, the meat ones especially!!

Edamame Avocado Dip with Spicy Wasabe

2011-07-01T02:38:00.000-07:00

Dip 2 - Delicious, healthy and bright green!

Well it always good to add some extra colour to the table ;). This dip is amazing and what with the added kick from the wasabe it gives it that extra punch. Some may say it's the extra 'fifth' taste. Have you heard about this? I can't remember if wasabe is part of the group that has the Umami the fifth taste after bitter, salty, sour and sweet. Seriously this isn't one of my random stories, they're now selling tubes of this magic stuff in the supermarket. They say that it makes anything you putt it in taste better and tastier and generally amazing! However I have heard that there is one draw back...it's supposedly bright red, thus will make any food you put it in varying shades of pink/red.
Here have a read if you don't believe me: Telegraph has an article on it.

Anyway, that was a bit of a tangent back to the dip....

Ingredients
1 cup fresh or frozen shelled edamame beans
2 avocados, peeled and pitted
1 teaspoon wasabe
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger (I cheated & used puree ginger)
1 clove minced fresh garlic (I cheated & used puree garlic)
1/4 cup water
juice of 2 fresh limes (about 3 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
cracked black pepper
2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Do a seasoning check, and add more salt, pepper, lime juice, or wasabe as needed (I like to kick it up to a tablespoon to really bring on the heat).

I have to say this is a really REALLY tasty dip. It's not guacamole, it's similar but not guacamole. Should really think of a shorter name for it.... How about WAE dip?? It's not very catchy though is it...
any ideas let me know!

Pureed ginger and garlic in the fridge is a GENIUS move! ;)

Also I have a new obsession with Warburtons Square(ish) wraps they're so versatile and work great with my dips. You chop them up into triangle and heat them up under the grill with a bit of oil and chopped herbs or spread some of tasty green dip on top with some tomato salsa and roll it up. Yum!

Right think that's enough babbling for this post....

Hope you enjoy your dip as much as I did!

Morning Smoothie

2011-06-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

First blog on the move via phone. No reason for months to pass without blogging!

So what with this heat, I decided to have a refreshing fruit smoothie for my brekkie. Blueberries, blackberries, skimmed milk, a couple of ice cubes and a dash of vanilla extract. Yum!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Creamy Hummus

2011-06-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

Summertime means sunny, hot days consisting of light eating and by no means eating roast dinners!! Unless a point is to be made. Anyway, I believe hummus is a great thing to have at the ready. Both meat and vegetarian friendly, it's healthy-ish and even more so when eaten with crudities or baked sweet potato wedges!

I have to admit the first time I tried hummus, the first mouthful I wasn't that impressed... I actually thought it was the blandest, 'health-food' thing I'd ever tried, and that I wouldn't be eating again... Well I got that wrong! I did try and make it a few years back, with disastrous consequences - honestly it was disgusting. But not one to be defeated I thought I'd give it another go. Have to say the results were good, however please note - this recipe makes a LOT! I now have three pots of the above, two of which are now in the freezer to be used once i get through the first pot!

This recipe gives you the creamiest, silky smooth hummus ever! A couple of pointers though, firstly, when adding the tahini, add a little at a time and keep tasting the hummus as you do it. It might be a case that you don't want to add the whole amount (I found it somehow took away some of the flavor of the chick peas and ended up adding a little more salt & onion marmalade).

Oh and secondly, I've recently broke my food processor !?! Trust me - don't try wizz up lots of ice cubes , just use a rolling pin and a bag. Anyway I ended up investing in one of those hand wizzer jobs from the supermarket. I made a point of buying the cheapest - about £7, and it's BRILLIANT. Less washing up, quick and easy and didn't break the bank. Ha, I'm such a geek to get so excited about a bloody £7 blender... hmm but hey if it wasn't for the £7 wizzer people wouldn't be eating hummus! ha ha !!

Finally you'll see it's measured using 'cups', it's an American measuring method. I've ended up following so many recipes I got myself a set of cups. If you're looking for a set try Here .

INGREDIENTS 

    •    2 cups dried chickpeas
    •    2 tbsp baking soda for soaking + ½ tsp for cooking
    •    ½ cup tahini
    •    juice from 1 squeezed lemon
    •    2 garlic cloves
    •    ½ tsp salt
    •    1 teaspoon cumin
    •    ½ – 1 cup water, depending on desired texture
    •    2 tablespoons sticky onion marmalade

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak chickpeas in clean water with 2 tablespoons of baking soda overnight.
Drain, rinse and soak again in tap water for a few more hours. The grains should absorb most of the water and almost double their volume.
Rinse the chickpeas well and put them in a large pot. Cover with water, add ½ tsp baking soda and NO salt. Cook until the grains are very tender, around 45 minutes to an hour. Regularly skim the surface during cooking process to remove foam and loose peels floating - this process can be quite therapeutic. Just make sure you get the majority of skins out as this will ensure for a smooth texture.
When cooked, drain the chickpeas and transfer to food processor or use a hand-wizzer. Process into a thick puree. Allow to cool for a little while before you continue.
Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt and cumin, then start the food processor. Add water, a little bit at a time, until you get the desired texture. Make it a little bit thinner than the actual desired texture, as it tends to firm up after a little while (especially if you don’t eat it right away and refrigerate it).

Pop-up Supper Clubs

2011-06-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

As it has been the longest gap between posts ever, I've got another one for you already!!

You'll be realising that I've got lots to tell you about and things to blog about. So hopefully over this next month I'll have a chance to post about all my adventures, places I've been too, cooking and just general stuff I've found out along the way....

The first thing I want to tell you about is how I'm making more of an effort to find out what things are happening around London, and my local area (thus the previous post regarding Hither Green).

Now I'm sure you'll have heard about the recent influx and interest in pop-up supper clubs that has swept, not just over London, but also the UK. I, myself have been to two so far. Firstly, The Savoy Truffle Club, which is based in Blackheath, SE London and also recently Leluu which is a private kitchen based in East London, Hackney. Here are some very rough photos of my evening. sorry they're not amazing...I may have been a little tipsy by the time I remembered to take photos ;) Woops!

Uyen, the Lasdy who runs it, served up an amazing EIGHT course meal. It cost grand total £35 donation that was put discreetly in an envelope at the end of the night (by it being all 'donation' it keeps it legal) Myself and friends took a few bottles of wine, which come on, you end up taking a little more just incase you run out. So what happens... you end up drinking it all anyway!

Uyen, was first and foremost a designer and even had a shop on Carnaby Street. That was all before her blog and Supper Club took off. She is now cooking at Jamie Oliver's private kitchen and helping to raise money for his foundation. I had quite a chat with her, not only has she got bundles of creative talent she also has a superb talent at cooking delicious food. There was around 14 people there that night, we all had 8 courses and no one was waiting for thing. Pretty impressive considering she just had her brother helping out.Anyway, she's seen my blog and has advised that if I want to take it to the next level I need to start tweeting. I don't have a twitter account currently, but am now seriously considering it. If anything, just to see if it really does make a difference.
Uyen, if you are reading this, 'Thank You' from Teressa, Gemma and myself. We had a fabulous evening at your home and I don't think I have ever loved every single course of a meal so much! Let alone all eight of them!

If you've never been to a pop-up supper club I can't recommend them enough! So much fun, exciting and just brings out the adventurous side in you. You never know who your gonna meet, where you're gonna go and what delicious food you'll get to eat. As a general rule you don't even get told where you're going until a couple of days before.

If you are tempted but aren't sure there's one near you, here is a great website with a list of all the supper clubs around at the moment. It was set up by Ms Marmite Lover, who herself runs a vegetarian super club. Go on try one out and let me know how it goes: Supper club Fan Group

Just found a few more photos for this post...

Hither Green & Surrounding Area

2011-06-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

So like many others who live in this area we know how lovely it is. But when you read some reviews of the area they aren't that amazing :S

I thought I'd make a change to this, and devote my energy to have a good nose of the local area and tell what goes on, where to go and what you can do. Over the next few months my aim is to try and go to two of the places on my list per month - wish me luck!

Here is the list I'm planning to investigate - feel free to let me know of any other ones you think I should add :

Hither Green:
Cafe of Good Hope

You Don’t bring me flowers -
A great little cafe on the main street in Hither Green, I briefly mentioned it before here.
Here is a review from another blogger:

The Beat That My Heart Skipped

Hither Green Deli
Recently been taken over and the food and coffee smells amazing - am yet to try.

Deptford:
Deptford Project

Deptford Deli (was the Depford Properly)

The Waiting Room - Cafe

Manze pie and mash shop - Deptford
Here are a couple of reviews:
Pink Sauce
The hungry Cyclist

The london Particular - Cafe
A lot of people seem to like this place, here are a few reviews from other bloggers:
Scrambling Eggs
Hollow Legs
The Hatcham Supper Club
I Eat Everywhere

The Big Red Pizza Bus - Next to the Bird's Nest Pub
The Dame of Deptford also wrote about it here

Greenwich:
The Hill - Gastro pub /restaurant

The Creaky Shed - Green grocer

The Greenwich Union - Great little pub

Royal Teas - Cafe

Fishmonger - this is a fishmonger ;)

Cheese Board - Funnily enough a cheese shop

La Fleur - Florist and cafe

Blackheath:
Black Vanilla - ice cream shop & cafe !

Friday Food Club - Pop-up supper club

New Cross:
The New Cross House - just re-opened

Southwark:
Physic Garden - Plants, garden, Cafe, pop-up supper club, film screening, yoga, wood stove baking lessons.... this list seems endless!

If I end up visiting any other interesting places nearby that aren't on the list, I'll try and blog about those ones too.... Just need to decide where do I go first?

Ginger Spiced Flapjack Cookies

2011-02-15T01:41:00.000-08:00

As we're nearing spring I thought what a better time to use up ingredients in my baking cupboard - the first one on the list was stem ginger! Black treacle and rice flour to be used up next, so all ideas welcome :)

So these are a slight twist to mum's original recipe for Flapjack Cookies I did previously on the blog. Whilst mentioning my mum's Flapjack recipe, did you know that is one of the main reasons people end up finding / reading my blog!?! It's because they type in 'flapjack cooie' into google and my link shows as the forth one down (yes just below the BBC - Ha!!)

Right sorry went off on a bit of a tangent then, back to the old recipe :))

Ginger Flapjack Cookies

100g Stork or Softened butter
1 tbsp Golden syrup
100g Caster sugar
1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp Ground ginger
2 tbsp Finely grated stem ginger
100g Plain flour (if you wanna be ubber healthy use wholemeal flour)
125g Porridge oats

Pop the butter, syrup and sugar in a small saucepan and heat gently until just melted. Remove from the heat heat and add the bicarbonate soda, ground ginger and the grated stem ginger.
In a separate large bowl put in your oats and flour, mix. Then pour in the warm ingredients from the saucepan - mix well.
Now at this point I wrapped the dough in cling and popped it into the freezer for half an hour to an hour, just to make it easier to work with. Roll into small balls and place on prepared and lined baking trays. Pop in an oven preheated at 180oc for around 10mins - I ended having to do this in three batches as only have 2 trays. Leave to cool on the trays once out of the oven for 1-2mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Oats & ginger? They must be healthy!?! :)

Jammy Valentine's

2011-02-14T00:57:00.000-08:00

To bring some Valentine cheer into the office I decided that cakes should be baked! I ddin't bake one of these though http://www.lilyvanilli.com/content/valentines-hearts/ Scary aren't they, but at the same time rather amusing. Imagine if you received this in the post on valentines day!?

Anyway I had a nose in the fridge and saw a huge jar of my chunky homemade strawberry jam, and that's red and it's valentines day!! So after sifting through my many cookbooks I came across a lovely recipe in The River Cottage Every Day cookbook. So with a heart shape muffin tray to hand I went forth and made a few sweet-hearts! (sorry the puns are getting worse!?). I originally called them Jammy Ripple Muffins, but after being misheard and a few rude jokes (the cheek!?) they were named Jammy Valentine's.

Hmm I like that name...
Anyho here is the recipe:

Jammy Valentine Heart Muffins
225g Plain Flour
2 tsp Baking powder
pinch sea salt
100g caster sugar
1 medium egg
125g Plain yogurt
125ml Milk
75g Unsalted butter - melted
150g strawberry jam - chunkier the better!

Grease and line muffins trays & pop the oven on to 180oc

Pop the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar in a bowl & aerate....? Aerate, sieve the flour and then you could try whisking it... but I'm sure you'd end up with a very white kitchen and not much left in the bowl... ?
Anyway back to the recipe....
In a jug put the yogurt, egg, milk and melted butter (careful not to cook the egg with the butter) mix it all up. And then add to the flour mixture. stir around eight times so as not to over mix (over mixing will make them dense). Spoon the mixture into your muffin trays and place in the oven for about 30minutes.

If you want to live life to the full... eat one of the muffins whilst it's still warm!!

Farmhouse & field Mushroom Pate

2011-02-08T05:39:00.000-08:00

After doing so many posts on the sweet variety I decided I should add a savory one to the batch. Not only did I make Pate but also had another go at baking some bread, which I have to say I was bloody pleased with! I managed to turn out a lovely crusty Raisin and Hazelnut Loaf to go with the Pate. I made it before for a previous post, but this time I made one large loaf rather than two smaller ones. The recipe was from that DOUGH book by Richard Bertinet, I plan to make another loaf next weekend too! Seem to have got my bread baking addiction back :)

Farmhouse & Field Mushroom Pate Recipe

25g Butter
80g Bacon Lardons (I used smoked, but it via my mum's recipe it says unsmoked)
250g Chicken livers (you can find them in the freezer isle) cut off the stringy bits.
1 Bay leaf
2 Sprigs of thyme
1 shallot - Finely chopped
1 Garlic Clove
1 tbsp Brandy
1 tbsp Creme Fraiche
freshly grated nutmeg
Dollop butter
2 large field mushrooms (around 100g)
seasoning.

Pop the butter and oil in a hot frying pan and add the lardons. Fry until crispy and golden, then add the bay leaf and thyme and livers** Important: Do not over cook the livers! You only want to cook them for around 3 minutes, so that they're cooked but still slightly pink in the middle. This will make sure the pate has a lovely smooth texture. Once ready pop the contents onto a plate, put the herbs and bay leaf back into the pan.

Put the shallots and garlic into the pan with the herbs and cook until soft and slightly golden. Add the brandy, and cook until the alcohol has evaporated.

Put all the cooked goodies into a food processor, add the creme fraiche and wizz up! It's up to you how chunky or smooth you like your pate....

Now don't forget the mushrooms!! Get your two lovely dark field mushrooms and chop up finely (again depending how chunky you like it) Put the last dollop of butter in the frying pan, add the mushrooms and cook off add ing a little bit of pepper at the end. Add the mushrooms to the food processor and give it one last wizzzz to mix it all up.

Then pour into a small pot, bowl, terrine and leave to cool before popping into the fridge to completely set.

Voila!

Your own delicious quick and easy pate. Enjoy!

Let me know how you get on. Once you realise how easy it is to make you'll never buy shop bought stuff again.

Ps: I shall post again soon with another loaf and the recipe for the hazelnut and raisin loaf :)

Cookies The Size of your Hand!!

2011-02-08T05:25:00.000-08:00

February is here already and I'm desperate to see signs of spring...summer soon..please!!
Now I realise the start of the year is time for 'detoxing' and diets. Well personally I think that January and February are better known for being miserable and dowdy months... SO! I am encouraging "re-toxing" to help with the February blues :) Re-toxing as i read on another blog is a term used for eating foods that make you happy!! Now who could deny happiness!?
On that note I present the BIGGEST cookies I've ever made, courtesy off The Humming Bird Recipe Book.

White chocolate and Pecan nut Cookies Recipe
250g Unsalted Butter (yes I know - A whole block!?)
100g caster sugar
200g Soft light brown sugar
2 eggs
11/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
400g Plain flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Baking powder
100g white choc, chopped
100g Shelled Pecan nuts, chopped

Put the butter and sugars in a bowl and using a handheld electric whisk, cream until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraing any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a spatula after each addition. Turn the mixer down to slow speed and beat in the vanilla extract.

Add the flour, salt and baking powder and mix well until a smooth dough is formed. Stir in the chocolate and pecan nuts until evenly dispersed.

Divide the mixture in half and shape each half into a roll 15cm in length and 3cm in diameter.wrap the rolls in cling and put them in the freezer to set completely for a couple of hours.

Preheat the oven to 170oc.

Get the rolls out of the freezer and take off the cling. Cut the dough into disks around 2cm in thickness. Arrange the cookies on prepared baking trays with parchment. make sure the cookies are well spaced as they will spread to around double the size when baking. Bake in the preheated oven for around 10-15minutes, or until golden brown around the edges and quite flat. Leave the cookies to cool slightly on the trays before turning out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

The cookies should be soft and slightly chewy :)
See if you can resist eating one warm with a glass of ice cold milk!!!

Enjoy!
I plan to do these again but using dark choc and hazelnuts, it has to be done and tried :D

Happy New Year!!

2011-01-06T09:51:00.000-08:00

Hello and Welcome to Never Eat Wobbly Jelly 2011 !!! Can you believe it? Another whole year gone.
As I've been doing a bit of moving about in the last month or so I thought I'd do a couple of posts showing you where I've been this winter. A white winter at that!

Berlin - London - Staffordshire - Shropshire... no photos of London. Seems when I'm there all I do is cook or bake! Suppose that cause I'm in my own kitchen, for some reason people aren't that keen to let me destroy and completely mess up their kitchens....Hmmmm

Hope you all had a wonderful festive holiday and are raring to go for 2011!!
x

At Home for Christmas

2011-01-06T07:38:00.000-08:00

So after having a record amount of snow in London over December, I should've guessed it would've been even worse back at home... and it was!!? Here are some pics from my festive season...

Berlin Winter

2011-01-06T07:26:00.000-08:00

December 2010 I headed over to Berlin for a few days. It had only been snowing for one day and the snow was already as deep as my knees!?! Plenty of gluvine and German street eats - delicious :)

If you've never been to Berlin - Book your tickets now and go!

Bourbon Brilliants!!

2010-12-24T12:55:00.000-08:00

So as it turns out my fav biscuits are bourbon biscuits and so I decided to have a go at making my own. Using the brilliant World Wide Web I found a recipe...which I followed...then tweaked by adding random handfuls of extra flour / sugar and an egg. In other words this recipe could be a little off :s
I plan to make them again as they were a HIT. I promise to double check the measurements and post accordingly. But until then you'll have to do with this 'guess' of a recipe.. yeah sorry about that!! But hey who said 'creating art' was a precise science!?!
Note I say 'art' - I'm sure by classing anything as 'art' you don't have to follow any rules as it ruins your creative streak!! (well this is what I'm going with anyway - and who's gonna question that!?!??)
;)

RECIPE:

125g Plain Flour
60g Caster Sugar
25g Cocoa Powder
1/2tspn Bicarbonate of soda
50g Stork or Butter
1 Egg beaten
1 tbsp syrup

Filling:

75g Icing sugar

50g unsalted butter - room temp

1tbspn Cocoa powder

1tbspn Camp coffee essence

50g of 70% dark chocolate to decorate

Pop the oven on at 170oc or 160oc for Fan assisted. Get out as many baking tray as you have and line with baking parchment. Prep done!

Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix.

Place the butter/stork in a saucepan with the syrup and heat until melted. Pour into the melted concoction into the the dry ingredients and stir. Then add the beaten eggs. Now get your hands in there and mix up up into a good ball of tasty dough.

Pop in the oven for 12-18 minutes until golden brown. Once ready pull out the oven but leave them on the hot baking trays until the tray has gone cold, which at this point you can pop them onto a wore rack to finish cooling. *really important to leave on the hot baking tray as this will make sure they'll have that crunch!

Once cooled you can melt off some delicious dark choc in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Then using a spoon or spatula, get some of the melted choc and squiggle over the top of the biscuits. Leave to set on the wire rack.

I've decided that is actually COMPULSORY to have a glass of ice cold milk whilst eating these. It makes the experience much more IMMENSE!

Enjoy & Merry Christmas for tomorrow. Hope you all have a festive food filled feast!!
xx

Ginger Biscuits

2010-12-20T05:57:00.000-08:00

These again are made using one of mum's fab recipes. My sister and I used to make them as kids...well get to the stage of eating loads of raw dough anyway...

Here is Victoria Tunstill's (my mum's) secret recipe for her famous ginger biscuits:

RECIPE:
(this makes LOADS you may want to do just half the recipe to start with)
1 1/2 lb Plain Flour
1lb Caster Sugar
5tspn Ginger Powder
2tspn Bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt

1/2lb Stork or Butter
2Eggs - beaten
8 tbsp syrup
And if you're feeling extra naughty... 200g of 70% dark chocolate to dip them in after they've cooled.

Pop the oven on at 190oc or 180oc for Fan assisted. Get out as many baking tray as you have and line with baking parchment. Prep done!

Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix.

Place the butter/stork in a saucepan with the syrup and heat until melted. Pour into the melted concoction into the the dry ingredients and stir. Then add the beaten eggs. Now get your hands in there and mix up up into a good ball of tasty dough. *

* This is the point I end up eating most of the raw dough mixture...*

Pull off small blobs of dough and roll into balls - no bigger than a 50p piece.
Place spaced out on a baking sheet and press your finger gently on the top to 'squidge it'. They will spread whilst cooking, I usually fit 12 on a square baking sheet.

Pop in the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Once ready pull out the oven but leave them on the hot baking trays until the tray has gone cold, which at this point you can pop them onto a wore rack to finish cooling. *really important to leave on the hot baking tray as this will make sure they'll have that crunch!

Once cooled you can melt off some delicious dark choc in a bowl over a pan of hot water, and one by one dip in the biscuits and then leave to set on the wire rack.

DELICIOUS!!!

TOUCH Christmas Treats

2010-12-14T09:32:00.000-08:00

I decided to take some of my baked goods to share at work this year... as you can see by the time I got round to taking photos, most of the biscuits had been eaten already!?!

Ginger Biscuits and Linzer Hazelnut Dodgers and the usual load of juicy clementines.

Off to bake more tonight to replenish the jars, and will be posting the recipes up soon.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Cook-athon Part 1 - Sausage Rolls

2010-10-11T06:24:00.000-07:00

So as it turns out I didn't end up cooking anything for Sonja's arrival instead a lot of chocolate, Nutella and wine was consumed!!
This weekend I have hit the kitchen like i have never before :D So far I've made :

*Sausage rolls using Mr Willows sausages and this time made my own 'rough' puff pastry - it roughly follows the same recipe i used for the 'picnic for a king' post back in Feb.
*Millionaire's shortbread - we've started a syndicate at work, which isn't going very well as we keep forgetting to buy the lottery tickets!? Hopefully this will suffice.
*Pizza Dough - a great thing to have a the freezer for a quick fab pizza!
*Lemon Drizzle - turns out Kim at work has been wanting me to bring one of these into the office for ages - so this one's for you kim! :)

As I've made quite a few things I'm gonna have to put them over a couple of posts. To start of we'll start with the Mr Willows Sausage Rolls.

Rough Puff Pastry:
300g Plain / rice flour
A pinch of salt
150g chilled butter cut into cubes.

For the filling:
25g Butter
1 large red onion
1 tbsp brown sugar
6 large Mr Willows Pork & tomato sausages
a handful of brown bread crumbs
Seasoning

Method:
To make the pastry, mix the flour with the salt, then add the cubed butter and rub together until evenly mixed. Add just enough iced water (8-10 tablespoons) to bring the mixture together into a fairly firm dough.
Shape the dough into a rectangle with your hands and, on a well floured surface, roll it out in one direction, away from you, so you end up with a rectangle about 1cm thick. Fold the far third towards you, then fold the nearest third over that (rather like folding business letter), so that you now have a rectangle made up of 3 equal layers (see photos). Give the pastry a quarter-turn, then repeat the rolling, folding and turning process 5 more times. Wrap the pastry in cling film and rest it in the fridge for about 30 minures, up to an hour.

Whilst the pastry is chilling you can start on the filling. Also pre-heat oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.

Take the onion and cut into quarters then slice very finely. Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the onion and sugar. Cook slowly for around half an hour until they've turned caramel-ly and golden. Pop on a plate and allow to cool. In another bowl put the handful of breadcrumbs (slice of bread whizzed up) and then slice the sausage down the center and pop the meat out into the bowl. Add the cooled onions & seasoning, then squigg together.

On a floured work surface, roll the pastry out into a big rectangle as thick as a pound coin and cut it length ways into two long, even rectangles. Roll the mixture into sausage shapes with your hands and lay along the center of each rectangle.

Mix the egg and milk and brush the pastry with the mixture, then fold one side of the pastry over, wrapping the filling inside. Press down with your fingers or the edge of a spoon to seal the join.

Cut the long rolls into the sizes you want and space them out on a baking tray. Brush with the rest of the egg wash and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until puffed, golden and cooked through.

Cook-athon Part 2 - Millionaire Shortbread

2010-10-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

As I'm yet to become a millionaire or be whisked away by a millionaire, Millionaire shortbread seemed to be the only option!
This was the traditional treat until it was transformed into the choc bar known as TWIX. Oh and before i continue don't get any clever ideas of trying the toffee before it's cooled!! It's like ruddy lava and stay hot for ages - thus I now have burnt fingers, that'll teach me...

Recipe

Shortbread:
125g Butter (salted is better)
50g caster sugar
175g plain / rice flour

Topping:
125g butter
100g sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
200g condensed milk - usually sold in tins of 397g, so roughly use half a tin.
200g milk chocolate

Grease a & line a 20.5cm x 40.5cm baking tray (or one roughly rectangle and a bit deep :) Preheat oven to 150oc/300oF/gas 2.

Rub all the ingredients for the shortbread together as if you were making crumble, but keep going until it starts to form a very stiff, crumbly dough. Don't add any liquid!!

When the dough forms press it evenly into the baking tray using your fingers (rustic look!) - as it cooks it tends to level out. Bake the shortbread for 20minutes then set aside and allow to cool.

Heat the butter and sugar in a saucepan. When the sugar has dissolved add the syrup and the condensed milk. bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. it will thicken and go a toffee colour. As soon as this happens spread it over the shortbread and allow it to cool.

Now melt the chocolate with 4 tbsp of water, either in a bain Marie (bowl over a pan of hot water) or in a microwave. As soon as you can, pour it over the toffee and biscuit and even it out with a knife. The reason for adding the water to the choc is so that it makes it easier to pour & also prevents it from going brittle (next time may use less water, as it quite nice for it to be a bit brittle).

Allow it to chill / cool for at least an hour, then cut it into whatever shapes sizes you desire. Once made it will keep in the fridge for up to a week. So by next sat you may have won the lottery and be paying me to make some of this shortbread!! lol!!

Cook-athon Part 3 - Pizza Dough!

2010-10-09T09:29:00.000-07:00

Seriously when you've got time you have to make some of this, it is so easy but really useful & I have to say, quite impressive to have your own dough at the ready :)

This recipe makes enough dough for around 8 bases - if you like them thin, obviously if you like them thick it'll make less.... This is another Jamie Oliver recipe - "Cook your way to the Good Life"

1kg strong white bread flour
1 level tablespoon fine sea salt
2 x 7g sachets of dried yeast
1 tablespoon golden caster sugar
4 tablespoons extra virgin oil
650ml lukewarm water

Sieve the flour and salt on to a clean work surface and make a well in the middle. In a jug, mix the yeast, sugar and olive oil into the water and leave foe a few minutes, then pour into the well. Using a fork, bring the flour in gradually from the sides and swirl it into the liquid. Keep mixing, drawing larger amounts of flour in, and when it all starts to come together, work the rest of the flour in with your clean, flour dusted hands. Knead until you have a smooth, springy dough.

Place the ball of dough in a large flour-dusted bowl and flour the top of it. cover the bowl with a damp cloth and place in a warm room for about an hour until the dough has doubled in size.

Now remove the the dough to a flour-dusted surface and knead it around a bit to push the air out with your hands - this is called ' knocking back the dough'.

At this point, you can either use it immediately or divide into balls and pop into the fridge or the freezer for a later date :).

When it comes to using the dough this is what to do....
First of all it's best to roll out the dough bases about 15-20mins before you want to cook them. if you want to worked more in advance and be fully prepped, you can roll them into 'rough' circles and place on a olive-oil + flour dusted rubbed piece of foil. Then stack the bases cover with clingfilm and pop into the fridge.
If using dough that has been frozen, get it out in the morning and pop onto a plate - warning if they were originally wrapped in cling - this will explode as they warm up so make sure you pop a loose piece of cling over the top or a damp tea towel so it doesn't dry out.

At a later date I'll do a post for a good tomato base sauce, in the meantime I'm sure you've got a rough idea of what to use for a tomato sauce :D

This bit is KEY to making the best pizza at home. so listen carefully!!
Preheat your oven to full whack and place a large thick baking tray, pizza stone or granite slab into the oven to warm up. (went to our local Topps Tiles that was closing down and they gave me 4 free granite slabs!! which work perfectly)

Taking into consideration the size of the granite slab, i cut out a piece of baking paper to the correct size - a large square. Sprinkle with a little flour then place my ball of dough on top then start rolling out from the center until I reach a nice circle, about 0.5-1cm in thickness. I then place it on another 'no edge' baking tray and place all my topping on. the 'no edge tray then is used as a shovel to slide the pizza on the parchment straight onto the granite slab. Viola!! leave for 10mins - and you'll have a delicious crispy divine pizza!!.

PS. As tempting as it is, try not to overload the pizza with topping as it'll just make everything to soggy...

As I'm giving a lot of this dough away I'm hoping to get some shots of what their pizzas ended up like - if they're any good I'll pop them up - the pressure is ON!! :D

Mx

Here are some photos from the lucky folk who got some dough:

Jo, Rich & Harrison's pizzas

Kim & Steve's pizza - Note how I provided the dough! yep, in a Chinese cartoon - always ask for spare cartoons when at a takeway :)

Still awaiting other photographic evidence from the slackers.... shall be posted once received!
x

Better Late than Never...

2010-09-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

Ha... so pretty much two whole months have passed since my last post. Which is pretty disgraceful but you know life, it sometimes gets a bit crazy and certain things end up on the way-side...
But I'm here now and that's the main thing!

This week I've got a good friend coming to stay and it's her 30th which she doesn't like being mentioned... and obviously I'm gonna have to bake her a cake or cookies to celebrate her birthday. She is also OBSESSED with chocolate... so anything 'along those lines' will perfect.

I've also borrowed a Donna hay cookery book from my brother in-law and it has lots lovely looking recipes. So give me a couple of days + hopefully there'll be some new photos up on the blog.

will blog soon, promise!!
x

Seasons Are changin!

2010-07-26T06:09:00.000-07:00

As it's Sunday, we headed up to the Farmer's market in Blackheath to get some produce for the coming week...

Is it me or do work lunch boxes seem to be the hardest thing to keep exciting and interesting? Not only do they have to be portable (un-leakable) usually have to be cold or pre-cooked (no ovens at work) but also tasty and satisfying. And on top of all that variety!

Now I know we're in the height of summer and what I'm about to say will seem strange... but soup seems the way forward! Obviously this will change once I'm all souped up, but having a bowl of soup is healthy, hot and also will keep you fuller for longer compared to a salad - 'don't you know' - well that's what I heard them say on this TV programme. There were lots of army men eating soup and others the same ingredients but not pureed... anyho the soldiers that had the soup stayed fuller for longer.

Oh I've just thought of another reason why soup is goood in the summer - it's like having a cuppa tea. A hot cuppa tea will cool you down quicker than a glass of ice cold water. FACT.
Again heard this on another tv programme and made a lot of sense but don't ask me to explain... something to do with your bodies inside freaking out at the hot tea and then cooling you down quicker...??

That was a bit of a tangent wasn't it......

So where was I? Oh yeah 'Soup kitchen' and work lunch boxes.
My work colleague, Kim, and I are gonna start making lunches for each other. So she'll sort out Mon & Tues and I'll sort out Wed & Thurs etc etc... We're gonna do soups, which works out brilliantly! Cause when you make soup, it usually ends up being a 'Vat' of soup & you end up eating the same soup every day for a WEEK!? So by us combining our efforts, not only do keep the variety, try recipes you've never made but it's also rather fun and exciting! 'You never know what ya gonna get' :D

Also I might get myself this cool yet informative t-towel. It tells you what veg is in season every month, which in turns tells you what veg you can get lots off for not a lot of money - Great for soup making! It's designed by Stuart Gardiner (he's done some really cool stuff!) and I think they might sell them round the corner from my office in SCP. Ooo might pop in on Monday :D

Another modern way to stay in touch with your seasonal veg would be to sign up with 'Eat the seasons'. They send you an email every couple weeks to tell you what's in season and has links to recipes and things. very useful as it's free and again very 'informative' (God I'm sounding like my old teacher Mrs Cox!? She was my Home Ec teacher - named after apples - Ha!? co figure)

Bought some delicious Kent Cherries... majority were eaten by the time I got home ;o)

Plan to make Spinach & lentil soup for Wed and Thurs next week. I ended up getting the spinach from the supermarket, as all the spinach in the market had wilted a bit in the sun.
Let's hope Kim likes it :O)

Mx

Harrison's Carrot cake

2010-07-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

My friend Jo, who told me about the amazing Yorkshire pud recipe, gave birth on Wednesday 14th July to a lovely little boy - 'Harrison'. So in true fashion I decided to bake them a cake to celebrate!! :D

Carrot cake I decided on. Now I've done carrot cakes before and they're BEASTS! Three tiers to be precise. So for their version I tweaked the recipe slightly, made it a 2 tier with a slightly different version for the icing.
Because I've been seeing the bump grow and have now met wonderful Harrison, I had to make sure it would be up to his standards ;o)

Here is how I got on:

So here is how I made Harrison's Carrot Cake:

RECIPE

200g Light muscovado sugar

2 medium eggs - fresher the better!

200ml sunflower oil

200g Rice Flour (can use plain flour if you don't have rice flour)

1/2 tspn Bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tspn Baking powder

1/4 tspnground ginger

1/2 tspn ground cinnemon

1/4 tspn ground mixed spice

salt

200g grated carrots

75g whizzed up walnuts

35g unsalted butter

200g icing sugar

35g creamcheese

2 tbspn lime juice

METHOD

Mix up the sugar, oil and eggs until combined. Then sieve in the flour, bicarb soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Mix well. Then add grated carrots and whizzed up walnuts - mix.

Spoon into two sandwich tins and pop in a pre-heated oven at 170oc for 20-25mins until bouncy.

For the icing you'll unsalted butter, icing sugar, cream cheese and some lime juice.

Mix well and spread - volia!!

Old Greenwich Brewery

2010-07-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

So this weekend my Sister and Jonboy came to visit. Pete saw this as a perfect excuse to go try out 'The Old Greenwich Brewery' that's recently opened in Greenwich.

Instead of recommending which wine you should have with each course it recommends what BEER! So yes Pete was VERY excited to say the least ;o)

After what felt like the fastest walk EVER in very hot weather (see Pete in the top pic at full speed!) we arrived at the Brewery in desperate need of a drink. The service was ace and after taking one look at all four of us they appeared with four ice cold glasses of water, swiftly followed by a selection of Meantime beer :D This was a good start!

The food was divine!! Truly scrumptious! Here are a few photos of what we ate. I would definitely go back even though... I have to say the puds were a bit of a let down... I had the home-made ice cream, which was just too sweet and I couldn't finish (which as you know is unheard off for me!?). However John choose a brill pud, choc cake with the runny bit inside (I know there is a name but can't remember..) and that went down a treat!

It's situated in the Martime Naval College area right next to the Thames, so has a lovely cool breeze on a hot summers day. It's well hidden so you'll have to have a keen eye to find it. But trust me well worth the search & the hike - Hey there's a pint there with your name on it, you won't regrete it.

Scream for Ice Cream!

2010-06-25T06:05:00.000-07:00

Don't know if I've mentioned it before? But I like ice cream. I love ice cream. Actually to be fair if there was an ICA (Ice Cream Anonymous) I would be part of it.
Salcombe has in total SIX places you can purchase a freashly scooped dollop of heaven and this year there was also a range of cornets to choose from - Salcombe, I was impressed!

Knowing I'd be spending a whole week in the place I believe was the creation for my obsession (understandable if you've tried the ice cream there) I have been on the waggon so to speak and have been quite 'calm' with ice cream to the run up to going to Salcombe.

Here are a few of the ice cream we tried whilst we were there.....
....and yes there were more that didn't get snapped too :D

Chocolate Mix and Pete what was that one?

Clotted Cream Vanilla and Walnut Caramel

Blackcurrents & Cream and Toffee

Ken's Mint Choc Chip & Salcombe's Honeycomb

Another Honeycomb and Slacombe's Mint Choc Chip (my fav mint choc chip, bit pepperminty-lush)

Rum & Rasin and the Classic Vanilla (yes variations on vanilla!)

Fancy an Ice Cream now?....
Always!
:D

Posh Salcombe Sausage Sarnie!

2010-06-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

I have felt so bad that i haven't done a blog since the start of May that I'm writing this one whilst on holiday.

I'm currently residing in what I'd like to think is a secret haven, home from home - Salcombe. I've been coming here with my family nearly every year since the age of 4 and my father came here as a child with his family too. That's three generations that can't tear themselves away from this special place.
So I'm here with my Parents - Vicki & Paul, my sister & her husband, Lou & John, and my old man, Pete (who i'm sure you've heard about in previous posts) There are the introductions, now you know who's who.

Lou & John are both trained chefs, who have since moved professions. They still have a lot of knowledge that I'm hoping to absorb :D. So yesterday, our second day in paradise, Lou decided to make a picnic to take over to East Portlemouth beach, via ferry boat.

Lou's Posh Picinic Menu:
crudities with tuna cream cheese and chive dip
followed by
posh sausage sarnies
deli pork pie
fresh baguette and camembert

The main star of the picnic were these 'posh sausage sarnies' they were serioiusly AMAZING!! Here is how Weeze (my nickname for lou) created them:

6 proper pork sausages from Plant's butchers (back home-they make good sausages)
2 medium ciabatta loaves (fresh from salcombe bakery that morninag - AMAZINGLY SOFT)
Baby leaf Spinach
Caramelized onions:
2 sliced onions
1 tbsp oil - 20mins golden
50ml red wine vinegar
50ml red wine
1 heaped tbsp sugar - reduce till pretty much no liquid left.
Tomato Relish:
half diced onion
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 Can plum tomatoes
1 tbsp tomarto puree
4 chopped anchovies
1 red chopped chilli
1 tbsp sugar
fresh thyme
seasoning

METHOD:
Sausages, caramelized onion & relish can be cooked a day ahead, keep covered in the fridge. Assemble the sandwich the morning of the picnic, wrap in cling film or foil. cut into slices at the picnic (helps if you have an cool bread-pen-knife like Jonboy!)

The most impressive pen/bread-knife I've ever seen!

Cook sausages under grill for the amount needed, turning half way through. Cool then halve lengthways.

To make the caramelized onion, heat the oil in a pan and then add your sliced onion - Cook uber slowly on a low heat, this keeps them sweet.
After around 20mins or until golden add the vinegar, wine and sugar and bring to a boil / simmer and reduce till there's pretty much no liquid left. So it's nice and sticky :O) Allow to cool.
The tomato relish start by sweating off the diced onion until transparent. Add crushed garlic and the tin of toms & tomato puree. Stir. Add the chopped chilli and anchovies & sugar. Then simmer on a lowish heat for 30-40 minutes. Once thickened/reduced add chopped thyme and a bit of pepper to taste.
The Asembly!
Split the bread lengthways, spread the top with relish and the base with caramlized onion. On top of the onion add the sausage halves and spinach, press the bread top on firmly. Wrap the sandwich in clingfilm or foil.
At the picnic, cut each sarnie into four slices.
ENJOY!!!

Pete having a quick game of bat 'n ball with his invisible friend... lol!

Healthy Ginger Cake

2010-05-04T19:03:00.000-07:00

As it was Ben's birthday at work today, I decided a 'ginger' cake would be fitting - what with him being ginger and all ;D It's a double whammy though, because Ben is ill and ginger is really good for you. Plus eating cake always makes you feel better. It's true.

Anyway he had requested Pete's Ginger cake, but as I'm on health alert this week I decided to do a healthier version. From my fab Veggie Cake Cook Book.

Now I don't say this lightly, I mean I've eaten a lot of cake in my time and I mean a lot. But I have to say that this cake is by far, the best cake EVER!! I'm not really a huge ginger cake fan either!? It's not sickly sweet and is incredibly moreish. Can't believe I've fallen for a healthy cake!!??!! You'd never of guessed. Have to say very proud that I'm not telling you I fallen for an ice cream cake (mind you haven't ever made or tried one yet...)

Hmmm wish I could have another piece.....

Here is the great recipe for the healthy cake and maybe not so healthy icing....
Enjoy!

Stem Ginger Syrup cake recipe:
3 medium eggs
120g demerara sugar
250g peeled & finely grated butternut squash
150g rice flour
100g ground almonds
2 tspn ground ginger
2 tspn stem ginger syrup
100g stem ginger, very finely sliced.

For the icing:
4 tbspn ginger syrup, drained from jar
200g icing sugar, sifted
140g unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 180oc. Line the base of a 23cm diameter loose bottom cake tin with baking parchment, then lightly and the sides of the tin with a little vegetable oil.
Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl until pale and four times their original volume (roughly 5 mintues on full blast). Whisk in the grated butternut squash until all mixed in. Next add the flour, ground almonds, ground ginger, baking powder and salt, and beat again until well incorporated.
Use a spatula to fold in the ginger syrup and the slices of stem ginger so that they are dotted around the place. pour the mixture into the tin and place in the middle of the oven for 30minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin for 10mins before un,olding on to a wire rack. peel of the parchment from the bottom and flip the cake the riht way up again to avoid making lines on the top.
Make the icing by beating together the icing sugar, butter lemon juice and the ginger syrup and spread all over the cake. Decorate with a few finely sliced stem ginger.

Plate folk cake. enjoy.

That's a wrap!

2010-05-02T16:41:00.000-07:00

So we've done breakfast / brunch, how about a healthy lunch? So back to the cook-book cupboard & I pulled out all the healthy / low fat etc etc sounding cook books. I have to say when you pull out a recipe from one of these books, you never expect an amazing or tasty meal. Because to be fair you think they extract all the best bits!

Well I have been corrected!!! This was amazing and delicious. A big thumbs up even from Mr Williams who doesn't like fish (it's boring supposedly..)

Spiced crusted salmon Recipe:
1 Large clove of garlic, peeled and chopped.
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/4-1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 x150g salmon fillets with skin on
seasoning
a little sunflower oil.
Mango Salsa recipe:
1 small ripe mango, peeled, stoned & finely chopped.
1/2 small cucumber, peeled, deseeded & finely chopped.
1/2-1 whole red chilli, deseeded finely chopped
1/4 small red onion, finely chopped
A handful of roughly chopped coriander
Zest of 1/2 lime
2 tablespoon lime juice (around 1 lime)
seasoning

Method:
First make the salsa. Stir all the salsa ingredients together & season well. Allow the mixture to marinade for at least an hour before serving.
For the salmon, use a pestle and mortar to make a paste from the garlic, sugar, chilli flakes, thyme, fennel seeds & lime juice.
Place the salmon fillets skin side down on a non-stick baking tray. (Or in a tub to marinade for longer if you wish). Brush the salmon with a little oil and season well. Spoon over the paste onto the flesh and leave for to marinade for at least 10 mintues.
Pre-heat the oven 200oc/180oc fan. Bake salmon in the oven for 11-12mins or until cooked through. Leaving the skin on the baking tray serve the salmon in a wholemeal wrap with the mango salsa and a bit of spinach. Wrap it up and take a chunk! yum!!

Ready Steady Health Kick GO

2010-05-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

Right so I said I was going healthy, but not crazy! Lettuce and carrot sticks are good but not very exciting are they...
So this weekend I started how I meant to go on. So got up had a go doing a few sit-ups and squats (still in agony) and didn't rush for brekkie. Instead took my time preparing pete & I a tasty brunch.

Florentine Baked Eggs - Got the recipe out of this amazing cook book called "Power food". All healthy recipes which combines certain vitamins and protiens etc together to get you the most out of your food. Really recommend it as 'healthy' cookbook, I've nearly made every recipe in it and have loved each one! Impressive don't you think.

So it's a really easy and quick recipe to do.

florentine Baked eggs - serves 4
225 young leaf spinach, rinsed
freshly grated nutmeg
4 desertspoons of virtually fat-free fromage frais
10g parmesan cheese, freshly grated
sseasoning
8 slices of wholegrain toast

4 ramekins, lightlygreased and small roasting tin.

Put the kettle on boil. Cook the spinach in a covered pan until wilted, stiring once or twice. Drain off any excess liquid and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the spinach between the prepared ramiekins. Make a hollow in the spinach and break an egg with a spoonful of fromage frais and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

put the ramekins in the roasting tin and pour boiling water around them to come halfway tin and pour boiling around them to come halfway up the sides. Bake in a preheated oven at 180oc for 14-16minutes, depending on how soft you like your yolks. Bear in mind that the eggs will carry on cooking after they have come out of the oven. Serve immmediately with 2 slices of whoelgrain toast per serving.

Supposedly if you have a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice with this dish you'll maximize the absobtion of iron from the spinach - FACT!

Enjoy x

We have a problem!

2010-04-30T05:57:00.000-07:00

I'm going to a friends wedding in a weeks time, and have this beautiful blue cocktail dress to wear. So last night thought I'd check what I''d be wearing etc... so put the dress on... and the RUDDY ZIP wouldn't do up!!!! :-O

PANIC STATIONS!!!!

So I sat down & had a good old think about what to do. What with summer just around the corner I've decided to make an effort to cook healthy recipes and healtier versions of other recipes all in a bid to get in that dress without having mechanical intevention!?!? However I realise that this is not going to happen in just a week (well I can always hope!) But all the same it is an aim.

My plan is to find recipes for brekkie, work lunch boxes, lunch at home & dinner. Well I'll have to do some snacks / treats too - healthy ones mind! So I'll test run them out and let you know how they go.

Oh I was also asked about where I got my soya beans from (Edamame beans out of the pods) - You'll find them in the freezer department in any big supermarket. Here's a pic of them:

Great for adding to those salads I'm planning on making & generally very tasty.

So I'll be back with some healthy recipes soon - watch this space....

Peanut goowey bars

2010-04-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

Some people just aren't breakfast people and can't do early morning food. This I can't really relate to, when I wake up the first thing I think about is what I should have. Pete is one of those breakfast missers and could very easily skip it completely... until I made these that is!!

For his birthday his mum gave him Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall new cook book - "River Cottage Every Day", which is where I found the recipe.

RECIPE

125g unsalted butter
150g soft brown sugar
125g crunchy peanut butter
75g honey
Grated zest 1 lemon
Grated zest 1 orange
200g whole rolled porridge oats
150g dried fruit, such as sultanas, raisins, apricots
150g mixed seeds, such as pumpkin, sunflower, poppy, linseed (I used pumkin, sesame, poppy seeds)

Grease and line a baking tin, about 20cm square.
Put the butter, sugar, peanut butter, honey and citrus zests into a deep saucepan over a very low heat. Leave until melted, stirring from time to time.
Stir the oats, dried fruit and most of the seeds into the melted mixture until thoroughly combined. Spread the mixture out evenly into the baking tin. Sprinkle the remaining seeds on top, plus a drizzle of honey.
Place in a preheated oven (160C/gas mark 3) for about 30 minutes, until golden in the centre and golden brown at the edges. Be careful not to leave it too long. Golden brown edges, not black.
Leave to cool completely in the tin. Be patient – it cuts much better when cold and easily falls apart when warm. Turn out and cut out into squares with a sharp knife.

Eat when an energy boost is required.

Pete's been eating them for his brekkie, not necessarily the healthiest option but not the worst either. They are full of healthy oats & seeds after all.

Ginger Cake that packs a punch!

2010-04-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

Pete's birthday tomorrow so decided to bake him a b'day cake in advance. originally he's asked for the hard-core three teir choc beast of a cake, but at the last minute requested a ginger cake with ginger icing.

Taaa daaa.....

Have just had sneeky piece whilst writing up my blogs, really moist and gingery - yum!
I found the icing from one recipe and the cake recipe from BBC Good food website. Here it is:

225g self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground mixed spice
115g butter , cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing
115g dark muscovado sugar
115g black treacle
115g golden syrup
250ml whole milk
85g drained stem ginger , finely grated
1 egg

Icing

4tbsp ginger syrup, drained from jar
300g icing sugar
140g unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp lemon juice

Method

Preheat the oven to fan 160C. Butter and line an 18cm round, 7cm deep cake tin with greaseproof or parchment paper.
Put the flour, bicarbonate of soda and all the spices into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Put the sugar, treacle, syrup and milk in a medium saucepan and heat, gently stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to just below boiling point.
Add the stem ginger to the flour mixture, then pour in the treacle mixture, stirring as you go with a wooden spoon. Break in the egg and beat until all the mixture is combined and it resembles a thick pancake batter. Pour this into prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes-1 hour, until a skewer pushed into the centre of the cake comes out fairly clean. Leave to cool completely in tin before turning cake out. (To freeze: wrap in greaseproof paper, then in cling film. Freeze for up to 1 month.)
To make the icing, mix together icing sugar and lemon zest, then gradually add lemon juice until you have a smooth, slightly runny icing, adding more juice, if needed. Drizzle icing in a zig-zag pattern over surface of cake, turn cake around and drizzle again to create the cross-hatched finish (see below). Cake keeps for up to 2 weeks stored in an airtight container.
Beat together the ginger syrup icing sugar, butter & lemon juice until smooth and fluffy. Then spread over the cake.

Enjoy with a cup of peppermint tea or a cold lager in pete's case ;o)

A Sunny Sunday Roast

2010-04-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday without fail Pete suggests we should have a 'ROAST'. A very manly request, that takes them back to the feral carnivorous stages of wanting MEAT and two veg. Anyway don't know if you noticed but this weekend was a bit of a scortcher and even though saturday had all the glory Sunday was still rather hot day. so the thought of having a heavy hot roast dinner wasn't really very appertising.

As my mother has always said to me ' compromise, compromise, compromise' and my father says 'Don't see a problem, See a solution'. Wise words don't you think! So knowing that a salad would not to do I thought we should just combine the two. Nice and easy.

So here is what I made: Whole chicken baked with rosemary & garlic - A great recipe from AntonioCarluccio's simple cooking book.

Served with a simple salad and also a spicy puy lentil, bean, broccoli salad. Ooo will be doing that puy lentil salad again it was lush!

SPICY PUY LENTIL BEAN SALAD

100g Puy lentils
500ml hot vegetable stock
100g broccoli
70g frozen soya beans , thawed
70g sugarsnap peas
1 red chilli , deseeded and sliced

FOR THE DRESSING

2 tbsp sesame oil
juice 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, chopped
40ml reduced-salt soy sauce
3cm piece root giner, finely grated
1 tbsp clear honey

Boil lentils in stock until just cooked, about 15 mins. Drain, then tip into a large bowl. Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil, throw in the broccoli for 1 min, add the beans and peas for 1 min more. Drain, then cool under cold water. Pat dry, then add to the bowl with the lentils.
Mix together the dressing ingredients with some seasoning. Pour over the lentils and veg, then mix in well with the chopped chilli. Pile onto a serving platter or divide between 4 plates and serve.

And then to finish off individual rhubarb, apple & raspberry crumble served with orange creme fraiche. Hmm maybe I ended up making a pretty big meal anyway!? Rhubarb is ace!

BananaRaraama Smoothie

2010-04-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hello all, so I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before on the blog but I am addicted to ice cream and therefore never have it on the blog or rarely in the house. The reason for this is firstly if it is in the house, it's only there for seconds and therefore I'm never quick enough to take any photos and blog about about it. A sad situation I know......

Anyway as I never loose the erge / need for ice cream I am over the moon to have found a replacement! It's even reasonably healthy too and you can have it any time of the day including for brekkie!!

Seriously it's ubber delicious and creamy, just hope I don't get addicted to these as well!??!

Ingredients

1/2	banana, sliced
6	oz skim milk
1	tsp vanilla extract
2	tbsp plain yogurt
1/3	cup ice, crushed

Chop half a banana into slices, place in plastic baggy and freeze overnight. (Do the same with the other half and save for future shake. Trust me, there will be a future shake.)
Gather ingredients.
Place half banana (now chopped and frozen) into blender. Add 1/3 cup ice, 6 ounces of skimmed milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, plus the yogurt. Blend until smooth.
(Optional: Add a bit of honey for extra sweetness)
Pour mix into tall glass. (Optional: Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder on shake.)
Drink it. The world it good again! :D.

Lemonade Cake!

2010-04-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

This weekend was so beautiful and sunny I decided a summery pud/cake was in order! I've got two 'seasonal food' cook books at home and was looking through them for inspiration when I came across this recipe. I had to re-read it THREE times. I mean seriously the base is just made of self-raing flour, cream and LEMONADE!?!?!?

Thought it was crazy and therefore had to be tried! Since reading the web a bit further, it's quite a common recipe... for scones. It makes sense as the recipe said the base should be scone-like.

It was a delicious pud and I would make it again, except I need to make the base lighter in texture. It was rather dense & heavy. After reading up afterwards, they do say that the lemonade-scone recipe is quite a doughy one. Also "not to mix it too much" I may have mixed a bit too much - I think I got a bit over excited about stiring lemonade into a cake mixture. Reminded me of making 'mud pies' as a kid...ha hmmm... any way I digress. But yeah I deffinitly need to give it a second chance and perhaps cook at a higher temp than was suggested in the recipe I followed.

Thinking about it I think I was very lucky with getting the fruit. What with British raspberries not been in season yet and with this CRAZY ash cloud stopping any imports... I was very lucky to find them on offer in the local shop :D

RECIPE: (original recipe from "Kitchen Seasons" - Ross Dobson)

375g Self-raising flour

500ml whipping cream

250ml lemonade

100g raspberry jam

1 tablespoon icing sugar

2 peaches, stoned and sliced

1 punnet fresh raspberries

a 20cm fluted, loose bottomed tart tin, lightly greased (I only had a 25cm dia one, seemed to work ok)

Preheat the oven to 180oc (when I bake this again I think I'd put it up too 200oc). Sieve the flour in a large bowl, measure half the cream and all of the lemonade in a jug together & pour into the bowl with the flour. Fold in gently, be careful not too over mix, as this will make the base really tough and dense.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin & gently level out. Pop in the pre-heated oven for 30-35minutes, until golden on top (do not open the oven till you need to at the end). Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack for 10mins. Then remove from the tin to completely cool.

Once it is 'completely cool' slice 0.5cm off the top to level it off. Then spread the jam across the top.

Whip the remaining cream with the tablespoon of icing sugar until it forms soft peaks. Spoon the cream on top of the cake, arrange the fruit on top and serve!

All the sunshine this weekend has made very excited about the summer & having 'Cream Teas!'. So I'm gonna be on the search for an amazing scone recipe, so if you know one do let me know. Think I might have to do a load of taste testing to work out which is the best..... Gonna need some test eaters hmmm... perhaps everyone at work?

A Hungary fan

2010-04-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

The main reason I write this blog is to keep me entertained, I enjoy ~~chatting~~ typing away and recording all my baking etc.. But you know I've never thought that anyone actually reads it, let alone follows my blog, well except my family - who gets told to go read it every time I do a new post ;o)

Anyway last week Pete came home from work with a small parcel for me!? He quickly informed me that he hadn't got me gift and that actually it wasn't from him at all. It was from one of his work colleague's wife, that I've never met - Virag. Now from what I can gather, Virag, originally from Hungary has been following my blog and read on a previous post about trying to find a good HOT horseradish. So she has sent me a Hungarian Horseradish to test. I'm very excited about trying it, as well as a bit scared...hmmm how hot will it be!? I shall let you all know once I tried it :O)

She also sent me some 'Household biscuit powder' which I have never seen or heard off before. I've a good old search on the web, but haven't found a recipe using 'biscuit powder'. Virag, if your reading this I'd love to know what you use it for and whether you have a new recipe I can try out on the blog?

Can't believe I'm getting sent things for my blog?! Thank you Virag :O)

Promise to keep on blogging, I know March was a pretty poor show..... only one blog!?! So I'm already thinking about what to bake/cook for next weekend. Hope all had a lovely sunny weekend. Blog soon
Mx

A Sunday by Pete

2010-04-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

Today is Sunday and like most Sunday's, Pete likes doing a Sunday Roast! He's rather good at them, well better than me anyway. I'm hopeless at Sunday Roasts. Nearly as hopeless as growing herbs! Had to buy two new plants to replace another two that had died...woops! You know I swear it's not me, it's this crazy weather we've been having... hmmm will see how long I manage to keep these ones for...

As it was such a nice day we went for a quick stroll and met a random squirrel enjoying his lunch too.

Back with a zesty Punch!

2010-04-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I know I've been a bit slack recently and haven't done many posts since March!? But I'm back now and have another delicious cake recipe to share with you.

April is rather a hectic month, not only is it my Sister's birthday, but also 3 other friends and I've got pete's coming up too (he's already requested a choc cake in adavance).

Any ho we've had Pete's brother and wife up this weekend. I have to say I do love someone who gets excited about eating cake and Martin is deffinitly one of them! So after my sister's / Easter weekend of chcocolate eggs, chocolate cake, choc morsels and general chocolate I thought lemon was the way forward.

LEMON DRENCHED LOAF
Recipe:
175g Stork marg (brilliant marg to use for cakes!)
175g Golden caster suger (like to think because it's golden it is therefore healthier!)
3 medium eggs, lightly beaten
Grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
175g Self-raising flour
pinch salt
3 tablespoons of milk
50g granulated sugar
Juice of 2 lemons (around 3 tablespoons)

Topping:
150g mascapone (roughly half a tub)
juice of one small lemon
2 tablespoons granulated golden sugar (granulated so it gives you that extra crunch!)

*Preheat the oven to 180oc (170oc fan assisted). Line the bottom and sides of a loaf tin (I used one that was 11x18x8cm)with baking parchment and a bit of butter. Get all your ingredients weighed out and ready, seriously this makes it way more fun!
*Cream together the marg and caster sugar together until really pale and fluffy - take your time there is no need to rush. Get your gently beaten eggs and add a little bit, beating a bit, add a bit, beat a bit. Till all beaten in.
*Add your zest, then sieve the flour and pinch of salt into the bowl. Gently fold in the flour, salt and the stir on the milk.
*Turn the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake for about 35-45minutes until springy to the touch and a metal skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven but leave in the tin.
*Put the 50g granulated sugar and lemon juice in a small pan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time as the sugar dissolves. Boil strongly for half a minute..
*Make several holes in the cake with a skewer, going right to the bottom of the tin. Pour the hot syrup all over the cake, letting it soal into the cake. Leave to cool in the tin.
*Once cool, hold the edges of the baking parchment and carefully lift the cake out the tin & peel away the paper.

Finally the topping, as it's a sweet cake it always nice to have a slightly refreshing topping. Add the juice of the lemon to the mascapone (add a bit at a time to taste) then mix together adding the granulated sugar as you go. Taste... yum....
Spread the topping onto the cake with a small pallette knife and decorated with thick slithers of lemon zest.

After having a lovely cuppa tea and a slice of the lemon cake we went for a walk and found another thing that seem to entertain Martin. Mini horses fighting!?... he was laughing hysetrically for a good 10 minutes :D

You've got to love random life. :D

My sister's Easter 30th!

2010-04-06T08:13:00.000-07:00

So this Easter bank holiday weekend was taken over by my Sister's 30th celebrations. For someone who suggested she had no friends(!?), an impressive 49 people turned up to help her celebrate her departure from 'young life!' - lol sorry just winding her up, she's my sister after all!

My sister attacking me whilst I was baking her cake & treats! :O)

As it was her birthday I made her some tasty treats!! Firstly a huge batch of Chocolate chewy morsels , a Blueberry zest cake with a twist ( added 100g blueberries & 100g raspberries), a three tier Blackout Cake which I made on a previous post but didn't give you the recipe :-o. And finally some ubber posh JELLIES!! I've been meaning to make some jellies for my blog considering it's in the title. They were spiced mulled wine jellies with 24 carat gold in them! Yes I suppose Lou's worth it :)

So here are a few photos from the celebrations and the yummy creations I made (I'll post the recipes in the next couple of posts).

Everything seemed to go down well. There was no choc muchies, Blackout cake or Lime drizzle cake by the end of the night. The Spiced white wine gold jellies didn't seem to get the same reaction as the rest...

My cousins compared them to 'Deep Heat' rather than wine flavor and as for Mr Nigel, well you can see his reaction below! Not quite the look I was hoping for?!

Hmmm, back to the drawing board I think. Don't worry I'm not one to give up!! The search begins for the best Jelly recipe I can find. If you know of any let me know.. please......

Hope you all enjoyed your Easter weekends too!
Mx

Hot cross Buns

2010-03-07T07:23:00.000-08:00

So with easter on the way and the fact I'm going to be away for the next couple of weekends, I thought I'd do an easter recipe. It's dead easy & very satisfying! I've got them out of the oven about 30mins ago and have eaten three already!! My tin was a bit smaller than recommended but still did the job ok, it was 21cm sq rather than 23cm sq.

Ingredients (makes 16 buns)

4tsp dried yeast
55g caster sugar
250ml warm milk (not too hot or it will kill the yeast!)
600g plain flour
1tsp ground cinnamon
60g butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
125ml warm water
110g currants (I used rasins)
40g mixed peel
1tbsp apricot jam
Flour paste:
75g plain flour
1tbsp caster sugar
80ml water

method

Combine yeast, sugar and milk in a bowl, whisk until yeast is dissolved. Cover bowl, stand in warm place for 10 minutes or until mixture is frothy. Sift flour and cinnamon into a large bowl, rub in butter. Stir in yeast mixture, egg, water and fruit, cover and stand for 1 hour in a warm place or until mixture has doubled in size.
Turn out dough onto floured surface, knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide dough into 16 portions, knead into balls. Place into greased 23cm sq. cake pan, stand in warm place for about 20 minutes until dough has risen to top of tin.
For the paste, combine flour and sugar in a bowl, blend in the water, stir until smooth. Using a piping bag and small plain tube, pipe crosses onto buns. Bake in moderately hot oven for 10 minutes, reduce heat to moderate and bake for a further 15 minutes. Whilst they're baking heat 2 tbsp of sugar & 2 tbsp of water into a pan, stir until disolved. Once the buns have finished baking, turn buns onto wire rack, and brush with the sugar water to give them that shiny / sticky appearance!

Give it a go! If you start them in the morning, after brekkie you can get on with other jobs whilst the mixture rises. It doesn't matter if you leave it a bit longer than stated. Then it'll be the afternoon before you know it! Enjoying a lovely cuppa tea and a jam coated 'hot cross bun'

Sorry for not being about...

2010-02-26T06:25:00.000-08:00

Hi all
Thought I'd pop up a quick post to say sorry for not being around lately. Have been away on a short holiday in Suffolk. We stayed in this great self-catering place ran by 'Grove cottages' - http://www.grove-cottages.co.uk/ Here are some pics, they even leant us a marked-up map of where the best pubs were - Genius!

Promise to make bake and post soon! Mx

Crumpets!!

2010-02-15T09:05:00.000-08:00

Have been asked to make more savoury items for the blog, one of which is crumpets. Only the other day I saw the 'Hairy Bikers' make them on their show! So I had a go myself this weekend :D as a Valentine treat for Pete!

Here is how his brekkie looked:

**Oh yeah and he even got another batch of his fav chocs too!!**

video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t639VluKVAA

RECIPE
350ml/12¼fl oz whole milk
225g/8oz strong white flour
125g/4½oz plain flour
1 x 7g/¼oz sachet fast-action dried yeast
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp caster sugar
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
150ml/5¼fl oz warm water
butter, for greasing, plus extra to serve

METHOD
1. Warm the milk in a saucepan very gently until tepid.

2. Sift the flours into a large bowl and stir in the yeast, salt and sugar until well-combined.
3. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and stir in the warm milk. Beat well with a wooden spoon for 3-4 minutes, or until the batter is thick and elastic.
4. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside in a warm place for an hour, or until the batter has doubled in size.
5. When the batter has risen, mix the bicarbonate of soda with the warm water, and beat the mixture into the batter for a couple of minutes. Set aside to rest in a warm place for a further 30 minutes. By this time the mixture should have risen and be covered with tiny bubbles.
6. Heat a flat griddle pan or large heavy-based non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat.
7. Generously butter the insides of four crumpet rings or 9cm/3½in chefs' rings and place them onto the griddle or into the frying pan. Warm the rings for a minute or two.
8. Using a dessertspoon, drop three large spoonfuls of the crumpet batter into each ring. It should come around 1.5cm/½in up the sides of each ring, but no more. Cook for 9-12 minutes, or until lots of tiny bubbles have risen to the surface and burst and the tops look dry and set.

8.Carefully lift off the rings - it shouldn't be too difficult as the crumpets will ease back from the sides when they are ready. (Use an oven glove and take care as the crumpet rings will be hot.)
9. Flip the crumpets over with a spatula and cook on the other side for a further two minutes, or until golden-brown. You can keep these crumpets warm while the remaining batter is prepared, or serve immediately spread with lots of butter.
10. Cook the remaining crumpets in exactly the same way as the first, washing and buttering the rings well before re-using. The crumpets can also be cooled and then toasted.

Tip: When you come make the last few crumpets, you may find that your batter thickens and the bubbles find it harder to burst. If this occurs, simply help each one on its way by pricking lightly with a cocktail stick.

I served them with grilled bacon, baked cherry vine tomatoes & mushroom with two poached eggs. Was seriously pleased the eggs! Used a splash of white wine vinegar in the boiling water before popping the eggs in. It really made a difference :O)
Oh and due to all my work I decided to have some tasty raspberry jam on mine!

aMAZEing Biscuits!

2010-02-09T06:57:00.000-08:00

These were the biscuits we devoured before entering the maze. I was so busy taking photos the girls even tried to loose me!! Can you believe it :-O

Linzer Biscuits

Originally, Empire biscuits were called German biscuits or Linzer biscuits. But because of WWII, it was renamed to Empire biscuits.... Or you might know them similar to Jammy Doggers!

50g Chopped hazelnuts

225 plain flour

75g Golden caster sugar

150g Butter, diced

Zest of 1/2 lemon

1 Egg yolk

4 tbsp Seedless jam

Sifted Icing sugar

Place the nuts in a food processor and process with half of the sugar from the recipe until finely ground. Set aside.

Put the flour and sugar in a mixing bowl or a food processor. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips or process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the ground hazelnuts and lemon zest (make sure the lemon zest is nice and fine), then mix in the egg yolk an bring the mixture together with your hands to form a firm dough.

Divide the ball into two and wrap in cling - place in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour (Trust me this will make your life easier!).

Lightly roll out one half of the dough on a lightly floured surface (or even better on the cling film it was wrapped in) until it is around just under 1cm thick. Stamp out 5.5cm circles using fluted round biscuit cutter. Transfer to a parchment covered baking tray. Use a small heart / star shape cutter to remove 2.5cm hearts or stars from the middle of half of the biscuits.

Bake in batches at 160oc for around 10-12 minutes each, or until pale golden brown, then repeat with the remaining dough.

Leave the biscuits to harden on the baking sheets for 2mins once out of the oven. Then transfer to a wire rack to completely cool.

Place all the top halves (with the cutouts) together and sieve icing sugar over the top of them. Put the seedless jam into a small saucepan (you might want to add more jam, it's up to you) and heat slightly so in becomes a bit more runny. Divide the jam evenly between the centers of the base biscuits and spread thickly, leaving a border of the biscuit showing.

Cover with the icing coated top halves, being careful not to mess the icing sugar up too much.

Enjoy!!

A picnic for King!

2010-02-08T14:17:00.000-08:00

So this weekend we went on a 'winter picnic' to Leeds Castle!! It's actually in a little village called Leeds near Maidstone, not in 'Leeds' at all....

Anyho I was put in charge of sorting out a picnic. The menu consisted of:

Sarnies

Ham & Mustard

Cheese & pickle

Eggg mayonaise & cress on homemade tomato parmesan bread

Home-made sausage rolls (recipe below)

Choco chewy bites (recipe in previous post)

& Linzer biscuits (will post them soon...)

Tasty Homemade Sausage Rolls
(People have been at me for ages to make these!! Here you go)
recipe:
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
• a sprig of fresh sage, leaves picked
• a handful of breadcrumbs
• fresh nutmeg, for grating
• 6 good-quality pork sausages (used Porkie Whites - with recommendation from Bert Bouwens)
• 250g ready-made puff pastry
• 1 egg
• a little milk

method:
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onions. Cook gently for about 20 minutes until soft and golden brown. Add the sage leaves, cook for a couple of minutes more and then spread out on a plate to cool.

With a sharp knife, slit the skins of the sausages and pop the meat out. Put it in a mixing bowl with the cooled sage and onion mix and the breadcrumbs, then scrunch well with your clean hands to mix together.

On a floured work surface, roll the pastry out into a big rectangle as thick as a pound coin and cut it lengthways into two long, even rectangles. Roll the mixture into sausage shapes with your hands and lay along the centre of each rectangle.

Mix the egg and milk and brush the pastry with the mixture, then fold one side of the pastry over, wrapping the filling inside. Press down with your fingers or the edge of a spoon to seal the join.

Cut the long rolls into the sizes you want and space them out on a baking tray. Brush with the rest of the egg wash and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until puffed, golden and cooked through. Serve and watch grown men fight over them, it's actually quite amusing!

Wearing two Grannies Inc wooly hats (they're the stripy ones)

Chocolate Rose cake

2010-02-08T13:56:00.000-08:00

After receiving such a fab teatowel off Lacey I decided to surprise her with a cake, to say thank you.

It's a new recipe, I haven't tried before... One of the 'healthy cakes' that are made using vegetable instead off butter/oil. Can you imagine a healthy chocolate cake!! Yum

This is one of Harry Eastwood's recipes, I've made a couple of her cakes now and they've turned out rather good. I must say though it isn't half strange some on the veggies you use but HEY if it works it works! And following the response from Lacey's studio and can safely say I think it was a success!! :D

Chocolate Rose Cake

Recipe

3 Free-range eggs

160g Golden caster sugar

200g peeled & grated Butternut Squash

120g Rice flour (I use Doves)

3 tbsp Cocoa Powder

1 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda

1/4 tsp Salt

125ml Buttermilk (you'll find this near the cream in the supermarket)

Chocolate Icing

50g Unsalted butter, softened

200g icing sugar, sieved

50g Mascarpone

4 tsp cocoa powder

Pre-heat the oven to 180oc . Line two 18inch sandwich tins with parchment and rub the sides with a bit of butter, so it doesn't stick.

Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl for 4 full minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the grated butternut squash, followed by the flour, cocoa powder, ground almonds, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Add the buttermilk before beating again one last time to make sure that all the ingredients are well introduced to one another.

Pour the mixture evenly into both tins, then place in the middle of the oven for 30minutes (Now don't open the oven before 20mins! but do check around 25mins, depends on your oven...)

Once cooked, remove the cakes from the oven, unmould, peel off the baking parchment and leave to cool down completely on a wire rack.

Whilst the cakes are cooling, start on making the icing (do not put the icing anywhere near the cake until it's stone cold). Beat the butter with 100g of the sugar in a large mixing bowl. You will need to work them together patiently, using a back of a spoon. It will seem like an impossible task at first, but they will eventually turn into a lovely paste.

Once you reach this stage, beat vigorously for 10 seconds to loosen the butter even further. Add mascarpone, cocoa powder and salt, as well as the remaining sugar. Beat once again to combine.

Spread half the icing on each sponge, placing one on top of another. Then cut the stems on several rose at around 2cm and place on the cake. Volia!

A light chocolate cake in more ways than one :D

Hitherto a chilled-out Sunday

2010-02-01T06:05:00.000-08:00

So this weekend we decided we hadn't enough energy to do the whole Sunday Roast thing. So thought we'd make ourselves that 'spiced beef casserole we'd given to the the 'Day's' the previous weekend.

As this recipe takes 2 hours to cook in the oven we made it the day before, which allowed us to go for a chilled out coffee at "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" cafe.

I have to say the do a ruddy good hot choc there as well a good cuppa tea.
As you can see, I've managed to keep up the knitting, not far to go now! Think Pete's starting to get a bit worried that I am actually gonna finish it, and he will actually wear it!! :D

Pete was working on some new sketches for his new series...

Soon we started to feel a bit hungry so headed back to get stuck into the tasty casserole. The recipe is my sisters and I'm yet to have found another that comes anywhere as near as good! It is LUSH!

Weeze's Spiced Beef Casserole

Recipe:

1.5kg Stewing / casserole beef

4 Onions sliced

Oil

1 clove of garlic crushed

225g Field Mushrooms

25g Plain flour

half tsp ground ginger

1 tsp curry powder (when I'm not looking pete usually adds more!?)

1 tsp Muscavardo sugar

1 pint beef stock

2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce

salt/pepper

Horseradish - as much as you want :)

Directions:

Brown the meat in oil making sure the oil is HOT first, then drain the meat onto some kitchen roll. Keep same oil hot and add the onions, mushrooms, garlic and more oil if needed. Fry for 4 mins.

Then add the flour, spices & sugar whilst stirring continuously for 2 mins. Add stock a little at a time and then bring to the boil.

Place the meat back into the dish and mix it up. Place the dish in a pre-heated oven at 170oc for 2 hours - Watch the casserole if it becomes a bit dry & add more water if this happens.

Once out of the oven add seasoning & Horseradish to taste.

Enjoy!!

We had ours with rice and Kale (our new fav veg! Lush with pepper and butter). Also after trying many different Horseradish's we think Colmans is the hottest & tastiest. If you think there is a better one, do let me know. Mx

Jelly Teatowel!!

2010-01-27T05:37:00.000-08:00

The other day, whilst at work, I received this mysterious small parcel (one I hadn't ordered myself!). One of our clients at work, who knows about my "Never Eat Wobbly Jelly" blog had sent me a teatowel with my logo on it!!

How cool is that!!!

Lacey, was out and about when she spotted it and said she just had to get for me. How nice is that :O)

Pete decided that it should go pride of place in a frame. So I've just got to decide what cake I should bake her to say thank you..... any ideas?

Weetabix Tealoaf

2010-01-27T05:26:00.000-08:00

This is another recipe taken from my mum Victoria. To be honest with you it was only recently that I tried it. She has always made it, but due too having a proper sweet tooth, I always went for her Victoria Sponge! However I tried some the other day, and I've got to say I'm hooked!

The way to eat this cake is to slice it like a loaf of bread and then spread a thin layer of butter on each slice. It's very satisfying, sweet but not too sweet, you could easily have a slice for brekkie!

RECIPE:

2 Weetabix, crumbled

Half a pint Semi-skimmed milk

8oz Mixed Dried Fruit

2oz Chopped walnuts (or pecans)

4oz Soft brown sugar

8oz Self-raising Flour

1 Egg, beaten

Mix all the ingredients. except the flour & egg, into a bowl. Place in the fridge and leave overnight to soak.

Next day, pre-heat the oven too 180oc .

Take the mixture from the fridge and mix in the beaten egg and then the flour. Once it combined well, pour into a greased & lined loaf tin. Pop into the oven for around 1hr 20minutes (*For the last 30mins put some tin foil over the top).

Job Done!!

We popped over to our friends who recently have had a lovely little boy. So hearing things can be quite hectic in the first few weeks we decided to take them a weetabix loaf and a tasty beef casserole to keep them going. I think they went down rather well!

Emily & the lovely little Baby James

Fancy a Guinness?

2010-01-17T08:27:00.000-08:00

Chocolate Guinness Cake with a White chocolate Froth.

Now this is a proper chocolate cake! A rich dark chocolate sponge that gives a kick of cocoa followed by a silky soft white chocolate froth to contrast. A perfect marriage of flavours :O)

It may look small but it is 19cm in diameter, it's just that it's quite a deep cake. The froth on top adds to it's height too, making it look more like a cube..... and a stunning cube at that!

If you have strange issues with cube like cakes you can bake it in a bigger cake tin, thus making it thinner... (wimps!)

Just realised that I blogged about drinking Guinness the other week... and now currently finishing of the bottle from baking the cake "Waste not want not!" well it's full of iron - must be good for me :O)

Anyho here is the recipe :o)

125g Stork Marg (makes tastier cakes + is healthier than butter)

250g Light Muscovado Sugar

175g Plain flour

50g Cocoa Powder (extra for dusting)

half tspn Baking Powder

1 tspn Bicarb-of-soda

3 Eggs, beaten

200ml Guinness (see you do need to finish the rest off!)

White Froth:

200ml Double cream

200g White choc (plus extra for curls)

Preheat the oven to 160oc

Grease 19cm loose bottom cake tin & line the bottom with parchment.

Cream the butter and sugar together, so it's an even consistancy. Then in a seperate bowl sift all the dry ingredients together. Have your measured out Guinness and beaten eggs to hand....

Gradually beat in alternative spoonfuls of the Dry ingredients, Guinness & egg into the sugar/butter mixture.

Spoon into your cake tin & bake in the oven for 55minutes. At this point check your cake, by inserting a skewer into the cake. If it comes out clean it's ready. I had to pop it back in for another 10mins (all depends on your oven).

Once ready, leave in the tin for 10mins before popping out onto a wire rack (remove the parchment paper) to completely cool.

Bring on the froth!

Put half the cream into a pan and bring to the boil. Take off the heat and drop in the chopped white chocolate - Leave for 10mins - then stir - then pop into the fridge & chill for 15mins.

Take the other half of the cream & whip up! Add the white choc mixture & whip up again - Then chill for 15min again. Phew... Now you can spread the 'beautiful' mixture onto your cake & decorate.

Use a veggie peeler to make the curls & a small amount of cocoa to dust.

"To be sure, to be sure" this cake is always a hit!

Guinness cake with additional white choc curls & cocoa powder... YUM!

Knitting Grannies

2010-01-14T06:16:00.000-08:00

As you've read, I am nowing trying my hand at knitting. This IS a working progresss & seems to have gone in reverse after a bit of a malfuction & I had to undo three days work!! There were a few expletives flying about when this happened.

TIP: Don't run before you walk.

The reason for this malfunction was - I had completed around 25 rows of good knitting and was pretty chuffed. However this led me to believe that I could take on the world & thought I should throw in a couple of 'cable stiches'. Hrumph! "Throw in" Who was I kidding!!??

Pete started to view his scarf with a worried look and bravely suggested I stuck to knitting. He is a brave man isn't he!?

Anyway I am continuing in my quest to create Pete a scarf, even if it means him wearing it in the height of summer! I shall blog some photos when it is nearly finished....

In the mean while our knitting needs have been fullfilled by Granies Inc! This is a awesome website where you get to design your own wooly hat and then a 'granny' will knit it for you. It truely is ACE. A couple of friends have got hats from them & they're really lovely.

So Pete and I have designed and ordered our hats - due to arrive this week!

Guess what!? I went onto their website http://www.granniesinc.co.uk and they've chosen my hat design as one of the Top 3 designs of the month!! How cool is that?

Shall let you know when it arrives :)

Ice cold

2010-01-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

Due to the freezing temperatures, Pete and decided to venture down to the park and feed the ~~ducks~~ geese. Not much water about, the majority of the pond was frozen.

They seemed happy to see us though.

New Year New Skills

2010-01-11T06:17:00.000-08:00

"New Year resolutions are to eat less cake and to learn new things."

Unfortunately that means baking less cakes and stuff in general, which is not good for the blog. What will I do instead!? Then a friend mentioned she had started knitting. BINGO! New skill, no cake involved and it keeps me busy.

So I'm attempting to knit right-handed (hard work for a left-handed person) and create Pete a scarf. I've done a couple of inches so far woop woop! Has only taken me two days do... hmm at this rate it'll be ready for next Feb!?

Videojug.com has saved me quite a few times, mind you still had to undo two days work on sat :-O thus the pint of Guinness...

Wish me luck..... I need it!
x

We British Do Love Our Changeable Weather

2010-01-06T04:06:00.000-08:00

Over the last couple of weeks, I've noticed such a range of weather. Great for conversations, don't you think!?

Final Christmas Creations

2009-12-13T14:08:00.001-08:00

This is my last post for the festive season.
Here are some of the gifts Pete and I created for our families...

I had a go at growing some hyacinth bulbs. I started them at the end of October, in the hope they'd be in flower by Christmas.... as you can see they weren't, but they were still well received anyway - have been promised photos for when they bloom!

After so many people comenting on my 'Pete's Chocolate chewy morsels' (see previous post for recipe) I decided to make a few tasty gifts. Now these went down a storm!! Only thing was I didn't make any for my sister, but I had made some for her husband - Note to self Louise likes chocolate and John doesn't like to share :-o It was entertaining never the less!!

Christmas Day was spent at The Williams household, half of which work in finance. This in mind Pete and I created some FT Times crackers, including individual 'designer' FT hats! They went down a storm. The only snagg was that on Christmas Eve, Pete's dad told his favorite xmas jokes!! All of which Pete had put in the crackers :D The good old ones never tier.

"How does the snowman get about?"
"On his iclicle!"

Here are the Christmas cards that we sent out this year. We made them using a "merry christmas' stamp, that Pete designed on the inside and an image I'd retouched & comp'ed together. Doesn't that Robin look merry & well fed!

Merry Christmas to all.
Hope you all had a fab day!!

x

Crimbo Mince Pies!

2009-12-13T13:35:00.001-08:00

I love mince pies, especially with a slice of red cheshire cheese! My family have always had a bit of red cheshire to hand when the mince pies are out.

You know originally the mince pie did contain meat :-O mincemeat was a way of preserving meat by mixing it with fruit, spices and alcohol. The initial mince pies were large rather than bite size.

I cheat a bit and buy ready made mince meat, but I do intend in making my own...
But I always think the pastry is key! I like it on the thin side, so when you take a bite it melts in your mouth.....

Here is the recipe I use for pastry: (makes 18)

200g plain flour
50g ground almonds
140g butter, chopped up in small pieces
Zest of one orange (a zested is so much easier than a grater)
50g golden caster sugar
1 egg yolk

Preheat oven to 190oc/fan. Mix flour,ground almonds, butter, zest & caster sugar, until they bind.
Then add the yolk, roll into a ball, wrap in cling and chill in the fridge for at least 30mins.
Roll out the pastry on a sheet of cling (this helps prevent it cracking up). Use pastry cutters to cut out the rounds you need.
Bake in the oven for around 12mins in the oven.Cool in the tins for 5 mintues then cool on a wire rack.

I've eaten four already!!

Victoria Sponge Classic

2009-12-13T13:07:00.000-08:00

This weekend I had been asked to bake a birthday cake for someone, they requested a Victoria Sponge. A true classic that is always loved!

Recipe

200g caster sugar
200g softened butter
4 eggs, beaten
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk

Finishing touches:

Raspberry or strawberry jam
Creme cheese fosting:
300g icing sugar
50g unsalted butter, at room temp
125g cream cheese, cold

Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Butter two 20cm sandwich tins and line with non-stick baking paper. In a large bowl, beat all the cake ingredients together until you have a smooth, soft batter.
Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon, then bake for about 20 mins until golden and the cake springs back when pressed. Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
To make the finishing touches, firstly, beat the butter then add the icing sugar. Now you can beat the butter and icing sugar with an electric hand, however this can go all over the place! So I use the crumble method by rubbing the butter into the icing sugar with my fingers (saves you covering the kitchen and yourself!!). Next beat in the cream cheese, once you've roughly mixed it in, turn the whisk on full speed & beat for 5mins - but no longer or otherwise it'll go runny.
Spread one of the cakes with some lovely jam - a good thick layer, yeah! Then place the other layer of cake on top and then spread the creme frosting on top.
Keep in an airtight container and eat within 2 days.... thats if you don't eat in the first few hours!?

December Equals Decorations!!

2009-12-06T07:22:00.000-08:00

This year we decided to get a christmas tree and create a few other things to help make the flat look more festive.
We wanted to try and stay away from the tinsel side of things and try some new ideas..
Here is one of the tree decorations I found from a great shop in Shoreditch called 'Caravan'. It's a great little shop with lots of unique objects and items, I could've bought a lot more but i managed to restrain myself. http://www.caravanstyle.com/

We even managed to get some of the presents wrapped too. Pete got another stamp made at 'Blade Rubber' and we used it on the tags and paper - plus lots of ribbon.

I've also done a few tags with cutout too. Pritstick rules!!

My fav decoration - the star!
I made this star using bambo and cable ties, and lots of fairy lights. I have to say, I'm pretty chuffed with the results :D

Happy decorating!
x

Yorkshire Pud Success!!

2009-12-06T06:53:00.001-08:00

This weekend was the first in December & to help to get into the spirit, it was also the Hither Green Christmas fair. It was a good turn out this year, with lots of little stalls, local school kids singing carols & German Sausage stand (not overly xmas, but tasty even so). Ha :O) they even had badges!!

One of my buys from the stalls... found it quite amusing as it is a saying my mum has always used.

Pete was ill this weekend, a bad case of 'man-flu + hangover'. As he is usually the one who cooks Sunday Roast, it was down to me to sort out.
I've always loved cooking, but have steared clear of doing Sunday roasts. So many things you have to cook to be ready at the same time = easy disaster!

The menu was: Roast Peppered Beef, honey roast veggies, sprouts, gravy & Yorkshire pud. Great yorkshire pud!?!?! Have tried it before and had ended up with a greasy spare tire, not good :O(
After failing at yorkshire pud to many times, I asked a few friends for advice.. Mrs Joanne Bouwens came to my rescue, with this brilliant recipe!! Thanks Jo x

Here were the results:
Just before the hot gravy was poured on top, at which point stopped taking photos & got stuck in!Here is the recipe Jo sent me, I think it was from a Jamie oliver recipe;

Makes 8-10 Yorkshire Pudding

Ingredients:
1/2 pint (285 millilitres) milk
4 ounces (115 grams) all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
3 eggs
Vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Mix the batter ingredients together. Let rest for 10 minutes
Preheat a Yorkshire pudding tray or muffin tin with 1/2-inch (1 centimetre) of oil in each section.
After the 10 minutes divide the batter into the tray. Cook for around 15 to 20 minutes until crisp and puffy, don't open the oven door before then or they won't rise.

Logo Stamp arrived!

2009-11-29T07:36:00.000-08:00

I had these made at 'Blade Rubber' which makes stamps to order, they've been about since 1993.
Here is their link http://www.bladerubberstamps.co.uk/
I emailed by design over on the Tuesday and the following day I had a call saying that it was ready to be collected!

Here is what it looks like: