Why? Because I love it! Holding a heart in the palm of a 'Little' hand and the fact that the heart was provided by Mother Nature herself.
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Sunday, 22 February 2009
Flour and butter to thicken sauces at the end?
I read on a blog a while ago about mixing up flour and butter and then freezing knobs of it, adding to sauces to thicken as and when you need... Did I read correctly and does anybody know the ratio of flour to butter?
Saturday, 14 February 2009
Cheating Fake Eccles Cakes
We made Eccles Cakes, well, sort of...
Block of shop bought puff pastry (I think it should be flaky pastry made by hand!)
4oz raisins (should have been currants but we didn't have any)
1oz butter
1oz light brown sugar
freshly ground nutmeg
grated rind of lime, lemon and orange (I think proper Eccles cakes are supposed to have chopped mixed peel in).
Plain flour for rolling
A little more sugar and egg & milk wash to glaze
Take the puff pastry out of the fridge about half an hour before you're going to use it. Pre-heat oven to 175C (fan). Cream the butter and sugar. Add the raisins/currants, freshly grated nutmeg (to taste) and grated fruit rind - mix well. Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface and then cut out circles (large mug size). Place a heaped teaspoon of the fruit mix in the centre of each circle, then bring up the edges and push together to seal. Turn the messy side over, smoother side up then roll to flatten until the fruit starts to show through the pastry. Cut two slits in the top of each cake then brush with an egg/milk wash. Sprinkle with sugar then bake in the pre-heated oven for approximately 20 minutes. Check after 15.
You've only got this crummy picture, we also made a huge one in a flan dish but I can't download anymore pictures for some reason.
Block of shop bought puff pastry (I think it should be flaky pastry made by hand!)
4oz raisins (should have been currants but we didn't have any)
1oz butter
1oz light brown sugar
freshly ground nutmeg
grated rind of lime, lemon and orange (I think proper Eccles cakes are supposed to have chopped mixed peel in).
Plain flour for rolling
A little more sugar and egg & milk wash to glaze
Take the puff pastry out of the fridge about half an hour before you're going to use it. Pre-heat oven to 175C (fan). Cream the butter and sugar. Add the raisins/currants, freshly grated nutmeg (to taste) and grated fruit rind - mix well. Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface and then cut out circles (large mug size). Place a heaped teaspoon of the fruit mix in the centre of each circle, then bring up the edges and push together to seal. Turn the messy side over, smoother side up then roll to flatten until the fruit starts to show through the pastry. Cut two slits in the top of each cake then brush with an egg/milk wash. Sprinkle with sugar then bake in the pre-heated oven for approximately 20 minutes. Check after 15.
You've only got this crummy picture, we also made a huge one in a flan dish but I can't download anymore pictures for some reason.
Friday, 6 February 2009
School Dinner versus Packed Lunch
This subject can make me a bit cross...
For the record Little has packed lunch and has done since the end of Reception, when he was still four years old. He chose packed lunch because he said they overcooked the veg. He wasn't being a fussy eater he just didn't like the food they gave him. As he eats virtually everything that is served to him at home or when we're out and about I know that he wasn't being fussy. It was only because my friend worked in the school and saw that he was sitting there pushing his food around, and was still sat there long after everybody else had left the dining hall. Thankfully because she'd seen how much he eats at home she could tell that he wasn't eating very much. We made the decision to swap him over to packed lunch and I've not regretted that decision.
Yes, I know the take up for school lunches is poor but that's because they still haven't got it right. I also know that for some children it is the only decent meal they'll get but that doesn't mean I have to feel guilty for opting out and going for packed lunches.
Whilst our packed lunches are not quite Bento style, they're made with love and they're full of good things. Packed Lunch can get a bit boring but I don't believe that it has to be a poor relative to school dinners. I also really don't like it when I choose to put a little treat in the packed lunch and it gets frowned upon. The kids having school dinners quite often have sweet treats, at least 3 times a week so why shouldn't I put something sweet in. I do it once in a while but if I did want to do it every day then why shouldn't I. I've also never put crisps in his packed lunch, mainly because he's not a big fan of crisps. I'm on a rant... can you tell?
An average packed lunch that leaves this house consists of a sandwhich or wrap, always salad and a piece of fruit with a carton of fruit juice. Occasionally I'll do a pasta, rice or couscous salad. We did buy a flask to do hot food but he never quite got on with opening it safely. If anybody can recommend any good ones that are easy for young ones to open, I'm all ears.
Anyway, for the moment and until schools can get it right we're sticking with packed lunches and when Small goes full time soon, he'll be having packed lunch too.
Some links that you might find interesting.
Food for Thought: Why haven't school dinners got any better? Article from the Independent newspaper with an interview with the famous Prue Leith, who heads up the School Food Trust. It makes interesting reading.
Lunchinabox - Beautiful Bento Lunches
The Daily Tiffin - They always have a lunch box spotlight.
The Great Big Veg Challenge - Charlotte and Co. have swapped over to packed lunches.
P.S. I should just add that nobody at our school has made me feel bad about packed lunch, though there was a comment about sweet treats...
For the record Little has packed lunch and has done since the end of Reception, when he was still four years old. He chose packed lunch because he said they overcooked the veg. He wasn't being a fussy eater he just didn't like the food they gave him. As he eats virtually everything that is served to him at home or when we're out and about I know that he wasn't being fussy. It was only because my friend worked in the school and saw that he was sitting there pushing his food around, and was still sat there long after everybody else had left the dining hall. Thankfully because she'd seen how much he eats at home she could tell that he wasn't eating very much. We made the decision to swap him over to packed lunch and I've not regretted that decision.
Yes, I know the take up for school lunches is poor but that's because they still haven't got it right. I also know that for some children it is the only decent meal they'll get but that doesn't mean I have to feel guilty for opting out and going for packed lunches.
Whilst our packed lunches are not quite Bento style, they're made with love and they're full of good things. Packed Lunch can get a bit boring but I don't believe that it has to be a poor relative to school dinners. I also really don't like it when I choose to put a little treat in the packed lunch and it gets frowned upon. The kids having school dinners quite often have sweet treats, at least 3 times a week so why shouldn't I put something sweet in. I do it once in a while but if I did want to do it every day then why shouldn't I. I've also never put crisps in his packed lunch, mainly because he's not a big fan of crisps. I'm on a rant... can you tell?
An average packed lunch that leaves this house consists of a sandwhich or wrap, always salad and a piece of fruit with a carton of fruit juice. Occasionally I'll do a pasta, rice or couscous salad. We did buy a flask to do hot food but he never quite got on with opening it safely. If anybody can recommend any good ones that are easy for young ones to open, I'm all ears.
Anyway, for the moment and until schools can get it right we're sticking with packed lunches and when Small goes full time soon, he'll be having packed lunch too.
Some links that you might find interesting.
Food for Thought: Why haven't school dinners got any better? Article from the Independent newspaper with an interview with the famous Prue Leith, who heads up the School Food Trust. It makes interesting reading.
Lunchinabox - Beautiful Bento Lunches
The Daily Tiffin - They always have a lunch box spotlight.
The Great Big Veg Challenge - Charlotte and Co. have swapped over to packed lunches.
P.S. I should just add that nobody at our school has made me feel bad about packed lunch, though there was a comment about sweet treats...
Thursday, 5 February 2009
I think I have a crush on Stephen Fry...
to find out why just click Stephen Fry. We only just got the leak fixed and the entire contents of the attic room is downstairs as this was the only way they could access the burst pipe - so not much space to swing a cat (not that I'd do that, we love our cat), let alone prepare great food. Laters Dudes!xx
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Biscuits for breakfast
...and a bad ass healthy lunch... We are now truly ill... Yesterday I asked Hubs if the term splitting headache had come about because somebody's head had actually split from a headache. It also feels like hot coals have taken up residence in our chests' too.... Melodramatic? Hypochondria?This morning after Hubs had gone to work, I went back to bed, not to sleep, door wide open, able to hear everything, no need to call social services, I just needed to lie down. Small hit the fruit bowl, he polished off 2 bananas, 2 apples, 3 tangerines and then came to tell me he was still hungry. I said I'd get him some breakfast in a bit. You'd think with all that fruit his stomach could have waited a while... Anyway, Little got up a bit later and then..... the three of us had biscuits for breakfast and I don't feel like a bad parent at all... Why? Because I know that later today I will force myself to prepare some nutritious food that will help heal our poorly bodies and I know we don't eat biscuits for breakfast every day. Infact this could be the first time, but it might not be the last.
This sandwich/tortilla filling was excellent... and healthy, we ate lots of it yesterday.
Grated cheddar cheese, chopped cucumber, chopped red pepper, mayonnaise, sweet chilli sauce - mix it all up - fill your sandwich or tortilla - very nice thank you.Today I'll mainly be drinking this lemon, honey and ginger drink that I posted about back in 2007.
Monday, 26 January 2009
Little Foodies China go for an easy Chinese New Year
They've asked several times so now we're off again, learning about other countries and the foods they eat... For those who didn't know, it's Chinese New Year today, the Year of the Ox, we did have elaborate plans but we have a burst pipe above our kitchen ceiling (and since I started typing, it's now running down one of the lights into a strategically placed bin)... Someone coming tomorrow, apparently because the wet patches aren't sagging and the pressure in the boiler hasn't dropped completely we don't have to panic... That's good, not so reassuring, but good. Probably a good thing we've kept the lights turned off, instead we've got candles, the cooker hood light, a table lamp and a camping light - it's romantic! Also the boys and I have been invaded by some chest thing. Small woke up very early and came in to tell us that he had an alien in his chest, Little woke some time later and said he felt really hot inside his chest. This is how mine feels so I guess we've caught something... Anyway for these reasons alone we're going for the mega easy option tonight, more elaborate Chinese food and words another day. Happy Chinese New Year all...
Vegetable Stir Fry with noodles and a sachet of sauce
for 2
3 Spring onions, sliced
Yellow Pepper, de-seeded and chopped
Handful of bean sprouts
Couple of chestnut mushrooms, sliced
Packet of Amoy straight to wok noodles
Sachet of Blue Dragon Chow Mein Sauce
Vegetable Stir Fry with noodles and a sachet of sauce
for 2
3 Spring onions, sliced
Yellow Pepper, de-seeded and chopped
Handful of bean sprouts
Couple of chestnut mushrooms, sliced
Packet of Amoy straight to wok noodles
Sachet of Blue Dragon Chow Mein Sauce
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Two Left Cheesy Feet and a Heart
No, I'm not talking about my husband... though he does have a heart!
We made cheese straws that look nothing like cheese straws. I remembered something in a Nigella book, I think it was Feast about cheesy feet, hence why I probably did foot shapes, heart shapes because I do love a bit of cheese. Cheesy grins are the best, especially gappy tooth cheesy grins - Little lost another tooth yesterday, in Maths.
These were made using a block of shop bought puff pastry, a little medium cheddar and a lot of Miss Moneypenny, a beautiful smooth hard cheese made by Hunter House Farm, it's a bit like parmesan, possibly better. These were gorgeous, even if I do say so myself and I'm sure it was all down to Miss Moneypenny. You can contact Hunter House Farm, who are in North East England by e-mail simonthearle@btinternet.com to find out where you can buy their cheese and yoghurt. I know they're at a lot of Farmers Markets in the North East.
(Thanks Mum for the lovely NE produce, more of which I'll write about another time. xx)
Anyway to make the cheesy feet/hearts. Take out a block of puff pastry from the fridge about 20 mins before you want to use it. While you wait your 20 minutes grate the cheese you're using (about 3-4 oz). Pre-heat the oven to about 180C with a fan. Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour, put the pastry on top and roll out to about 1/4 cm deep. Sprinkle grated cheese over half of it, fold the uncheesed part over and then roll again until approx 1/4cm deep, again sprinkle cheese on half, fold over and roll again until approx 1/4 cm deep. Cut out shapes, roll up and flatten any scraps (these can be used for tasting if they're any good before you serve to others!). Place on a baking tray and put in the oven for about 10 mins, check after this time to see if they're nicely golden brown, it not continue to cook a minute at a time more. Take out and cool on a rack. When totally cool store in an airtight container. Not sure how long they'd last as they were eaten straight away.
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