...Baked Bean Cuddles...

Following the last post, I had a similar request for tea tonight..."something warm and yummy". So the Cod with veggies and sauté potatoes were transformed into fresh cod bites, buttery mash and comfort food extraordinaire...Baked Beans...

...Mmmmm Baked Beans...not only are they one of our '5 a day', they are full of yummy scrummy goodness!!!

The cod bites are made by cutting boneless and skinless cod loin fillets into nuggety chunks, coating in seasoned flour, dipping in beaten egg and finally covered in a fine matzo meal (also very nice with a handfull of chopped dill added). We have also used homemade breadcrumbs in our time, but never the packet breadcrumbs...they seem to absorb so much oil! Finally they are shallow fried in as little oil as possible and drained on kitchen roll before being devoured by the 2 smallish people...For the larger people, I just leave the cod loins whole or in half depending on their size.

Pasta hugs...

As we seem to be gripped by a cold snap right now, our family are all craving warming, comfort food...you know the sort of things I mean, foods and meals that will give you a great big warming hug on a freezing cold Winter's day...and what is more comforting than a big bowl of pasta bake?

My 2 children wolf this meal down whenever it is put in front of them!! So last night as a last minute supper, (they decided last minute that my idea of sausages and mash was not comforting enough!) I raided my fridge, freezer and cupboards for the ingredients to put it together...What they don't realise is that the sauce is chock full of hidden veggies...and so they are getting about 2 of their "5 a day" in one big comforting hit!

I always seem to have a couple of tubs of my bolognese sauce (I have to point out that yet again this is one of my tweaked recipes, that is more accurately a combination of several Bolognese recipes that I have used over the years) in the freezer at any one time, so a quick defrost in the microwave and off we go!

This tub would also feed 2 as a spaghetti bolognese dinner

My pasta bake changes occasionally, but there are a few key elements that never change...

Taking the next step...sewing wise! The Bag Part 1...

Spurred on from the cute owls I have finally opened my copy of Cath Kidston's "Patch" and got as far as step 7. The original pattern and materials allows you to make either a dresden plate cushion or (as I have chosen) a dresden plate tote bag. The book came with enough materials to make a one-sided unlined tote bag...and as you know by now, I love to tweak things and make them my own. So I used yet more of the fabric from M is for make to duplicate the flower design on the other side of the bag. I'm currently thinking I prefer this side than the original one...









This is the side I prefer...the trickiest bit so far was actually more time-consuming than tricky, tacking the petals to paper inserts to get the shape sorted.

The original design...After all this hand stitching I think it might be worth investing in a thimble!

4 things I'm loving in my kitchen right now...

I think as well as being a self-confessed 'tweaker' of recipes I am also a bit of a gadget freak! I love shiny new toys in my kitchen, (not forgetting the older well loved ones too) and I have a few that right now are more than earning their keep.


Following on from my last post, I would have to say my bread machine is back on the list!! 

It's getting on a bit now, but seems to be going strong still (of course now I've said that...). It's a great one, with so many functions...but like many multi-function gadgets, there are about 3 I use most often and find most useful...The basic bake mode, the pizza dough mode and the basic dough mode...in fact, as I type this there is a batch of dough in proving ready to make lunchbox rolls...


The second thing on my list right now (and this is in no particular order) is my new Kenwood Chef Mixer. 

It was a Christmas present this year from hubby, and I have to say it's FAB! I was using the old fashioned 'elbow grease' method whilst baking until December (with the occasional help of a hand mixer and a 17 year old processor)...and I think I was doing pretty well...but that was then...the only thing that would make it better, is an extra bowl (guess I know what to put on my birthday list).

The next item would have to be the Nespresso machine I bought for hubby's birthday (although he is convinced I only bought it because I wanted it!)

Being a coffee lover, this is great, pop a pod in, press the button, out comes coffee...and decent coffee at that! I've always had a filter coffee machine, I still have one, but this is taking it to the next level. There is no guesswork with measurements, there is consistently great coffee every time, and best of all it's way cheaper than all the coffee places in town...and just as good, so from now on coffee is at mine!


The final thing for now isn't an electrical gadget, but a shortcut item...a few years ago I was introduced to 'Cake Release', and haven't looked back.

Now I know that it's cheating, and for years I managed just fine with the 'grease and flour' method, but this is just so easy...it's grease and flour in one easy step, and right now it's staying a firm favourite in my kitchen.

Dusting off the Bread Machine!

The weekend away at friends has inspired me to get the bread machine out of the cupboard...Whilst there the smallish people had home made pizzas, using the bread machine to make the bases...and they loved them (even with the hidden wholemeal and flax seed mix!!)...

My first sewing project ever...

My sister in-law runs her own fabric website...M is for make and it was this and a trip to see her and her family last Easter that set my rather rusty sewing cogs moving again!

Weekends away...

We went away to stay with friends the other weekend as it was Hubby's Birthday, and a nice way to celebrate it...with good friends, good food and good wine...Oh and as an added bonus the smallish people had 2 other smallish people to entertain them, so winners all around :-)

As it was a birthday, and as I like to make and bake, I thought I'd try a new recipe...now this is one of those moments that OH doesn't really like, as he gets me asking him for advice about what to make/how to make it etc...in the end I usually just "have a go". Which is exactly what I did last Friday...in fact, I ended up "having a go" twice...

Birthday Cakes...

I have always been keen to make my own Birthday Cakes, whether they are for the 2 smallish people in my life or one of the larger ones!!! I found some pictures of some of my earlier attempts and thought I would share them with you... 

A trial run...

The beautiful butterfly design is taken from here... which is an amazing website for busy people that want quick yet stunning cake design ideas...It was so simple to make, using just 1 large 25cm round cake...and some rather cunning cutting!!!

The real thing...

...and the sponge cake recipe from BBC Good Food Magazine's website, which is one of my most used recipe sources...

Getting Started...

Hi,


I am totally new to blogging! - the closest I've ever gotten to it is either writing my journal when I was a teenager (way back in time!!!) or reading those of others...