The Best Ever Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies...

...or at least that's what my two Smallish People call them!! Although I think I may just have to agree with them!!

Quinoa with Courgettes and Onions...

...not exactly an inspiring title to a vegetarian dish is it?!? But the fact that it had quinoa (one of my two fave ingredients at the moment) in it caught my eye, which is why I decided to give it a go last night for dinner...

The Making of a Madeira Cake...

...this is one cake that I love to eat, but have never attempted to make before today...


There are so many marvellously rich and complex cakes out there, but I often crave the buttery, lusciousness of a thick slice of 'Plain' Madeira Cake...I find there is no other 'plain' cake like it...moist, yellow and totally addictively delicious, loved by all our family...and to my shame I have to say I always buy mine!!! But not today....today I have set myself the challenge of baking one with my own fair hands...

Mexican Madness #4...Tacos...

Number 4 and the final one...this is a two for one deal...a Mixed Mushroom one and a Courgette and corn one....Both are full of fresh flavours and super simple to make!

Mexican Madness #3...Green Rice

...This is another side dish that we'd tried at Wahaca itself...there they serve it in small earthenware pots that look really great next to the Refried Beans and Guacamole...and it's another dish that I've been meaning to make for ages!!! So I'm really pleased to say I have now done just that!!! It takes a wee bit of preparation at the start, but nothing too taxing...

Mexican Madness #2...A Simple Guacamole...

As you know from the earlier post, this Friday's menu theme was Mexican Madness...

...So to start what else could I make but Guacamole and tortilla chips...

Golden Balls of Loveliness....

...that title has got you a little curious hasn't it...no it's nothing like that!! It's arancini, that great recipe for leftover risotto...that I had never attempted until the other day!! Here is the result...

'Dinner In' with Friends...

...a big thanks to Jules and family for being the hosts with the most...


...last night was a great night...the 4 of us went to friends for 'dinner in'...it's a great way to get together, no restaurant to book, no children to keep amused (they do it themselves when doing 'dinner in'), and a nice relaxed atmosphere...But best of all, we share the cooking!! The hosts do mains, the guests the puds...and as we were the guests, I got to make the puds...which last night were...

All things BRIGHT and Bundt-iful...

I decided to brighten up the rather grey days we've been having lately, by experimenting with the new Wilton food colouring gels I got a little while ago...I was going to make these wonderful rainbow cookies, but time was of the essence, so I decided on a creation of my own...well, a 'tweak' at least!!! (the cookies will have to wait a couple of weeks)...Seeing as my two smallish people love bundt cakes now, I decided to 'tweak' Nigella's Spruced-Up Vanilla Cake once more..(I do believe it is becoming a new family favourite...)

 After making the original cake batter recipe, I split the mix into 6 bowls...

...then the fun started!! Into the 6 bowls went some of the fantastic gel colourings... 

Porcini Pasta Bake..

...this is last night's work night speedy supper...it's another favourite of ours...yes, I am well aware that we have quite a few favourites!!! It's a Simon Hopkinson recipe...I saw him make this on his tv show last year, and went out the next day to get ingredients...it as soooooo easy to make, and soooooo delicious to eat!! I just had to share it with you...

To start it all off you have to take some dried porcinis and soak them in warmed milk, this leaves you with...

Marbled Bundt...Afternoon Tea...part 2...

And now for the bundt...I used Nigella's wonderful Spruced-Up Vanilla Cake recipe as before...but then the urge to 'tweak' got the better of me!!! So I got on to Twitter, messaged Nigella asking if she thought the 'tweak' would work with melted chocolate, she said cocoa might be better, so cocoa it was...

...so I reduced the vanilla to 3 teaspoons instead of 4, then halved the mixture and to one half added 3-4 tablespoons of cocoa powder...

Pasta Pronto...

...I tried out a new pasta sauce tonight, when I say new, I mean new to me in the 'making it' sense...it's actually a very, very old sauce! Pasta Puttanesca, or as it translates...no, on second thoughts I'll let you read about it...have a look here... Of course, I am not saying all the information is correct and verified, but I do know the basics are! 
I had a look at numerous versions of the recipe, and believe me there are numerous!! Most chefs worth their salt have a version, all of which contain the same basic ingredients, tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, capers, anchovies, chilli and olives..and the traditional way is to serve with spaghetti...in the end I chose to try a combination of this recipe on the Guardian website, by Angela Hartnett and Nigella's version...why? I thought they looked pretty straightforward, and sounded tasty...So what did I do?....this..

Mondays...with a bit of baking thrown in for good luck...

Mondays in our house tend to take a similar path each week...School run (always), supermarket (most Mondays), washing (does it ever end!), tidying (again...does it ever end??!!), catch up with emails, blog etc (if I have time)..dinner prep (definitely), a bit of baking (maybe), some sewing (if I'm lucky!)...school run (essential), dinner (goes without saying), cubs and guides (most Mondays), bedtime routines, grown-up time...and then we hit Tuesday...for the next 5 weeks or so, I am gong to be working Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so blogging will have to come either side...


But right now, let's concentrate on today...

Lunch Box Bakes...#1

...I always used to buy what we would call 'snacks' for the lunch boxes in my life...but these days I prefer to bake, and the smallish people prefer my baking!!! To the point where they now moan if I want a day off and offer to buy something instead!! I shouldn't complain, but hey I'm a Mum :-)


There are two definite favourites in our house, traybake brownies and cookies...Both of which come from a variety of sources and like so many of the things I make and bake become 'tweaked' and merged and take on a life of their own! 

All Things Bundt and Beautiful

I've always fancied having a bundt pan...so, I treated myself to a one a couple of weeks ago...

but it wasn't until this weekend that I got a chance to try it out!

It took me quite a while to find a recipe to try...an internet search pulled up hundreds of Bundt and ring cake recipes, many of them involving lemon or chocolate. But all I wanted was a plain vanilla cake that would suit all tastes (including children) as we were going to friends for Afternoon Tea on Sunday.

I remembered seeing a Nigella Christmas episode where she made a Christmas Tree ring cake, covered in powdered sugar snow...and I knew that was the cake I wanted to make.

Another internet search, and I found it...Nigella's Spruced Up Vanilla Cake...It sounded divine, and suited to the occasion perfectly...So on Saturday morning I baked one

...and sausage snogs!

Well, the cold snap is still here, in fact everywhere has been turned into a winter wonderland...

So...comfort food number 3 appeared on the menu last night...sausages, mash and onion gravy...with veggies too of course!

I always serve my sausages and mash with a plateful of yorkshire pudding...

and the best one I've found is...Delia's Yorkshire Pudding... I have never had one go wrong on me...(yet!)