Oven Pride....be proud of your oven!

Hands up who likes cleaning their oven?!?! Be honest....! No, me neither, but it has to be done! Now that spring is well on it's way, we've had a good clear out of old toys, optimistically packed away some of our winter clothes and tidied up the garden. So it's the oven's turn for a spring clean!

Oven Pride is an all-in-one product that cleans your oven racks and oven quickly and simply. It's available in all major supermarkets and online at Amazon.

Here's our oven and oven racks before...

And, here's the finished result!

 

One satisfied Mum with a clean oven all ready for Easter baking and generally entertaining everyone!

Some good points worth a mention include that this product does not smell of chemicals at all and it does exactly what it says on the packet! One minor gripe is that there's only one pair of gloves in the pack but you really need two pairs to use the product safely - one to start the cleaning process and another to remove the racks and wipe the oven at the end of the process. So, just make sure that you have some rubber gloves to hand! But overall, I would definitely recommend and use this product again!

Scones anyone....?

Rainbow Cupcakes - great to brighten your day!

Simple but cute and tasty cupcakes!

 

First, start with my cupcake recipe here.

 

Then, when cool, cover with blue glace icing. Leave to set while you make the buttercream.

 

Pipe 2 small clouds (I use a 1M Wilton nozzle) on top of the set glace icing and carefully form a rainbow with jelly strips (I found these in Co-Op - 3 bags for £1, bargain!)

 

Lastly, share with your friends and enjoy!

#project365 - 21st January 2014

Raspberry and lemon cake - Recommended Recipe!

Raspberry and lemon cake - serves 6-8, preparation 5 minutes, cook 30 minutes.

Ingredients
300g caster sugar
350g butter, softened
2 tsp almond essence
6 medium eggs, beaten
150g ground almonds
300g self raising flour
grated zest of 4 lemons
6 tbsp fresh lemon juice

For the drizzle
150g icing sugar
3-4 tbsp lemon juice

For the filling
300ml double cream
150g lemon curd
200g raspberries

For the icing
300 royal icing sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice
yellow food colour


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.  Grease and flour 2 x 20cm (8in) cake tins.
2. Beat the sugar, butter and almond extract together until pale and fluffy.  Gradually add the egg, then fold in the ground almonds, flour, lemon zest and juice.
3. Spoon into the tins, smooth the top and bake for 30 mins or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
4. Make the drizzle by mixing the icing sugar and lemon juice together.  When the cake comes out of the ove, turn out onto a cooling rack set over a plate.  Prick all over with a skewer and drizzle with the syrup. Set aside to cool.
5. Whip the cream and fold in the lemon curd.  Set one cake on a plate, level the top if necessary and spoon over the cream.  Sprinkle with raspberries and set the other cake half on top.  Set aside.
6. To make the icing, mix the lemon juice and icing sugar until it's a spoonable consistency, but still quite paste-like.  Use a few drops of the yellow colour to make a pastel yellow shade and spoon the icing evenly over the cake, allowing it to drip down and coat the sides.  Run a spoon or palate knife around the sides to neaten and evenly distribute the icing.

Source - Morrisons instore magazine.

Silent Sunday 28th January 2013

Little Angel's Cakes UK

Little Angels' Cakes is a new (soon to be registered) charity that provides cakes for terminally ill children and their families in the UK.  They are just starting up using Facebook as a platform to advertise and get their list of certfied bakers together.

So if you can help, please get in touch with the girls over at Little Angels' Cakes who are doing a magnificent but difficult job.  Everyone knows a beautiful cake brings a smile and a beautiful smile can bring a bit of cheer when all's not well.  It's really important to celebrate a birthday, event or milestone to bring some normality to, quite often, a routine of hospital visits and stays.

Order's are processed via the Admin team when a referral is made - the order is then distributed to the relevant nearest baker to receive the ingredients and complete the order.  Hopefully they will be able to donate all of the ingredients and accessories, but for the time being the ingredients may have to be donated by the baker depending on the area.

Little Angels' Cakes will endeavour to give at least four weeks notice except in unforeseen circumstances due to the nature of what they are trying to do, it might be a short notice window.  Because the cakes and smiles are for terminally ill children, Little Angels' Cakes can only accept cake contributions from council registered businesses (proof of registration must be forwarded to the Admin team).

However, this doesn't stop anyone volunteering as they will need help with deliveries, maybe packaging, and spreading the word, and as soon as you do become registered you are more than welcome to join the team of bakers as well.  Donations of anything to do with cake decorating would be greatly appreciated, i.e. cake boards, ribbon, icing - it doesn't have to be a lot, every little bit does help!

 

They are really close to 1000 likes, so pop over to their Facebook page here and say "hello" and get yourself pinned on the volunteer map, whether you're a registered cake-baker or can help in any other way!

I would never know how I or my family would cope with any serious illness in my children or family, but sadly families are dealing with times like this every day.  A hug or a smile can lighten the darkest of days and a gift of a cake can make things seem "normal" - even if just for a short time.

Also, if you know anyone who would benefit from this service, please get in touch with Little Angels' Cakes Admin team at littleangelscakes@yahoo.co.uk.

Please spread the word and help the little angels of the UK gain a little joy.

Christmas Spiced Cupcakes

Here's a recipe for a delicious Christmas-tasting cupcake but without the dried fruit (for those currant/sultana/raisin haters out there!).

Spiced Christmas cake
Serves 12

225g salted butter, plus more for the tin
4 large eggs
225g dark muscovado sugar
330g plain flour, sifted
2tsp baking powder
1tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp ground ginger
100ml whole milk
finely grated zest of 1 organic orange
200g good quality white chocolate, plus more to adhere (optional)
Icing sugar, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175C and butter a 22cm round cake tin (or use a heart-shaped tin, 22cm at its widest point, if you prefer). Melt the butter and let it cool. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a big bowl until the mixture holds a ribbon trail for 8-10 sec after the whisk has been lifted. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger. Alternately stir the flour mixture and milk into the egg mixture, until just combined. Add the orange zest. Fold together as lightly as possible. Finally, stir the melted butter into the mixture.
2. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 50-55min. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
3. Melt the white chocolate and place into a small piping bag. Snip off the end and pipe hearts on a piece of baking parchment. Leave the chocolate hearts to one side to set, then peel them off the parchment and arrange on the cake, sticking them on with a little more melted white chocolate. Sprinkle icing sugar across the top and serve.

The recipe is for a large cake but I bake it as cupcakes (makes 24) - just reduce the cooking time to about 20 minutes,  Carefully check the cupcakes after about 15 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack and either dust with icing sugar or decorate with marzipan and royal/fondant icing.

These have been baking in my oven all morning for various edible gifts and goodies for my family and neighbours.  They fill the house with a lovely smell - just right for Christmas Eve!

Here's the link to the original article where you can find other traditional Scandinavian recipes.

Lemon sponge puddings with hot lemon sauce - Recommended Recipe!

Lemon sponge puddings with hot lemon sauce - serves 6, takes 35 minutes

Ingredients
For the puddings:
100g self raising flour
100g Anchor Lighter spread
75g fruit sugar
2 medium eggs
Rind of 1 lemon

For the sauce:
Grated rind of 1 lemon and juice of 2 lemons
4 tsp fruit sugar
1 tsp cornflour

Method

1. Set oven at 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.  Lightly grease a 6-hole muffin tin.  
2. Place all of the pudding ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.  Divide the mixture between the muffin holes and bake for 18-20 minutes until risen and golden brown on top.
3. Meanwhile, make the sauce.  Place the lemon rind, juice and fruit sugar in a small pan with 75ml water.  Bring to the boil.
4. Separately, mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp water, and add to the lemon mixture and bring back to the boil.
5. Pour over the puddings just before serving.

Per serving - 240 kcalories, 15g sugar, 11g fat, 5g saturated fat, 0.2g salt.

Source - Morrisons instore magazine.

Silent Sunday 8th July 2012

Jubilee Holiday Weekend

Well, as in most cities, towns and villages throughout Great Britain and beyond, this weekend we celebrated the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

A community comittee in my town orgainsed a fantastic street party -  a great amount of time and effort went into the planning and execution of the event... and it was a jolly good job they had a "Plan B" as the rain and wind decided to make an appearance so the event was held inside in the local Leisure Centre.

However, the change in plans and poor weather did not dampen anyone's spirits and a great time was had by all!

Mr Balwn's made an appearance and did an amazing couple of hours work - he must have made over 100 balloon animals/swords/hats/etc... all of the kids (little and big!) loved his work and it added a different touch to the party. 

 

All the children received a Jubilee pin badge donated by the comittee as a keepsake and they even gave a present to the oldest and youngest person at the party, which I thought was a nice touch!

The town's Mayoress came to say "hello" too and was impressed at how the community had all come together to celebrate the Jubilee as one.

The Jubilee celebrations continued today as we went to a Jubilee-themed church event.  Our local church holds "Messy Church" events usually every half-term with a different theme for each one.  At this event, we even had bungee jumping teddy bears!  I'm not really sure what this had got to do with the Jubilee but the children thought it was great.  Here's our certificate to show that our teddies were brave enough to face the jump!

And last but not least, a Jubilee Rose cupcake!

Favourite Italian dish - Spag Carb!

Whenever I eat out at an Italian restaurant, I always choose the same meal for my main couse - Spaghetti Carbonara.  This is my all-time favourite Italian dish; even second to a good tiramisu!

The abbreviated form of Spaghetti Carbonara comes from a past job working for a blue-chip company who produced a large range of ready meals for the supermarket sector.  Hence, Spaghetti Carbonara becomes Spag Carb, Ham & Mushroom Tagliatelle become Ham Mush Tag and Beef Lasagne becomes Meat Las.  And of course, the old favourite which everyone knows Spag Bol!

Living where I do, there's not much choice for eating out - but whenever we go to a "big town" we can never decide where or what to eat becuase there's too much choice!

Whilst doing my weekly shop, I spotted a Colman's Carbonara Pasta Recipe Mix.  I have used Colman's sauce mixes before but never tried this one - so tonight I did!  I have tried to make a carbonara at home before with various other sauce mixes and also from scratch but I have never got it quite right.  This one however, was very easy to follow and is the best tasting that I have tried from the sauce mix ranges that are out there in the consumer world.  The fresh ingredients are all things that most of us would have in our cupboards anyway and so this really is a quick and easy tea.

My son loved it and asked for seconds; which the pack generously allowed.  It serves 4 and quite rightly it served 2 adults and 2 children with a bit left over for anyone who is extra hungry!

To add a cake to the menu today, I made some banana muffins - super simple to make and quick to cook.  They are best eaten warm as a breakfast muffin but I think they fit into any part of your day when you need a quick energy boost with a healthy(ish) cake!

You can find the recipe here - it's a recipe from "BBC Saturday Kitchen" which I love to watch whenever I have a spare Saturday morning!  It's a really simple recipe - mix all the wet ingredients together in one bowl, sift all the dry ingredients into another bowl; add the wet ingredients to a well in the centre of the "dry" bowl.  Mix gently and bake in muffin cases for about 20-25 mins at Gas Mark 5.  Job done!  The only comment to add is that I got 12 muffins instead of the stated 10 muffins - but this can only be a good thing!  My neighbour thought so anyway as she had the spare 2 to sample!

Anyway, here's a picture for you - they don't look very spectacular but taste lovely!

Day One...

Well, here goes!  I've been interested in blogging for a while but was undecided about what to write about.  Then, over the weekend whilst chatting to my friend - it struck me!  Food, glorious food!  I love to cook but sometimes see it is a necessity - after all, we all need to eat.  I try to make it fun and engage my children in the "safe" side of the preparation and cooking whilst teaching them about a healthy balanced diet.

I love to experiment with flavours.  Sometimes the outcome isn't quite what I expected but so long as I learn by my experimental "mistakes" that's fine!

I enjoy cooking in general but my passion is for baking; especially cupcakes.  I have my Mum to thank for this as my most frequent childhood memory is baking cakes on a Sunday with my Mum!  (The second memory that sticks in my mind is wasting a full tray of eggs trying to make meringues - but that's another story!)

I'm planning on blogging about once or twice a week as my home-life schedule is pretty hectic at times!  You'll get to see what I've been baking and/or cooking that week and learn a little about me and my family along the way.  There will be some competitions from time to time too, so spread the word and join in my virtual tea party!

The first picture that I want to share with you though, is the beautiful town where I live.... I wouldn't change this for the world!