After Christmas is Over.....

So that is it, Christmas and New Year have left us for another year and we are left looking at the mess these house guests have left behind.  As always we have travelled over the period so that not only do we have the standard mess but the contents of the car are currently sitting in  the middle of the lounge.

In the face of this chaos, I have chosen to  sit on the sofa, update here and most importantly drink a cup of coffee.  It is a come down to be drinking a cup of instant after having had coffee from the inlaws new and spangly machine given to them for Christmas, of course my father in law is still using the 40 year old percolator, personally I am unsurprised by this.  

I have to say I would be very tempted to get one of these but for two reasons the first being the price which is around £130 which is quite a lot of instant coffee and the second being David's (my husband) voice echoing round my head saying 'where would we put it?'.  





 

New Year, New Beginnings

Or rather a new start of this blog as it has been sadly neglected in the run up to Christmas, such is the life of a mum of three, that is my excuse and I am sticking to it !

Christmas brought a new toy for me in the form of a Kenwood Food Machine, I think I am in love.  It is sitting on the worktop looking new and shiney and has yet to be used in anger as we were away at the in-laws over New Year.  I have however, made Rocky Road icecream and some meringues both of which were very easy and successful.

Christmas dinner brought along two new dishes to our family and  I am not sure either will be repeated.

Parsnip and Celeriac Bake - Ok but heavy on the parsnip flavour, I much prefered the carrot and celeriac version

Duchesse Potatoes - looked pretty despite my lack of skill with the icing nozzle and tasted good but sieving the potato was a lot of work.

The Inlaws and New Year brought some really nice dishes from their Mary Berry's Christmas Collection Book.  

The fish pie recipe is not inspired but is tasty and good and when doubled serves 16 people for supper.

Tomato sauce - simple and flavoursome

Apricot Brioche Tart - the ultimate in easy desserts which taste like they are heaven sent.

Savoy Cabbage and Leek with Orange - tasty and different.

As for the cooking year ahead, I have been given an excellent range of cook books to play with, looking forward to it !

Spoons

On the subject of baking I do not have anything fancy to help me in my baking.  I covert a Kenwood Chef but cannot as yet justify the expense.

My biggest baking allies are my mixing bowl and my spoons. 

I personally love my Mason and Cash bowl. It is big enough to hold the batter for the cakes I make and big enough to catch most of the splashes when I am being a bit enthusiastic with the mixing.

As for spoons I have to have a good wooden spoon, it does not have to be expensive but it needs to feel right.  Until recently I have use a medium handled oval spoon but the last few bakes I have used a slotted wooden spoon which has been very effective.  My other ally is my large metal spoon.  It it a serving spoon and it cuts through the batter to fold in the flour in super quick time.  You will notice a lack of a sieve, I occasionally use one when I think about it but not always and it makes some difference but not essential if you are prepared to fold in properly.

In terms of ingredients I use whatever the cheapest flour is in the supermarket, free range eggs, granulated sugar not caster as I prefer a grainier texture and for preference Stork margarine although these days I have to use dairy free for R and so use either Vitalite or Pure.

Birthday Cake

Chocolate Heaven !

Chocolate Cake

6oz butter

8oz sugar

8oz self raising flour

2 oz cocoa

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp warm water

4 eggs, beaten

Cream butter and sugar together

Beat in eggs gradually

Fold in flour, cocoa and baking powder

Stir in hot water

Pour into greased baking tin and cook at 180C until cooked through

Butter Cream

8oz Butter

1lb Icing Sugar

2 big spoons of cocoa

Cream together.

To decorate

Split cake and fill with buttercream

Cover cake board with buttercream and mount cake

Cover cake with buttercream

Arrange smarties to suit

Christmas cake extravaganza!

Cakes for the church Christmas fair. The guides made 4 last night which I baked this morning. The other 4 were made with my help by a and her friend.

Sent from my HTC

Lamb Hotpot

So I started with a Delia recipe which I realised by the end I had completely ignored most of the instructions and the commonality was lamb.

2 lamb steaks
3 carrots, sliced
3 leeks, sliced
3 potatoes,sliced
1 onion, sliced
4 mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp flour
1 pint boiling water, stock cube and worcestershire sauce

Fry everything until softened or browned in the case of the lamb and onions
Soak up the juices with the flour.
Layer potatoes, some veg, lamb, more veg, more potatoes.
Pour over stock mix

Cook at 170 in a covered casserole dish for 1hr 30 then remove lid and cook for 50 mins.

Pork Splat Burgers

I really should have taken some pictures as they really were quite the thing.

Pork Splat Burgers

1 500g pack of pork mince

1 grated apple

1/2 finely chopped onion

1 egg, beaten

Handful of sage, chopped.

Mix ingredients together and shape into burgers.

To cook

Heat a pan and cook.

Watch as your carefully shaped burgers disintegrate into a mush and allow the meat to brown.

Add 1/2 tin of chopped tomatoes.

To Serve

Slice burger buns

Slap on some pork mix

Allow children to add cheese, salad etc

Eat !

Surprisingly tasty !