January is very much the month when you try to watch what you eat and drink after all the excesses of Christmas. Well, it's supposed to be, but if you're like us the first half of the month was spent eating the incredible amount of chocolate that was left over after Christmas and this latter part was spent moaning about the lack of chocolate in the house once the Christmas supplies had run out! I therefore had to raise a smile when the January blogger challenge arrived from TASSIMO. This month's package contained a pack of their Twinings Green Tea and Mint T DISCs and a reminder ... read more
Magpie Monday – Why it never hurts to ask
In addition to 2014 being my year of thrift, I'm also making a point of trying to finish off the million and one craft projects I have half completed and also actually trying all the things that I've been meaning to do for ages. Top of my list is making my own homebrew wine. Mr C has been making beer for a few years now, but after Liz from Me and My Shadow presented me with a bottle of her homebrew when we appeared on BBC3CR together I've been keen to try myself. A while back I picked up a kit from the local chemist that sells homebrew supplies and the only thing that was ... read more
How to make the perfect cuppa – northern style!
These days there aren't all that many subjects in which I'd say I was an expert. Several things that I've had lots of practice in, but I'm not necessarily all that good at them. Then I saw Mummy Barrow's post about making the perfect cuppa and though - hang on a minute, this is actually something I know how to do. And something I do bloody well if I say so myself. After all I'm from Yorkshire. Tea's in my blood. Literally. So - how to start. Firstly tea should always be made with boiling water, whilst coffee should be made with just hot water (one of the first things you learn at I Am Barista ... read more
TASSIMO Hot Chocolate with a caffeine kick!
It's time for another TASSIMO Blogger Challenge and this month I'm embracing the cold. Whilst autumn and winter may not be everyone's cup of tea there's actually something I quite like about wrapping up warm in a scarf and hat, or under a blanket on the sofa. I like how cosy you can make it at home once you've drawn the curtains and everyone is in from work and school. I also like winter warming meals and in my mind nothing beats wrapping your hands round a hot mug of something when there's a chill in the air. We were asked to use our TASSIMO machines to come up with a ... read more
Review: Tesco Chocolates
When the email came in asking if I wanted to review some chocolates for Tesco I think my response was something along the lines of "is the Pope a Catholic?" I am a self-confessed chocoholic, but what I hadn't counted on was a nasty dose of the flu coming along which forced even a well-practiced chocolate lover like me to completely lose my sense of taste and desire to eat anything for over a week. Apologies therefore for this review being somewhat later than planned. Tesco have brought out a new range of festive chocolates this Christmas, created by master chocolatiers behind ... read more
North Riding Loaf
As a follow on from the Great Bloggers Bake Off those of us that were involved whilst the Great British Bake Off was on telly are continuing to bake and blogging about it. I'm very much playing catch up, but finally this last week have found time to use some gorgeous smelling mixed spices that I was sent by Steenbergs. After having a look at the recipes on their website I was rather taken by their recipe for North Riding Loaf (which seems to have now been renamed on there as North Riding Bread). Now this isn't a bread in the true sense of the word, but more of a tea cake. What really ... read more
Marks and Spencer Chocolate Advent Calendars
I don't mean to worry you, but I'm afraid that those nasty rumours about Christmas getting closer are actually true. Even the TV adverts have started in full force - although I admit that I'm yet to see the distinctive red and white trucks coming over the horizon yet. And as if that wasn't enough Advent is even closer still making it the perfect time to turn our attentions to chocolate advent calendars. I know you can buy advent calendars without chocolate, but let's be honest, unless you have a deadly allergy to chocolate why would you? Marks and Spencer kindly sent me a ... read more
Halloween Cupcake Decorating Workshop
I was delighted to manage to get myself a place on Heaven is a Cupcake's latest cupcake decorating workshop - a special Halloween themed one. I've enjoyed Lucy's cupcakes for a while now and am always admiring photos of her amazing works of art that she regularly posts on her Facebook page. Ever since my attempts to make Thomas the Cake for Little Miss C's 3rd birthday I thought I'd better do something to up my game before I need to make the next one. Heaven is a Cupcake run regular evening decorating workshops here in St Albans and I've always heard good things about ... read more
September Tassimo Challenge – and grab yourself a machine for just £45
As part of the Tassimo blogger network I get sent a monthly blogger challenge and September's was one quite close to my heart. Kenco teamed up with Macmillan Cancer Support on the 27th September to stage the World's Largest Coffee morning and Tassimo challenged their bloggers to put on a Tassimo coffee party. They even sent us a lovely box of goodies to help us. If you're wondering about the tea spoons and sprinkles then they also sent us a link to a brilliantly simple set of instructions for making chocolate spoons. Now, I don't know if it's just a ... read more
Great Bloggers Bake Off Week 5 – Rocky Road
There's been a bit of a gap in my involvement in the bake off, mainly due to all the stresses and extra work involved in LMC starting pre-school, Master C starting nursery and Mr C starting a new job - all in the same week! Week 5 is tray bakes and biscuits though and that's exactly my thing. Now, I first blogged about this recipe way way back in 2008, not long after I started blogging. I still make it regularly and still say it is one of the nicest things ever! The recipe originally came from Nigella Lawson, although I have to say that I have absolutely no confirmation as to to which ... read more