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
Review: Walkers Might Lights
I was a strange child when it came to food. I hated chips. Disliked crisps. Would only eat one particular chocolate bar and nothing else. For months my poor mother had to feed me a diet of cold mushroom soup and baked beans as I refused to eat anything else. I remember going for playdates at school friends' houses and getting upset as I didn't like the snacks that their mums offered us. I did say I was a strange one. When it comes to my kids I'm keen that they eat a varied diet. Yet fruit and veg is important and I'm keen that it's a balanced diet, but I also want them to ... read more
Lemon, Chilli and Courgette Naan Pizzas
My sister always swears by the recipes that you get in the freebie magazines that you find near the till in the big supermarkets. The ones produced by the supermarkets themselves. Now I have to admit that in many ways she's much more organised than me and will actually work through the magazines and clip out recipes that she wants to do. Then again she doesn't have two kids so has a bit more spare time then I do! When I was in Tesco the other week I saw the August - September edition of their Real Food magazine and thought it about time to give one of these magazines a go and I've ... read more
Great Bloggers Bake Off Week 2 – Pain Au Chocolat
As if Grainy Mustard and Beer Loaf wasn't enough I today came up with my second recipe for week 2 of the Great Bloggers Bake Off - this time Pain Au Chocolat. Again the original recipe came from Bread Machine by Jennie Shapter, but this required much, much more work! This is what you need: 125ml water 250g strong white bread flour 2 tbsp skimmed milk powder 1 tbsp caster sugar 1/2 tsp salt 140g soft butter 1 1/2 tsp dried yeast 225 plain chocolate, broken into pieces You'll also require 1 egg yolk and 1 tbsp milk for the glaze. To start with you put the water, flour, milk powder, ... read more
Great Bloggers Bake Off Week 2 – Grainy Mustard and Beer Loaf
Well I wasn't exactly star baker with my efforts for week one of the Great Bloggers Bake Off, but that hasn't deterred me. Week two's theme is bread which absolutely petrified me until Helen Hollywood and Jenny Berry (again possibly not their real names) said that you were allowed to use a breadmaker. Hallelujah! I've a couple of books full of breadmaker recipes which I tend to ignore in favour of a standard wholemeal loaf which I generally make as our "daily bread". It's fascinating to see just how many thing you can make with your ... read more
August Tassimo Blogger Challenge – Costa Caramel Latte
I've blogged before about the Tassimo machine that I'm putting through its paces as my role on their bloggers network. Each month we're sent a new challenge to complete and I have to say I'm rather fond of the August challenge. Along with a pack of their new Costa Caramel Latte T-DISCS was this simple instruction: "brew yourself a delicious drink, sit back and relax" I'm a big fan of simple instructions like those - especially when life's busy with the kids - so I did exactly as they told me to. I had actually already bought a pack of the ... read more