Apples for Jam- Berry & Buttermilk Cake

This is a cosy recipe book by Tessa Kiros. It has been recomended on many blogs and when I found it at my local library it was a no brainer! Berry and Buttermilk Cake called out to me first. It does not disappoint.
My SIL is always adding less sugar to her cake recipes in order to make them healthier and this one does not require that. I think adding the lemon zest to the batter makes up for the smaller amount of sugar- what a great idea!

Yes its on the brown side, but thats how I like it!
I topped it with Organic blueberries & strawberries.

Macaroni cheese weds Cauliflower cheese

Why make macaroni cheese and cauliflower cheese separately, when you can have macaroliflower or cauliforni cheese! Two meals for the effort of one!! Also to up the veg count, I added frozen peas and baby new potatoes. I guess you could also add spinach & mushrooms or tuna & sweetcorn...even brocolli & stilton!

My picture taking skills leave alot to be desired, but I will blame it on the bad lighting and basic camera....however I prefer to have a poor picture rather than no picture...and hopefully will improve with practice.

This is the dish before I poured the white sauce on:

My lil' 2YO is not keen on cheese, so it hides under the sauce rather than on top.

More Cake!

Lets not forget the boys:

Cut it quick...before it melts!

Chocolate Birthday Cakes

For the younger girl:....

and the older girl:

Eggless Chocolate Cake For a 25th Wedding Anniversary

What lies beneath:

Vegetable Stir Fry

Veggie stir fry - order of cooking


Heat rapeseed or groundnut oil until very hot
Add freshly ground coriander & sesame seeds
Quickly add sliced red onion
After 2-3 min add crushed garlic
Season with-freshly ground black pepper, pinch salt, sesame oil & soya sauce
Add 2 slashed green chillies & garam masala
Add drained tofu
Stir fry 2-3 min, add 2 tablespoons sweet chillie sauce & large splash of Passata
Add leek & s.onion & s/fry 2 min
Add all other veg(any) & s/fry 1 min

Blueberry Muffins

Quick American Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients

225g pln flour
100g caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 large egg
1 packet blueberries 150-250g
1/2 tspn cinnamon
8fl oz milk
4fl oz rapeseed oil
1 t Vanilla Extract or paste

Method
Preheat oven to 180C
Grease a 12 hole muffin tin or stand paper cases in muffin tin.
mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and blueberries in a large bowl.
Mix the milk, oil and egg in another bowl using a fork.
Make a little hollow in the flour mixture and add the liquid ingred.
Stir together till all the dry things are mixed in but DON'T overmix- it should still be lumpy.
Using a big spoon, fill the bun tins or paper cases nearly full and bake in oven for about 20 minutes.

Organic fruit n Nut Brownies

Warning: these are very more-ish but you can feel that you are eating a health bar as it is packed with dried fruit n nuts! All ingredients were organic. My little munchkins helped to make these! Helping mom to bake is sure to entice them away from cbeebies or computer games...atleast at the ages of 2 & 6! Make hay while the sun shines.
Ingredients:
1 bar of dark choc-I used G&B hazelnut & currant choc
just under 1/2 packet of butter-about 120g
100g dark brown Muscovado sugar
100g golden granulated sugar
1T generous coco powder
2 large eggs
1T rapeseed oil
1t vanilla extract
100g plain flour
1-2T mixed nuts crushed
1/2 a bar of white choc

Method:
Preheat oven to180C or 350F
line 7-8inch square pan with greaseproof paper
Melt over hot water the choc and butter
In a bowl add muscovado sugar using back of spoon to remove lumps
Add other sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, oil and vanilla and mix well
Add melted choc mixture and mix
Add flour in batches mixing inbetween additions
Add 2-3 tablespoons of crushed nuts-hazelnuts,brazils,almonds,walnuts etc.( I Blitzed the overenthuiastic purchase of X-mas nuts in a small food processor-effortless)
Add 1T of raisins or sour cherries- I did raisins but would like to try the cherries
Add pieces of white choc n mix thru
Pour mixture into pan and bake for 21 minutes
Leave to cool for 10mins before cutting into pieces. (This is the hardest stage, if ignored, you could end up with brownie crumbles!)
Very yummy in your tummy!!