Almond Cookie, Cherry Cookie, Pecan Nut Cookie, Macadamia Cookie

Almond Cookies Masquerade:

It is an almond cookie:

Is it a pecan cookie?

Is it a cherry cookie?

Is it a macadamia cookie?

No. It is all an Almond Cookie Masquerade.

Rocket Cake

This chocolate brownie cake tastes a lot better than its gaudy looks.

The mix for it was rather colourful too!

Hot Chocolate Float with Sprinkles

When you can't wait for hot chocolate to cool down before drinking-hot choc float!

His n Hers

Quick Healthy Chocolate Fruit n Nut Brownies

This recipe has been requested by many who have tried them. Made healthy by adding lots of dried fruits and 'good fat' nuts.

In a bowl add:

• 150g golden granulated sugar
• 100g dark muscovado sugar
• 75g ground almonds
• 65g cocoa powder
• 100g SR flour

A handful of each or either of:

• pumpkin seeds
• milk chocolate chips
• white chocolate chips
• dried cranberries or sour cherries
  
• dried bluberries or raisins
  
• dried organic apricots
• pecans or walnuts
• chopped hazelnuts or brazil nuts
  Mix these together (the bold is my preferred combination) and then add:

• 200ml rapeseed oil
• 2-3 t vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
  
  

Mix dry with wet and tranfer to a rectangle cake tin lined with greaseproof paper and cook at 160C for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in tin before cutting into desired pieces. Great with coffee!

Photos to follow with next batch. I keep giving them away and my family miss them so its back to the baking bowl.

Strawberries and Cream Cake

Happy Birthday to a dear friend

She shared it generously with all her families! |Her sweet little niece said it is the best cake she has ever tasted. Ahhhh, Thank you.

Cake Stall

Our story

It all started with mixing.

Add dried fruit to make them healthier and ease your conscience

Prepare for the masses.

Henny Penny helps to keep the eggs at room temp for those impromptu midnight baking sessions!

Feeling bare?
Quick, cover us up before the kids see the fruit.

Ahhhh! That's better.

Can I eat just one?

DIP DIP DIP

Red Pepper Houmus

Guacamole

Sour Cream & Chive

Lentils and Rice

A quick healthy lunch:

Served with orange juice to help with the absorption of iron.

Popcorn

SWEET OR SALTY?

WARNING: If your cherubs try the sweet toffee option the answer to the above question will always be both!! Hmmmm gone are the days of a quick bowl of salty popcorn. Recipe to follow soon.

Garlic Bread

That is garlic posing amongst the citrus...NOT SPRING ONIONS!

Is it wild garlic? bread??

Armedillo perhaps?

Cookies with Milk

Still too hot!

WOww, (s)Weetie ones too!

Now, how do we make them healthier?

Just add milk!

Pizza Night

HERS... :

and HIS :
This is the one time I don't feel guilty about feeding my family pizza-when its organic home-made pizza! My son insists on always adding his own toppings and my daughter is following suite. I found a great base recipe on the web by Anthony Worrel Thompson called perfect pizza dough, link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/perfectpizzadough_72456.shtml
This was voted the best dough recipe so far by my family.

I have a foolproof tasty tomato sauce recipe for my pizzas and the left overs can be used as a tomato relish to go with burgers or salmon fishcakes.

Pizza base tomato sauce

It has slight variations but the basic is this:
In hot olive oil add- *1 diced onion and oregano
cook for 3-4 min then add *1-2 clove crushed garlic
then add (to up the veg count) *1 grated carrot and or courgette
next add *a tin of plum chopped tomatoes
and cook down while prepping toppings. Season with salt and pepper. I keep the lid off and keep cooking until all the liquid has evaporated off and you have a thick sauce.


TOPPINGS we used were

• Steamed asparagus
• Black Spanish olives from deli counter
• Frozen sweetcorn
• Fresh tomatoes marinated in Olive oil with
  
• Spring onions
• Onion slices
• Sliced courgettes
  
• Leeks and baby sweetcorn are also a favourite, overlooked on this occasion
• Cheddar cheese
  

The pizza is cooked at 220C for ten minutes and drizzled with my homemade garlic and coriander infused olive oil when it comes out! Add freshly ground black pepper and grated Parmesan to taste:).

Iced Coffee and Ice Cocoa

Homemade Shepherds Pie

I have a few tips on how to make pies such as this and my fish pie more nutritious and tasty for my family.


1 Use plenty of vegetables in lamb mince mixture e.g. carrots,swedes,courgettes...what ever lurks in the fridge. (broc and caulis not recommended)

2 Use a mixture of regular potatoes and sweet potatoes for the potato layer-sweet potatoes are very good for you but my kids will run a mile away if served on their own. Perhaps other root vegetable or squashes could also be incorporated into this layer.

3 When making cheese sauce for fish pie try steaming one cauliflower and then liquidise in a blender-add grated cheese to it and seasoning. This gives a whole extra vegetable portion.

4 Add a topping of sliced leeks to the potato layer and cover with grated cheese to prevent burning-very delicious and another vegetable portion.

homemade fisn n chips

I made these for my kids when Dadddy was away on business-My son stated it is his best meal ever! They(him and his lil sis) helped to breadcrumb the fish and I think audience participation always helps!
We were running out of breadcrumbs so I quickly added maple frosted cornflakes and oats to the remaining crumbs and ofcourse the sweeter coating was well appreciated by the younger tastebuds.



THE FISH:

THE CHIPS:


TOFFEE SAUCE COATED BOWLS:


FOR HOMEMADE ORGANIC RASPBERRY N STRAWBERRY SAUCE FOR ICE-CREAM:


HMMMMMM WISH DA WAS HERE TO ENJOY IT TOO:)

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:

Carrot Cake

I have a good healthy recipe-leave a comment if you would like the recipe:0)