Holly May 18, 2015

Chicken, potato & aubergine curry

Chicken, Curries and Stews, More Comments Off

My university pals came to stay. We did that thing everyone does at Christmas with their family, where we all revert to our childhood script. Except we reverted to our young adult script.

I was always a young fogey, hating clubs and absinthe. So just like back in 1999, I sent organisational emails, picked people up from the railway station, called cabs and booked tables. I also cooked the food. I spent much of my free student time moaning that I was REALLY BUSY whilst avoiding bending the spine of the one book I had to read per week (yes, I studied English) by cooking big roast chicken dinners with all the trimmings. (Three types of potatoes anyone? Essential in my book).

Holly May 15, 2015

Crunchy pork meatballs with homemade tomato sauce

Kids, Pork, Snacks, This Morning Comments Off

These crunchy meatballs are seriously moreish. Delicious served with homemade tomato sauce for dipping the meatballs in. Now if you don’t have a picky eater then huge bow to you. I have been blessed with one picky eater and two little chaps who will try pretty much anything. As I am not a woman who wants to cook more than one dinner, but I do want Mr Picky to eat well, this hidden vegetable tomato sauce has become a firm favourite. You can watch the recipe being made on ITV’s This Morning by clicking here.

Holly May 12, 2015

Almond, cinnamon & apricot granola

Breakfast, More Comments Off

Do you remember the first time?

First love is a slap in the face lesson in vulnerability. You give this heart of yours, this precious, much adored by it’s creators heart, to another. And boom! It’s smashed into tiny little fragments. Some people just don’t look after things very well. They’re careless.

Holly May 5, 2015

Orchard (refined) sugar free flapjacks

Breakfast, Cakes and Bakes, Kids, More, Snacks, Weaning 5 Replies

Someone asked me for a variant on my refined sugar free banana flapjacks. Well I have always been one to respond to polite enquiries, so here they are. Apple and pear flapjacks no less. As they’re (refined) sugar free, baby Lawrence, 11 months, has been chowing down on them with aplomb. At first he wasn’t so keen. I think he was missing the banana flavour, but now he’s all about the apple & pear variety. He bangs his high chair when he sees one about to be unleashed.

Holly April 27, 2015

Homemade Oreos

Biscuits, More 3 Replies

Oreos and milk; how American can you get?

Of course as a maker and baker of a lot of kid’s cakes I do love Oreos for their ability to immitate soil once whizzed up in a food processor.

Holly April 21, 2015

Ombre cake

Cakes and Bakes, More 2 Replies

I’ve long hankered after making one of those impressive ombre cakes, but if I’m honest the thought of making there different coloured icings and then piping them onto a cake made me feel all tired and in need of a sit down. I’m not a ‘fancy’ baker. I like to think this is a choice, that I could make these amazing creations worthy of patisserie school, but frankly, I’m kidding myself. It’s not my style. I like rustic (aka a bit messy) so this cake is a departure for me. It’s about as un-messy as I get. I hope you like it. I especially hope you like the nifty ruler trick for smoothing the icing.

Holly April 19, 2015

Lemon & coconut cake

Cakes and Bakes, This Morning 4 Replies

Summer is coming so it’s time for a lemon and coconut cake. If coconut isn’t your thing then make a simple buttercream filling instead. I’ve kept the coconut away from the main cake as I know some folks aren’t keen on it. I however am a coconut fiend.

This recipe first appeared on ITV’s This Morning. You can find a video of the recipe being made here as well as the full recipe.

Holly April 13, 2015

Jaffa Cakes

Biscuits, Cakes and Bakes, More, Snacks 1 Reply

So Lawrence could barely sit unaided until recently and now all of a sudden it’s action stations. Yesterday I rescued 2 remote controls, a Lego helicopter, a calculator, two mobile phones, a box of tissues, a nappy (unused), another baby, 3 plastic Octonaut toys, a laptop, a Hot Wheels track, a whisk, a rolling pin, 2 wooden spoons and some post from Lawrence. He’s one of ‘those’ babies. He’s wonderfully exhausting.

So what with all this racing about, I need Jaffa Cakes. Homemade ones. With a LOT of dark chocolate. Here we go…

Holly April 7, 2015

A night in Birmingham

Reviews 4 Replies

So given a night without all three of our kids, what did we do? Did we grab a takeaway, a DVD and an early night in our own, very comfortable king sized bed? Did we hell. We decided to make like teenagers and go on an adventure. Only adventures these days come really rather well prepared. I consulted Twitter and Facebook for recommendations for Birmingham (I thank you and I love you all for being so forthcoming in telling me the great and the good of your home city) and this is what happened.

We stayed at the Bloc hotel in The Jewellery Quarter. Now, I booked this pretty much based on the fact it was under £50 and didn’t look like the kind of place where I might catch bed bugs. Oh and our room didn’t have a window (though did have a blind pretending to cover a make believe window) which for me is a big plus. I HATE being woken by light. I have been known to unplug hotel alarm clocks as the red numbers pollute my inky space. I know this is strange, but I need to mention it.

Holly April 2, 2015

Chocolate chip hot cross teacakes

Breads, Cakes and Bakes, Easter, More, Snacks 3 Replies

I really wanted to post something hugely traditional like a Simnel cake, some regular hot cross buns or even some kind of lamb dish.

But I couldn’t. I opened the larder door and the chocolate chips called to me. I had some yeast sachets that needed using up, plus some strong white flour that’s almost done for. And I really don’t like waste you see. It bothers me hugely.

The rest is history. But look! They’re very pretty. See:

Instant Search

Chicken, potato & aubergine curry

Crunchy pork meatballs with homemade tomato sauce

Almond, cinnamon & apricot granola

Orchard (refined) sugar free flapjacks

Homemade Oreos

Ombre cake

Lemon & coconut cake

Jaffa Cakes

A night in Birmingham

Chocolate chip hot cross teacakes

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