Well, sugar free pancakes that is until you add maple syrup in bucket loads. These pancakes will save you from the summer holidays. These and a glass of wine and perhaps a bit of screen time. READ MORE
There’s nothing I like more than a recipe that only uses one pot. It feels like a winner before it’s even served. Less washing up, less tidying and less clutter by the stove and sink. One pot meals have my vote every time. READ MORE
Are you looking for good breakfasts for breast feeding? Then you’re in the right place. But this breast feeding friendly granola is not strictly just for nursing mothers. And this certainly isn’t a granola that after eating will give you an overwhelming urge to breast feed babies and toddlers. (Well, I assume it won’t, I can’t promise). READ MORE
I was discussing with a very famous vlogger recently (yes, I know, look at me down with kids, just call me Hollella) how pretty much everyone who loves their food is also a little bit absorbed in the workings of their digestive tract. To put it more bluntly, what goes in; must come out, and if you care about the quality and flavour of what you’re ingesting, then it’s only natural you want your digestion to work in harmony. READ MORE
Pink, pink, pink. What do we think of pink? I remember loving my one posh pink dress as a child. It had a fairytale hill scene appliqued on the front in pink gingham. But the pink dress was for best. Pink was special.
And in my early adulthood, when I was flying the feminist flag highest, pink was a colour I hated. I raged at the army of pink aimed at little girls; pink domestic drudgery toys, pink dress up uniforms for lower paid jobs than the boys, pink clothed Barbie’s with pneumatic breasts and corset tortured waspish waists. If you’d have asked me, I’d have said pink stinks. READ MORE
I made these to be sold at the school sports day. We’re raising money. Well, we’re always raising money aren’t we? It’s what Mums do. READ MORE
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.
There’s nothing I hate more than a January diet. Apart from dry January bores. For I am a January baby, forever condemned to live out my days attending birthday celebrations where friends toast me with an orange juice. So, in the spirit of ignoring any abstinence I offer you these sunshine granola breakfast muffins. They’re lemony and light and soft. Perfect for breakfast. And they’re not fried in any way, so surely they’ll pass the January diet police?
I made a lovely video with the Scoff folks to show off how to make these muffins. You can see the vid on my YouTube channeland also the Scoff one. You can watch it below too.
Lots of great recipes like this in my book, Recipes from a Normal Mum, out now… on Amazon, at Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets.
Last January: Lemon & blueberry loaf, my Bake Off cherry Bakewell inspired cupcakes, plus Sesame bread sticks
Two years ago: Love cupcakes, White chocolate, lemon and macadamia cake and a perfect wintery Roasted celeriac, carrot and parsnip soup.
Three years ago: Bake me not chocolate cake, Jelly and ice-cream meringue roulade, Good flapjack and Banana, butterscotch and fig traybake.
Four years ago: Treasure hunt ice-cream, Rhubarb and ginger chutney and Carrot cake.
Granola breakfast muffins
Makes 12
Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6 and line a 12 hole muffin tray with cases. Mix together the dry ingredients (including the granola) until well combined. Mix together the wet ingredients and set aside for 5 minutes. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. (Don’t over stir as this can result in a tough muffin!) Pour the mixture into a jug to make it easier to fill the cases.
Pour the mixture gently into the cases and sprinkle a little granola on the top. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until well risen and brown. Cool out of the tray on a wire rack. Can be eaten warm or cold!
What’s that saying? Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper. I’m not sure we have time in our house to breakfast like kings, we’re mostly too busy locating book bags, brushing teeth and discussing the all-important question of which shoe goes on which foot. I am almost never late for anything, but mornings are a rush.
Breakfast may be guilty of being a bit boring in our house, as I suspect it is for many. I asked people on my facebook page what their kids eat and the resounding answer was toast, cereal and some form of English breakfast/pancakes at the weekend when time is more abundant. For what it’s worth my kids mainly eat cereal followed by toast, fruit and/or yoghurt. Pretty wholesome in my book.
Or not. I recently went shopping for some Shredded Wheat as a friend was coming to stay for the weekend – her son loves the stuff. Her little one also has a nut allergy so I of course made a point of checking the ingredients of both the real deal and also the own label alternative (well I am the Bargain Queen after all). The wholesome looking shredded-wheat-knock-off listed no nuts but did include sugar, salt and indeed all manner of chemical things I didn’t like the sound of. I switched back to the branded version with gusto which just contained, well, wheat.
So it felt very topical when a few days later the folks at Organix asked me to take part in their #NoJunk challenge, because, as much as I might have thought breakfast is a wholesome affair in my house, it basically isn’t. I’ve made a very late new year’s resolution to start checking out what’s in the food my children (and my husband and I) eat – with a war declared on junk. This isn’t about not baking treats like cakes and biscuits, in fact homemade treats – where I know what’s in the cake/biscuit/flapjack, are most definitely on the menu. What’s not, are the off the cuff purchases where junk could easily be hiding. In short, I’m going to be studying labels before putting my hands in my pocket.
Here’s a no junk recipe that takes about 3 minutes from grabbing the ingredients to serving. Perfect for busy mornings and a break from the usual cereal and toast. I’m launching the #NoJunk challenge for Organix on Monday – why don’t you sign up too? And maybe share some no junk recipes that feed your family? There’s even a blog hop with a fantastic prize worth £108 of spa goodies!
NB: Photography by Minal Photography.
One year ago: Lemon animal biscuits and Oatmeal & fudge cookies and 5 ways with the humble Victoria sponge
Two years ago: Octonauts cupcakes and Walnut, fudge and fleur de sel biscuits
Three years ago: Mutter paneer and Hot cross biscotti
Ingredients:
Serves 1, scale up as required
Place all the ingredients into a blender, then blitz until all the berries have disappeared. Serve immediately either as it is, over ice or with the rest of the banana for dipping. (You can use a stick blender and measuring jug to blitz the smoothie if you don’t own a blender.)
NB: This was written in support of Organix #NoJunk challenge.
I want my husband to eat more nuts. I am slightly obsessed with his diet, though sssh, he’s not aware of this. I haven’t verbalised this concern about what he eats. And it’s not as if he eats badly. He doesn’t at all! It’s just that he’s older than me and I have this irrational, pregnant fear that he will pop his clogs before me and leave me alone and lonely, wishing I’d fed him more nuts, seeds and vegetables.
So like a woman possessed I find myself making weekly industrial sized vats of nutty granola, buying tart natural yoghurt instead of anything remotely sweet and flavoured and ‘forgetting’ his beer and wine in the weekly shop.
When we first met he used to lament that we’d not gotten together earlier, when we were younger and I scoffed. ‘Oh no!’ I squawked, ‘We were busy sowing our wild oats – it’s better this way, less chance of affairs or any of that nonsense later on. We’ve done our experimenting.’ But as I am now the age he was when we met, I understand. I’ve come of age and I mourn for those lost years spent dating dreadful men who broke my heart. I wish I’d met him earlier. Less time spent sowing youthful wild oats might mean less time making them into granola now.
NB: Photography by Minal at Minal Photography.
One year ago: Lemon animal biscuits and Oatmeal & fudge cookies and 5 ways with the humble Victoria sponge
Two years ago: Octonauts cupcakes and Walnut, fudge and fleur de sel biscuits
Three years ago: Mutter paneer and Hot cross biscotti
Pecan & hazelnut granola
Makes a large kilner jar that holds 3 litres of liquid
Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3 and spread 2 baking sheets with non stick baking paper. Melt the brown sugar, honey and butter in a large saucepan until just molten. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the oats, seeds and nuts, then spread carefully over the baking sheets in one thin layer.
Bake for 15 minutes then turn the granola mixture over using a slice/spoon and bake again for another 20 minutes, checking for any burning periodically. You are looking for a golden brown colour to develop. Take the trays from the oven and press the granola down with a potato masher then return to the oven for 5 – 10 minutes until a lovely brown slab of granola has developed.
Remove and leave to cool. When cold break the granola up into bite size pieces and mix with the raisins. Pour into jars and enjoy with yoghurt/milk/fresh fruit or whatever you fancy.
Holly Bell 