tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17662925378745888552024-02-02T10:37:49.416+00:00Makey-CakeyExperiments in craft and cooking...Ruth Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778007022715579310noreply@blogger.comBlogger491125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-64659303291941356072016-10-26T22:52:00.002+01:002016-10-26T22:52:55.456+01:00Spooky SnacksIt's Halloween (almost).<br />
And I've remembered in time (just) that I made lots of Halloween themed food last year, which I never shared.<br />
We had a whole day where all of the meals and snacks were spooky (apart from breakfast - so 66% meals... whatever!)<br />
<br />
I made them to offset the Halloween sadness over being given treats and snacks at several Halloween functions that weren't dairy free. Understandable both from a logistical perspective, and from a small-child upset point of view.<br />
<br />
Not quite decided yet what I'm making this year...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj93g_uXyrNkP_-VvZ334xhNc7ogvBkJmuaqhIUdtCi8CpVy8qaYk3mNZb3i-K058jx5KpZ69_ptZeTMmuJlOOSEi0c3TEGnWlcE1lZ2IZjBC3fwDBlCGPi7OA_YBm2TAg69TfgqukeBQ8P/s1600/Halloween1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj93g_uXyrNkP_-VvZ334xhNc7ogvBkJmuaqhIUdtCi8CpVy8qaYk3mNZb3i-K058jx5KpZ69_ptZeTMmuJlOOSEi0c3TEGnWlcE1lZ2IZjBC3fwDBlCGPi7OA_YBm2TAg69TfgqukeBQ8P/s400/Halloween1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<u>Morning snack</u><br />
<b>Monster mouths:</b> Apple slices filled with peanut butter, apricot tongue/raisin and peanut teeth, and icing eyes.<br />
<b>Ghosts:</b> Bananas, raisins and dairy free chocolate chips<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpBGL5hV72gbw-AvALLrxH3z8rvhdFLDuhcwTlH_c-pnUAjRyA3Y7EqoJrAfYrpxwS503kTcK7LHHjYnLZqO5XxgPSW3NilhyYr9j9LAdjpS7vK9gehalRS0HEedQHwYyh9aiijel6PsP/s1600/Halloween3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpBGL5hV72gbw-AvALLrxH3z8rvhdFLDuhcwTlH_c-pnUAjRyA3Y7EqoJrAfYrpxwS503kTcK7LHHjYnLZqO5XxgPSW3NilhyYr9j9LAdjpS7vK9gehalRS0HEedQHwYyh9aiijel6PsP/s400/Halloween3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<u>Lunch</u><br />
<b>Scary Snot Face:</b> Hard boiled egg, raisin/sultana eyes. Ketchup blood vessels. Carrot nose, dairy free pesto snot, cracker and ketchup mouth.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4mqRqe0QFJauB4Vmbm_Y3JGQlrHKLypf2myUKFDhcIewdIZL885Ghi_HG1deXWb_HWRxvK8vW3CRN2C67ej5mtotwVskHDUm8uzwU13kOXTyx85Viyuc46Mgg0dSdy93dxTVRfWrZedv/s1600/Halloween2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4mqRqe0QFJauB4Vmbm_Y3JGQlrHKLypf2myUKFDhcIewdIZL885Ghi_HG1deXWb_HWRxvK8vW3CRN2C67ej5mtotwVskHDUm8uzwU13kOXTyx85Viyuc46Mgg0dSdy93dxTVRfWrZedv/s400/Halloween2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<u>Afternoon snack</u><br />
<b>"Spider"</b> (it's missing a few legs, the plum wasn't very big!): Plum, blueberries on cocktail sticks, marshmallows on halved cocktail sticks with black icing eyes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_mUnoUdo808bzIeJvf4tH7m8DzuhqIZV0DlIf5plc5w1O8JcWZWKINbcNzj4hx4h2eAjzdyqee8AASWSNBkGEXYW0YY9cmOf6Vhnojf17GNzqla504Jo2oO00r5iS0UxvSaUtPBJbIYZ/s1600/Halloween4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_mUnoUdo808bzIeJvf4tH7m8DzuhqIZV0DlIf5plc5w1O8JcWZWKINbcNzj4hx4h2eAjzdyqee8AASWSNBkGEXYW0YY9cmOf6Vhnojf17GNzqla504Jo2oO00r5iS0UxvSaUtPBJbIYZ/s400/Halloween4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<u><br /></u>
<u>Dinner</u><br />
<b>Spider-web pizza</b>: Tortilla wrap, tomato sauce, dairy free cheese, black olives<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYfhWRtBRZdYNf1tAVsDTcwLl_2_SN7jPvYagCcWIEGTwM2fCjmF5SD8FcZksfvKNkBznvTV2jQRuo5Lisp1f4RYJXM6tF5-Cu4UT9JCS_6BqGxMviuwFX53v9gSrJ0R4H-E0h4c9G5sJ/s1600/Halloween5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYfhWRtBRZdYNf1tAVsDTcwLl_2_SN7jPvYagCcWIEGTwM2fCjmF5SD8FcZksfvKNkBznvTV2jQRuo5Lisp1f4RYJXM6tF5-Cu4UT9JCS_6BqGxMviuwFX53v9gSrJ0R4H-E0h4c9G5sJ/s400/Halloween5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Spooky Sharing Platter:</b><br />
Hot-dog directed worms (with ketchup and some little bits of olive)<br />
Crunchy bones and blood (crispy chilli beef and sweet and sour sauce)<br />
Pumpkin patch - carrot slices in puree'd pea dip<br />
Mini-crispbread toast gravestones<br />
<br />
Proof that not all Halloween food fun is chocolatey (or even sweet!)Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-82292699517284018522016-04-30T15:00:00.000+01:002016-04-30T15:00:02.068+01:00More Cakes for a good causeIn March last year I <a href="http://makey-cakey.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/cakes-for-good-cause.html">posted a roundup</a> of the first few cakes I had made since starting to volunteer for <a href="http://www.freecakesforkids.org.uk/">Free Cakes For Kids.</a><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">They are a community based charity which provides free birthday cakes, baked and decorated by volunteers, to children and families that would otherwise be unlikely to have one.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">They have volunteer groups all across the UK, so if you think you'd like to use your cake decorating skills to bring a little bit of sunshine to children and young people coping with a whole range of difficult situations, then find one near you on the website and sign up!</span><br />
<br />
A year on, and I've racked up a few more that I'd like to share.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kSUddeHAJVqiystjXrqn4NIHOsaPH1Sou_cppflgIM6fsUJHJxIsCysswFVcidQQ47ivPI7fn7KCi6g8yUvHCgK9pQImB2543xkjtripBoPChjqNYEqHpyJp2GyoxKWqmweI-XBlH2Yd/s1600/2015-12-20+23.36.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kSUddeHAJVqiystjXrqn4NIHOsaPH1Sou_cppflgIM6fsUJHJxIsCysswFVcidQQ47ivPI7fn7KCi6g8yUvHCgK9pQImB2543xkjtripBoPChjqNYEqHpyJp2GyoxKWqmweI-XBlH2Yd/s400/2015-12-20+23.36.30.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High-heel shoes </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdW2G0INgGePPL_9Rc8T9_9OvsymMeaNj-XxynmAUYFWQ1rZKLSmQjgP0BF_nkZBo50OR2-xW4P9aSUeU1O4Mt7vV2qSk-ue3HQmExTJJ6TX-y4_4T3xaVXYrnDv6PM8ZAKexOXwvWNGg/s1600/2016-04-26+00.51.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdW2G0INgGePPL_9Rc8T9_9OvsymMeaNj-XxynmAUYFWQ1rZKLSmQjgP0BF_nkZBo50OR2-xW4P9aSUeU1O4Mt7vV2qSk-ue3HQmExTJJ6TX-y4_4T3xaVXYrnDv6PM8ZAKexOXwvWNGg/s400/2016-04-26+00.51.56.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Football stadium (expressly requested with players) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4iqc934y6cb0DIErfRALHz0eWUBaaO2DJ7M6tn9yW7PIQpL_qVdZXXYJJL2Mg5xHerUdIUGryP1vQTik2azPS74AzqGUch2smJJf-VW0mfaxc1jRdCFos-UWcfOOJtipuXIVKaywu8gYh/s1600/Horses+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4iqc934y6cb0DIErfRALHz0eWUBaaO2DJ7M6tn9yW7PIQpL_qVdZXXYJJL2Mg5xHerUdIUGryP1vQTik2azPS74AzqGUch2smJJf-VW0mfaxc1jRdCFos-UWcfOOJtipuXIVKaywu8gYh/s400/Horses+cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horse </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7eoqSECDQSu6LvfHy4b_Oj5bNvy5gXHYdvczisB06v0yTruNgFkEBDYvNL_V9XQbu2pLn_YoaCJZOARloFxHr36Vv9O5oS71af2PBGgSQMwAbst1OhnSZNhOijwii5fqaHblXPG4hlYo/s1600/IMG_20150406_143509855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7eoqSECDQSu6LvfHy4b_Oj5bNvy5gXHYdvczisB06v0yTruNgFkEBDYvNL_V9XQbu2pLn_YoaCJZOARloFxHr36Vv9O5oS71af2PBGgSQMwAbst1OhnSZNhOijwii5fqaHblXPG4hlYo/s400/IMG_20150406_143509855.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb7euI-vJjBsNhdwGhOGdk8qocmSE0A13vK78jp1EkKozg4bfYwCwhieuymQOJTDQfmAseIeRSNMmggnWDZm4t-MT7957OJlB-aF5ea5L8liNf5mvwNKWpAgreYMdo3zV05q03u-8fY82V/s1600/IMG_20150517_143624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb7euI-vJjBsNhdwGhOGdk8qocmSE0A13vK78jp1EkKozg4bfYwCwhieuymQOJTDQfmAseIeRSNMmggnWDZm4t-MT7957OJlB-aF5ea5L8liNf5mvwNKWpAgreYMdo3zV05q03u-8fY82V/s400/IMG_20150517_143624.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Power Rangers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb7QXDi8e9yjDpSc35qeti92U78wk4_Gjy19B-S2XiOvaQ3YmQB3MuXem72W8v_Q7S82m8-3qW_4rSiFDEuhANvgIFPE6-MlDathyphenhyphenrHgTfOf4Y1x0-GMpqEWfhtRHpKqRbppobyOlmueBe/s1600/IMG_20150805_224934783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb7QXDi8e9yjDpSc35qeti92U78wk4_Gjy19B-S2XiOvaQ3YmQB3MuXem72W8v_Q7S82m8-3qW_4rSiFDEuhANvgIFPE6-MlDathyphenhyphenrHgTfOf4Y1x0-GMpqEWfhtRHpKqRbppobyOlmueBe/s400/IMG_20150805_224934783.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ballet </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTal4uz9gVbL389E3btpcOWgXfJnihIjqTM4uqzl_kxcidLcQg4kb8OcVfnQtLoUMqR86Gk60DQOiN4YCXA5M-NPoPgA_uuWZ4xH37AxPSkA5E-xmGuqFr-8aWmr1cwqJ2LNOQe-_oax7B/s1600/IMG_20160131_222152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTal4uz9gVbL389E3btpcOWgXfJnihIjqTM4uqzl_kxcidLcQg4kb8OcVfnQtLoUMqR86Gk60DQOiN4YCXA5M-NPoPgA_uuWZ4xH37AxPSkA5E-xmGuqFr-8aWmr1cwqJ2LNOQe-_oax7B/s400/IMG_20160131_222152.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minecraft</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjayFBWjNRZ3SHuoJttbROw9JuS8t9jDlH365cBOBgMLh32-lWQHGi0dUtxaczhZUu3TNrMjfZd7WUf8MV9GS6zZo6nZNf2DeOgIEc9hnRq2tgoYYLaj2KxA3dUa6UeyHFC8Mo4c5hkHPPE/s1600/Incredibles+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjayFBWjNRZ3SHuoJttbROw9JuS8t9jDlH365cBOBgMLh32-lWQHGi0dUtxaczhZUu3TNrMjfZd7WUf8MV9GS6zZo6nZNf2DeOgIEc9hnRq2tgoYYLaj2KxA3dUa6UeyHFC8Mo4c5hkHPPE/s400/Incredibles+cake.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Incredibles </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0I85Aj1XIeOnC0ZDrsabDd7Y2-3bGOYp7MQVXvS79dN1Y0tS1dE9NSB0QXO-iTbUl8Ej4s-9oAUpaUbuzOWVWLV5eHGSwVH94uDEoZPx6QjgUfypaRnN3iNuFgvNwlCYzEix9qawIsA5/s1600/Mermaid+Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0I85Aj1XIeOnC0ZDrsabDd7Y2-3bGOYp7MQVXvS79dN1Y0tS1dE9NSB0QXO-iTbUl8Ej4s-9oAUpaUbuzOWVWLV5eHGSwVH94uDEoZPx6QjgUfypaRnN3iNuFgvNwlCYzEix9qawIsA5/s400/Mermaid+Cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mermaid</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3DI45FbSY4M8rzPDA1pehXPPiNwtrtHHQvEfnhRW4ZkKWl310PDU0zXTMFU-6b_aRRhAelmAYFKcGlUwB2Ze_Wm_U8sCLJC6nlTvsdrZlS9r0E47R_jLXAURV6fUNSPfujNXnOzVFlAv3/s1600/DSC07224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3DI45FbSY4M8rzPDA1pehXPPiNwtrtHHQvEfnhRW4ZkKWl310PDU0zXTMFU-6b_aRRhAelmAYFKcGlUwB2Ze_Wm_U8sCLJC6nlTvsdrZlS9r0E47R_jLXAURV6fUNSPfujNXnOzVFlAv3/s400/DSC07224.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BMX Scooter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9SIZNTuV5tgXSqNul8PUPyFFAj3vN0hrh9vee_ryyo4SDpR9eCzGvK2LxI3_3dPDvyU153wpVyxJVB77FUB4mVboWqHL4VTE2-AcrkckpZse1Dsg4a0wa0_zzPFAnX-vx3M5lXT8F7YN/s1600/DSC07466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9SIZNTuV5tgXSqNul8PUPyFFAj3vN0hrh9vee_ryyo4SDpR9eCzGvK2LxI3_3dPDvyU153wpVyxJVB77FUB4mVboWqHL4VTE2-AcrkckpZse1Dsg4a0wa0_zzPFAnX-vx3M5lXT8F7YN/s400/DSC07466.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-79805070634456348502016-04-29T23:08:00.001+01:002016-04-29T23:08:24.712+01:00Q1 2016 - the recipe-less, un-blogged, neglected creations!Here's a quick run though things I've made, thought were tasty, successful or interesting enough to warrant a picture, but never got round to posting.<br />
<br />
All recipes now well and truly forgotten too!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1EST_WeStr6igTyY6DWejrWTUevvdEBiMQHb1LAq5lUooI29VdevFFUAWiI9Ix5Sb8jn3vyae1P5hl-4VHcxhs0buSpX1YGKdSkVUGvbuL6JE8twgHt70tce-TwCaHsQnE-C1xJpZT2l/s1600/2016-01-07+21.55.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1EST_WeStr6igTyY6DWejrWTUevvdEBiMQHb1LAq5lUooI29VdevFFUAWiI9Ix5Sb8jn3vyae1P5hl-4VHcxhs0buSpX1YGKdSkVUGvbuL6JE8twgHt70tce-TwCaHsQnE-C1xJpZT2l/s400/2016-01-07+21.55.55.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini cauliflower, tuna and rice crustless quiches</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiy9FldqEDsUsnr-0LMSiFuP9K62UkMxb-GAlZRmgau_HzU-DVNAaC5mfZlYTFc2OvBfnIJ-pjO4pMRZ5B_XOkClqSmrqP0SPbQc-eSyiMx_7aLi_OTu1tPXBfxI9XhnK8DQ8Vfe7WqDHX/s1600/2016-01-07+22.04.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiy9FldqEDsUsnr-0LMSiFuP9K62UkMxb-GAlZRmgau_HzU-DVNAaC5mfZlYTFc2OvBfnIJ-pjO4pMRZ5B_XOkClqSmrqP0SPbQc-eSyiMx_7aLi_OTu1tPXBfxI9XhnK8DQ8Vfe7WqDHX/s400/2016-01-07+22.04.58.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spicy honey roasted parsnips</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tiSMNii6kH0nAdVTS8DF6ozeC5ECVnCWBKi0i3bABXegtxuXTX5glS42tRS1zQO7enmjIY50Od2_3JSqAS_jvWEraNpCJkYmJWCcs7kjCiJa9fXbQ-5QxsXcIX2ITI0hZzP0zzGM6XYr/s1600/2016-01-12+21.30.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tiSMNii6kH0nAdVTS8DF6ozeC5ECVnCWBKi0i3bABXegtxuXTX5glS42tRS1zQO7enmjIY50Od2_3JSqAS_jvWEraNpCJkYmJWCcs7kjCiJa9fXbQ-5QxsXcIX2ITI0hZzP0zzGM6XYr/s400/2016-01-12+21.30.41.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese cabbage pancake </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6u4NhAZ_b20BlIygIVjRvpp2upg-qyRd6YVXSQdBRWqM9s_gDWUkTHxtIuezXe6xX5z358xHuGws5-BiftDZiMk8K2iAZjTYqhwRoSL5iN3zvOt94YhM8W7qTosbKY2fovm2-yepTp84B/s1600/2016-01-14+18.40.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6u4NhAZ_b20BlIygIVjRvpp2upg-qyRd6YVXSQdBRWqM9s_gDWUkTHxtIuezXe6xX5z358xHuGws5-BiftDZiMk8K2iAZjTYqhwRoSL5iN3zvOt94YhM8W7qTosbKY2fovm2-yepTp84B/s320/2016-01-14+18.40.55.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quick creamy tomato and almond pasta sauce: before...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pntuGbCxJQU5XXll_c-AnRP0VQIscjjnEyIZau3gkGM4Uoye3BOU7VKQA5_LuiCON2Ak-ktg-33LFkJNQxWF0fBdOARC9Hf0M1_RFCYati4oQ9e-ejSKiOlKseqdGJSba1vrPk8-aTRb/s1600/2016-01-14+18.56.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pntuGbCxJQU5XXll_c-AnRP0VQIscjjnEyIZau3gkGM4Uoye3BOU7VKQA5_LuiCON2Ak-ktg-33LFkJNQxWF0fBdOARC9Hf0M1_RFCYati4oQ9e-ejSKiOlKseqdGJSba1vrPk8-aTRb/s400/2016-01-14+18.56.36.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quick creamy tomato and almond pasta sauce: after</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ReDA1v_-YQD6pc41FrZ4lKZpldXOHVZBF1FadAElKCgYatpPFMQEUGHBtRTKBdmqMnVnL84ETe2S2g9278yjpCfvd_oG6AnhnGI74F9-vudva3rGfMvbz3ZJrl3d1GVhdHBiVAZZkHhF/s1600/2016-01-20+14.26.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ReDA1v_-YQD6pc41FrZ4lKZpldXOHVZBF1FadAElKCgYatpPFMQEUGHBtRTKBdmqMnVnL84ETe2S2g9278yjpCfvd_oG6AnhnGI74F9-vudva3rGfMvbz3ZJrl3d1GVhdHBiVAZZkHhF/s400/2016-01-20+14.26.01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini caramel apple galettes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxW4j6GqgnD6TC4-P_5qs4kuo9IE7JDB3-aCVC_UyQLw8PTZfCSM_Uamspc8VFySXowrQDi-q4pTJKsQnpMZi_IIGSOYo4hCsv2_tvUc6sjR9gqYRQ0dWJnomqycGkUyk98CEv2SXpEBD/s1600/2016-01-20+17.12.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxW4j6GqgnD6TC4-P_5qs4kuo9IE7JDB3-aCVC_UyQLw8PTZfCSM_Uamspc8VFySXowrQDi-q4pTJKsQnpMZi_IIGSOYo4hCsv2_tvUc6sjR9gqYRQ0dWJnomqycGkUyk98CEv2SXpEBD/s400/2016-01-20+17.12.45.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green chicken noodle soup </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdu_4aQMbIO4J_NGCFSzt9wmbhvVIRfg92zDeC1Oo9LCp9gVtWNK4IB4Its4ceu7-5cRqOY6IyXHTDJR99Kg6qwJcNCgK0qWprR2II7Rt80s5DWVf6A19EYISw5056X4nFzMobhruTSUR2/s1600/2016-01-20+19.24.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdu_4aQMbIO4J_NGCFSzt9wmbhvVIRfg92zDeC1Oo9LCp9gVtWNK4IB4Its4ceu7-5cRqOY6IyXHTDJR99Kg6qwJcNCgK0qWprR2II7Rt80s5DWVf6A19EYISw5056X4nFzMobhruTSUR2/s400/2016-01-20+19.24.28.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mushroom stroganoff with creamy coconut yoghurt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNmmg_E0jm-jigZTAADezuujA-3VMOkLGbOHyRe8CizVs5OMypgxvOIQvrPoGN0_B6GLEfoJvOwQoS9A3C2ibkwt3C0_sXFgNXAZKkX-qfmr64rpt4JetFdBTewvb5_ZqdbZjS9IEbp94x/s1600/2016-01-21+19.55.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNmmg_E0jm-jigZTAADezuujA-3VMOkLGbOHyRe8CizVs5OMypgxvOIQvrPoGN0_B6GLEfoJvOwQoS9A3C2ibkwt3C0_sXFgNXAZKkX-qfmr64rpt4JetFdBTewvb5_ZqdbZjS9IEbp94x/s400/2016-01-21+19.55.05.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Veggie meatball toad in the holes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsroUFUNJBXNucvH_pV4Te9Wog3s2BrbQIJpi5tKnhszM9h3SuzAh4RpwH9XIcqPW3iJiRPSDjQ2hCAtHD7VpPsu5P0pXfEwCHvRW1hULKqQaXgGgfJMKo_Qd1u_Ma2uo_EzTI3HzSlp2_/s1600/2016-01-22+17.33.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsroUFUNJBXNucvH_pV4Te9Wog3s2BrbQIJpi5tKnhszM9h3SuzAh4RpwH9XIcqPW3iJiRPSDjQ2hCAtHD7VpPsu5P0pXfEwCHvRW1hULKqQaXgGgfJMKo_Qd1u_Ma2uo_EzTI3HzSlp2_/s400/2016-01-22+17.33.56.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown bread salad </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigAPiib2NLKaBOuMjUVDQnin2oYWZFEua1oqQBvFkPUclMkPztF-kfTwtXVlSH8LeWx608R1Xsr3PHowfD3fI74mV6pchfGxfrvIaGSkDvDrPVpeFqnzBlNCLrXVq0tvK7WTe4pCvA2okl/s1600/2016-02-07+17.33.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigAPiib2NLKaBOuMjUVDQnin2oYWZFEua1oqQBvFkPUclMkPztF-kfTwtXVlSH8LeWx608R1Xsr3PHowfD3fI74mV6pchfGxfrvIaGSkDvDrPVpeFqnzBlNCLrXVq0tvK7WTe4pCvA2okl/s400/2016-02-07+17.33.07.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LOTS of little scones!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTuyjESaU6vkBsY2XCqm_0QbTyFyU_rv5SocG53pDF7iPKJV7ImnfhzzZ1-OH6E0eTe0IR0U3e-RHUnyR4P-y92H_Syp4flMBSych8OGvMPKEg1vpcpP5H1V5yzVCF9GsCJiNtaqtAeGH/s1600/2016-02-21+12.42.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTuyjESaU6vkBsY2XCqm_0QbTyFyU_rv5SocG53pDF7iPKJV7ImnfhzzZ1-OH6E0eTe0IR0U3e-RHUnyR4P-y92H_Syp4flMBSych8OGvMPKEg1vpcpP5H1V5yzVCF9GsCJiNtaqtAeGH/s400/2016-02-21+12.42.03.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini chocolate-glazed cake doughnuts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-73755196762081031682016-04-29T22:15:00.003+01:002016-04-29T22:15:40.656+01:00Because you don't have to cook when you're on holiday...So, we went on holiday at the start of April.<br />
<br />
I planned a holiday-themed food blog post. Some nice photos, local produce, etc.<br />
<br />
Instead, this is what I ended up with when sorting through the holiday snaps....<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAL9a3Pe-BaoaLTMOpcu3mYUujhAMoflvpx_RXydFUjPQwUZTMLD5f39R9yrof3CvdEUBnpModvOpVjkji9VfQdLCtPmmKC0gFEavm-QFH9OR712C7-0Yojd8dKRrpW2XsgGPMq_-Oui6/s1600/DSC07686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAL9a3Pe-BaoaLTMOpcu3mYUujhAMoflvpx_RXydFUjPQwUZTMLD5f39R9yrof3CvdEUBnpModvOpVjkji9VfQdLCtPmmKC0gFEavm-QFH9OR712C7-0Yojd8dKRrpW2XsgGPMq_-Oui6/s400/DSC07686.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tinned spaghetti hoops, heated in the can on mini stove, accompanied by peanut butter bagels. Sheltering behind a rock from the wind.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pDJactlSDXENuZf4Lun8NokDboRD0R5t1TYCyppefCJG1fFC3bDHTGkDXoixyggI7yNeZZ0JbBZABMWQe0r6fCGV-Cez9A6WqlVgwYcIo716QzR9nFm9340Pvi8sltFaBvldHxggzLlQ/s1600/2016-04-08+17.33.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pDJactlSDXENuZf4Lun8NokDboRD0R5t1TYCyppefCJG1fFC3bDHTGkDXoixyggI7yNeZZ0JbBZABMWQe0r6fCGV-Cez9A6WqlVgwYcIo716QzR9nFm9340Pvi8sltFaBvldHxggzLlQ/s400/2016-04-08+17.33.27.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oatcakes. Topped with peanut butter (a recurring theme) and dried apricots. We actually ate these in the car, parked in front of a really lovely hotel, because it was too late in the day to stop for that long with Mini-M. And we looked like drowned rats from a wet walk.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jfO5S0iL0loXZ8NmaYHG4I_R4jyDoM6RW2Oy_PGzGa3JqQUswVcSEpOOpw7sE-L8f4sMqetdAZhxJfIQaNsWF3ijlZo1qdfHq9yRzO7YoEatWAgGdN_gNopukElVoasuJKYzJQGCdm3U/s1600/2016-04-02+12.29.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jfO5S0iL0loXZ8NmaYHG4I_R4jyDoM6RW2Oy_PGzGa3JqQUswVcSEpOOpw7sE-L8f4sMqetdAZhxJfIQaNsWF3ijlZo1qdfHq9yRzO7YoEatWAgGdN_gNopukElVoasuJKYzJQGCdm3U/s400/2016-04-02+12.29.07.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camping stove. Boiling water to make up instant noodle soup.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JHpT3Fxh-MUbGuIhSVIfn6D18fp-E8OBffBzFpHorweXJ7U9tSIPtL8UDfOpFgE3DgMbtPlLgNsUzDx0MmDwdGrGQh1zN1645CM8aI5s5ubIdJrBrTsuGUOEFC355CR-zY7BZ6B2b6i0/s1600/2016-04-07+15.57.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JHpT3Fxh-MUbGuIhSVIfn6D18fp-E8OBffBzFpHorweXJ7U9tSIPtL8UDfOpFgE3DgMbtPlLgNsUzDx0MmDwdGrGQh1zN1645CM8aI5s5ubIdJrBrTsuGUOEFC355CR-zY7BZ6B2b6i0/s400/2016-04-07+15.57.52.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marshmallow and sausage. Cremated together on the same stick.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Go us, and our high standard of culinary excellence....<br />
<br />
(We were on holiday in Kintyre - bottom picture is Westport Beach. The fact that it was 8 degrees with squally heavy showers meant we had it to ourselves - the joys of Scottish holidays!)Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-61991372032601589072016-03-06T22:10:00.002+00:002016-03-06T22:15:46.647+00:00Not Baking but Faking: Giant veggie sausage rollThere area officially not enough hours in the day.<br />
I'd personally like about 28 each day I think - if anyone could sort that out it would be much appreciated!<br />
Until then, shortcuts are required: kitchen time is finite, and since I use up a fair amount of it baking birthday cakes for Free Cakes For Kids, what's left has to be quick and easy.<br />
<br />
Today's lunch creation is definitely in the category I'm christening "Not Baking but Faking". Really tasty though, so I'm sharing it here.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_LJi454ts5hmb6hvZHZI95gtyZRKY_KGKQuh6a097-wvGYZX7YaLGeVxJ5a4pQ6Sty6FQriJtCsrbYq7TZvUtA9oE4pLqbtkG-Pp2ELg-p5yW3Bjzp45zoENRnCHaEYfmyAmDmYR8pmHN/s1600/2016-03-06+13.03.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_LJi454ts5hmb6hvZHZI95gtyZRKY_KGKQuh6a097-wvGYZX7YaLGeVxJ5a4pQ6Sty6FQriJtCsrbYq7TZvUtA9oE4pLqbtkG-Pp2ELg-p5yW3Bjzp45zoENRnCHaEYfmyAmDmYR8pmHN/s400/2016-03-06+13.03.01.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Giant Veggie Sausage Roll</b> (serves 4)<br />
<ul>
<li>1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry</li>
<li>1 pouch cauliflower rice (I used <a href="https://www.caulirice.com/en/home/">Cauli Rice</a> Indian Pilau style)</li>
<li>1 single serve instant grain pot (I used <a href="http://www.artisangrains.co.uk/">Artisan Grains</a> mint tabouleh pot)</li>
<li>1 small snack-size humous pot</li>
<li>1 egg, beaten</li>
</ul>
Take the pastry out of the fridge about 30 mins before you want to use it.<br />
Preheat the oven to 180C.<br />
Make the grain pot according to the pack instructions.<br />
Mix together the rehydrated grains, cauli-rice and humous together.<br />
Unroll the pastry.<br />
Spread the filling in a line down one half long-ways, leaving a centimetre gap all around the edge for sealing.<br />
Brush around the edge very lightly with beaten egg, then fold over the other half.<br />
Seal by pressing down with a fork.<br />
Brush all over with the rest of the beaten egg.<br />
Pierce a few fork holes in the top to allow steam to escape.<br />
Slide onto a baking sheet and bake for around 30-40m until golden brown and puffed up.<br />
Cool very slightly before slicing and serving.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimc8g7Au3RHmPo9HITAUa9k8EwNzPYRT-bnEKM3pojdX9DbSZUHXqGtmTYXxNr5M9JJqdh15dBCPatTbTz5dMwl2t9P0VNCkofi639q1H9QtXPXfu4wHlz948X8MwM4HXWFU2Agx-abqat/s1600/2016-03-06+13.09.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimc8g7Au3RHmPo9HITAUa9k8EwNzPYRT-bnEKM3pojdX9DbSZUHXqGtmTYXxNr5M9JJqdh15dBCPatTbTz5dMwl2t9P0VNCkofi639q1H9QtXPXfu4wHlz948X8MwM4HXWFU2Agx-abqat/s400/2016-03-06+13.09.08.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
We enjoyed it with a salad. The filling stayed nice and firm - making it a good veggie sausage roll contender, just with a lot more flavour.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-17435487414952929442016-01-27T22:14:00.000+00:002016-01-27T22:19:35.116+00:00Plain on the outside...Since it is/was Chocolate Cake day today, I thought I'd better bake one!<br />
<br />
Here's a white chocolate and apricot loaf, which I'm taking with me to a work meeting tomorrow.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-PkExiAzpfGQRfmwAPoKPXCts4bJ65xEHrGrS4S6lDMJPkl448ClcKO6SVDj1jMpBEXicwddbONalgF4XcNyA28X0QGI9pGb36zxe9rrn9KTjrNhJaYs66LKTgvkYd8dqJA59QW-0vsC/s1600/2016-01-27+21.38.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-PkExiAzpfGQRfmwAPoKPXCts4bJ65xEHrGrS4S6lDMJPkl448ClcKO6SVDj1jMpBEXicwddbONalgF4XcNyA28X0QGI9pGb36zxe9rrn9KTjrNhJaYs66LKTgvkYd8dqJA59QW-0vsC/s640/2016-01-27+21.38.31.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
For that reason, I can't tell you how it tastes, as passing round a half-eaten cake doesn't seem so hospitable! It smells gooooood but certainly doesn't look fancy - although as I was often told growing up, it's what's on the inside that counts!<br />
<br />
It's adapted from Nigella's "Storecupboard Chocolate Orange Cake". I'm trying to reduce the amount of typing I do, so here's my spidery recipe scrawl… (click on the picture to see the full image and method)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24Vzg8sZJYNqOd5m_OdYib1iWuRwglUSwFViR6jTLqiy8XDn9UHdTsRovZ7qKwr15sSouNgvLXGV2CI9EwMNIqT_s3FjfUhXt4tuCHlxm5Uix0HoFk_qOMIETWG2hvND0q772kV6bVYQy/s1600/2016-01-27+21.57.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24Vzg8sZJYNqOd5m_OdYib1iWuRwglUSwFViR6jTLqiy8XDn9UHdTsRovZ7qKwr15sSouNgvLXGV2CI9EwMNIqT_s3FjfUhXt4tuCHlxm5Uix0HoFk_qOMIETWG2hvND0q772kV6bVYQy/s640/2016-01-27+21.57.00.jpg" width="358" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-46416786546336300252016-01-09T23:04:00.004+00:002016-01-09T23:04:55.705+00:002015 Sweet RoundupFollowing on from the savoury roundup, and without further ado, here's a sweet 2015 retrospective - all dairy free as usual.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBneM3Hm29QUyLD9IGT-BrAy3Ey9B5LxhL5NiEfghGjZ9Duj1x2z8JaCLtkRBZFdCDJ7mO5g96Kz5FZwyIJ65qf2v038bIJgfmW-WIlBAd1QJJt98rUiZ0Nj2s8WivX7wixqP5iOaZkva/s1600/2015-08-02+16.50.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBneM3Hm29QUyLD9IGT-BrAy3Ey9B5LxhL5NiEfghGjZ9Duj1x2z8JaCLtkRBZFdCDJ7mO5g96Kz5FZwyIJ65qf2v038bIJgfmW-WIlBAd1QJJt98rUiZ0Nj2s8WivX7wixqP5iOaZkva/s320/2015-08-02+16.50.57.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cherry, chocolate and nut galette </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9TCsIHvl8WByw2SDJw1ELbdxsBjilRTW8rnG3Q5ITR77vIZmIN1nZ-kEkHS88-6hiOfAyWWbXZG8N1pLBDNjHpWaPiT86M79YUm2ep0hT6EgLsKpr6nsS-XqfjZS3b9Xv9PZXJlZ-V24/s1600/2015-06-26+17.51.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9TCsIHvl8WByw2SDJw1ELbdxsBjilRTW8rnG3Q5ITR77vIZmIN1nZ-kEkHS88-6hiOfAyWWbXZG8N1pLBDNjHpWaPiT86M79YUm2ep0hT6EgLsKpr6nsS-XqfjZS3b9Xv9PZXJlZ-V24/s320/2015-06-26+17.51.59.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strawberry scones - Hello Kitty shaped, of course</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83WejiS8SLhQCxGRmwZcQKXRnpyfAly_9iXHjTfLKpnSceAJ2-LBi0A8wGNKkh8A4EkgGdES_KrSFF2Dv52XzEea-KNvwVPCG7ZLmRRsUy6czYpjCWpjeN7xUa_NKAvbGQoOTC4Y9doNm/s1600/2015-06-28+16.08.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83WejiS8SLhQCxGRmwZcQKXRnpyfAly_9iXHjTfLKpnSceAJ2-LBi0A8wGNKkh8A4EkgGdES_KrSFF2Dv52XzEea-KNvwVPCG7ZLmRRsUy6czYpjCWpjeN7xUa_NKAvbGQoOTC4Y9doNm/s320/2015-06-28+16.08.12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink porridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjANLYcWXbFpX7rkcP2J-55zuSdxvQfWHuvKa6jSpYxc6Xp3k058SLTa7mAftvVCSE9lLUtIt8GHKEhDqK1tfkMxxonzfq-Ew2_einOfzDbsFgsQBflar-POSTfBbFwAOkSTn6voXHb6p-/s1600/2015-07-05+20.58.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjANLYcWXbFpX7rkcP2J-55zuSdxvQfWHuvKa6jSpYxc6Xp3k058SLTa7mAftvVCSE9lLUtIt8GHKEhDqK1tfkMxxonzfq-Ew2_einOfzDbsFgsQBflar-POSTfBbFwAOkSTn6voXHb6p-/s320/2015-07-05+20.58.04.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jam on the horizon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEv_qJzWxXOtgcxeDQWFf8D_LqyaxYqKUkVOnUY1_uLobY_hFrJ9BlkQz4AXWPdZFKRH0NaR0ENbXso9cCax3dhMAC-8kRiFI0DHv2b03n6_uiCkGwrdrbR1h7VW617d3gd2JB69bqQMF/s1600/2015-07-24+20.22.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEv_qJzWxXOtgcxeDQWFf8D_LqyaxYqKUkVOnUY1_uLobY_hFrJ9BlkQz4AXWPdZFKRH0NaR0ENbXso9cCax3dhMAC-8kRiFI0DHv2b03n6_uiCkGwrdrbR1h7VW617d3gd2JB69bqQMF/s320/2015-07-24+20.22.57.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polkadot cake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOeon2FRTK5fjRV_AP6PinVdFChliJXSlRlLeLPm6i2SAn2-8S1Z4fBO6o4baoBnIAgnkaJSUnuqy77D_ppLXeQ6-2nmzfPVn8s7JO9Tn24J2PQh29q0zp8a-37wTc7fIQHhqZv_puxK4/s1600/2015-07-25+10.44.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOeon2FRTK5fjRV_AP6PinVdFChliJXSlRlLeLPm6i2SAn2-8S1Z4fBO6o4baoBnIAgnkaJSUnuqy77D_ppLXeQ6-2nmzfPVn8s7JO9Tn24J2PQh29q0zp8a-37wTc7fIQHhqZv_puxK4/s320/2015-07-25+10.44.59.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">30x birthday party sushi-style snack packs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlnqkPWZMSjpNFO31gb-ZFxq0-hCwlJl-dmn0a_cxts5XSenAyw_7uY9Im14SBoX9NQx1lXyUm_0JRLt_VkoC9qH58We8GlcnPHTZLDR8huNyMdhOlaYdWTkvFGu5BDpMSevEViDE_mUJs/s1600/2015-08-08+19.33.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlnqkPWZMSjpNFO31gb-ZFxq0-hCwlJl-dmn0a_cxts5XSenAyw_7uY9Im14SBoX9NQx1lXyUm_0JRLt_VkoC9qH58We8GlcnPHTZLDR8huNyMdhOlaYdWTkvFGu5BDpMSevEViDE_mUJs/s320/2015-08-08+19.33.32.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade red wine!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6VDbUG_mgfOfWp4bmbkqjwYGHDMQv1pYpZdaG9YAQwH0T3TvKHGMWoHoi5BH2tYEd6p0HNA_RhoP1f20sVi6NmJBrqRyrOV2ZLc5_0cLtiRtaU0kcjU_TZzvTGSTbEqgpYUPt2MozQqem/s1600/2015-08-18+07.02.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6VDbUG_mgfOfWp4bmbkqjwYGHDMQv1pYpZdaG9YAQwH0T3TvKHGMWoHoi5BH2tYEd6p0HNA_RhoP1f20sVi6NmJBrqRyrOV2ZLc5_0cLtiRtaU0kcjU_TZzvTGSTbEqgpYUPt2MozQqem/s320/2015-08-18+07.02.27.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of may batches of pancakes. Probably with some oats and ground almonds chucked in for good measure</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy50wFPKbuEXyt4KGfG4wOiIvuavM58i9fftMT5BbmV2VtX7lQe9ny_BNhuCcbiWwjUvhWabyRDM-h9bKcUUELR1BCtwH-isi3GxhHYGjaBZSDt78yAmZfJ0nAvGxBTTmHJk4cpKT2W4Wg/s1600/2015-09-27+15.19.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy50wFPKbuEXyt4KGfG4wOiIvuavM58i9fftMT5BbmV2VtX7lQe9ny_BNhuCcbiWwjUvhWabyRDM-h9bKcUUELR1BCtwH-isi3GxhHYGjaBZSDt78yAmZfJ0nAvGxBTTmHJk4cpKT2W4Wg/s320/2015-09-27+15.19.23.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretzels from the bakery, decorated by Mini-M </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_R1edy-wVd6xbyBNP0fD8DFuaeCbF-63v9Mz-Y1L6prvvTDxzdxXzoYJG2lkbPX4S-67vZcmtQCGaHEmrL6GF7EW_LZKoFpViXL9o5cuzh4Ic-Pa5YM8iMu_vFe68IanUZKYOzOiP4Xe/s1600/2015-10-17+19.33.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_R1edy-wVd6xbyBNP0fD8DFuaeCbF-63v9Mz-Y1L6prvvTDxzdxXzoYJG2lkbPX4S-67vZcmtQCGaHEmrL6GF7EW_LZKoFpViXL9o5cuzh4Ic-Pa5YM8iMu_vFe68IanUZKYOzOiP4Xe/s320/2015-10-17+19.33.46.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Norfolk hedgerow pudding</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyA9krtCgyl8DUmE2A4rZ7p9SIzdueABt7dMpYshusdnZOvKB4ztcGOwyjq0X8p8W6EWT93LFzs-fcJ-VQcnXAHKUO3XesgkqgBvDNzk6jx4qC85ayD8SLe8mMbIn12-e-RE0mQXebegy-/s1600/2015-11-06+18.01.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyA9krtCgyl8DUmE2A4rZ7p9SIzdueABt7dMpYshusdnZOvKB4ztcGOwyjq0X8p8W6EWT93LFzs-fcJ-VQcnXAHKUO3XesgkqgBvDNzk6jx4qC85ayD8SLe8mMbIn12-e-RE0mQXebegy-/s320/2015-11-06+18.01.11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pancake names (turns out you need to write them back to front for them to look good once they're cooked)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJKsgaG8d-ClD6dln2CYrBFUdYjYRkzOjGideTtBGQnANT6cxWGtv4ayyMeEcypEOrp3VKjFiYLvkggorQjVcpQ-Kedn6y22bBP4wJSm_1Mjdj0dMEIqRxWAd_2-R-1VJyGJb-gO2pmGh/s1600/2015-12-19+10.52.33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJKsgaG8d-ClD6dln2CYrBFUdYjYRkzOjGideTtBGQnANT6cxWGtv4ayyMeEcypEOrp3VKjFiYLvkggorQjVcpQ-Kedn6y22bBP4wJSm_1Mjdj0dMEIqRxWAd_2-R-1VJyGJb-gO2pmGh/s320/2015-12-19+10.52.33.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gingerbread pancakes - did I mention we like pancakes?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPfsG0Z7XmDzSNF0w58YN64KfiQBWX6ma5Ka060YZAy-K_06ISMVTzwlDA2oetaXjMSo3Sc4QujChnohLGqB0nLRCUYRBbgBmwQ5wTGgTvU-BiTVdclxXZN9JBDEiyhfzrJTPeP1Yb-QK/s1600/2015-12-24+18.05.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPfsG0Z7XmDzSNF0w58YN64KfiQBWX6ma5Ka060YZAy-K_06ISMVTzwlDA2oetaXjMSo3Sc4QujChnohLGqB0nLRCUYRBbgBmwQ5wTGgTvU-BiTVdclxXZN9JBDEiyhfzrJTPeP1Yb-QK/s320/2015-12-24+18.05.56.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate profiteroles with hazelnut filling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMeyGnXYQ7qf1CLnxuOkHn5n_uKJxTcB30TPMl47YOWHn27ShbKBYweL_WfOrz0omxOhhksRf7PGiWN2Zpw-Pm3DgMrg06T0S1gENHiFDD2zlEJYJ1p6mrlhodPY7ktyXPx4ZqNFLMyS2/s1600/2016-01-01+14.56.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMeyGnXYQ7qf1CLnxuOkHn5n_uKJxTcB30TPMl47YOWHn27ShbKBYweL_WfOrz0omxOhhksRf7PGiWN2Zpw-Pm3DgMrg06T0S1gENHiFDD2zlEJYJ1p6mrlhodPY7ktyXPx4ZqNFLMyS2/s320/2016-01-01+14.56.48.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eclairs with chocolate filling </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUn_WAactzC_PIp7uszEW-aCmI1OAyhOVv-3HM8g5iDQqlg4xzQHQH0o3EtOya48uXAZthUemjszgFs6o3Ja31cDBw4vNeMUXef_k5hkkKa2dHayRyf6yu0PmdEvUwWak_lNaqsObocOl/s1600/DSC05940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUn_WAactzC_PIp7uszEW-aCmI1OAyhOVv-3HM8g5iDQqlg4xzQHQH0o3EtOya48uXAZthUemjszgFs6o3Ja31cDBw4vNeMUXef_k5hkkKa2dHayRyf6yu0PmdEvUwWak_lNaqsObocOl/s320/DSC05940.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fruity mango porridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrd7A_fTucnQ7me9mOTyXf4_8vk5px06n3mUWIbc-bvFgt_goma_ngALbgLFJiF3oReIGQxFLmJFp7WId8uJAUFtAuLz3CRM21DaQ9rf58ALSWzTv3h7rUKmHTUwSnuqtXI5MYnpb5wUaC/s1600/DSC05954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrd7A_fTucnQ7me9mOTyXf4_8vk5px06n3mUWIbc-bvFgt_goma_ngALbgLFJiF3oReIGQxFLmJFp7WId8uJAUFtAuLz3CRM21DaQ9rf58ALSWzTv3h7rUKmHTUwSnuqtXI5MYnpb5wUaC/s320/DSC05954.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marzipan, mincemeat and plum tart</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Xm-dz7ZsDparlrRl4eKvu2FgGLu9fZYRFGjhVeTkDqhyRDzyc0AX2xEdPUA48UVX8SEX3aGV2Esn3kDmvUbn5CJtssCOI0wtY56BZj-BbSX8Y4_uKXp32iyy-v1GX8x3Dpix9fzMqCB5/s1600/DSC06062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Xm-dz7ZsDparlrRl4eKvu2FgGLu9fZYRFGjhVeTkDqhyRDzyc0AX2xEdPUA48UVX8SEX3aGV2Esn3kDmvUbn5CJtssCOI0wtY56BZj-BbSX8Y4_uKXp32iyy-v1GX8x3Dpix9fzMqCB5/s320/DSC06062.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oreo and M&M cake with birthday bunting </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BN4r6OnQIG3m7TdJbhZbwaZHm7GmRvgNFLLHgaNU1DmHVKhd5CDhqbA03tEa9Yz7n_Rk7j-SeEar7xCKDThwgXkHtqP2Ne6WFv1p9uRFtIridMaY2qh8yX3tWhWYwRDJeoriZWpCE_4e/s1600/DSC06136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BN4r6OnQIG3m7TdJbhZbwaZHm7GmRvgNFLLHgaNU1DmHVKhd5CDhqbA03tEa9Yz7n_Rk7j-SeEar7xCKDThwgXkHtqP2Ne6WFv1p9uRFtIridMaY2qh8yX3tWhWYwRDJeoriZWpCE_4e/s320/DSC06136.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate cake with raspberries </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BX3wiyRCkq2axfE408HdAoRQxxUJZ-FE3_DkRs9FqFJIWjeaR0l4dURPQ3ybgPLQSwTMq3amoX_LzfZKVTR2BUhXuZTWzsBfXpmDZ0TAgmt6AGZ7H6GlhL8T1bXh6Hw6hxBdaoPMz6xe/s1600/DSC06190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BX3wiyRCkq2axfE408HdAoRQxxUJZ-FE3_DkRs9FqFJIWjeaR0l4dURPQ3ybgPLQSwTMq3amoX_LzfZKVTR2BUhXuZTWzsBfXpmDZ0TAgmt6AGZ7H6GlhL8T1bXh6Hw6hxBdaoPMz6xe/s320/DSC06190.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glitzy peppermint creams</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFUBHkAkTbYDGcOlrDH5sUnxVu6x5VJKgKwYa_plQKUOrsurH8W9FBJyHrnrsr3rpoAO6D3GzmWEdbixGufLiMpWAiNpAgboa1Kjwaqne8BDpRAupia2KVBmjQk96947k_bkPN23nch0_/s1600/DSC06490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFUBHkAkTbYDGcOlrDH5sUnxVu6x5VJKgKwYa_plQKUOrsurH8W9FBJyHrnrsr3rpoAO6D3GzmWEdbixGufLiMpWAiNpAgboa1Kjwaqne8BDpRAupia2KVBmjQk96947k_bkPN23nch0_/s320/DSC06490.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhubarb and custard cake (DF)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhp6Wg3a4DkJXtgaRtqdZgku5wArF-jOBn09AS40MlwY74hjn6fUvkJrOCCECR-U7HRBjRgIGn7SJQvFQQyTLj0X91v_E68rbtZjwok3syErZ9FKi5ITVPqLclj8ZBBLmzIyXcTkWU-fw4/s1600/DSC06519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhp6Wg3a4DkJXtgaRtqdZgku5wArF-jOBn09AS40MlwY74hjn6fUvkJrOCCECR-U7HRBjRgIGn7SJQvFQQyTLj0X91v_E68rbtZjwok3syErZ9FKi5ITVPqLclj8ZBBLmzIyXcTkWU-fw4/s320/DSC06519.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plain fruit cake...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTboqGdtvGPhAxEKHi9QgkMtuNJ3WgDmwkcBrfGTg-OhOU8hGGr66vFZr_CAlIHULTaOkl-2BVl2aRezWII55qp49jv1b_d7HsyBHWarUruSCpKUTHA6tJ_MczE9bzP3-5uPlGUpBvo7a_/s1600/DSC06524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTboqGdtvGPhAxEKHi9QgkMtuNJ3WgDmwkcBrfGTg-OhOU8hGGr66vFZr_CAlIHULTaOkl-2BVl2aRezWII55qp49jv1b_d7HsyBHWarUruSCpKUTHA6tJ_MczE9bzP3-5uPlGUpBvo7a_/s320/DSC06524.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fruitcake decorate in the way only a 5 year old can</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4sLZnJjynRLE045AxnIn41Ea-v9razBjnJaZLwhOtBHKlxAJt2BwrTUI-nZl6dJJHBVvL_jt8MM2OLpeDquTEMqGRVm9zWB6d7BNdopBTxdfxl3lP9GY1MJZXhR52_lfZherSWMckqQF/s1600/DSC06522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4sLZnJjynRLE045AxnIn41Ea-v9razBjnJaZLwhOtBHKlxAJt2BwrTUI-nZl6dJJHBVvL_jt8MM2OLpeDquTEMqGRVm9zWB6d7BNdopBTxdfxl3lP9GY1MJZXhR52_lfZherSWMckqQF/s320/DSC06522.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate brownie </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeSBPO9JgKd0f32oLzvXS4DHTkfvM4VitdL5v2Za_Mqz2OWEOMj6mS18IMd2GKEHOdC6TiVnO_lgtAdpo3b-4qRRg-ACqi2rsCaPcWr7aZsWcQaAwmsLPeANWYQ5DplYN_R8qZGCNKCod/s1600/DSC06703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeSBPO9JgKd0f32oLzvXS4DHTkfvM4VitdL5v2Za_Mqz2OWEOMj6mS18IMd2GKEHOdC6TiVnO_lgtAdpo3b-4qRRg-ACqi2rsCaPcWr7aZsWcQaAwmsLPeANWYQ5DplYN_R8qZGCNKCod/s320/DSC06703.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday cake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlUK8-ezna8dj42sVU_x_ygDhpISo-uqs5YYAXbl-xQgFzBMl48Yhyphenhyphen5vVy-iO55IbyX-AEQLveZbrm12YDO5tWPJnHumQRnkaTZlxUzKjFoGJdvxDTn_-ZGs4KyLH4iqkK0o3eX-vJMrS/s1600/DSC06866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlUK8-ezna8dj42sVU_x_ygDhpISo-uqs5YYAXbl-xQgFzBMl48Yhyphenhyphen5vVy-iO55IbyX-AEQLveZbrm12YDO5tWPJnHumQRnkaTZlxUzKjFoGJdvxDTn_-ZGs4KyLH4iqkK0o3eX-vJMrS/s320/DSC06866.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate cherry cupcakes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyPNrHvA9ePEQSoRTnxdoAnoCI1qadN8vuVtlVc4kEPmrSGlQtYIY55lcNkAAZQoR6YvQyAfBWhmDD1HWPC92EeI0w2SHAGIb3FynWk5W-Ax-akOfJF6qNNygywvGXbmPjhPnsKahbAgx/s1600/DSC06997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyPNrHvA9ePEQSoRTnxdoAnoCI1qadN8vuVtlVc4kEPmrSGlQtYIY55lcNkAAZQoR6YvQyAfBWhmDD1HWPC92EeI0w2SHAGIb3FynWk5W-Ax-akOfJF6qNNygywvGXbmPjhPnsKahbAgx/s320/DSC06997.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink grapefruit drizzle cake </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kEM883r1J7S4GWLghyi17oOCSdWNRNZnIAzFuHlV3zLqc5S_C65ydxAigAhygImfyZAdWJh7eMq2Q7g2gNIVJq71qq4qsYxil0Q3TrvWIbIwvw9PYhfVNyHpEaFp6wJC9joo6RS8SEGK/s1600/DSC07199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kEM883r1J7S4GWLghyi17oOCSdWNRNZnIAzFuHlV3zLqc5S_C65ydxAigAhygImfyZAdWJh7eMq2Q7g2gNIVJq71qq4qsYxil0Q3TrvWIbIwvw9PYhfVNyHpEaFp6wJC9joo6RS8SEGK/s320/DSC07199.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple and seed breakfast bites </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLf4ahaGEjh1NeGoRg5Q7DG7CiNX5J2AzG_LjUv5IqH3uEHXNI8ieRyWrtZjgfxjZRSRzLrzSFX67dbIBxptuUqcagkWcppyev25AW5I0EQWV44GKR2ZH8aauHnjgT5SjHKMcgpmppuFi/s1600/DSC07202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLf4ahaGEjh1NeGoRg5Q7DG7CiNX5J2AzG_LjUv5IqH3uEHXNI8ieRyWrtZjgfxjZRSRzLrzSFX67dbIBxptuUqcagkWcppyev25AW5I0EQWV44GKR2ZH8aauHnjgT5SjHKMcgpmppuFi/s320/DSC07202.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate coconut fudge </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikC-MDVKMvzjyFnhe4N_Fu815zY4pi_BguTSV7zJBXulZqb-InMwww-M5dL3gcHDYJ1U05Y1n27IrOgV9QpgFl1pGfTUB53AWoc7EgYaPOrLCS0EH9k37g5JRfsP4gUVEau429Fs4Rn6fN/s1600/DSC07203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikC-MDVKMvzjyFnhe4N_Fu815zY4pi_BguTSV7zJBXulZqb-InMwww-M5dL3gcHDYJ1U05Y1n27IrOgV9QpgFl1pGfTUB53AWoc7EgYaPOrLCS0EH9k37g5JRfsP4gUVEau429Fs4Rn6fN/s320/DSC07203.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate mug cake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-39965627569966255992016-01-09T22:27:00.001+00:002016-01-09T22:27:11.381+00:002015 Savoury RoundupIt's 2016. A new year, and a resolution to strike a better work life balance than 2015, part of which means I might hopefully manage a few more blog posts. We'll see!<br />
<br />
I did cook stuff last year (although there were a lot of fish fingers on the menu too…). Some of it was quite nice - I love a good fish finger sandwich.<br />
<br />
And with some sense of unrealistic optimism, I even took a few photos of things as I went along, which then languished on my SD card and cluttered up my DropBox, so in the name of a New Year clear out, here are those pictures - a visual smorgasbord of some of the non-fish-finger meals we ate last year.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagx9-eGBUrYiFx1bsXhFUMucH0qP6ddI1BcHPlS7hy0ob8QX7MQFkKeIQErx7HWtVbKmshyphenhyphenYiJ3b3GPo_tMnBlmXh3ZngVfBMmC4Y27DCqulsiC-4UaoIeS-ITEat-QjZWXBrKeJZsbW2/s1600/2015-08-04+12.15.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagx9-eGBUrYiFx1bsXhFUMucH0qP6ddI1BcHPlS7hy0ob8QX7MQFkKeIQErx7HWtVbKmshyphenhyphenYiJ3b3GPo_tMnBlmXh3ZngVfBMmC4Y27DCqulsiC-4UaoIeS-ITEat-QjZWXBrKeJZsbW2/s320/2015-08-04+12.15.00.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pasta with chard pesto</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWh6EtGgsFFxp03XrOqso8DXLJKf04v4ZggvLK_lCNSKsEKHqSO1qt_0ewr3qOv93XZ3Cba_MedbJHVWGLbDl6RCLJ5T88859Jq0s3OHC4HTTluFWRHLOikywMXwOA9nNm6nsQJQfBvOF7/s1600/DSC06510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWh6EtGgsFFxp03XrOqso8DXLJKf04v4ZggvLK_lCNSKsEKHqSO1qt_0ewr3qOv93XZ3Cba_MedbJHVWGLbDl6RCLJ5T88859Jq0s3OHC4HTTluFWRHLOikywMXwOA9nNm6nsQJQfBvOF7/s320/DSC06510.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Refried bean french toast bake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNZnwCFkCvVvEov1V67qpJpSClIMmVynilTpoVcNOmwCliaKwI_KAAXFHhFNeisPwLV2PPoboNG1qe_Pz__A-RF_fdthqmumLGjacQR9kJkRSGN_mVVYh0b6zgVE1DHN9Qd-4PbArPeny/s1600/2015-06-01+18.09.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNZnwCFkCvVvEov1V67qpJpSClIMmVynilTpoVcNOmwCliaKwI_KAAXFHhFNeisPwLV2PPoboNG1qe_Pz__A-RF_fdthqmumLGjacQR9kJkRSGN_mVVYh0b6zgVE1DHN9Qd-4PbArPeny/s320/2015-06-01+18.09.06.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meatballs with roasted cauliflower "rice", dairy free "cheese" sauce and tomatoes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf81A7Jhu2GQVunrPo7sovKRBCz96taqHBr8O7H7wX7eKyGtZG4cwPZbAqQfBnPAPhNrVkxEdVJNHErKQ6wC-24qTdln7EBJ2rV7d4WgQRSWD37_zva_yWRl0G0mLzt6PjyXmf_R8nmjmE/s1600/2015-07-06+17.25.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf81A7Jhu2GQVunrPo7sovKRBCz96taqHBr8O7H7wX7eKyGtZG4cwPZbAqQfBnPAPhNrVkxEdVJNHErKQ6wC-24qTdln7EBJ2rV7d4WgQRSWD37_zva_yWRl0G0mLzt6PjyXmf_R8nmjmE/s320/2015-07-06+17.25.35.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dairy free moussaka</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRpUFDhyphenhyphenzgvA-EWUzm7lL8bbQQsxdeTY1yQm9UGVRsH9VUkmoBRZDetGbcMdPDrUMiGL7rbzaolmWSA_D7jT2FRHMYn38wtPevrW2sHta2e75mFaJ76WFpwCPG6hFJZwy_XvhmzKNOORlF/s1600/2015-07-11+17.33.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRpUFDhyphenhyphenzgvA-EWUzm7lL8bbQQsxdeTY1yQm9UGVRsH9VUkmoBRZDetGbcMdPDrUMiGL7rbzaolmWSA_D7jT2FRHMYn38wtPevrW2sHta2e75mFaJ76WFpwCPG6hFJZwy_XvhmzKNOORlF/s320/2015-07-11+17.33.40.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spaghetti and sausage dairy free carbonara </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KIu5bbXYmJAKU4tOCGvJBz4cTYfiwVxauJftSCEA8bgOIlgdlIcgbA2HwPU_q-aJgeyTtuPzNzut0u-fdi1wrRH0W9rml7b4d_p9WB_B81FkI0dlqnEnWaHAbmOohsdF_c5wacJZ4HuH/s1600/2015-07-15+19.28.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KIu5bbXYmJAKU4tOCGvJBz4cTYfiwVxauJftSCEA8bgOIlgdlIcgbA2HwPU_q-aJgeyTtuPzNzut0u-fdi1wrRH0W9rml7b4d_p9WB_B81FkI0dlqnEnWaHAbmOohsdF_c5wacJZ4HuH/s320/2015-07-15+19.28.44.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scrambled chard and sausage on toast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnVfIAd4Xl_QuQ2M9yl0vh_K0tgcECbEdwx0KcA7uRNc1hZVSLWtu0oJYuqibzoagLDfrdRzdQWL4qM3gntRrhnhe5IfP-LYfXg8Zb2YMefj6gaKzW8L7jkqZUSC5kMcV0-w7YpiQNj68/s1600/2015-07-16+17.29.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnVfIAd4Xl_QuQ2M9yl0vh_K0tgcECbEdwx0KcA7uRNc1hZVSLWtu0oJYuqibzoagLDfrdRzdQWL4qM3gntRrhnhe5IfP-LYfXg8Zb2YMefj6gaKzW8L7jkqZUSC5kMcV0-w7YpiQNj68/s320/2015-07-16+17.29.11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuna and green pepper potato hash with poached egg</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJ__iYuPOSY1FXHcC4EmJls5umadbn_OMvRx1u5XA6tOU5bgE5yC1lZSH9R3AJr1SvbmLtMKE8syHTBBvWFBAC1c5GfDi4JKew5qGy2RdtpTIM5uqJgjkMmC7BdI7ofmGj1a2DJT33uS0/s1600/2015-08-21+17.47.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJ__iYuPOSY1FXHcC4EmJls5umadbn_OMvRx1u5XA6tOU5bgE5yC1lZSH9R3AJr1SvbmLtMKE8syHTBBvWFBAC1c5GfDi4JKew5qGy2RdtpTIM5uqJgjkMmC7BdI7ofmGj1a2DJT33uS0/s320/2015-08-21+17.47.21.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mashed potato topped pie - no idea what was in it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF1WlhmdlFLjgVmpt_um1yrZJu5aluDl4983bb5CWo7ySGT1G-tvNk09rwO6RjKBiFgkiFAGXq6pYg31HjLVLnmfCUsvF8naW2nrUQgBUAp4pFv5i0yikd7ZgFaKnd1icCKvsnuFHumVwx/s1600/2015-12-20+12.09.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF1WlhmdlFLjgVmpt_um1yrZJu5aluDl4983bb5CWo7ySGT1G-tvNk09rwO6RjKBiFgkiFAGXq6pYg31HjLVLnmfCUsvF8naW2nrUQgBUAp4pFv5i0yikd7ZgFaKnd1icCKvsnuFHumVwx/s320/2015-12-20+12.09.50.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penne with kale and turkey sausage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XVDn7lPH6mKeU-rUIiipF912yHdRoIaLtEKUtsmsf6wDeqLwnRSp9v-3zp8RkRIg7CDJzk2V3V6x7Bh1cegTxcLaIJ-e_2vR4ahnsUE_mZEshXdHlHDeKwobxCWuYLzgxIN8xycVrBlJ/s1600/2015-12-25+11.54.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XVDn7lPH6mKeU-rUIiipF912yHdRoIaLtEKUtsmsf6wDeqLwnRSp9v-3zp8RkRIg7CDJzk2V3V6x7Bh1cegTxcLaIJ-e_2vR4ahnsUE_mZEshXdHlHDeKwobxCWuYLzgxIN8xycVrBlJ/s320/2015-12-25+11.54.30.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas dinner pizza</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_G19H_hsPyQw46XBO-NA-fcD3qyUqcNceP1Z0YxWRqdckXR8LB1pXUWrkHz2wPZMAI2fHWKRV56ebVYf2tF3ARmddRpt-EAoDz0fEwpXacsvSEjPi6e714MhGVWeJV0ZZckw7Ugn_3Re/s1600/DSC06858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_G19H_hsPyQw46XBO-NA-fcD3qyUqcNceP1Z0YxWRqdckXR8LB1pXUWrkHz2wPZMAI2fHWKRV56ebVYf2tF3ARmddRpt-EAoDz0fEwpXacsvSEjPi6e714MhGVWeJV0ZZckw7Ugn_3Re/s320/DSC06858.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fennel, almonds, apple, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice….</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqa4jbcxywOtB0wgceIW0i59AYLyWkT4sgo7siHLxJv6IQmFvNcovZCNhHXwLfIUfIxSmYralcJRujpqD0m4QRFmvAttFsDJtCWHMLe-5te7ZlDA7TARHAGoAfh-s2ZlblL-rAskeoSMC2/s1600/DSC06859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqa4jbcxywOtB0wgceIW0i59AYLyWkT4sgo7siHLxJv6IQmFvNcovZCNhHXwLfIUfIxSmYralcJRujpqD0m4QRFmvAttFsDJtCWHMLe-5te7ZlDA7TARHAGoAfh-s2ZlblL-rAskeoSMC2/s320/DSC06859.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blitz! Quick and healthy pasta sauce ready to go</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUbiRjh6mDEx6t2FFz-JmoPxu6Ff3NESXOuZLab-XgPu-EhIAKnYyruhzzsbpf0YoYS2-yrAKA5LGfNKhjfNSHUtRzLu8u45ETElk2a9TWZlbtNCaapCVNyJbgoL72Nazz1zO6uZZORQx/s1600/DSC06862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUbiRjh6mDEx6t2FFz-JmoPxu6Ff3NESXOuZLab-XgPu-EhIAKnYyruhzzsbpf0YoYS2-yrAKA5LGfNKhjfNSHUtRzLu8u45ETElk2a9TWZlbtNCaapCVNyJbgoL72Nazz1zO6uZZORQx/s320/DSC06862.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrot puree, egg, oats, spices - mix….</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqt3tOwgAvYFfVZljCshXCYgLl3ZsRFfz_OYPdopFmyWqpliA-PdeyL38xYTcFHwiI4WRTKEU2BtIEI5khiM-hNAhLJYXE8mpFmwakz8KCjuXSM7tORK4dL0jmSJYhxsIULH1NoNjPBGC6/s1600/DSC06865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqt3tOwgAvYFfVZljCshXCYgLl3ZsRFfz_OYPdopFmyWqpliA-PdeyL38xYTcFHwiI4WRTKEU2BtIEI5khiM-hNAhLJYXE8mpFmwakz8KCjuXSM7tORK4dL0jmSJYhxsIULH1NoNjPBGC6/s320/DSC06865.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrot and seed koftas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQMF0EwKpRpB3LgbUfIX8JzKmguXpA-uZ7j7tBHafqc-GRPZwjLzO7ugzfoONwZQ-XWLQopx5pq_UhQ9cNyutIAJ4Gz1lpNIFQsELDXfaCXGN8LoKzNPTwYGzbV-LROVg1PSgHsziKX3l/s1600/DSC06897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQMF0EwKpRpB3LgbUfIX8JzKmguXpA-uZ7j7tBHafqc-GRPZwjLzO7ugzfoONwZQ-XWLQopx5pq_UhQ9cNyutIAJ4Gz1lpNIFQsELDXfaCXGN8LoKzNPTwYGzbV-LROVg1PSgHsziKX3l/s320/DSC06897.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomato soup</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRblOLlmcA2ozoYnBPF9LqLkUSrrEtFL1n0EUGjqjzsOFR3ZwlOMjLboneC40-IsHE5CIdS2KkZzfV-FmkMC5V6mzVq40vwLlSw-ufK4CX213cYNXYBuohV7A1AOyCE7A4lBcUc1cQ5Xsd/s1600/DSC07058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRblOLlmcA2ozoYnBPF9LqLkUSrrEtFL1n0EUGjqjzsOFR3ZwlOMjLboneC40-IsHE5CIdS2KkZzfV-FmkMC5V6mzVq40vwLlSw-ufK4CX213cYNXYBuohV7A1AOyCE7A4lBcUc1cQ5Xsd/s320/DSC07058.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lattice topped creamy dairy free chicken pot pie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So there you have it - we ate at least 16 meals which didn't feature spaghetti hoops or fish fingers...Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-15597292142245613142015-09-02T23:05:00.002+01:002015-09-02T23:14:00.644+01:00Not cakeSporadically I blog about cake - sometimes about veg.<br />
<div>
However this evening I've been thinking about statistics, and specifically death rates.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Because given the events that are unfolding in Syria, the Mediterranean and across Europe, it's hard not to think about these things.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And having thought, and researched and calculated, to put some things into context for myself, I thought I might as well share. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's easy to see and hear numbers in news bulletins from places half-way across a continent or country and lose any sense of how they relate to our safe and unthreatened lifestyles, homes and families.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I have to be open in admitting my analysis is simplistic, using readily derivable data, taken on face value, and that inherently I'm no doubt comparing apples and pears. However, as an indicator of scale I found it helpful - and sobering.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've used IOM arrivals and mortality data to calculate year-to-date death rates for refugees fleeing Syria by boat. (<a href="http://missingmigrants.iom.int/en/mediterranean-migrant-arrivals-deaths-sea-soar">Data from this press release</a>) For comparability the following death rates are per 100,000 people, based entirely on recorded data - no forward projection has been included. This data is a snapshot in time and may significantly change in future.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>All routes: 748 </li>
<li>Central Mediterranean Route: 2,047</li>
<li>East Mediterranean Route: 40</li>
<li>West Mediterranean / West African Route: 1,051</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
In calculating these, I have assumed that the recoded deaths are in addition to the recorded arrivals. If they are already incorporated, then the rates will be higher.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And now for the context.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've chosen a range of figures from the National Records of Scotland 2014 deaths data (<a href="http://nationalrecordsofscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/general-publications/vital-events-reference-tables/2014/section-6-deaths-causes">Vital Events data taken from here</a>). Again, death rates are quotes per 100,000 people. Data is split male/female - in each case I've taken the greater.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>All causes (all genders): 1,014</li>
<li>Cancers (male): 320</li>
<li>Circulatory: 287</li>
<li>Respiratory: 130</li>
<li>All external causes: 61</li>
<li>Accidents: 40</li>
<li>Transport related: 6</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
The death rate for the single journey make by thousands fleeing via the Central Mediterranean route is twice as high as the death rate from all causes in Scotland last year, and 17 times greater than the rate for deaths from external causes (i.e. not illness). And that is without factoring in the violence these people are fleeing, and the arduous journeys, human trafficking, abuse, heat, exhaustion, dehydration, lack of sanitation, food and medical care at either end of their sea voyages.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As I said - I know my sets of figures aren't directly comparable - but then absolutely nothing the majority of us have within our real frame of reference and comprehension is.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
No-one puts themselves, their children or families through that sort of ordeal unless utterly desperate. At a human level, as a nation we should be helping, not trying to work out how to bureaucratically pass the buck, or how to legitimately minimise our national responsibility and justify our lack of support to other humans in crisis with spin and fear.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In 2014, there were 54,239 deaths in Scotland.<br />
In 2015 to date there have been 2,432 in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
That's 5% of the total deaths form all causes in our entire nation last year, in only 8 months as a result of a single collective desperate escape.</div>
Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-39600703209104952662015-08-11T22:26:00.000+01:002015-08-11T22:26:10.352+01:00Something Sweet to Say Thank YouI't's Mini-M's last day at pre-school tomorrow. (Gulp!).<br />
<br />
Since this is a a baking blog, I'll spare you the "how did she grow up so quickly, where has my baby gone?" routine - but I'm thinking it!<br />
<br />
Technically she's not Mini any more, but I believe 'M' has already been taken…<br />
<br />
I wanted to make something nice to say thank you to all of the lovely nursery staff that have made the past 4 years such fun and give her so many happy experiences and memories. Fudge is always a winner - it's easy to pass around, keeps well and virtually everyone likes it.<br />
<br />
So I've made fudge. I should stress that <u>I've</u> made it - no small sticky fingers were involved in the process!<br />
<br />
It's very delicious but simultaneously very easy fudge. It may revolutionise you're fudge making, in fact. No beating, no boiling sugar and only 4 ingredients. 3 if you can live without the marshmallows on the top to pretty it up…<br />
<br />
Chocolate Strawberries and Cream Fudge (makes one 8x13 tray and cuts into a LOT of pieces)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2b0wSvQfVTguKp84FfRY0M18Ri7aTnHARyWH0GsX-bR48wtBm6Os44EeC-Ddkzqt8wHritwe_Q9ClvgX-QC0pN47iAjErk_Vw2PgbOrgZyT34bQGASUk30FBWhZQ1NHhu2ZgNVbfNRg31/s1600/DSC06886.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2b0wSvQfVTguKp84FfRY0M18Ri7aTnHARyWH0GsX-bR48wtBm6Os44EeC-Ddkzqt8wHritwe_Q9ClvgX-QC0pN47iAjErk_Vw2PgbOrgZyT34bQGASUk30FBWhZQ1NHhu2ZgNVbfNRg31/s320/DSC06886.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start with 400g chocolate (I used a mix of dark and milk)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCr3cKaNLhn7qanCV-EKnUAyIxP3Xjf0IA31aST7bz7fIgTsCYWYzyf22wUboDpydK7dP8nWPpfJ2jNjmMDJSv3kW5JJHMJcps5yXsVpb2pi5EylbwUR9Li_wqXYe_fKFVPkWlLVCluH4K/s1600/DSC06887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCr3cKaNLhn7qanCV-EKnUAyIxP3Xjf0IA31aST7bz7fIgTsCYWYzyf22wUboDpydK7dP8nWPpfJ2jNjmMDJSv3kW5JJHMJcps5yXsVpb2pi5EylbwUR9Li_wqXYe_fKFVPkWlLVCluH4K/s320/DSC06887.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Line your baking tin with parchment. You can cheat like me by scrunching up your baking paper then opening it up to make it fit - saves cutting!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3QPbw2tIJmo3WWsW13wT4d_Kj9QwxMMdPD9ShHmCh8L5fGBFSsWyjQ0dN40Tp7r3SjuXlWclEhbB8_8v2cijOb2u5xUjEaF0Wn6BH_MNfssRWI6niwjKogPSCTBgCadYNOIhZDuiNrk5/s1600/DSC06888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3QPbw2tIJmo3WWsW13wT4d_Kj9QwxMMdPD9ShHmCh8L5fGBFSsWyjQ0dN40Tp7r3SjuXlWclEhbB8_8v2cijOb2u5xUjEaF0Wn6BH_MNfssRWI6niwjKogPSCTBgCadYNOIhZDuiNrk5/s320/DSC06888.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You'll also need 200g of flavoured chocolate. I used Wedel strawberry bars (from the Polish section in the supermarket) but anything goes. I've also done it successfully with 4x Mars bars.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-UUZn4P6Se6g3mGY_3V_VgTQM3QPaZmoybRkrC8f56PSR7YVAJj3Rvp7ti0IG1ieTKhP2sPk79bKZNJMh-KTVn0lXHDqlszo12rsz0R4WoCMJSF_UhhMeDEAeoJeDSBbiFQp5LZU0uFA/s1600/DSC06889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-UUZn4P6Se6g3mGY_3V_VgTQM3QPaZmoybRkrC8f56PSR7YVAJj3Rvp7ti0IG1ieTKhP2sPk79bKZNJMh-KTVn0lXHDqlszo12rsz0R4WoCMJSF_UhhMeDEAeoJeDSBbiFQp5LZU0uFA/s400/DSC06889.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roughly chop the strawberry chocolate. Chop up around 8 marshmallows for topping</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxs2NE4B-GxU87duziyGG5IeOCgYEZ9Z_LeWWpuXgW8FGK1JE8b7UCxU4D2ldKa4t8uGq_Vat39Yow8gD4wml0ozKfpMu-eAc0tm7xSLbctoohoCj-ClORcXmqfeV4JFygNG9lH47qEmtz/s1600/DSC06892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxs2NE4B-GxU87duziyGG5IeOCgYEZ9Z_LeWWpuXgW8FGK1JE8b7UCxU4D2ldKa4t8uGq_Vat39Yow8gD4wml0ozKfpMu-eAc0tm7xSLbctoohoCj-ClORcXmqfeV4JFygNG9lH47qEmtz/s320/DSC06892.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melt the chocolate in short bursts in the microwave, then when smooth, add all of 1 tin (397g) of condensed milk.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBxRCx4gHLN_WnRcIG3cltZVSVTAQUrlIESjvOgAzX6QQIzHYCMdiMCdx5tXhznhKzE6JpsFUFFQ8locWmln55vnkhkEXPqwKOgBDohGurOnG3GNjLXIVh4o1U_1uDq5gwtD3uPSYoUQG/s1600/DSC06894.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBxRCx4gHLN_WnRcIG3cltZVSVTAQUrlIESjvOgAzX6QQIzHYCMdiMCdx5tXhznhKzE6JpsFUFFQ8locWmln55vnkhkEXPqwKOgBDohGurOnG3GNjLXIVh4o1U_1uDq5gwtD3uPSYoUQG/s320/DSC06894.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oooh - pretty! Once it is combined, stir in the chopped chocolate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczBStd01HXJtvLpE7_7cVsHFYtyTNaYE8o158Sng9LN13gOdSDa3izYLtvy4llKzbrudRmzyHurfj6Hy2hR6Xwlj1Oh2f9hQ1tR2de5YplJW7JqAPSrP5Rc4OCXqFoew45-thQp8HZjlJ/s1600/DSC06895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczBStd01HXJtvLpE7_7cVsHFYtyTNaYE8o158Sng9LN13gOdSDa3izYLtvy4llKzbrudRmzyHurfj6Hy2hR6Xwlj1Oh2f9hQ1tR2de5YplJW7JqAPSrP5Rc4OCXqFoew45-thQp8HZjlJ/s320/DSC06895.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tip out into the prepared tin, press into the corners then press the marshmallows into the top</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-U0F_Fyxw9hyphenhyphenWxLFhQOFvyQ2OEgvhIFYfsQmqq3X8LcvWywsgCCMaCU6jUoY2FrIr_tCMqtPA7sW_r7pIyqWAkgBun5MEzkRT_pyDT9Ou1utog6mhwKslnKHR-8vYKJ06qAyuQFcbkAG/s1600/DSC06898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-U0F_Fyxw9hyphenhyphenWxLFhQOFvyQ2OEgvhIFYfsQmqq3X8LcvWywsgCCMaCU6jUoY2FrIr_tCMqtPA7sW_r7pIyqWAkgBun5MEzkRT_pyDT9Ou1utog6mhwKslnKHR-8vYKJ06qAyuQFcbkAG/s320/DSC06898.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allow to cool at room temperature of a few hours, then turn out of the tin and chop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhy0NMv5noZ7_d6BpqVCmHn4LjFTR1CS7zUzRLgROyamtSSt6hDNHK5ZrANR4VtgXHNM_wkzvWBAh7q8jEKGzmGrtm1xPr5ELGhodgMLu6wPl0iQrmakaXuz1FrykSz2ZDdr2bAH1FARQ/s1600/DSC06900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhy0NMv5noZ7_d6BpqVCmHn4LjFTR1CS7zUzRLgROyamtSSt6hDNHK5ZrANR4VtgXHNM_wkzvWBAh7q8jEKGzmGrtm1xPr5ELGhodgMLu6wPl0iQrmakaXuz1FrykSz2ZDdr2bAH1FARQ/s320/DSC06900.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Voila. Pink cellophane fastened with tinsel - classy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It really is that easy :-)<br />
<br />
I'd like to say Mini-M chose the wrapping, just that she didn't - it just happened to be what I had to hand, although perhaps Mini-M is primarily the reason that we own a roll of pink cellophane…<br />
<br />
Now I just have to confess to Mr E that I forgot to keep any pieces aside for him before I wrapped it - oops!<br />
<br />
And if you have any thank-yous to say, I recommend accompanying them with fudge - it's a good life philosophy I think ;-)<br />
<br />Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-18202481339370614182015-06-29T22:48:00.000+01:002015-06-29T22:51:51.517+01:00It's Wimbledon season - time to pimp your strawberries!Strawberries and cream. As quintessentially part of British summer time as the rain, midges, hay fever, nettle stings, unexpected sunburned noses etc etc.<br />
<br />
Strawberries and non-dairy cream hasn't ever quite hit the spot for me. Very cold Oatly cream (to the point that is has started to thicken) comes fairly close.<br />
<br />
But one of the important lessons I've learned over the past 4 and a half years of cooking dairy free is that there are inevitably some things you can't emulate, and that sometimes the best option at times like this is to go totally off piste for an alternative.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5fXiskoErYQRszNXVkYPHxxoA9W7ppO2OvZg8AP0IF0dr11Sfh9XaCdIFgg9Ptmum-KqHATIqy_CI_sG4wpMy_y9MHEJlvetGMRvZhVZMxvciZ_vNBKjujKYFzNyUaCdtBpq1mqnL1bE/s1600/DSC06676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5fXiskoErYQRszNXVkYPHxxoA9W7ppO2OvZg8AP0IF0dr11Sfh9XaCdIFgg9Ptmum-KqHATIqy_CI_sG4wpMy_y9MHEJlvetGMRvZhVZMxvciZ_vNBKjujKYFzNyUaCdtBpq1mqnL1bE/s400/DSC06676.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
And in that vein I bring you… strawberries and chocolate peanut butter sauce! Oh yeah.<br />
Don't knock it until you've tried it - and once you've tried it, I'm pretty sure you won't knock it. It's really easy too.<br />
And if you swap out the honey for agave or maple syrup it's vegan too.<br />
<br />
<b>Chocolate and Peanut Butter Sauce for Strawberries</b> (serves 3)<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>2 tbsp whole nut peanut butter</li>
<li>1 tsp cocoa powder</li>
<li>1 tbsp mild runny honey (sub for another syrupy to make it vegan)</li>
<li>icing sugar to taste (I added 1 tsp)</li>
<li>1-2 tbsp non-dairy milk (or even water) to reach the desired consistency</li>
</ul>
<br />
In a small bowl mixed the cocoa powder to a paste with a little splash of boiling water then add all of the other ingredient and whisk it all together. Jobs a goodun!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRf7lFQNSqRN8iNMcUMay30Y_zXovxUYmq1ioucDcNAGe9gXWIgg8bZchv9aXSgh0b5tYKNAl_P5S4l4gJgklIYLBPCErR65EqinPF35e9-NSM3xZvgziGy-QN6JmkfumAR-j6Kn3_e6M/s1600/DSC06675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRf7lFQNSqRN8iNMcUMay30Y_zXovxUYmq1ioucDcNAGe9gXWIgg8bZchv9aXSgh0b5tYKNAl_P5S4l4gJgklIYLBPCErR65EqinPF35e9-NSM3xZvgziGy-QN6JmkfumAR-j6Kn3_e6M/s400/DSC06675.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches - but fresher and tastier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Don't let the title limit you - it would also be awesome on ice cream, cake, pancakes, porridge, a spoon, licked out of the bowl - you get the picture.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGoL9-p4m2WiOqBx0IFUuBqL-EeCYI2XwKu-MGdzihGoOdvXLWuaoFdNLax0lUqyPVGcu9lVcJBzBjABXeejuDfcrCeE_dTOaCnjrNv0PnTbFoRpj6H-5HOGUm9_4_AHXymOPQsi1957Er/s1600/DSC06680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGoL9-p4m2WiOqBx0IFUuBqL-EeCYI2XwKu-MGdzihGoOdvXLWuaoFdNLax0lUqyPVGcu9lVcJBzBjABXeejuDfcrCeE_dTOaCnjrNv0PnTbFoRpj6H-5HOGUm9_4_AHXymOPQsi1957Er/s400/DSC06680.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All gone!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-60338316764957706062015-06-24T00:14:00.001+01:002015-06-24T00:16:35.530+01:00A Towering Tall Tale: Cake Fest EdinburghWhat did you get up to at the weekend? Making two replica high-rise tower blocks from cake? What? You didn't? That must just have been me then (and my lovely family and inlaws who I roped in to help…)<br />
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutNaTXSH-FBlNM__t7TmMW6XXRgLGl-g6QlYQfNMnPqS15pUGDwygIfLWDKAzNbbW2ljJVhsZEVVrHwP_2HRFPW8nt1K6koMaoAVnLi1sAxay1bEwVMo7jW_pv4DjkH-q9BiMs_3_TMy6/s1600/DSC06564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutNaTXSH-FBlNM__t7TmMW6XXRgLGl-g6QlYQfNMnPqS15pUGDwygIfLWDKAzNbbW2ljJVhsZEVVrHwP_2HRFPW8nt1K6koMaoAVnLi1sAxay1bEwVMo7jW_pv4DjkH-q9BiMs_3_TMy6/s320/DSC06564.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Tower blocks. Made of cake. Still upright - take that gravity!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
I was in good company though, with 52 other baking teams around Edinburgh who were also busy madly constructing feats of cake and fondant engineering as part of the <a href="http://edinburgh.cakefest.org.uk/">Cake Fest Edinburgh</a> Cake Map.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm not joking. Such a thing did exist and it was awesome.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sunday afternoon saw the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh overrun with cake enthusiasts (so much so that it broke the record for the highest ever visitor numbers, with almost 16,000 people through the garden gates!). Not only that - the sun shone :-)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Bakers were invited to volunteer to recreate iconic Edinburgh landmarks as part of the Cake Map - a 70m2 representation of our beautiful city in all it's cake-y glory. And since I'm a sucker for ridiculous challenges and cake, of course I was quick to sign up.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My chosen 'icon' was the pair of yellow and blue high-rise tower blocks in Leith: Persevere Court and Citadel court. I can see them from my living room window. They are visible from pretty much anywhere in Leith - in fact they're visible from most places in Edinburgh, (and the Proclaimers 'Sunshine on Leith' album cover, but I digress…). I think of them affectionately as "my" tower blocks - so I bagged them a spot on the map, and in doing so set myself off on what was by far and a long way my most extreme cake to date.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Before I launch into photographic overload, I have to confess (although it's hardly secret): there was a teeny little structural issue. As in, one of the tower blocks - Persevere Court to be precise - fell over. Catastrophic failure - into the Docks and almost took out the Royal Yacht Britannia. Probably this is the point that I should keep quiet about my civil engineering degree, right….?! (In my defence, it wasn't structural engineering, and cake wasn't on the materials syllabus). I'm looking on it as a community service to all of the other bakers. Someone had to be the baker whose building collapsed - and since it was me, everyone else could therefore feel relieved (and probably just a little bit smug) that it wasn't them. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I missed the actual moment of collapse itself. The event was so busy and 4 year olds are only compatible for 6-deep crowds for a very limited time, so after a while we found a sunny spot on the grass and settled down to enjoy the atmosphere and some ice lollies. With 35 mins to go before cutting (by which time it had been listing for about 2hrs) I started to think that it might actually manage to remain upright-ish to the bitter end. However the collective intake of breath, audible groan and flurry of photo taking a few minutes later indicated otherwise. It wasn't without a little bit of pride that I thought "that's my cake!";o)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And yes, a little part of me was very glad to arrive back home after the event to see both tower blocks still very much upright in real life!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPtDGT8FwG6Lz61lzLX7h-L2CKGLUYb54ClpaZeTT2SUSZ7DYF7fS4GECSpOyQRNl_aYwdRFPMhdEr2XVLnfR2rXsMc1NGRdTsSOfU9AhavuCZzaoxNSTtCIxQMdyK_AK6eGUuxjN7D1_/s1600/2015-06-13+15.08.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPtDGT8FwG6Lz61lzLX7h-L2CKGLUYb54ClpaZeTT2SUSZ7DYF7fS4GECSpOyQRNl_aYwdRFPMhdEr2XVLnfR2rXsMc1NGRdTsSOfU9AhavuCZzaoxNSTtCIxQMdyK_AK6eGUuxjN7D1_/s320/2015-06-13+15.08.26.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first of very many batches of marshmallow crispy cake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2Tk46UTh18-RJeFZsd37IZwis4-gcbVQk_spMsEeWTNDHWSg9Ly0z6azdFjKlBWLxmwexb1E3igtJ6j7rfsH43z5voQxAW2jIjDWf6AKiZhk-ulA8gKEBJtPfXwQMmyEvGh9UJdKG42Y/s1600/2015-06-13+19.20.22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2Tk46UTh18-RJeFZsd37IZwis4-gcbVQk_spMsEeWTNDHWSg9Ly0z6azdFjKlBWLxmwexb1E3igtJ6j7rfsH43z5voQxAW2jIjDWf6AKiZhk-ulA8gKEBJtPfXwQMmyEvGh9UJdKG42Y/s320/2015-06-13+19.20.22.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Probably should have used a bigger mixing bowl...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUE_dmQn9AXo_Q4wf5nDx8Fl5RQgS_An4SpHVFDLhXV8kyCB8eDGl7eSHg5LjUeSBp4ydRP9tejAlQZvowdb_Jw4pyidzKJadKleG5vUHZvcJA_LZxY7gnwUKyPL3RNfLaO2qCiyV9S9y/s1600/2015-06-13+19.25.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUE_dmQn9AXo_Q4wf5nDx8Fl5RQgS_An4SpHVFDLhXV8kyCB8eDGl7eSHg5LjUeSBp4ydRP9tejAlQZvowdb_Jw4pyidzKJadKleG5vUHZvcJA_LZxY7gnwUKyPL3RNfLaO2qCiyV9S9y/s320/2015-06-13+19.25.52.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let the fruitcake baking begin...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlmy5EVXvQf2TnzAbrdcXUDb7D7-EIBtBMIORwKDUDI3dqMTx0z8SFhJJzF_NS-4hqMogKa_dDQHZ0kB2blzH9MPmIz_HB2pisHELHmwX0m3N-C5rHwe2vDO6ny-n2Gj9RFlN_24m4jeO/s1600/2015-06-21+20.09.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlmy5EVXvQf2TnzAbrdcXUDb7D7-EIBtBMIORwKDUDI3dqMTx0z8SFhJJzF_NS-4hqMogKa_dDQHZ0kB2blzH9MPmIz_HB2pisHELHmwX0m3N-C5rHwe2vDO6ny-n2Gj9RFlN_24m4jeO/s320/2015-06-21+20.09.17.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Highly technical plans (ahem)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiMX2GzOul4ufwFPjm52nF6h-l1l8OWqgWmjGk-8eCqsktxPVOmRN2z_eN1MgPBdygn_wqtSPPgPSIy5lh7Z7sXdZixi-tFc5b7s3AK_I0PtUl9M-CSdHy4Y2nHNWMqroR8748PHfYzOj/s1600/2015-06-21+20.43.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiMX2GzOul4ufwFPjm52nF6h-l1l8OWqgWmjGk-8eCqsktxPVOmRN2z_eN1MgPBdygn_wqtSPPgPSIy5lh7Z7sXdZixi-tFc5b7s3AK_I0PtUl9M-CSdHy4Y2nHNWMqroR8748PHfYzOj/s320/2015-06-21+20.43.00.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detailed architectural plans (aka "Mummy, why do you need my blue and yellow pens?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHHKUydmCiP97nSNp3myArWBSme5xNYWIP1qVK2qFD-8qkvY4W0Ckb6CBXi2EKDfyTiDhu4a8VbzwdR5vCRBBCUX_nOazzYyTmsrMFESnI5AXaY0rkJX5krpd8FSuyARkJkDIOmWNylaM/s1600/2015-06-19+21.44.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHHKUydmCiP97nSNp3myArWBSme5xNYWIP1qVK2qFD-8qkvY4W0Ckb6CBXi2EKDfyTiDhu4a8VbzwdR5vCRBBCUX_nOazzYyTmsrMFESnI5AXaY0rkJX5krpd8FSuyARkJkDIOmWNylaM/s320/2015-06-19+21.44.26.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmmm - concrete coloured icing. Both unappetising and structurally useless</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6DtYOjqFQ0i2X4arDW1Nr2-sMIHvK3uxa5dB6mf8RibpY96NI80EN2hcEKM-ZKDUMcMNk2H8aPNw9yrdgEOd2mQxOwlbiTCGGrp_R00bKjVJfKt_XcIGzQ_s7pGKOG3v6g2UhKlrmAzz/s1600/DSC06531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6DtYOjqFQ0i2X4arDW1Nr2-sMIHvK3uxa5dB6mf8RibpY96NI80EN2hcEKM-ZKDUMcMNk2H8aPNw9yrdgEOd2mQxOwlbiTCGGrp_R00bKjVJfKt_XcIGzQ_s7pGKOG3v6g2UhKlrmAzz/s320/DSC06531.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IKEA shelves - for when regular cake boards just aren't big enough</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNu0-nP5ddvmPz0sI8A5G3gOT0tNjDih6u7p0mjZcuOAUp050REo7NeBdDtFlcKSKwnaljlvGvLdg5gK6tiNyvOgRYqSTq3RM875fFrO_fd2rVjiJPF21A6lYPahCV2SS935AKY0wse6-/s1600/2015-06-20+11.25.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNu0-nP5ddvmPz0sI8A5G3gOT0tNjDih6u7p0mjZcuOAUp050REo7NeBdDtFlcKSKwnaljlvGvLdg5gK6tiNyvOgRYqSTq3RM875fFrO_fd2rVjiJPF21A6lYPahCV2SS935AKY0wse6-/s320/2015-06-20+11.25.39.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proof that there were structural supports</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTasxY0npGCFBLk4JdHfC9o1g2xBNM5QBARhooeaj4j9AcsvOpOA08-Aa-Hm4D7Xv6CvTqD0RYo5jYNfr_WO9zB0FtJC2i_dKYNLC28hB9xGCtFTM8FcAF5m541XJ5zSn22qZ-tXRj_T9e/s1600/2015-06-20+11.51.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTasxY0npGCFBLk4JdHfC9o1g2xBNM5QBARhooeaj4j9AcsvOpOA08-Aa-Hm4D7Xv6CvTqD0RYo5jYNfr_WO9zB0FtJC2i_dKYNLC28hB9xGCtFTM8FcAF5m541XJ5zSn22qZ-tXRj_T9e/s320/2015-06-20+11.51.55.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halfway up and still level. I was so proud - but it still fell over!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIGGa8wjtNRSBDaMJqwm8M4fotOk2xn6_5PmVhqNr_t4Cy6TOLDcZeCtyC75iriVN7m8S1Rr7aNBzFSMgad5gijaJRUVJhqFXmkJFfc8JyqU_TtMdVd1yfCZrwjPPp3-t56YrtwiYcOV4/s1600/2015-06-20+12.18.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIGGa8wjtNRSBDaMJqwm8M4fotOk2xn6_5PmVhqNr_t4Cy6TOLDcZeCtyC75iriVN7m8S1Rr7aNBzFSMgad5gijaJRUVJhqFXmkJFfc8JyqU_TtMdVd1yfCZrwjPPp3-t56YrtwiYcOV4/s320/2015-06-20+12.18.10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Probably not got a future career as a plasterer ahead of me either</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYrhperLjreDGUpJTq7dteG-mCAZGVrKE27dlf2MtdvueyhSPRKB1dbC7Opr9r2L1jEA35l2s46OWs0AtsZIkSZQi3hy0nB0lKePKGgEwypbMjX8Uu2CyD4IKE_O5lPCiav762u4a-vmg/s1600/2015-06-19+21.55.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYrhperLjreDGUpJTq7dteG-mCAZGVrKE27dlf2MtdvueyhSPRKB1dbC7Opr9r2L1jEA35l2s46OWs0AtsZIkSZQi3hy0nB0lKePKGgEwypbMjX8Uu2CyD4IKE_O5lPCiav762u4a-vmg/s320/2015-06-19+21.55.29.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Yes, of course you can come and stay for the weekend" / "Now that you're here can you just make a hundred fondant windows - thanks!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwXLUkbN8pS2dkyQZway29bT7f6WRdrYzNUf5UDVq-WuMkHFk5tiLg0xVee1oFnB5aHkvlhtiOxQ_ZmY4OviP8-RvY-oidyQeVk89w0A2-kMNmGJlst9cIeP6puLYSqRPRLFk1op3oMHn/s1600/DSC06539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwXLUkbN8pS2dkyQZway29bT7f6WRdrYzNUf5UDVq-WuMkHFk5tiLg0xVee1oFnB5aHkvlhtiOxQ_ZmY4OviP8-RvY-oidyQeVk89w0A2-kMNmGJlst9cIeP6puLYSqRPRLFk1op3oMHn/s320/DSC06539.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A family effort - fondant rose maker and flag designer extraordinnaire</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7eCTKIxEE6D-tl3oSSO_nzPL-kAFE-jxKmvd5vC0tRQx3L7hAeEbnPRu5zuGDHt5Ykm8BcMsahheIUJ0kZGdvuz1wVfAOWuvQL5Hq5oXsxyaUJyx4mSYV8lex5APcnf5C_KETPsrbodCO/s1600/DSC06533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7eCTKIxEE6D-tl3oSSO_nzPL-kAFE-jxKmvd5vC0tRQx3L7hAeEbnPRu5zuGDHt5Ykm8BcMsahheIUJ0kZGdvuz1wVfAOWuvQL5Hq5oXsxyaUJyx4mSYV8lex5APcnf5C_KETPsrbodCO/s320/DSC06533.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modular construction, and 2:30am - bedtime!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAyjpIHYrd_TVrUF5tJ0sK-j5QjICddymWs3NX5z2d02c9EKI0CEqTUI3UdgCCwdP1ktmZkPgwqQQpLtcFvB6aT0ZuI0qPVxdsUvO0Uu12Ojeeilz6_Q3VwM3gjlNHaDWfpvi2JfWtJzxn/s1600/DSC06536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAyjpIHYrd_TVrUF5tJ0sK-j5QjICddymWs3NX5z2d02c9EKI0CEqTUI3UdgCCwdP1ktmZkPgwqQQpLtcFvB6aT0ZuI0qPVxdsUvO0Uu12Ojeeilz6_Q3VwM3gjlNHaDWfpvi2JfWtJzxn/s320/DSC06536.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to go...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: Times; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: auto; padding: 6px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qcmkLeQ-CkyGmjw1HGx4JcFxkBfAHmREV9eW7AWwNRVq2ew0DIjD0T4jEioxgkvQBDO7xbyxlMb40DFuTR7NUPmmqAYMoh-rWDGK_js3KiAszJl5KqKgGBuZhjQr67Yk8lwoUZliHYmv/s1600/DSC06540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qcmkLeQ-CkyGmjw1HGx4JcFxkBfAHmREV9eW7AWwNRVq2ew0DIjD0T4jEioxgkvQBDO7xbyxlMb40DFuTR7NUPmmqAYMoh-rWDGK_js3KiAszJl5KqKgGBuZhjQr67Yk8lwoUZliHYmv/s320/DSC06540.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">The tower blocks - with the real thing in the background (you'll have to take my word for it!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_I0N6c6tQ_V6Hr_DpgW8EARxu2Rkt4AZSj6Wi8aiiiP-VS1LBKT0lnRNxMhcmfNV0v1bTgSuHPsoRjJrKizJiVg56NeKYEHBYD09S6eHsVpWAcbikvrtOaztiKhmwMHoflzlbfToxuKX/s1600/DSC06545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_I0N6c6tQ_V6Hr_DpgW8EARxu2Rkt4AZSj6Wi8aiiiP-VS1LBKT0lnRNxMhcmfNV0v1bTgSuHPsoRjJrKizJiVg56NeKYEHBYD09S6eHsVpWAcbikvrtOaztiKhmwMHoflzlbfToxuKX/s320/DSC06545.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Careful cake transport speed - 7mph</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTg_hGz8S9e3CedN5cXeiIR6gKR4j8Bd21SffMhHcUjGv6BbVDgpURUNszNTamHjGaF3TiBrW0mqkLcUH5_Tu65q6-yObMIiLGMWaBG5cBUdbe9IDUq-uW3X3FxG9PgFt5XVZVtNXXCb5/s1600/DSC06546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTg_hGz8S9e3CedN5cXeiIR6gKR4j8Bd21SffMhHcUjGv6BbVDgpURUNszNTamHjGaF3TiBrW0mqkLcUH5_Tu65q6-yObMIiLGMWaBG5cBUdbe9IDUq-uW3X3FxG9PgFt5XVZVtNXXCb5/s320/DSC06546.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cake supervision duty for the backseat passengers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AtyazgVU_fbO4mlkEHhq32ToSPrdr95XWd8DQoE-O3MKrDECCT2q3pPEj_xtOtG0_TKW7ytNRlRFNNVLOX_H_zc7QIjJOgE184lzYdQZWZJvWYRZ2iFCvM5EJ1EaI31D3_R7WifKnbja/s1600/DSC06550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AtyazgVU_fbO4mlkEHhq32ToSPrdr95XWd8DQoE-O3MKrDECCT2q3pPEj_xtOtG0_TKW7ytNRlRFNNVLOX_H_zc7QIjJOgE184lzYdQZWZJvWYRZ2iFCvM5EJ1EaI31D3_R7WifKnbja/s320/DSC06550.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loading up...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCX3Vf1_2gNBfDqc-rEGHRiDVWlEq-xG8-IEZ8gp9bZfPsSh5WlCo1T40xXYKGG46QjsJ3IGDAZN5_Tn4rkDVuC5Yjaud5HfMpjh9dNItfQ9l0vcfNYcu9rowOdsC81n2NuGWCcZhG7N9/s1600/DSC06553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCX3Vf1_2gNBfDqc-rEGHRiDVWlEq-xG8-IEZ8gp9bZfPsSh5WlCo1T40xXYKGG46QjsJ3IGDAZN5_Tn4rkDVuC5Yjaud5HfMpjh9dNItfQ9l0vcfNYcu9rowOdsC81n2NuGWCcZhG7N9/s320/DSC06553.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And we're off, with the fabulous volunteers, on the nervewracking journey to the marquee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNem9zuxqoFjUaJQsoX9IILT-DvftjpI02Q5ljGnxKx98rRfIPFNW9tl_fTP59pNSZd5JQs5uqetWiczxRiqjpPpAgkT3AUkfqFh3OGbQ4jOz58cV-FAjMnOwdye8-wro8SHDdGsd8PxdP/s1600/DSC06556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNem9zuxqoFjUaJQsoX9IILT-DvftjpI02Q5ljGnxKx98rRfIPFNW9tl_fTP59pNSZd5JQs5uqetWiczxRiqjpPpAgkT3AUkfqFh3OGbQ4jOz58cV-FAjMnOwdye8-wro8SHDdGsd8PxdP/s320/DSC06556.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cake assembly in front of an audience - guaranteed to give you wobbly hands!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigi3DVGczVLg3yqeAeEz3aQXUePt8X-1JR-J5ONTFoSetKn604dHDV7OqpYKvzn-eMh2CMYuSaO0-X9SsdLHVyu-0WlLjwbfv0LEEUpazdNPe2fpmUKst3DvX3w1lpV8NrChoWnKKWpNOi/s1600/DSC06558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigi3DVGczVLg3yqeAeEz3aQXUePt8X-1JR-J5ONTFoSetKn604dHDV7OqpYKvzn-eMh2CMYuSaO0-X9SsdLHVyu-0WlLjwbfv0LEEUpazdNPe2fpmUKst3DvX3w1lpV8NrChoWnKKWpNOi/s320/DSC06558.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Assembly in situ</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHGP8J41FidJAVUFKvaOWi6scW6ZpwgJvBGYB0WKHS7K-vTph9Xb4jhXeua_MhZyE6WQB7WRQd20AwuT1clzJAGLnOgpfsDiO7CdV6AD9IW6mlriXD-N5pyqWBSQvkKmi6EYPUeMS2XY9/s1600/DSC06561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHGP8J41FidJAVUFKvaOWi6scW6ZpwgJvBGYB0WKHS7K-vTph9Xb4jhXeua_MhZyE6WQB7WRQd20AwuT1clzJAGLnOgpfsDiO7CdV6AD9IW6mlriXD-N5pyqWBSQvkKmi6EYPUeMS2XY9/s320/DSC06561.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the last window</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZWmmKYjEpdqCDcgUgF60b4HeXuPPLyTQoDmVc6I_McOQcaayebGNNtcjGxVT2ebi5cDygopX8lkQOGCLOp4h2HkAAH_qVZFhAfYzbh5fbYmRS8altxjkAZ7nmdQgSO8ILtdoe-ua_6sb/s1600/DSC06537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZWmmKYjEpdqCDcgUgF60b4HeXuPPLyTQoDmVc6I_McOQcaayebGNNtcjGxVT2ebi5cDygopX8lkQOGCLOp4h2HkAAH_qVZFhAfYzbh5fbYmRS8altxjkAZ7nmdQgSO8ILtdoe-ua_6sb/s320/DSC06537.JPG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">If only outside really was covered with squiggly grass and multi coloured roses...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZydm1bPOfPuS4dqfGVFDGRZqOlGOzm5p-Sxh95d-9s0BOYt4ZUhbejmG_-6BVYuAZsScYGjAvW6-NU0_J_H2U03tXlNA3UrtBnMB2X6GZmqDy3OfCwXbg9_r4MjUlWmGzjks70ENj3Zwr/s1600/DSC06627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZydm1bPOfPuS4dqfGVFDGRZqOlGOzm5p-Sxh95d-9s0BOYt4ZUhbejmG_-6BVYuAZsScYGjAvW6-NU0_J_H2U03tXlNA3UrtBnMB2X6GZmqDy3OfCwXbg9_r4MjUlWmGzjks70ENj3Zwr/s320/DSC06627.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh dear. Even the hastily rigged twine / screwdriver support mechanism wasn't enough to stop the slide</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickvY8_FT-hiCgrPE0xPW9cq53kZ1XhHXfsmOWVgsDNCSnMQixhfBbYqo6zEq49MyLREYM74fAAM55CZu5sU8Y5t31f5BVi9UR8QsTPOp1XfPqmpfT2-vZjj6e-2tCwkr3z_VRTfDeaEnL/s1600/DSC06636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickvY8_FT-hiCgrPE0xPW9cq53kZ1XhHXfsmOWVgsDNCSnMQixhfBbYqo6zEq49MyLREYM74fAAM55CZu5sU8Y5t31f5BVi9UR8QsTPOp1XfPqmpfT2-vZjj6e-2tCwkr3z_VRTfDeaEnL/s320/DSC06636.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pick your angle - looks fine from here!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFPQ2yYjFz5txJBMMqLw8l3RXf8RK1yG-Lsc90LDxBfwkEjYfMynpHc82zHnbgzOdl5aN_Yvg2CNw0qsa6ReBMpW382wsSZgxB3ki_Qw3fJQHXMo2pgrCriB4lHqp2Vl3ZVrooCQDg5fH/s1600/DSC06656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFPQ2yYjFz5txJBMMqLw8l3RXf8RK1yG-Lsc90LDxBfwkEjYfMynpHc82zHnbgzOdl5aN_Yvg2CNw0qsa6ReBMpW382wsSZgxB3ki_Qw3fJQHXMo2pgrCriB4lHqp2Vl3ZVrooCQDg5fH/s320/DSC06656.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behold, the Leaning Tower of Leith</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggGLN29iRuy8mN7uESeHkte0PjXv43jdT_wOjPj6Rlv_IKxlt8yAKR7esXeUufhvwRfusArEtLRyNoctgAhpq3KFGOZedcs5fyHcKzIqnIp-TvX65ow05VYFz5gd4hVnsO9spZ45hTD6v5/s1600/DSC06672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggGLN29iRuy8mN7uESeHkte0PjXv43jdT_wOjPj6Rlv_IKxlt8yAKR7esXeUufhvwRfusArEtLRyNoctgAhpq3KFGOZedcs5fyHcKzIqnIp-TvX65ow05VYFz5gd4hVnsO9spZ45hTD6v5/s320/DSC06672.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then, unsurprisingly, this happened</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPLLvhr0sXcOJDeyRXVHMdIIir3-M6oqu9b6sVQqUdLrU0jD4y-jko4MOAiLIVMfLY1x47-_R7uZuikxE_RNIjAxjb0ffGtlis-5fMW3YXirUOhL7R1Ng9jV7YN2gasDVZvJ1_148rC0h/s1600/DSC06673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPLLvhr0sXcOJDeyRXVHMdIIir3-M6oqu9b6sVQqUdLrU0jD4y-jko4MOAiLIVMfLY1x47-_R7uZuikxE_RNIjAxjb0ffGtlis-5fMW3YXirUOhL7R1Ng9jV7YN2gasDVZvJ1_148rC0h/s320/DSC06673.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Missed Brtiannia by a whisker (after some earlier judicious repositioning) - phew!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikeghOWxMHGEfwX2EIlfUo2ToeRItGbYe9mcnh1xwwtUlR20PNgQXky9NOT1X2zWs_IiUNFPGFHA4kajbE_HX14wFUekR7d6cSc0cndcsD8yJntZPQvICszUv1bcufsz3R5WS2AAU6hqP/s1600/DSC06674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikeghOWxMHGEfwX2EIlfUo2ToeRItGbYe9mcnh1xwwtUlR20PNgQXky9NOT1X2zWs_IiUNFPGFHA4kajbE_HX14wFUekR7d6cSc0cndcsD8yJntZPQvICszUv1bcufsz3R5WS2AAU6hqP/s320/DSC06674.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr E having a Godzilla moment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW10w59TqytFvqymGTIGeEU16AVqc77yO4bNXpASq-MPyyIm3xP6u36xqKO3eYqR8j0ZOfnCzMrAYbYtM3zlpndpRAFaHv6c3-zXH8vQXJv0xMuuKmiS6rdcsYq5CnLx8oMP97K3xHYJdd/s1600/2015-06-21+21.22.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW10w59TqytFvqymGTIGeEU16AVqc77yO4bNXpASq-MPyyIm3xP6u36xqKO3eYqR8j0ZOfnCzMrAYbYtM3zlpndpRAFaHv6c3-zXH8vQXJv0xMuuKmiS6rdcsYq5CnLx8oMP97K3xHYJdd/s320/2015-06-21+21.22.15.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen worktops - all vestiges of icing sugar finally gone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I've never had a cake in the news before...</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2015/06/cakefest-puts-edinburgh-on-the-map/">The Edinburgh Reporter</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/edinburgh-landmarks-recreated-using-cakes-1-3808805">Evening News</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://edinburgh.stv.tv/articles/1323367-cake-festival-maps-edinburgh-out-of-cake-at-royal-botanic-gardens/">STV Edinburgh</a></div>
<div>
Not to mention the photo in Monday's metro with yours truly's collapsed cake right in the foreground!</div>
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvOTc3PLHwHoISOYPYGMOmeVkgHgQMuEGqfMobIcomP4kmeXlA4Bp2e3YM5xfIelaXGqOAQScyuXUsvgK6KVxW6iQnY1T5JkTpig2CwWMkf5oBuqqyxlV2dQl2RVZUS8KINVAjFbX7Ffm/s1600/DSC06646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvOTc3PLHwHoISOYPYGMOmeVkgHgQMuEGqfMobIcomP4kmeXlA4Bp2e3YM5xfIelaXGqOAQScyuXUsvgK6KVxW6iQnY1T5JkTpig2CwWMkf5oBuqqyxlV2dQl2RVZUS8KINVAjFbX7Ffm/s320/DSC06646.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
This might be my favourite photo of the day though - Mini M proudly displaying her "Hero Baker" rosette for participation. It was proudly worn to pre-school today for show and tell, along with the flag, which was salvaged from the wreckage!<br />
<br />
And, and, and - before I finish and go to bed… I'm especially proud that both tower blocks had no dairy ingredients in them, and one was also made without any gluten ingredients. Plus the DF fruitcake and GF chocolate crispy were vegan. So not only where they structural cake behemoths, they were inclusive into the bargain. :o)</div>
Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-6890967206854354952015-05-14T22:54:00.002+01:002015-05-14T22:54:54.449+01:00Daring Cooks' May 2015 Challenge - Turkish DelightBrinkmanship. Starting your <a href="http://www.thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Cooks</a> challenge with 3hrs to go until the posting deadline. Certainly not a triumph of forward planning!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BsDBiREREX9mePcFjN9LjhNOXRhDhJUuu8vfplzdzmJditpi-t82blxHHlSx_rEmnWGBZPrEN8YaVVtjpTLzy1PW8IFPsi7x-8BjwHOdiW6x3tGuHwOZK_JANjYIJOZUxLKx6ILuSFce/s1600/2015-05-14+21.46.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BsDBiREREX9mePcFjN9LjhNOXRhDhJUuu8vfplzdzmJditpi-t82blxHHlSx_rEmnWGBZPrEN8YaVVtjpTLzy1PW8IFPsi7x-8BjwHOdiW6x3tGuHwOZK_JANjYIJOZUxLKx6ILuSFce/s400/2015-05-14+21.46.35.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost at the magic 127C</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
However, I did, and it's done (sort of). Technically it's not finished but in project management speak I'm classing it as "substantially complete".<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 1em;">
<strong><em>Blog-checking lines</em></strong><strong><em>:</em></strong> For the Month of May, Rachael from<a href="http://pizzarossa.me%20/" style="color: #aa0012; text-decoration: none;"> Pizzarossa </a>challenged us to make candy but not just any candy!</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 1em;">
She challenged us to make Turkish Delight, or Lokum.</div>
<br />
So I'd better up-front with my confession - I hate Turkish delight. That might have something to do with my slowness in getting around to tackling the challenge - that and a crazy busy time at work.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEM-dhhRyPn092BFbCRdN5XcMquVdF0hlkLrHjGIScd2D4VbWWrekM2SeqXTG3mtBViSA1Je7AtPD3jor_8bliv-NbUUYex4_vrD7PS7SFLFgjQQv-dAewjhFGcb47OydY_9iFZ0oBCfQW/s1600/2015-05-14+21.47.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEM-dhhRyPn092BFbCRdN5XcMquVdF0hlkLrHjGIScd2D4VbWWrekM2SeqXTG3mtBViSA1Je7AtPD3jor_8bliv-NbUUYex4_vrD7PS7SFLFgjQQv-dAewjhFGcb47OydY_9iFZ0oBCfQW/s400/2015-05-14+21.47.10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cherries and pistachios to add some texture and flavour</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And before anyone suggests it, my hatred was not because I'd not tried "real" Turkish delight. Yup - tried it, in Istanbul, still hated it. Admittedly marginally less than the Fry's variety, however still at the bottom of my confectionery ranking.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAesSVuWIFuC83nlQK4clmVWgnb-rFfRq8x5d7S9aO0mlwiQQwMHrdY-fhgNT18c_KIBdjdKEj8t3scPxnl-vQuMmls2PKEeKCYI6ctdmPJK4ZcPYAFDlxzC_91KwhbWyTcac4YLSRcmCR/s1600/2015-05-14+21.47.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAesSVuWIFuC83nlQK4clmVWgnb-rFfRq8x5d7S9aO0mlwiQQwMHrdY-fhgNT18c_KIBdjdKEj8t3scPxnl-vQuMmls2PKEeKCYI6ctdmPJK4ZcPYAFDlxzC_91KwhbWyTcac4YLSRcmCR/s400/2015-05-14+21.47.37.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cornstarch gloop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
However, Mr E loves Turkish delight - so I'm hoping that he'll take this offering into his work and dispatch with it.<br />
<br />
I ended up making 2 batches - the first one turned out OK in the end, but the sugar caramelised too much before I added the cornstarch, so it was golden. I didn't add the fruit I'd been planning, in case it was a burnt disaster, but instead mixed in half a teaspoon of cola flavour, which I thought might complement the caramel under tones.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlvUhViM9IkzF9TPr69DauBCds39K1vIYkTPMVoqNJjTCpK26JZFZDTnwwZztpFUVLcavo3mR9hBhvu8lHloiOz49wH2b7EJHL7g8xOvuUnLmPdR5KWG-IWshuxVBGgZ-0bthIgbNTLyZ/s1600/2015-05-14+22.02.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlvUhViM9IkzF9TPr69DauBCds39K1vIYkTPMVoqNJjTCpK26JZFZDTnwwZztpFUVLcavo3mR9hBhvu8lHloiOz49wH2b7EJHL7g8xOvuUnLmPdR5KWG-IWshuxVBGgZ-0bthIgbNTLyZ/s400/2015-05-14+22.02.11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caramel cola - will it set… yes!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The second batch I switched to a smaller pan, which seemed to make the difference - I added pistachios, glade cherries and a couple of drops each of rosewater and vanilla.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtkTGIvY0unTIilADReluPuVJzlvuPoCKjBFaQUlxrsBs_UGj5rR_TNkSp4MLUMrp6AsUx1E0slwubM832gx85B1ZDlkOMFDvJiQ67c4dO0YWZGcQ7rVeJGSiIRG-VLx9ZvEVwEJc38Ql/s1600/2015-05-14+22.02.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtkTGIvY0unTIilADReluPuVJzlvuPoCKjBFaQUlxrsBs_UGj5rR_TNkSp4MLUMrp6AsUx1E0slwubM832gx85B1ZDlkOMFDvJiQ67c4dO0YWZGcQ7rVeJGSiIRG-VLx9ZvEVwEJc38Ql/s400/2015-05-14+22.02.25.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Batch 2 underway - just like very sweet wallpaper paste</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Keep your fingers crossed that it sets / cuts tomorrow!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazv461TOADFSbHnt4OwBQh0XjgSis4jVxkOfj1eiRBJBv7K5SkGpFIm76HXD812fDykmGvFJ13v0e-pj3bEdninwKbfFnLLOAf_EE9CbOPPjT0ZUPX0n9WJWDzfi9QtvXmOg9SEu-Qh4x/s1600/2015-05-14+22.39.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazv461TOADFSbHnt4OwBQh0XjgSis4jVxkOfj1eiRBJBv7K5SkGpFIm76HXD812fDykmGvFJ13v0e-pj3bEdninwKbfFnLLOAf_EE9CbOPPjT0ZUPX0n9WJWDzfi9QtvXmOg9SEu-Qh4x/s400/2015-05-14+22.39.42.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If nothing else, I achieved a good cherry / pistachio distribution!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thanks for pushing me out of my comfort (and taste) zone ;o)<br />
<br />
PS - it's dairy free and vegan - and the recipe <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/recipe/turkish-delight">here on the Daring Kitchen website </a>is very thorough and easy to follow<br />
<br />Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-78842323028231167822015-04-14T21:47:00.001+01:002015-04-14T21:48:25.382+01:00Daring Cooks Challenge April 2015: Homemade Spice BlendsDaring Cooks posting time.<br />
On time! 10 points to me :-)<br />
<br />
Minus 9 points for lack of culinary imagination on my part, and using a homemade spice blend… made by someone else!<br />
<br />
Work is crazy busy. Life is crazy busy. There's not a surplus of time for cooking, blogging, etc. but I'm determined to still squeeze it in when and where I can.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thedaringkitchen.com/">The Daring Cooks</a> challenge this month is to make homemade spice blends and use them in a recipe.<br />
<br />
<strong style="background-color: white; color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><em>Blog-checking lines</em></strong><strong style="background-color: white; color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><em>: </em></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">For the month of April, Sawsan from </span><a href="http://chefindisguise.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #aa0012; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-decoration: none;">Chef in disguise</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> challenged us to spice things up by making our own spice blends from scratch</span><br />
<br />
My very lovely sister L made us some spice mixes for Christmas, and I thought I'd showcase one of those here, in the absence of my own blend.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpvPZpiNVbNy2cSpaUzGmI3Y-40VsSMCfTb2caQYo9SKgJqaDUvp9AxIf0cAlt7YkZ0LuHI4v4w1XMKwz01MOG6ZBUghI1rZ-kvKErfwSej3u3n_KzUv5z0wf-FbP3DVjkx9R8XcvcU-8/s1600/IMG_20150414_213256009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpvPZpiNVbNy2cSpaUzGmI3Y-40VsSMCfTb2caQYo9SKgJqaDUvp9AxIf0cAlt7YkZ0LuHI4v4w1XMKwz01MOG6ZBUghI1rZ-kvKErfwSej3u3n_KzUv5z0wf-FbP3DVjkx9R8XcvcU-8/s1600/IMG_20150414_213256009.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></div>
<br />
She made us a spice blend for fish, combining turmeric, saffron, garlic, pepper and paprika. And cute labels! She ground the spices up in a coffee grinder before packaging them up into little jars for giving.<br />
<br />
I took her instruction to heart and added a generous pinch of sea salt, then used 2 tsp of spice rub to coat the top of 2 salmon fillets. I left them to marinade for 15 minutes, then cooked them super simply - on a plate, covered in cling-film and poached in the microwave for a few minutes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhfs0M8p7xr1Hj6SPSLZradDUv6XFqb4B9KwiJ1O4ZwO3UXjDQePM-qY3tT_LuZDJUbpRi3K57PjnjIe-kH0QcRviiPVimyPrHeNaqg9GEgPGmOKn7AT-BADUhSp9xihSRPoWLLmX2zza/s1600/IMG_20150412_111421002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhfs0M8p7xr1Hj6SPSLZradDUv6XFqb4B9KwiJ1O4ZwO3UXjDQePM-qY3tT_LuZDJUbpRi3K57PjnjIe-kH0QcRviiPVimyPrHeNaqg9GEgPGmOKn7AT-BADUhSp9xihSRPoWLLmX2zza/s1600/IMG_20150412_111421002.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
We had it for lunch - with chopped tomatoes, ketchup and oatcakes for Mini-M and for the grown ups, served on top of a salad of tomatoes and avocado. Delicious!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPY6xAZ85X8Y-XPzlgmckbvLHc9pjT54uWmsia5w3IVpThFeJcj3xz-qRgxuLR_4Yl-_g7227xwJQG0Lz7CqKgbJqqq4HX9-puIuD_FpdzqfQgtztHqMZwfsv1Jv52ghLL-P2rAyl2uGZ/s1600/IMG_20150412_123220712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPY6xAZ85X8Y-XPzlgmckbvLHc9pjT54uWmsia5w3IVpThFeJcj3xz-qRgxuLR_4Yl-_g7227xwJQG0Lz7CqKgbJqqq4HX9-puIuD_FpdzqfQgtztHqMZwfsv1Jv52ghLL-P2rAyl2uGZ/s1600/IMG_20150412_123220712.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
So there you have it. Minimal cooking but it's the taking part that counts…. or something! I'll finish with a promise to do better next month.Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-48099701465341242312015-03-28T21:36:00.000+00:002015-03-28T21:36:04.363+00:00Cakes for a good causeSince my hot date tonight is of the water bottle and lemsip variety, I thought I'd use the opportunity to post a roundup of the cakes I've made so far since volunteering with <a href="http://www.freecakesforkids.org.uk/what-we-do/">Free Cakes for Kids</a>.<br />
<br />
They are a community based charity which provides free birthday cakes, baked and decorated by volunteers, to children and families that would otherwise be unlikely to have one.<br />
<br />
Having a special birthday cake is undeniably one of the lovely simple pleasures of childhood. It's just so exciting - choosing the cake you want, dropping some stupendously unsubtle hints, and the final surprise of seeing what it looks like in all it's iced glory.<br />
<br />
The sad fact is that there are a great many children in the UK whose birthdays won't be celebrated with cake, or indeed really celebrated at all. This could be for a whole host of reasons, including financial, health, housing or many other issues. That's where Free Cakes for Kids comes in. It works with local organisations all over the UK, and accepts referrals for cakes, which are then allocated to volunteered bakers to supply.<br />
<br />
To each individual volunteer baker, the cost is small, the effort rewarding and collectively the organisation provides hundreds if not thousands of cakes to children all around the country each year.<br />
<br />
I've been baking with my local branch for several months now, so I thought I'd post a few photos of my creations!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GY31IKxbAfKpq_PORTZ8oYs_r4NO_-smLKM7135SI1QR6vnQhTWemM1OzUQkiDAJiGcSvRIvwRyjJaPjY_az4ZUwmQztp_6rDxix-yzYxIwzKNyp3VpHFt36IN5Fs179Wt1qYkwEIeVT/s1600/23rdDecMonsterHigh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GY31IKxbAfKpq_PORTZ8oYs_r4NO_-smLKM7135SI1QR6vnQhTWemM1OzUQkiDAJiGcSvRIvwRyjJaPjY_az4ZUwmQztp_6rDxix-yzYxIwzKNyp3VpHFt36IN5Fs179Wt1qYkwEIeVT/s1600/23rdDecMonsterHigh.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monsters High</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzlhPxugOK_VwClThzePTsARd7FerfLgZiojCmp_TzN3nZQsBVoroovlJ_PcAORrSP5z0zwrdszkYYf4Rz-eTgYFjoZPP9lps4VwhF7fy80vm5Trk4vI35TO1REu2rqSHJrQsrmUNXJWQ/s1600/DSC05521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzlhPxugOK_VwClThzePTsARd7FerfLgZiojCmp_TzN3nZQsBVoroovlJ_PcAORrSP5z0zwrdszkYYf4Rz-eTgYFjoZPP9lps4VwhF7fy80vm5Trk4vI35TO1REu2rqSHJrQsrmUNXJWQ/s1600/DSC05521.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Music and Singing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyB_qQAf_N7yMuLGOakAdC22KPeeI6CBgpNGoLQXaXlfCoN-KSKT1n1GrRxdpC134Jxzy-eQqlxV1GKIMncmeezpRj-tRSDdHd-OP5BnACrTzZANSdu-Ks3vBQRlmtA8-Iqa4ynq5zR5A1/s1600/DSC05602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyB_qQAf_N7yMuLGOakAdC22KPeeI6CBgpNGoLQXaXlfCoN-KSKT1n1GrRxdpC134Jxzy-eQqlxV1GKIMncmeezpRj-tRSDdHd-OP5BnACrTzZANSdu-Ks3vBQRlmtA8-Iqa4ynq5zR5A1/s1600/DSC05602.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a birthday but a good luck cake for a work placement abroad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIBvOXjI-CwOL0k2Haf-KNRHRF_7F0s0TsZHe_8Is7n1cEJ7Aek52Ivu10GCOHbQjWE43YNaDS9jJonEtoGt5GTqQot9Zns3MUk0kppWwPJxvSZ1p4e6CFYyv0JK1CG2EuwkTE0I3Ovzh/s1600/EYCP_1stDec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIBvOXjI-CwOL0k2Haf-KNRHRF_7F0s0TsZHe_8Is7n1cEJ7Aek52Ivu10GCOHbQjWE43YNaDS9jJonEtoGt5GTqQot9Zns3MUk0kppWwPJxvSZ1p4e6CFYyv0JK1CG2EuwkTE0I3Ovzh/s1600/EYCP_1stDec.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woodland fairy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxHleK8zRFjhTm4wXXgqWRX9VfcURbePI1HKaJK_HjJzV5J4efije7-_yGD2h3i8900WLMUMzCfQAqa5rIfIFdJ1dtIivP93DzIYMq3MCOXfx60Attc3eAS0BoDaMKZXx_kos4TWlfCHC/s1600/IMG_20150125_171644759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxHleK8zRFjhTm4wXXgqWRX9VfcURbePI1HKaJK_HjJzV5J4efije7-_yGD2h3i8900WLMUMzCfQAqa5rIfIFdJ1dtIivP93DzIYMq3MCOXfx60Attc3eAS0BoDaMKZXx_kos4TWlfCHC/s1600/IMG_20150125_171644759.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Football</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's lovely to feel you are doing something that brings a burst of fun and excitement into the difficult lives that many children end up leading. So if you're looking for an excuse to get stuck in with the fondant and food colouring on a semi-regular basis, then I thoroughly recommend checking out your <a href="http://www.freecakesforkids.org.uk/where-we-bake/">nearest group on the website</a> and getting in touch.Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-92071364674871479522015-03-27T21:53:00.003+00:002015-03-28T21:13:53.715+00:00Daring Bakers' March 2015 Challenge: Tarte TatinI'm on time with this blog post (or at least in the correct 24hr time period, once time zones etc are considered). Yep, it's the 27th so it's the posting day for the <a href="http://www.thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Bakers' March</a> challenge.<br />
<br />
For the March Daring bakers' challenge, Korena from <a href="http://www.korenainthekitchen.com/">Korena in the Kitchen</a> taught us that some treats are best enjoyed upside down. She challenged us to make a tarte tatin from scratch.<br />
<br />
Mini-M was my official kitchen helper for this challenge. She made the pastry herself.*<br />
<br />
*(well, that's what she'd probably like you to think. In the name of making sure there was actually pastry mix left in the bowl after rubbing in the fat and flour, I stepped in to intervene…)<br />
<br />
She also chose the filling: figs, apple and cashew nuts. Slightly unconventional but still delicious.<br />
<br />
In order to make the pastry dairy free, I used a mixture of coconut oil and DF margarine. I'd have used all coconut oil, however the jar was emptier than I thought. I also chucked in a handful of chia seeds to give the pastry some added crunch.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVx4dZo3_1XIiTA6HzUMzTFMjgl_PdwvVgfOQxPVdeVW4zfjMj37AUDJovivweNcr6_W7OuADNDfv_7m7tRfKgFlAd1LKjhZvMo4wWNvi9_7wLurM42SkmvrTxwJM7mFd2p_Mv3wMtU34/s1600/DSC06077.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVx4dZo3_1XIiTA6HzUMzTFMjgl_PdwvVgfOQxPVdeVW4zfjMj37AUDJovivweNcr6_W7OuADNDfv_7m7tRfKgFlAd1LKjhZvMo4wWNvi9_7wLurM42SkmvrTxwJM7mFd2p_Mv3wMtU34/s1600/DSC06077.jpeg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to flip...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78xmnwSpaM4lhiXSrp_0E68iJR6f1UFW1ojaIcoKYLPwVW-g_1T0Pvmr6XBFd5KivtkEEDC0RV9uaPqQMiUj1WbvYU9Hvu68sEKLNiwy-C32Yv5xuQ_uTxn-hixPWr0sEO6or1P_AsDwG/s1600/DSC06082.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78xmnwSpaM4lhiXSrp_0E68iJR6f1UFW1ojaIcoKYLPwVW-g_1T0Pvmr6XBFd5KivtkEEDC0RV9uaPqQMiUj1WbvYU9Hvu68sEKLNiwy-C32Yv5xuQ_uTxn-hixPWr0sEO6or1P_AsDwG/s1600/DSC06082.jpeg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sigh of relief - still in one piece and ready to serve</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We made the pastry and put in in the fridge to chill, then life got in the way a little, as often happens, so I chucked it in the freezer, and I can also report that it froze and defrosted really well. A good tip!<br />
<br />
Here's our recipe…<br />
<br />
<b>Dairy Free Figgy Tarte Tatin</b> (Serves 8)<br />
<br />
For the pastry:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>125g plain flour</li>
<li>60g coconut oil (chill until solid if you live somewhere warm - no problems here in Scotland!)</li>
<li>60g DF margarine</li>
<li>1 tbsp chia seeds</li>
<li>60ml iced water</li>
</ul>
<br />
Sieve the flour into a bowl. Chop the coconut oil and margarine into cubes, then use 2 knives (or one of those fancy pastry gadgets) to but the fat into the flour. Once you're down to small pieces, use your hands to give a last rub in - you want there still to be pea-sized pieces of fat remaining. If you're working with coconut oil or DF margarine and you start rubbing it from the start, it will get very sticky as they often melt more easily.<br />
Stir in the chia seeds.<br />
Add the iced water and mix in with a knife.<br />
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a couple of times to combine, then wrap and chill for an hour in the fridge (or freeze until you need it). Take it out of the fridge 15 mins before you want to start making the dessert (and longer if it's frozen). It's also unsweetened so would work just as well in a savoury topped pie.<br />
<br />
For the fruit:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>8 small fresh figs</li>
<li>2 eating apples</li>
<li>handful unsalted cashew nuts</li>
<li>50g coconut oil</li>
<li>150g caster sugar</li>
<li>pinch salt</li>
</ul>
<br />
Preheat the oven to 190C (180C fan).<br />
In an oven proof iron skillet, slowly melt the sugar and coconut oil. They won't seem to combine properly, like butter and sugar would, but don't worry - it'll all come OK in the end.<br />
At the same time, top and tail your figs and chop. We were aiming for quarters, but 4yr old knife skills meant a slightly more haphazard effect.<br />
Peel and thinly slice the apples<br />
Allow the mixture to bubble over a medium heat for a minute or so to start to caramelise. Keep an eye so that it doesn't catch. Coconut oil can often cause the sugar to crystallise, and go crunchy - again don't worry!<br />
One it is starting to just take a very pale colour, add the salt, nuts and fruit (both figs and apples) and give it a stir around to coat. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.<br />
Roll out the pastry into a circle that is slightly larger than your pan, and carefully place it on top of the bubbling fruity mixture, and tuck in the sides.<br />
Cut holes in the top to let steam escape, and bake for around 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges.<br />
Cool a little before inverting carefully (I made Mr E do this). Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHA7dDpAPv6DkeQB_t2WjswguitNUxjXNGtD3lRzre9_WcyqLJSN_s-WWO7GOlsPIH-PtyZdwJPUO0-0oXsHJnxOJ-bVtilVO2cglpP9gxqNbaE-477xAM_1F80wFOOwiKkwoau8aIvnJG/s1600/2015-03-15+16.49.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHA7dDpAPv6DkeQB_t2WjswguitNUxjXNGtD3lRzre9_WcyqLJSN_s-WWO7GOlsPIH-PtyZdwJPUO0-0oXsHJnxOJ-bVtilVO2cglpP9gxqNbaE-477xAM_1F80wFOOwiKkwoau8aIvnJG/s1600/2015-03-15+16.49.51.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chief fig chopper/squasher (it's a fine line to tread…)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprqoNUNS0HTxyuABKrsNhNEiQWwNOdjaLcIMJgMIJPjXDnrw_v3xJLypyTLW8UXAeYTW3JPfegTL3cd1B6-K0JIazEfkvUMawRtBb690lW_yWyxaajKxKEhWmVTN9Vx-fOPOh3PzncfVc/s1600/DSC06084.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprqoNUNS0HTxyuABKrsNhNEiQWwNOdjaLcIMJgMIJPjXDnrw_v3xJLypyTLW8UXAeYTW3JPfegTL3cd1B6-K0JIazEfkvUMawRtBb690lW_yWyxaajKxKEhWmVTN9Vx-fOPOh3PzncfVc/s1600/DSC06084.jpeg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crispy pastry, gooey topping</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-2662527979002194052015-03-16T23:44:00.002+00:002015-03-16T23:44:56.231+00:00Daring Cooks March 2015 - Perfect, Personal PorridgePorridge! (or proodgie if you type really badly like I just did…)<br />
<br />
We eat it a lot for breakfast, which is why I chose it as the recipe for the <a href="http://www.thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Cooks</a> challenge I hosted last month.<br />
<br />
I'm technically late to my own party, as the completed challenge reveal date was the 14th. A recurring theme on this blog.<br />
<br />
Blog checking lines:<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">For the March Daring Cooks’ challenge, Ruth from M</span><a href="http://http//makey-cakey.blogspot.co.uk/" style="background-color: white; color: #aa0012; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">akey Cakey </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">invited us to start the day with something filling, warm and nutritious. We got to experiment with different techniques and flavorings to create our own perfect personal porridge.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span>
So what did I make as my porridge-y offering? Here are a whole bunch of porridge pics. I can think of another alliterative 'p-word' to describe them in jest, however I'm not going to type it, for fear of who/what Google might direct to my site as a result!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKoe0EzEnOP35Z7bXqxaChV-_zsaItym3-wmuMqeUhD9HnfnkBB8LARwJH0tCMxtf4gUhjvgkr-nFQmgYrQaUdIUhJgjU8jdltR2qO20nx8JO-x4_Bv5YSgfd4YXHj0shAgVWfkjhEfSpt/s1600/Porridge1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKoe0EzEnOP35Z7bXqxaChV-_zsaItym3-wmuMqeUhD9HnfnkBB8LARwJH0tCMxtf4gUhjvgkr-nFQmgYrQaUdIUhJgjU8jdltR2qO20nx8JO-x4_Bv5YSgfd4YXHj0shAgVWfkjhEfSpt/s1600/Porridge1.jpeg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porridge in the pan...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYztZW8_7TCIoNcoAH-ctpd1Iwk0cv2GzEP5Qqfsetv-SEmRQQZ4pQ4dzW_VBjeLVo2cVSWxwk4QE6h09_gEknpW-nbQhHtSu337XgzhTqBZen6CnTpGbGULq1baBOI3D7344GXHoCZCh/s1600/Porridge2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYztZW8_7TCIoNcoAH-ctpd1Iwk0cv2GzEP5Qqfsetv-SEmRQQZ4pQ4dzW_VBjeLVo2cVSWxwk4QE6h09_gEknpW-nbQhHtSu337XgzhTqBZen6CnTpGbGULq1baBOI3D7344GXHoCZCh/s1600/Porridge2.jpeg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porridge and black coffee - sets you up for the day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcx0DTeYSji134E_8SLZU-e_ErE5n85lbTnmXkbWFxWNo_qHPbmYC1tq66tqso5cMq6iExJ8N_dZTymQzrliF8_tIMCvQPa_PW5R3gu1cyL-fXty9kGAB-dTJ4VqzzOu-fq8GPtF6OgTQv/s1600/Porridge3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcx0DTeYSji134E_8SLZU-e_ErE5n85lbTnmXkbWFxWNo_qHPbmYC1tq66tqso5cMq6iExJ8N_dZTymQzrliF8_tIMCvQPa_PW5R3gu1cyL-fXty9kGAB-dTJ4VqzzOu-fq8GPtF6OgTQv/s1600/Porridge3.jpeg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini-M loves porridge </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFR65ChtAh7IbKRIJ65N7OC1L2blhfO2VyhkluYIOzlZUces3V_dygB62fo_RIBbY2dfq19ZJioYmR8aD-bcVlywL_wjP6P6jNWE-yb_LkzqKwkUCbflORq4E6fKDwsa8pKsLegMUPrRXZ/s1600/Porridge4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFR65ChtAh7IbKRIJ65N7OC1L2blhfO2VyhkluYIOzlZUces3V_dygB62fo_RIBbY2dfq19ZJioYmR8aD-bcVlywL_wjP6P6jNWE-yb_LkzqKwkUCbflORq4E6fKDwsa8pKsLegMUPrRXZ/s1600/Porridge4.jpeg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aun unusual multi-porridge combo!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMw4BTPenGapzBPtMCGQgT2IH4ybEI7Zu2iME84r4HW46d_4dhN05QgjIx8bTesJillkriL5IcvoYFyeb-8NzI_3SRbH0ykfPQcpOPLM40k5EKVdDOJ6I3BBrsU5NalbRNKTm84AuhBOQ/s1600/DSC05941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMw4BTPenGapzBPtMCGQgT2IH4ybEI7Zu2iME84r4HW46d_4dhN05QgjIx8bTesJillkriL5IcvoYFyeb-8NzI_3SRbH0ykfPQcpOPLM40k5EKVdDOJ6I3BBrsU5NalbRNKTm84AuhBOQ/s1600/DSC05941.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porridge with dried mango and raisins (chosen by Mini-M the executive chef)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8oqi6Xrnw7e14iHPstVQrX0Z3LpL0OFZLYDrVw4J4-RXJQuadIIl47GMAHBtWmMjGLdwp7l1LWw9ZtiaPmSNc9yKzw3XgX_eKy_Ou3bEVKWzoG0J78fS6xonUXDIoPb6cI314K-m2rss/s1600/DSC05946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8oqi6Xrnw7e14iHPstVQrX0Z3LpL0OFZLYDrVw4J4-RXJQuadIIl47GMAHBtWmMjGLdwp7l1LWw9ZtiaPmSNc9yKzw3XgX_eKy_Ou3bEVKWzoG0J78fS6xonUXDIoPb6cI314K-m2rss/s1600/DSC05946.JPG" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porridge pick'n'mix for Mini-M who didn't want to mix them in the same bowl (see previous photo!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPAxyCKP0vG2NcC1s9qwhQOdgIwhueBxN2vzK1j6EmqHl_Ha2wWTmVhcCzDSuluQPobXOoFc8eGCNWgMh4KtIIARXcODSKSZgJ66OdATCL9H9ZGwrV6zj9ttKW7VUJOjAv_-jVGlSLRA0/s1600/DSC05948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPAxyCKP0vG2NcC1s9qwhQOdgIwhueBxN2vzK1j6EmqHl_Ha2wWTmVhcCzDSuluQPobXOoFc8eGCNWgMh4KtIIARXcODSKSZgJ66OdATCL9H9ZGwrV6zj9ttKW7VUJOjAv_-jVGlSLRA0/s1600/DSC05948.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baked porridge with cocoa, almonds, apple and raisin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKtySZOGVBkZGx_K2xLB4gO7enRkJtvhNodz6-60lMOfC-VFKptBT53I9yVGJxyGyrteKYnwsX84ucoa2ZJBz49Ync_mIObmIvcIrvVGjkZzl8GxSjNNpEH0lVMfcYjkGx1YivOVIAnXJ/s1600/DSC05949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKtySZOGVBkZGx_K2xLB4gO7enRkJtvhNodz6-60lMOfC-VFKptBT53I9yVGJxyGyrteKYnwsX84ucoa2ZJBz49Ync_mIObmIvcIrvVGjkZzl8GxSjNNpEH0lVMfcYjkGx1YivOVIAnXJ/s1600/DSC05949.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rye porridge with cranberries </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZuL40f8ob-RShrHGvykpHLlBaitGd_hC5W7frpu9O-YlJ3Z9DXceydNsuSfL5EidnUS4daG9T5b-9dHeWyVfEV3DNBXLLV5s0jmaef3fivGcNY-5Y8xaa4R_CoA8oFBP_tweKBiOwc4be/s1600/DSC05950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZuL40f8ob-RShrHGvykpHLlBaitGd_hC5W7frpu9O-YlJ3Z9DXceydNsuSfL5EidnUS4daG9T5b-9dHeWyVfEV3DNBXLLV5s0jmaef3fivGcNY-5Y8xaa4R_CoA8oFBP_tweKBiOwc4be/s1600/DSC05950.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barley porridge with coconut milk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And my favourite - probably the baked chocolate porridge, not least for the nostalgia value. It reminded me of my student days when for some unknown and unusual reason, the girls in my first flat would often make chocolate Bailey's porridge as an evening treat - or indeed as dinner before a night out on the town!<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
(It goes without saying all of these porridges were dairy free. It works with pretty much any liquid and any flaked grain. The ultimate versatile recipe)</div>
Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-79948321388968407482015-01-16T21:42:00.002+00:002015-01-16T21:42:21.830+00:00Happy New Year - It's Store Cupboard January!Hello hello hello.<br />
Happy New Year and all that!<br />
<br />
I do have some lovely recipes up my sleeve, waiting to be blogged when I get a chance, however I'm starting the year off with a photo roundup. This January chez Makey-Cakey we've been working through the larder and freezer, and only buying fresh fruit / veg / milk / eggs / eggs.<br />
<br />
We need to defrost our freezer, which means we need to work our way through the contents, and whilst we're at it decided there were a fair few open packets, jars and slightly vintage tins that could probably do with being used up.<br />
<br />
Ultimately, we're making slow but steady inroads, and having reached halfway through the month, we've not had to eat too many weird combinations.<br />
<br />
We decided we should still allow ourselves to buy fruit, veg, milk etc - had it just been Mr E and myself we might have decided to embrace the lentils and split peas for breakfast, however I'm not sure inflicting that on Mini-M would have been a winner.<br />
<br />
So, here's a run down of the meals we've had so far, and the store cupboard ingredients that went into them: #storecupboardjanuary!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6XXX873PByj_XghFawLwwJ9Dq_TKtfmWfxBWtMmqHbZs1Bi4XT0HwPOvkFgsi-UW-3-SoR0RICO2L7UyDB7OOv6AOGLwJZrmFCXRcCEr7HR_asfgMwSZWxzXnUwUNMzDcaitUxkAHMza/s1600/2015-01-16+17.44.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6XXX873PByj_XghFawLwwJ9Dq_TKtfmWfxBWtMmqHbZs1Bi4XT0HwPOvkFgsi-UW-3-SoR0RICO2L7UyDB7OOv6AOGLwJZrmFCXRcCEr7HR_asfgMwSZWxzXnUwUNMzDcaitUxkAHMza/s1600/2015-01-16+17.44.39.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Dinner Pie (from the freezer) and carrots</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsjXvJTPeCJ7oz1_KZ24QqK97xfulEHCEz3B-lghi49XX3yNThjdAGM8D1ONpCbmeH_9evPEucZJhbOtkFcTI9I7aPel3MXk1Fjn9SFFuqdjEJVYy-q_PPPq-TIKPLxNS-sC3ldfiRf_9/s1600/2015-01-13+17.59.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsjXvJTPeCJ7oz1_KZ24QqK97xfulEHCEz3B-lghi49XX3yNThjdAGM8D1ONpCbmeH_9evPEucZJhbOtkFcTI9I7aPel3MXk1Fjn9SFFuqdjEJVYy-q_PPPq-TIKPLxNS-sC3ldfiRf_9/s1600/2015-01-13+17.59.11.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken stir fry: (noodles and bamboo shoots from cupboard, pineapple and chicken from freezer)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKYd4sZRdcbgsl3X47JkxBmy9OK1TYICGNx6XY0ujXw9_OZ97GhCBPf3KvQE2A2MLGjOWz8rmWU1GcmBv-57L7tdUiBfxHqHxm1EAKc5bKf44np_-k9L4ZK0GCHfDtppL88Qfc0Hz5atH/s1600/2015-01-13+19.58.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKYd4sZRdcbgsl3X47JkxBmy9OK1TYICGNx6XY0ujXw9_OZ97GhCBPf3KvQE2A2MLGjOWz8rmWU1GcmBv-57L7tdUiBfxHqHxm1EAKc5bKf44np_-k9L4ZK0GCHfDtppL88Qfc0Hz5atH/s1600/2015-01-13+19.58.36.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That staple - pasta with pesto (both store cupboard) and tomatoes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWg81O2xoW-PXcaNRd8UhFZ4c5TTjNPkn_vFLX36IKQKFHN25tH5Ao6Vf3NtGkbQBX7jP_tQMTM2BeszfK8ql68zwk3qf-YgiYeAulbi8PwnJn2f-WcfP0s6Ewhq6uZaBUr3dacQqHElPV/s1600/2015-01-15+21.15.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWg81O2xoW-PXcaNRd8UhFZ4c5TTjNPkn_vFLX36IKQKFHN25tH5Ao6Vf3NtGkbQBX7jP_tQMTM2BeszfK8ql68zwk3qf-YgiYeAulbi8PwnJn2f-WcfP0s6Ewhq6uZaBUr3dacQqHElPV/s1600/2015-01-15+21.15.58.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spinach and sausage risotto (rice from cupboard, wine and Polish sausage from freezer) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmWgicdns6wJIJqN7YHjRq4K3Q8QAimDGUQmYeSS9yDWxQRZWQDXIcbnWGDLi09gMAjm0huObJqBsHIZzK-EZHZixSq9RHVwIwAO80WygEteKFFX0iQ3k6_l7_pFh7CZa5dnUpZTTuEqL/s1600/2015-01-11+17.19.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmWgicdns6wJIJqN7YHjRq4K3Q8QAimDGUQmYeSS9yDWxQRZWQDXIcbnWGDLi09gMAjm0huObJqBsHIZzK-EZHZixSq9RHVwIwAO80WygEteKFFX0iQ3k6_l7_pFh7CZa5dnUpZTTuEqL/s1600/2015-01-11+17.19.00.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boxing day veggie soup (from freezer) cornbread crumble (polenta from cupboard) and frozen fish fingers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LAyQkCsVrL0Qwi-y-D7XRn9Zz6VGdlVskz3aFfA90C0mW4TwRwGrx64LvWv5lQkke_xCkEsIAuNJQ3Ht4hLHd_4IWqrd7jXmErz_FCTUDAYLDpU2hdACvR9ukN3phyIPf6qz1yTJZsKz/s1600/2015-01-11+22.17.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LAyQkCsVrL0Qwi-y-D7XRn9Zz6VGdlVskz3aFfA90C0mW4TwRwGrx64LvWv5lQkke_xCkEsIAuNJQ3Ht4hLHd_4IWqrd7jXmErz_FCTUDAYLDpU2hdACvR9ukN3phyIPf6qz1yTJZsKz/s1600/2015-01-11+22.17.07.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken, pesto and beetroot parcels (filo and chicken from freezer, pesto from cupboard) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRCvdL62veuy6cmwTWspcXqyGfVvoqJT8PHdFC6e71ym4QGtbhAAkT3vXjMhsAUU2W5UZvcb6MMmNrxjVnzG9AM5LfGlDVs1Q6hlAbNhYgMHWPDrxPRKKSrfYUJdQ-e_N2PMnm103_8YuY/s1600/2015-01-10+17.02.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRCvdL62veuy6cmwTWspcXqyGfVvoqJT8PHdFC6e71ym4QGtbhAAkT3vXjMhsAUU2W5UZvcb6MMmNrxjVnzG9AM5LfGlDVs1Q6hlAbNhYgMHWPDrxPRKKSrfYUJdQ-e_N2PMnm103_8YuY/s1600/2015-01-10+17.02.13.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spare ribs with cornbread (ribs from freezer, polenta and marinade ingredients from cupboard)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4l0lx6_HuzFOI71PebZo4QWH9le5US2st2_x35aNCk6vnzK0aTR_Smm5M0lyz-d0-fMsiws52W5QoKA3BGVtni6bbLRLbZayUHYj7PTwjGiJdYruJ_5DecOR9t89sEj9nWE5mtG5bbp5/s1600/2015-01-08+13.00.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4l0lx6_HuzFOI71PebZo4QWH9le5US2st2_x35aNCk6vnzK0aTR_Smm5M0lyz-d0-fMsiws52W5QoKA3BGVtni6bbLRLbZayUHYj7PTwjGiJdYruJ_5DecOR9t89sEj9nWE5mtG5bbp5/s1600/2015-01-08+13.00.43.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown rice and quinoa with corned beef and cucumber (rice, quinoa and corned beef from cupboard) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDtM_kTedXXyPUR0R1ShxcJ9NDyAQjcdAyHmh11KiWIh2secaM6h1QavBHRns_37oyFNIqQmMB-ZdFFYhnsjPGUEdaW1GXPzge2qZzIl3FjK_3VX-4Fe1MWrmmN1FbUy4zRM3CmWHj0_Y/s1600/2015-01-01+18.26.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDtM_kTedXXyPUR0R1ShxcJ9NDyAQjcdAyHmh11KiWIh2secaM6h1QavBHRns_37oyFNIqQmMB-ZdFFYhnsjPGUEdaW1GXPzge2qZzIl3FjK_3VX-4Fe1MWrmmN1FbUy4zRM3CmWHj0_Y/s1600/2015-01-01+18.26.47.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maple bean, lentil and nut loaf (refried beans and red lentils, maple and balsamic from cupboard)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHyZLfDVfX2BucDMbejgGgUjqafHSIfFEeFfjoPMtEKuUSsyQM6M-gekpECjGQJtYZln3JUs6R5ATxpXeA2WULxBUEbtJOdNTm6Aw6cIw_WkMXT9OcufcBpa14TxhFhCMJvFJ_drP70hx/s1600/2015-01-02+17.11.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHyZLfDVfX2BucDMbejgGgUjqafHSIfFEeFfjoPMtEKuUSsyQM6M-gekpECjGQJtYZln3JUs6R5ATxpXeA2WULxBUEbtJOdNTm6Aw6cIw_WkMXT9OcufcBpa14TxhFhCMJvFJ_drP70hx/s1600/2015-01-02+17.11.21.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Venison Lasagne: (pasta, jar sauce and oat cream from cupboard and venison burgers from freezer) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJ96SIZqfD1a5KRNSUWlOG8sULnqjD_avLy6z_4vk5j37RV07pdrSIUV1kvwP-Gddct_CE9npmVGPpHSqgkqu93z8CxHUphFC2Ca6OLMC9oQ8dA-yHv2ULOQI7fVdsmSoY-AP-59_ddTx/s1600/2015-01-03+17.14.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJ96SIZqfD1a5KRNSUWlOG8sULnqjD_avLy6z_4vk5j37RV07pdrSIUV1kvwP-Gddct_CE9npmVGPpHSqgkqu93z8CxHUphFC2Ca6OLMC9oQ8dA-yHv2ULOQI7fVdsmSoY-AP-59_ddTx/s1600/2015-01-03+17.14.37.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beetroot risotto: (white wine from freezer, risotto rice from cupboard)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1OaapfyK_vyDCaatGJ2PRdTcZ5a12rt1QhKnV4XX-WFPe7EOvEibfPl7ZwI6oyy9lXD4knfPGJ-PP7WWxZUbqHKG3UCkjQ_Ydz72Oe_6pRRn3Ef7ax-C4j4OJPIEKoi2bQc82QLtxTzI/s1600/2015-01-05+17.43.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1OaapfyK_vyDCaatGJ2PRdTcZ5a12rt1QhKnV4XX-WFPe7EOvEibfPl7ZwI6oyy9lXD4knfPGJ-PP7WWxZUbqHKG3UCkjQ_Ydz72Oe_6pRRn3Ef7ax-C4j4OJPIEKoi2bQc82QLtxTzI/s1600/2015-01-05+17.43.00.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pasta and jar sauce! (Both storecupboard)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zVdPGgk27qIXS13WuGTPLzrWV5rkDrPSS47mqRO0X3ESv6_CxarCSrhRsz_eXps8dYf-1gLUIff5qvruqSkcqxavIKUadHoUtQ2BDSWmnz9v6a8ftz2bh7G-8IBraCQ4ZWatDUMdr6Qr/s1600/2015-01-06+17.18.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zVdPGgk27qIXS13WuGTPLzrWV5rkDrPSS47mqRO0X3ESv6_CxarCSrhRsz_eXps8dYf-1gLUIff5qvruqSkcqxavIKUadHoUtQ2BDSWmnz9v6a8ftz2bh7G-8IBraCQ4ZWatDUMdr6Qr/s1600/2015-01-06+17.18.25.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polish bulghur (from store cupboard) with ham and crispy fried onions (also from cupboard) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2vxU9KFVb_VrtBeHF2v8DI_VK2DpQqHAyirwiQyeUYM8Lkt3wfIn2HpcZpQspC5L5yaxmwSzI8GAiI61pDem_0pJggAroD1I7z8wtsrTkrzsunatAr6ZJHp7ECEzs4M2tRCSyo_upWae/s1600/2015-01-07+18.36.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2vxU9KFVb_VrtBeHF2v8DI_VK2DpQqHAyirwiQyeUYM8Lkt3wfIn2HpcZpQspC5L5yaxmwSzI8GAiI61pDem_0pJggAroD1I7z8wtsrTkrzsunatAr6ZJHp7ECEzs4M2tRCSyo_upWae/s1600/2015-01-07+18.36.23.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corned beef and pepper hash (corned beef and marinated peppers from cupboard)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicddMdohJstD-JsDTe0q0PfRlTBpx7zDn9fkmrF0ILl1TeI7dlj9WVLYCj11Q-1Aj_4WsI9NQhlxd0WSVRiS_4cf9lJ5THTnPS2TXK8bqTolZJGiTq4cmtA57gzx00nfDdNM1ZxMWlYY3b/s1600/2015-01-09+17.34.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicddMdohJstD-JsDTe0q0PfRlTBpx7zDn9fkmrF0ILl1TeI7dlj9WVLYCj11Q-1Aj_4WsI9NQhlxd0WSVRiS_4cf9lJ5THTnPS2TXK8bqTolZJGiTq4cmtA57gzx00nfDdNM1ZxMWlYY3b/s1600/2015-01-09+17.34.24.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pitta pizza - frozen chicken and jar pesto from cupboard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Since all of the photos have been taken on my phone, they are pretty awful! Particularly because at tea time, in Scotland, in January there is no daylight. In fact it has already been dark for a good couple of hours by 6pm. But, you know, I'm classing this as a public service, so you can all look at this motley selection and feel smug that you've been eating much prettier food for the first half of January, and secretly pity us as we pass the halfway point, having already used up most of the "good stuff" (aka risotto rice, lentils and pesto) in the cupboard!!! Who knows what random concoctions like ahead between now and February...<br />
<br />
<br />Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-28010229263564037892014-12-27T22:24:00.000+00:002014-12-27T22:27:33.052+00:00The Daring Bakers' December 2014 ChallengeOh goodness. Somehow it seems I've not written a blog post since October. And Christmas has somehow come and gone too! 2014 has hurtled past at an alarming rate.<br />
<br />
And it is indeed <a href="http://www.thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Bakers</a>' posting time again.<br />
<br />
This is possibly the most pathetic DB post I've done in a long time. In an attempt to be lenient on myself, I'm giving myself quite a few points for effort. I baked my challenge recipe almost as soon as it was released way back at the start of December. I took a photo of it too… and then it went downhill.<br />
<br />
Can I find the photo - nope! Can I find the scrap of paper that I jotted down my modifications on - nope!<br />
<br />
So we have a challenge post with neither a photo or a recipe - and for that I apologise profusely!<br />
<br />
"For the month of December, Andrea from <a href="http://www.4pure.nl/en/about-2/">4pure</a> took us on a trip to the Netherlands. She challenged us to take our tastebuds on a joyride through the land of sugar and spice by baking three different types of Dutch sweet bread."<br />
<br />
Of the three recipes given in the challenge, I chose to make the first recipe: 'Peperkoek' cake, as it didn't need any modification to make it dairy-free.<br />
<br />
It called for 1 tbps cane sugar syrup, and I wasn't sure what that was, so I used treacle - given the spices involved and the dark colour of the cake, it seemed the right sort of thing - admittedly unlikely to be 100% authentic. I was also a bit scant in my spice mix, and went without cardamom, coriander and anise as I didn't have them in the spice rack. I did have cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, white pepper, mace and ginger and I chucked in a pinch of allspice too.<br />
<br />
I also had no whole-wheat flour - so I used 200g plain white and 50g rye.<br />
<br />
The cake smelled fantastic whilst cooking and infused the house with the scent of Christmas which was a lovely way to start off December.<br />
It tasted pretty good too, and was very easy - yum - I'm glad to be able to add this one to my baking repertoire :-)<br />
<br />
So my personal challenge for January is to go for the triple - bake, photograph and blog… wish me luck!<br />
<br />
And so - to finish off, I shall leave you with a picture of my sous-chef Mini-M preparing another festive treat… magic reindeer food on Christmas Eve (aka carrots, glitter and crushed cereal!).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTNYeHcjs2_coik1fkBi5_bpIpX37ho7XUZ8XoYQutGkChv16L5IsQqS7VR_Lu5RKw9NGSS6YQoRuCIoOgWgBZKLvqMkSRkCaG9dnt0pMFtifQjSEBDTorxpZQB0cY7mbeDYEo5qmXyux/s1600/DSC05876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTNYeHcjs2_coik1fkBi5_bpIpX37ho7XUZ8XoYQutGkChv16L5IsQqS7VR_Lu5RKw9NGSS6YQoRuCIoOgWgBZKLvqMkSRkCaG9dnt0pMFtifQjSEBDTorxpZQB0cY7mbeDYEo5qmXyux/s1600/DSC05876.JPG" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
<br />Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-34950858727739425892014-10-27T22:37:00.000+00:002014-10-27T22:37:50.268+00:00Franken-Biscuits and Vampire CupcakesIt's Halloween on Friday.<br />
And for once I've managed to make something seasonal at least a few days in advance - wonders behold. On the other hand, I reversed into a bin when I was going out earlier - so you win some, you lose some…<br />
<br />
Here are a couple of easy Halloween themed treats.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvXs9EVJNumpJiNfBajF9U50uYmWvN0WIarakkwtsJ_y6lgtSHooeAToKJoKJ2iau-e3_4L68NLVihY0Dio15KP3qK64kqz6OuCx5LoIPt4laAWfe7AWpLI4idfCqOkk-jNy4ej_BQQC6-/s1600/FrankenBiscuits1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvXs9EVJNumpJiNfBajF9U50uYmWvN0WIarakkwtsJ_y6lgtSHooeAToKJoKJ2iau-e3_4L68NLVihY0Dio15KP3qK64kqz6OuCx5LoIPt4laAWfe7AWpLI4idfCqOkk-jNy4ej_BQQC6-/s1600/FrankenBiscuits1.jpeg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>First up - Franken-Biscuits</b><br />
<br />
I made 2 prototypes, and am going to let Mini-M loose creating her own Franken-Biscuit army later in the week. They use Lotus biscuits as the base which I found in the pound shop (are are dairy-free into the bargain) - just thought I should clarify that I did not raid the client biscuit cupboard at work, or save them up from coffee-shop visits for the purpose - that's a whole other level of forward planning!<br />
<br />
You will need:<br />
<ul>
<li>Lotus biscuits (or other plain rectangular variety)</li>
<li>Green royal icing (I used royal icing powder, made up with lemon juice and a little green food colouring)</li>
<li>Raisins</li>
<li>A couple of squares of chocolate</li>
<li>Writing icing (I used yellow and red but you could use any)</li>
<li>A few jelly beans</li>
<li>A few strands of wholewheat spaghetti</li>
</ul>
First cover the biscuits with the icing - it doesn't matter if it oozes off the sides - this isn't really about precision!<br />
Next grate the chocolate and sprinkle over one end of the biscuits for Frankenstein's hair.<br />
Use a raising for each eye and half a jelly bean for the nose and position to make the face.<br />
Add the mouth with red writing icing, and eye dots in a light colour (I used yellow).<br />
Snap off a piece of spaghetti a little wider than your biscuit and push half a raising onto each end to make the "bolt" and put on top of the biscuit then voila - you're done.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKpJMd8K3lmWkz_LAcNKJTHnOI0Egje7k_ESEoP68bkIeLmRX6LqDXT_sk6kXEcXpFTZioCESOVgnXFnqHXxR4e_Zjs2CLNjJ9mYvM-cIaHdLtHE9r-qEO6l0366CM90RGODFoXk2monst/s1600/FrankenBiscuits2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKpJMd8K3lmWkz_LAcNKJTHnOI0Egje7k_ESEoP68bkIeLmRX6LqDXT_sk6kXEcXpFTZioCESOVgnXFnqHXxR4e_Zjs2CLNjJ9mYvM-cIaHdLtHE9r-qEO6l0366CM90RGODFoXk2monst/s1600/FrankenBiscuits2.jpeg" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
<br />
I had originally planned to use pretzels for the "bolts" with each end dipped in a little melted chocolate, but it turned out the pretzels in the cupboard weren't sticks but twists, which would have looked rather weird.<br />
<br />
So… onto the <b>Vampire Cupcakes</b> - <a href="http://makey-cakey.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/vampire-fairy-cakes.html">I first posted these 5 years ago</a>!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3pub_Cn1t9Cw6Y4bNFwxs72Y0Km7S7XZ69Qy__OG-rRDLebussoqPLPcn8zx9lk-V_vK6e6ilC_Yj42A8wkst4eYTRYZ8ifUVgJ-PHIDN2qiG6wAoMoyY7f1rCMxKq3H8DyD7oIjf7Q/s400/100_4475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3pub_Cn1t9Cw6Y4bNFwxs72Y0Km7S7XZ69Qy__OG-rRDLebussoqPLPcn8zx9lk-V_vK6e6ilC_Yj42A8wkst4eYTRYZ8ifUVgJ-PHIDN2qiG6wAoMoyY7f1rCMxKq3H8DyD7oIjf7Q/s400/100_4475.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
But here's a recap…<br />
You'll need some plain cupcakes, some very red jam and some 7-minute frosting.<br />
After your cupcakes are cooled, take a small sharp knife and cut a cone out of the middle of each cake.<br />
Cut the bottom of the cone off, leaving a little flat lid. Spoon jam into the hollowed out space then top with the little lid.<br />
Cover with a layer of frosting, then use a toothpick to put some jammy fang-marks on the surface - done. Told you it was easy :-)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7My9HEM7GOJ-FWbtmTME2wEcNobLny6OgH1yzrQkfIUL1ZCPEbbzHKtgTuV95SFp16OlH3hnxg-SsQEnTe5kud7O4Kfe2Q981hWXriAJ2hDXuT9pfeL-SSF_kaRh-QkvNiWBo21ZOC_k/s400/100_4491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7My9HEM7GOJ-FWbtmTME2wEcNobLny6OgH1yzrQkfIUL1ZCPEbbzHKtgTuV95SFp16OlH3hnxg-SsQEnTe5kud7O4Kfe2Q981hWXriAJ2hDXuT9pfeL-SSF_kaRh-QkvNiWBo21ZOC_k/s400/100_4491.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
So - when the time comes… Happy Halloween!<br />
<br />
I'm entering the Franken-Biscuits into Treat Petite, which is hosted alternately by <a href="http://www.cakeyboi.com/">Cakeyboi</a> and <a href="http://www.thebakingexplorer.com/">The Baking Explorer</a>, ever so slightly late but hopefully better than never! The theme for October, hosted by The Baking Explorer is "<a href="http://www.thebakingexplorer.com/2014/10/treat-petite-october.html">Trick or Treat</a>"<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFmxMVYcr3uBnvcz64DB5hPRXyl45Pv4O4a-Cb-2RadR-K5mgcd8_6Li3nMKsjQFIOh8LVrowf1Ps-hqO4U0csLGxbOXZu6amJ18dbuIow7De-CUBcw9r0pehBz-9VhuU18WtJA4-J8tN/s1600/TreatPetite.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFmxMVYcr3uBnvcz64DB5hPRXyl45Pv4O4a-Cb-2RadR-K5mgcd8_6Li3nMKsjQFIOh8LVrowf1Ps-hqO4U0csLGxbOXZu6amJ18dbuIow7De-CUBcw9r0pehBz-9VhuU18WtJA4-J8tN/s1600/TreatPetite.png" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-84855993538499751182014-10-23T21:09:00.000+01:002014-10-23T21:09:43.353+01:00Dip your chips!This is a quick-turnaround post of what we had for our dinner tonight, before I forget the recipe! (Excuse the poorly lit phone photo - it's October in Scotland and therefore we're into the season of living in the semi-dark until about April - joyful.)<br />
<br />
For dinner tonight we had oven chips - with tuna and tomato dip, rocket salad and baba ghanoush. I'm putting it into the "slightly healthier than regular junk food" category - I was really delicious.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwI90izepGGet3THdZY6K1qfbCvJctCHOntZs9yG49DrI_NrrbbWsNj68ht5gR3pk4vKGhxaC9NvnFzw6CBsPfrtQtJL_YMdG6-o0k_HPO5igTySU2AcVXkT1TN8V2CTnMiHI3jhnJjRam/s1600/2014-10-23+17.43.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwI90izepGGet3THdZY6K1qfbCvJctCHOntZs9yG49DrI_NrrbbWsNj68ht5gR3pk4vKGhxaC9NvnFzw6CBsPfrtQtJL_YMdG6-o0k_HPO5igTySU2AcVXkT1TN8V2CTnMiHI3jhnJjRam/s1600/2014-10-23+17.43.54.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
Don't worry, I'm not join to post a recipe for oven chips, but rather for the high-speed super cheat baba ghanoush, which was really the star of the meal and only took 10 minutes to make.<br />
<br />
<b>High-Speed Super Cheat Baba Ghanoush</b> (makes a generous dollop for 3!)<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>1 medium aubergine</li>
<li>2 tbsp lemon infused oil (I used <a href="http://www.supernature.uk.com/index.php/infused-rapeseed-oil-250ml/rapeseed-oil-lemon">Supernature cold pressed rapeseed</a> - it's delicious and made only 8 miles from Edinburgh)</li>
<li>pinch dried garlic granules</li>
<li>pinch salt</li>
<li>1 tbsp tahini (or if you're pushing cheating to the max like me, 1 tbps nut butter - I had no tahini left so used almond butter)</li>
</ul>
<br />
Trim the top off the aubergine and prick all over with a fork. Put on a microwaveable plate and cover with clingfilm. Mircrowave for 2 minutes then take out, uncover, turn over, re-cover and cook for 2 more minutes. It should feel soft all over. If not, cook in 30 minute increments until it does.<br />
Cut in half and scrape all of the flesh out into a mixing bowl.<br />
Add all of the other ingredients and blitz until blended.<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
Mini-M wasn't entirely convinced, although she did try it, but Mr E and I definitely were. I think she possibly heard the word "aubergine" being mentioned before she tasted it.<br />
<br />
Does it taste authentic - undoubtedly not. Does it retain some of the authentic character - definitely yes! And it is ready in 10 minutes. The taste would be a lot more authentic if you used tahini rather than almond butter and it would definitely down just as successfully. If you wanted a bit more punch you could use a clove of fresh garlic crushed instead of the granules too.<br />
<br />
From a health comparison, I've compared it with a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise, as a likely alternative chip-dip: it comes in at around 160kcal per serving, compared to 270kcal for mayonnaise but still tastes fantastically creamy with loads of flavour. It also packs in a good dose of fibre into the bargain. And it's delicious spread on chicken sandwiches too (which is what I did with it last time I made it, but forgot to take any photos).Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-15045849285117720132014-10-19T22:06:00.000+01:002014-10-19T22:08:00.030+01:00Homemade Chocolate Arctic RollTime for another blog post - and then bed!<br />
That is pretty much the extent of my motivation this evening, and it's taking mind over matter to make myself write the post. It's been one of those weekends that you get to 9pm on Sunday night and slowly breathe out. Lovely, and useful and productive and sociable, but ultimately also fairly tiring! And wasn't the one that ice-skated for 2hrs this afternoon - no wonder Mini-M almost fell asleep at the tea table.<br />
<br />
So, this post is my <a href="http://www.belleaukitchen.com/2014/10/random-recipe-44-random-internet-search.html">Random Recipes</a> challenge submission for this month (hosted as always at <a href="http://www.belleaukitchen.com/">Belleau Kitchen</a>). I've missed a few, which is a shame as it is a really fun one to participate in, and encourages you to use some of those hoarded recipe books and cook outwit your comfort zone from time to time, and I'm glad to be joining in again this month.<br />
<br />
The specific details of the challenge this time around were a) to make something sweet and b) to use the internet to randomly select a recipe, based on a particular ingredient or dish. I asked Mr E to choose the inspirational ingredient and he chose black cherries (a la black forest gateau).<br />
<br />
After a bit of Googling I decided I wanted to make this <a href="http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/chocolate-black-cherry-and-vanilla-arctic-roll">Chocolate, black cherry and vanilla Arctic Roll</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjLiQdbig-q31mVEz1WUjz2u6GCedrsnQEWTn4S8aFWO6CmKoLfZ9Eozah7Uod1V6D1ipFZ5s4CnkpoQVXxjLtYNJKVvLgpCHbU-1vTN0Ul8fQkXSrPGjyPjrCm3AhiQihVhUapRpQKJ7/s1600/ArcticRoll2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjLiQdbig-q31mVEz1WUjz2u6GCedrsnQEWTn4S8aFWO6CmKoLfZ9Eozah7Uod1V6D1ipFZ5s4CnkpoQVXxjLtYNJKVvLgpCHbU-1vTN0Ul8fQkXSrPGjyPjrCm3AhiQihVhUapRpQKJ7/s1600/ArcticRoll2.jpeg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I had a 1-shop, 1-time window for ingredient procurement, and the supermarket I chose didn't have cherry jam or black cherries in any form (well, aside form that weird gloomy cherry pie filling that I think has probably seen very few real cherries!).<br />
<br />
So as is my habit, I used strawberry jam instead. Jam is jam is jam after all!<br />
<br />
As well as switching the jam, I halved the recipe, and to make it dairy free, used some of the very delicious <a href="http://boojabooja.com/ice_cream.asp">Booja Booja "Keep Smiling Vanilla M'Gorilla"</a> vanilla flavour ice cream. It is awesome stuff - coconut based and tastes fantastic and luxurious, and this desert certainly lets it be the star of the show. I softened it slightly and mixed the jam through, rather than a coating around the edges, and that seemed to work well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6pkZQdibwFgWRLvWHnTaCDq6HcDtRdJO-lZbw2GnEEQKNAh9dewi0n2BizD-Fai7_znPBHtiGbkJ5tLANusXayUV6p4TK51MARIhT_snU2AfmGhUlWFtDckPiv4Ukj9FwtO5K-de4ig8/s1600/ArcticRoll1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6pkZQdibwFgWRLvWHnTaCDq6HcDtRdJO-lZbw2GnEEQKNAh9dewi0n2BizD-Fai7_znPBHtiGbkJ5tLANusXayUV6p4TK51MARIhT_snU2AfmGhUlWFtDckPiv4Ukj9FwtO5K-de4ig8/s1600/ArcticRoll1.jpeg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
But apart from that, I completely followed the recipe ;-) The sponge is dairy free without any modification which is always nice into the bargain - reduces my margin for random errors.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hX78xBmhd_dNTid_-amKI4W3QxtPrZt3UMrqh7yxCdu9mQKnSXd3H033-qwsRyxOnvhA832hWaJf3T-WV6xxVRitlpqKlT9kK-iWsa3dIVA4b__P91lILDF88Wwb0_1YK-n9dgCOuj-0/s1600/ArcticRoll3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hX78xBmhd_dNTid_-amKI4W3QxtPrZt3UMrqh7yxCdu9mQKnSXd3H033-qwsRyxOnvhA832hWaJf3T-WV6xxVRitlpqKlT9kK-iWsa3dIVA4b__P91lILDF88Wwb0_1YK-n9dgCOuj-0/s1600/ArcticRoll3.jpeg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I've not replicated the recipe here, but encourage you to try it out if you fancy a nostalgic nod back to the semi-melted pudding of your childhood - it's a far superior product, and much easier than the end result would have you think.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFfG1r1gNLPfM_i3MvZwgAJVIJfUPWQouFTEAy6hbqqAvAlDgAbEZEJ8tbFS_HskP0kh2KCXaLdHCJwcja5Fa3GCZxx9kV7LWPUPLaMmlYG_NyQzWE6pLHSnYfFZS11ddwpqBXQW9zct2u/s1600/RandomRecipesLogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFfG1r1gNLPfM_i3MvZwgAJVIJfUPWQouFTEAy6hbqqAvAlDgAbEZEJ8tbFS_HskP0kh2KCXaLdHCJwcja5Fa3GCZxx9kV7LWPUPLaMmlYG_NyQzWE6pLHSnYfFZS11ddwpqBXQW9zct2u/s1600/RandomRecipesLogo.png" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-4957310951633979572014-10-15T23:21:00.001+01:002014-10-15T23:22:32.028+01:00October Daring Cooks Challenge: BitterballenTwo consecutive junk food posts in a row. Jeeps! Once upon a time I posted healthy recipes.<br />
We still eat a lot of really good healthy food, just that time is as always short, and often it is just not that photogenic! It's hard to make cabbage stew look amazing. Particularly now that it's getting dingy for the winter.<br />
<br />
But I'm holding up the fact that Mini-M was one of the only kids at nursery to polish off her vegetable goulash at nursery on Monday as proof that healthy food is frequently on the menu.<br />
<br />
So whilst I give myself a "could-do-better" for blog content, if not our actual diet, let's return to the junk, and this month's <a href="http://www.thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Cooks' Challenge</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkKXGxleNVVvuwl2Veyo0v4szatVSQqAoSXAytICrHq6ZHmZ_hU37gc5C5kGPQ-ffL94-wbbbuk7Ebvby42ULrZ5ujmPpt2gtBjlfpQWPuYFM35ys0uDRn30Ewkn9CGyJCG_YWi91VSBV/s1600/DSC05331.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkKXGxleNVVvuwl2Veyo0v4szatVSQqAoSXAytICrHq6ZHmZ_hU37gc5C5kGPQ-ffL94-wbbbuk7Ebvby42ULrZ5ujmPpt2gtBjlfpQWPuYFM35ys0uDRn30Ewkn9CGyJCG_YWi91VSBV/s1600/DSC05331.jpeg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Blog Checking Lines:<br />
"The October Daring Cooks' Challenge was brought to us by Andrea from <a href="http://www.4pure.nl/en/">4pure</a>. She introduced us to one of her family favourites which is soon to become one of yours, too. Welcome to the world of Dutch Bitterballen!"<br />
<br />
These are small deep fried croquettes and are traditionally filled with meat, seafood or cheese. They are a popular snack bar item, and apparently your average Dutch person eats around 25 per person per year.<br />
<br />
The filling is held together in a thick roux, which is then chilled, rolled into balls, crumbed and deep-fried.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zgWuihz-Cv21r-657L3LGjUUzr1yo0s7DOqk7WH9vscpa_ndSGIfODb3b_pbBIlCQRiVFWCuxD1HH_J5-Mp0qkhifIXXrL-T1V2Tau6lcoZZH2CtzlBqeg08Ogkqi1SLSYQyKKlocPTT/s1600/DSC05334.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zgWuihz-Cv21r-657L3LGjUUzr1yo0s7DOqk7WH9vscpa_ndSGIfODb3b_pbBIlCQRiVFWCuxD1HH_J5-Mp0qkhifIXXrL-T1V2Tau6lcoZZH2CtzlBqeg08Ogkqi1SLSYQyKKlocPTT/s1600/DSC05334.jpeg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I halved the recipe since it was just for our family dinner, and made a spicy vegetable version. They were really tasty, so I'm sharing my recipe here.<br />
<br />
<b>Spicy Vegetable Bitterballen</b> (Makes around 15)<br />
<ul>
<li>1 small leek finely chopped</li>
<li>1 medium carrot finely chopped</li>
<li>1 very small pepper or 1/2 regular sized one finely chopped</li>
<li>6 cherry tomatoes finely chopped</li>
<li>1 tbsp Rendang spice paste</li>
<li>60g olive oil</li>
<li>70g plain flour</li>
<li>500ml vegetable stock</li>
<li>salt and pepper</li>
<li>1 egg</li>
<li>flour and dry breadcrumbs for coating</li>
</ul>
Heat a little splash of the oil in a small frying pan and fry the Rendang spice paste for a couple of minutes, then add the chopped leek and sauté. Next add the carrot, pepper and tomato and cook until just softened, then take off the heat.<br />
In a small saucepan, heat the rest of the oil, add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the stock, salt and pepper and stir until smooth and thick.<br />
Take off the heat, stir through the vegetables, then pour into a tupperware box and chill for 3-4 hours in the fridge.<br />
When you are ready to cook the Bitterballen, heat oil for deep frying in a pan or fryer. I used sunflower oil, and had about 700ml oil in a small saucepan which gave just enough depth. Check it is hot enough by dropping in a little piece of bread and seeing if it turns golden and crispy.<br />
Whilst the oil is heating up, beat an egg in a bowl, and set up a production line with a bowl of egg, one of flour and one of breadcrumbs.<br />
Take the chilled mixture out of the fridge and roll into golf-ball sized balls.<br />
Coat each ball first in flour, then egg and then breadcrumbs.<br />
Fry for around 3-4 minutes each. The filling is already cooked so it just needs to be heated through and the outside browned.<br />
Drain on kitchen paper and enjoy hot.<br />
<br />
We had them served with salad and chutney (or ketchup for Mini-M). It was delicious, if not exactly traditional!<br />
<br />
It was great to be able to make a challenge recipe without extensive modification to omit the dairy - just the olive oil instead of butter, because even in the original recipe the roux is made with stock.<br />
<br />
Thanks Andrea for a very tasty challenge.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVMghuZYsNbQO_jbTmESuiHGSiaS3okzKIWiSh0My3PjWXagyqguPCIdWWRcT6EQhyphenhyphen-g-v8Ozok1KXa5R6HMC32neiG2yLkY5et9eZ-2POovczbIQOQaT1knV1DT68hIgzTNL4Nob3lcY/s1600/DSC05328.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVMghuZYsNbQO_jbTmESuiHGSiaS3okzKIWiSh0My3PjWXagyqguPCIdWWRcT6EQhyphenhyphen-g-v8Ozok1KXa5R6HMC32neiG2yLkY5et9eZ-2POovczbIQOQaT1knV1DT68hIgzTNL4Nob3lcY/s1600/DSC05328.jpeg" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-23619425472146141102014-10-04T22:04:00.002+01:002014-10-04T22:04:36.996+01:00Junk food saladNot really a recipe, however too successful and discovery not to share!<br />
<br />
Junk food. We all know it's bad for us. We still all want to eat it far more often than we should.<br />
<br />
This started as an attempt to chuck together a very quick tea using whatever I could lay my hands on in the fridge/cupboard, however the end result was fantastic, and I shall no doubt make it again on purpose.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nru4jD3hlF6wPRaY-qhUnnHcrGdezcxrapp2XrxuCqMus1Q0XdiKuKDrrSYfYuU6a2p768YH8biXVyhHr23e5NH7k1grUr_uUxaTl2iH958bzF2wRCLtP4y-wtDur8jh6pTX_dnxsY8k/s1600/JunkFoodSalad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nru4jD3hlF6wPRaY-qhUnnHcrGdezcxrapp2XrxuCqMus1Q0XdiKuKDrrSYfYuU6a2p768YH8biXVyhHr23e5NH7k1grUr_uUxaTl2iH958bzF2wRCLtP4y-wtDur8jh6pTX_dnxsY8k/s1600/JunkFoodSalad.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It provides a psychological junk food hit - chicken in breadcrumbs and pretzels, but at least simultaneously provides some veggies into the bargain.<br />
<br />
I'm not in any way claiming a) it is healthy b) it offsets the unhealthiness of the chicken/pretzels.<br />
However, if say, for hypothetical example, you compared eating breaded chicken fillets in this salad, against eating them with chips, then this might edge ahead. Just.<br />
<br />
I'm sure you could treat a number of junk foods in the same way - Scampi salad anyone? Or chopped up burger?<br />
<br />
<b>Junk Food Salad</b> (Serves 3 as a meal)<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>300g breaded chicken mini-fillets</li>
<li>4 Chinese leaves</li>
<li>1 orange pepper</li>
<li>2 tomatoes</li>
<li>1 tbsp crispy onion pieces</li>
<li>1 handful mini pretzels (mine were from a rosemary and pepper mix)</li>
<li>1 tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>1 tbsp cider vinegar</li>
<li>1 tsp honey</li>
<li>Squeeze of lemon juice</li>
</ul>
<br />
Cook the chicken according to the pack instructions, and whilst it is in the oven, wash and chop up your salad veggies. You could use any veg you like - this was just what I had needing used up in the fridge.<br />
Whisk together your dressing ingredients (or if you have a small child needing entertained, put them in a jar with a secure lid and give them to them to shake)<br />
Once the chicken is cooked, slice it, add to the veg, throw in the pretzels and crispy onions, pour over the dressing, mix well and serve.<br />
Done!<br />
<br />
There is something very appealing about the combination of the warm savoury chicken, sweet dressing, crunchy pretzels and cold crisp chinese leaves. Better than chips anyway!Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766292537874588855.post-58275560286189070572014-10-01T21:56:00.005+01:002014-10-01T21:56:57.651+01:00Scones on a Stick!I've just spent the past hour watching the semi-final of the Great British Bake Off.<br />
<br />
The contestants have shown great skill, precision and patience with their Baklava, Schichttorte and Entrements.<br />
<br />
So to counteract that, I'm going to share a recipe made a) without measuring, b) in a bonfire c) on a stick. I though there needed to be some good old chaos cooking let loose on the interweb to balance out all that precision. Chi or something.<br />
<br />
So, I bring you….. drumroll please… Scone On A Stick!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfktJNO-x8aCuoJUUrTLQ3sXKu0zduYqI2XO8cibw3cNW_FsB4bko3FrX9YjOJIYD4NSOVM5xk9ibjBVaIXx_08_VDoUjal62HojgQovHcWvXg5KRWQ6KD8_Rnyw_1GRJE8yKLwMHCk-uz/s1600/DSC05200.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfktJNO-x8aCuoJUUrTLQ3sXKu0zduYqI2XO8cibw3cNW_FsB4bko3FrX9YjOJIYD4NSOVM5xk9ibjBVaIXx_08_VDoUjal62HojgQovHcWvXg5KRWQ6KD8_Rnyw_1GRJE8yKLwMHCk-uz/s1600/DSC05200.jpeg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This must be one of the most scenic scone photos out there...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We made these on holiday in August whilst on holiday at Portuairk. It is an insanely beautiful part of the country, and the perfect place for bonfire food. In fact it was so amazing that whilst chatting to the guide in the lighthouse museum, Mini-M told her that she thought we would probably be getting rid of our Edinburgh home to go and stay there all the time. If only!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie6FsqAfGalfl7Ksrap9iToxfgLuR-RHVTKkWhhovbCynPfoGOQ7vm2t50ccH6ig9PrfvgdL8oFhoT8L8kaH-HjkKmhPaYRrvl4f2hsQTrXvkh33vVv0KJn8wfgX_LyAUWmzMriMXKJxUh/s1600/DSC05194.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie6FsqAfGalfl7Ksrap9iToxfgLuR-RHVTKkWhhovbCynPfoGOQ7vm2t50ccH6ig9PrfvgdL8oFhoT8L8kaH-HjkKmhPaYRrvl4f2hsQTrXvkh33vVv0KJn8wfgX_LyAUWmzMriMXKJxUh/s1600/DSC05194.jpeg" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Step #1: Give your small person something to do whilst the cooking is going on, to avoid too many trips to the fire to see if it is ready yet. Painting shells and sticking on goggly eyes did the trick!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These are thankfully not limited by good weather - they would be fantastic on an autumnal bonfire / BBQ / brazier too. Don't feel you have to wait for a sunny day to try them.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbTwr2y4KbtCHKYq3s1wNG1c17dC6SlO-3pdjGvMKHkRSsz-2DuLCswm19riwgzWN4Ch7utkDG1Rcn8chGfbdM-W1hBy9RNv_2FY3qGcY2kAk3cWRkirm4BobubnC1tqLfq5wvsUsfQ_Jg/s1600/DSC05195.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbTwr2y4KbtCHKYq3s1wNG1c17dC6SlO-3pdjGvMKHkRSsz-2DuLCswm19riwgzWN4Ch7utkDG1Rcn8chGfbdM-W1hBy9RNv_2FY3qGcY2kAk3cWRkirm4BobubnC1tqLfq5wvsUsfQ_Jg/s1600/DSC05195.jpeg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dough, meet stick (and Mr E, who is too tall for landscape photos…)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
They were an experiment that worked, and so much fun. But since I made them without any scales, my ingredients are a bit sketchy. I can only encourage you to be experimental too, and if it doesn't work out, be philosophical that at least it's experimenting with a wee bit of flour, marge and sugar and not fillet steak. Low cost = no pressure.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDXwEK1ayLrZYZ0ed5POkf4AFQK1gJ1P2l8WTtr3JWpciiGrDyL07C1eQQpzn1N02iZ5-m6_oYL_3z6rCPZ0gDouR8cnvBE9lk4wX0jRutJTsZ5MuxxoTu0x5eZUnjLJ79twAQkcJmWRu/s1600/DSC05196.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDXwEK1ayLrZYZ0ed5POkf4AFQK1gJ1P2l8WTtr3JWpciiGrDyL07C1eQQpzn1N02iZ5-m6_oYL_3z6rCPZ0gDouR8cnvBE9lk4wX0jRutJTsZ5MuxxoTu0x5eZUnjLJ79twAQkcJmWRu/s1600/DSC05196.jpeg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going all out on the bonfire cooking - baked potatoes too (and sausages, which had already been cremated and consumed by this point!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Scone On A Stick</b> (Makes around 6 sticks)<br />
Self-Raising Flour (around 150g)<br />
1 sachet instant porridge (I used an apricot and honey one that was dairy free)<br />
1 tbsp sugar<br />
2 tbsp margarine (I used Vitalite to be dairy free - butter would be fine if you're not restricted)<br />
Milk to mix (again, I used dairy free almond milk, but regular would be fine, or any other dairy free variant)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIiEIDNHt1-5LwhSg5YF3jrLNlJj2cyGcnqdjAwzLsxIu-ySPrS_hY6qM_QHO6zjfFTcd89TbZWeAZGW0sUsIj1sZqc98JBIwO-neJOtGVpp8jBIq2BxNOl-c1ytR2AbqX0ChKVolZk9g/s1600/DSC05198.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIiEIDNHt1-5LwhSg5YF3jrLNlJj2cyGcnqdjAwzLsxIu-ySPrS_hY6qM_QHO6zjfFTcd89TbZWeAZGW0sUsIj1sZqc98JBIwO-neJOtGVpp8jBIq2BxNOl-c1ytR2AbqX0ChKVolZk9g/s1600/DSC05198.jpeg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chargrilled scones!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Put the flour in a bowl and empty in the porridge sachet. Stir to combine.<br />
Rub in the margarine until it resembles breadcrumbs.<br />
Stir through the sugar.<br />
Add the milk a splash at a time and stir until it forms a sticky dough.<br />
If you go too far, don't worry - just add a little more flour.<br />
Find some sticks - ones without any side branches are best.<br />
Take approx 2 tbsp of the dough and wrap it around the top end of a stick, leaving a handle to hold onto.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQHtu9vdRr7yAck9TUNMbjUXgigjxgnYP8G5SQFfMzoDdQICeQHKyvDi5YvylWpmsGfI6rs0kqlIaqeIpCRia7LZCfV4DDDa8yAYlDiKpFs-SlNgFRLQ0_VVrL6GCLDafDYoHimCqChUf/s1600/DSC05201.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQHtu9vdRr7yAck9TUNMbjUXgigjxgnYP8G5SQFfMzoDdQICeQHKyvDi5YvylWpmsGfI6rs0kqlIaqeIpCRia7LZCfV4DDDa8yAYlDiKpFs-SlNgFRLQ0_VVrL6GCLDafDYoHimCqChUf/s1600/DSC05201.jpeg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr E, the chief bonfire chef</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hold it over the flames or rest it on a rack, turning frequently, until it is cooked on all sides. About 5 mins should do it.<br />
Enjoy hot, straight from the stick, with a dollop of jam or a drizzle of syrup.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlycsvsVkWYtFTnknXCYs_1ho0-JF1YxUmLUtxTIawdgtqR157Y9mfzt3y__EIsHcnrTwiqbw8CDD0505lz5hswbBVfcP_gtj19iuUWb3qIXixzgQAcN6Rg3PxMu3SchxizktC_fLPYwz/s1600/DSC05203.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlycsvsVkWYtFTnknXCYs_1ho0-JF1YxUmLUtxTIawdgtqR157Y9mfzt3y__EIsHcnrTwiqbw8CDD0505lz5hswbBVfcP_gtj19iuUWb3qIXixzgQAcN6Rg3PxMu3SchxizktC_fLPYwz/s1600/DSC05203.jpeg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warm scone, woodsmoke, fresh air and jam = guaranteed happiness</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6iF6A4kS1P4U6jwJYFJlTyKiWYy0Vb75JMU7__hwrWuBJZota0m8iINjG7NiJjRbF3K1O7Ny-KO7o3u1JQN4KweDs2ccHu0lrmx0s5paYcTDoAJUKCvIPRYfzxISlU16Cg3VeM_kCy6s/s1600/DSC05204.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6iF6A4kS1P4U6jwJYFJlTyKiWYy0Vb75JMU7__hwrWuBJZota0m8iINjG7NiJjRbF3K1O7Ny-KO7o3u1JQN4KweDs2ccHu0lrmx0s5paYcTDoAJUKCvIPRYfzxISlU16Cg3VeM_kCy6s/s1600/DSC05204.jpeg" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elegant afternoon-tea wear. In the mind of a child, Hello Kitty :-) Katie Morag Kilt :-) Rainforest leggings :-). All worn together = :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9NyNy4evy1XNzGthbKAXd1JOyS5KY2IYYfMMkjPkblcg2X-jGwPD0VADYYbBrZz4ep36WwgN-qCe-2i_M9eQIUxvgGUI8GSo40vXnkRmRBfoBYGMvda1gQrRPRmk47HAdQ0b4ZKb703Q/s1600/DSC05205.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9NyNy4evy1XNzGthbKAXd1JOyS5KY2IYYfMMkjPkblcg2X-jGwPD0VADYYbBrZz4ep36WwgN-qCe-2i_M9eQIUxvgGUI8GSo40vXnkRmRBfoBYGMvda1gQrRPRmk47HAdQ0b4ZKb703Q/s1600/DSC05205.jpeg" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The downside… subsequently handwashing syrup out of a kilt, and jam/syrup out of hair in an outdoor shower!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ruth Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510944836839189242noreply@blogger.com1