Dairy Free Pear and Honey Banana Bread...

Today it has rained all day making it a bit of a midweek duvet day watching films, the cooking channel and Come Dine With Me. In between watching all that and entertaining a slightly poorly toddler I decided to do some baking and thanks to a bunch of rather blackened bananas and no butter I ended up with a dairy free banana bread, a recipe I will use over and over again as it was super yummy and one that can be tweaked to your own taste or mood very easily.

Ingredients

Dry
1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Wet
3 small/medium blackened bananas, mashed
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
a little water
Extra
I used 1 pear diced and brown sugar for added crunch but you could use raisins, pineapple, chocolate chips, what ever takes your fancy.

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 170 C. In a large bowl whisk your wet ingredients together. Holding back the water.
2. Once combined slowly add your dry ingredients and mix together using a spatula or wooden spoon.
3. Add your pear, or chosen extra, and fold in lightly. Sometimes coating it lightly in flour can help stop it sinking to the bottom. If the batter seems a bit thick you can add the water.
4. Once all mixed, spoon into a prepared loaf tin. I used a little coconut oil. I then sprinkled brown sugar on top.
5. Bake in the oven for 50 - 60 minutes. Once cooked leave to cool in the loaf tin for 10 or so minutes and then turn it out and leave to cool completely before slicing. Top Tip - make sure to use a bread knife.

 

To make my loaf look that little bit tastier I decorated it with a drizzle of honey, honey roasted pinenuts and little roses that I made using the skin of the banana's.

 

For the honey roasted pinenuts I just sprinkled some pinenuts on a baking tray and drizzled them with honey. I then popped them in a hot oven for a few minutes making sure to keep and eye on them so they don't burn. I then left them to cool. Once cooled I scraped them off the baking tray,  this brakes them up slightly but also leaves you with a few whole ones.

 

This banana bread comes out lovely and moist and to be honest would actually be amazing served warm with a glug of custard. A perfect rainy day blues cure, especially with a cup of tea or coffee.

Hope you are all having an amazing week so far.

Roasted Chicken & Tomatoes with Cracked Wheat...

I love finding new things to use in the kitchen and of course love making up recipes. Now I know cracked wheat isn't new and I have had it before but for some reason I have never really cooked it. But when looking for some ingredients on a budget and not feeling like couscous, decided to give it a go.

For those who don't know what Cracked Wheat is - 'Cracked Wheat is a wheat product made from whole raw wheat kernels which are crushed or cut into smaller pieces.'
I personally think it is very similar to couscous but with a earthier flavour and is super easy to cook. Like rice it's 2 cups to 1 (2 cups of water to 1 cup of CW) A great store cupboard item.

It's fabulously filling and has a great texture. Taking on flavour like couscous would.

I used Cracked Wheat in this recipe but you can of course use rice or couscous, all cooked basically the same way.

Ingredients

5 -6 Chicken Thighs
Fresh Thyme
Cherry Tomatoes
Courgettes, sliced
Kale
Cracked Wheat
Chicken Stock
Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Brown your chicken thighs in a pan. Then transfer to a baking dish. Season, add your thyme and cherry tomatoes. Bake in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes depending on the size of the thighs. You want to make sure they are cooked through.
2. While the chicken is roasting get your cracked wheat on the go. Like rice, bring to the boil in the stock and then turn off the heat, cover and leave to steam and adsorb all the stock.
3. A few minutes before everything is ready to serve finely chop the kale and stir into the cracked wheat. It will cook in the heat. Then in another pan fry your sliced courgettes in a little salt, pepper and frylight.
4. Serve the chicken in a large serving dish with the cracked wheat underneath and top with the roasted tomatoes and courgettes. You want all the flavours of the chicken and vegetables to seep into the cracked wheat.

This is a lovely light dish and is actually really great cold the next day. Just pull any left over chicken off the bone and mix in with the left over cracked wheat and vegetables.

recipe - mine

Syns - free if skin is removed.

Tappas anyone - Mexican range by Crofton by Aldi...

As a food blogger and lover of entertaining collecting amazing dishes, serving plates etc. is something that has become a bit of an obsession. The dream is Ina Gartens Kitchen and if you know who that is you know what a mean. She is prepared for every theme and every occasion and has a kitchen you would never want to leave. It is a foodie and wanabe food photographers dream.

Now if you not Ina or a professional foodie on tele this obsession can be expensive but if done the way I do it, by hitting the supermarkets and charity shops, you can feed your habit without breaking the bank.

Places like ASDA, Sainsbury's and Aldi can sell some really amazing things without a huge price tag, especially when they are coming to the end as that is when they go on sale. And charity shops, especially where I live can be goldmines. My favourite has to be Aldi though. They have 'themed months' which is  fun and great for blogging! But most importantly it is all really well priced and great quality.

My latest purchase was a few bits from their Mexican range.  They had all sorts from serving dishes, to jugs and even hotplates and all so brightly coloured. They were sold along side fajita kits and Mexican spices, basically giving you everything you could need to have a fabulous Mexican themed dinner party.

There was so much to choose from but I went for the items I would use most. I think all of this only came to £20! Which is amazing!! And to be honest although Aldi has a once its gone its gone policy you can still pick a few of the bits up and for half the price. You just have to dig :)

Again I will mention that the quality is great  and if you look after it, it  will see you through many the fiesta :) or other occasion.

And on a side note I will say... I will be first to admit I was a supermarket snob but ever since my first trip to Aldi I have never looked back. And that applies to groceries too.

Have you ever visited Aldi and picked up something fabulous for the kitchen or home?

Strawberry Fair - 2016...

 

This year we attended the Strawberry Fair which is a free family festival held on the common in Cambridge!

It's about an hour drive from us which made it super easy to get to and a great activity for the whole family with little expense.

 

 

 

The festival is a real treat for all the senses with food trucks full of yummy food, loads of stages with a range of amazing music as well as shops and activities for all ages!

 

 

 

There are even a few shows for all to enjoy! Benjis favourite was this 'flying duck'

 

 

And I added to my flower crown collection of course, just wish I bought more as they were only £5!

 

 

If you have never been I really recommend it as it is a lovely day out and as mentioned its FREE!!

My only tip is go as a group if driving as parking is quite tricky and hard to find. There is however a park and ride bus that will take you right to the common.

 

 

We have another 2 festivals coming up this year which I cant wait for!! Has anyone else been to any festivals this year?

Sweet Potato Cake with Honey and Cinnomon Icing...

 

 As I'm sure you all know by now sometimes I just feel like baking and today I had the urge to and not for cookies this time but cake and a good cake! One I hadn't made before.

Baking is one thing I really would love to do more but with me it can be a dangerous downward spiral when it comes to staying on plan (Slimming World) But everyone needs a treat once in awhile and baking cake is not only a treat for the tummy but a treat for the soul too. Creating something delicious and pretty from scratch is something that makes me smile from the inside and out, definitely worth the 25 syns a slice :/ ...whoops...I may have had 3...

This recipe is based on a carrot cake recipe and has a similar texture and taste.

Ingredients

2 cups mashed sweet potato
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
8 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. oil
2 cups light brown sugar
2 1/2 cups of flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
pinch salt
heaped tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
tsp. freshly grated ginger

icing - standard vanilla butter cream with a tbsp. honey and a tsp. cinnamon.

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180 and prepare two round cake tins. Then in a large bowl mix together your dry ingredients and set aside.
2. In another bowl cream together your sugar, butter, oil, vanilla, ginger and eggs. Beating in one egg at a time. hen mix in your sweet potato.
3. Add in the dry ingredients 1 1/3 at a time.

4. Once combined divide into your prepared cake tins and bake in the oven for 30 -35 min or until a skewer comes out clean. The smell from your oven is AMAZING!!
5. Leave to cool completely in the tins and then remove, even off the tops and ice.
6. Decorate with what ever you fancy. I used some pretty flowers from the garden. I was thinking of honeycomb but my attempt to make it was disastrous he he

This cake is perfect with a cup of tea and would be great at any occasion. You know it would even be nice warm with some cinnamon icecream and a drizzle of honey... omg drooling... next bbq, that's desert!
See what I mean...downward spiral lol...

And there you have it an urge for good cake fulfilled and shared. Hope you all had a fabulous weekend and are ready for a great week!

A cake so good you just go straight in, no hands needed ;)

recipe - mine

syns - 25 per slice ...SORRY!

Relax with Colour - Adult Colouring...

At the beginning of the year I wrote a 2016/New Year post and one of the things I wrote about was to be more creative and do more colouring as its something I really enjoy and something that really switches me off to the world around me. It gives me and my mind a moment of peace and a way to get lost in a world of colour, shapes and patterns.

Being a mum to a toddler, running my own business and having a mind that never stops finding, a moment to breath and refocus can be hard to come by but by giving myself even just 10 minutes, with the TV off, my phone out of reach and with some luck the boy asleep, I can really relax and take time to calm myself and my mind.
It's funny how in adult life we always turn to things that brought us joy as a child to bring us back down to earth and find a bit of peace.

Adult colouring isn't new I know and there are MANY obsessed people out there but if you are one of the few that hasn't found it yet I recommend you give it try. Here are some of the books I have picked up and the pens/markers/pencils I use along with them.

 The Art of Mindfulness: Relaxed and Focused Colouring -  Is a beautiful book full of wonderful patterns and pages that really excite the imagination especially, when colour is added.

 The Mindfulness Colouring Book: Anti-stress art therapy for busy people -  This gorgeous little pocket sized (just under A5) book is my favourite and one that I take with me when I travel. I am not a big reader and find this is a great alternative while waiting in airports or even when beside the pool. The pages are made up of beautiful landscapes of patterns and really transports you into a calmer more peaceful world.

 Beautiful Patterns: Creative Colouring for Grown-ups -  This is a new addition to my collection. The pages again filled with wonderful bold patterns. This book is usually around £9.00 but I was lucky enough to pick it up in the Books for Children Store in Harpenden for just £1! If you live in this area and haven't been there yet...GO!! Its amazing!! I pick up a new book for Benji nearly every Tuesday when I am in town.

One thing that comes with an Adult Colouring obsession is an obsession with stationery and finding the right pen/marker/pencil. My favourites at the moment are  STABILO Fineliner ,  Paper Mate Flair Pens and WH Smiths Water Colour pencils. But to be honest when ever I see a deal I am tempted to get some new ones. You can never have enough he he . Wilko is also great for markers and pens.

Are you a fan of Adult Colouring? What books are your favourite list at the moment?

Meals for One, eating alone has never been so good...

New book New book NEW BOOK and we not even half way through the year! Slimming World is on fire! Now if you loved Free Food Feasts that came out in February you will love this book, not only are the recipes fabulous but as an added bonus all the recipes are for ONE. So if you are living alone or just on plan alone, even just looking for something a little different to take for lunch this is the perfect book for you!

The book is filled with FREE or Low Syn meals for one. Each one as tasty and easy to prepare as the next.

If you have a sweet tooth it's got you covered and this little tartlet using the Double Chocolate Crisp HiFi is ...AMAZING!

One of my Favourite recipes in the book is the BBQ Chicken! Not only is it delicious but instead of just giving you one meal/recipe it gives you four! Genius I tell you!

This fabulous book is just £4.95 to members in group and flying out of their shops, I know it did in mine! So I would get your hands on it quick!

 

NOTE: Please DO NOT purchase these books through ebay sellers. They will over charge you and are not legal!