Mama's Crumble

Visiting my big boy at uni tomorrow, first time
He asked me to bring food, lots of food, especially meatloaf and apple crumble
Ah, these are the rewards.
All those years of shovelling it down with barely a word spoken and now he says "please mum bring some of your crumble, I love it, oh and meatloaf, it's my favourite"
Be still my heart, there's light at the end of that teenage tunnel

Note to Self

He is not worried that we are late making it, that Christmas has been and gone and a New Year has started.
That Mama's words "not today" "maybe later" "not now" have finally ended.
He is just delighted that we have made it.
And that he got to eat some ( just a little some )

Cheese Scones save the day

I did very little fancy cooking this Christmas ( read I did none ) just the way things turned out this year, something had to give and it turned out to be the homemade cheesecakes, mince pies ( although the mincemeat is still sat, crying out to be used ) and other delights of the season.
The one thing I did make though and which, thankfully were a big hit, cheese and broccoli scones, a simple treat, which suited us this year.We enjoyed them with soup ( butternut squash, homemade ) and even with leftover chilli.

Cheese and Broccoli Scones

450g self raising flour, rub in around 100g butter until breadcrumbs form.
Add 100g cooked, chopped broccoli and 50g cheese, I used a mix of cheddar and Stilton.
Stir in 2 eggs and add milk slowly until a dough is formed, around 75mls.
Gently press out on floured surface, I don't roll out, leaving dough quite thick.
Use a biscuit cutter or as I did one for ravioli.
Bake in the oven for approx 20 mins on 180 ( mine took 40 mins in the Rayburn, so please adapt to your oven)
The smell is so worth cooking them for, filling the kitchen and making you believe your domestic Goddess hasn't been completely lost, she is merely having a rest on the chaise.

Autumn Beauty

 Baskets of squash in the bottom of the larder.

Stunners in the fridge.

in the Making & Repairing

My Dad is having surgery today, widening a couple of arteries.

An overnight stay, means that my parents, married for 41 years, will be parted, something that has happened only a handful of times in all those years.

I had plans for today, a trip out but staying closer to home, to the phone, being around for my Mum in the end was what my heart needed.

 O slept until 10am after a whirlwind trip to Legoland with Daddy and some friends,

plenty of time to distract myself in the kitchen and tick off some of those plans.

Pumpkins baked yesterday, scooped out and stored, some in the freezer and some in the fridge, ready for today.

Hummus made and pumpkin puree added,delicious.
Black beans soaking in the background, ready for cooking and adding to Quinoa and Black Bean Chilli, a new favourite from the 30 day Vegan program.

Spices, sugar and pumpkin blending in the pan for Pumpkin Spice Syrup.

My kitchen smells like the season.

Whats cooking in your kitchen ?

Updated
Dad's surgery went wonderfully, all well and now home.
Thanks for your lovely wishes.

The Mystic Cookfire

The food made at The Mother Camp, cooked in a yurt, in the middle of a field has always been such a treat, a part of camp I really look forward to, nourishing soups, wonderful salads, chillis, curries, fresh cob baked bread and the porridge, always worth crawling out of your sleeping bag at some unearthly hour for.
So, a book full of those recipes, reminders of meals shared with friends old and new, camp fires, workshops and sunshine was always going to be good.
Written by one of your bestest friends, another huge tick.
Finding your name alongside a group of amazing women in the dedications, priceless.

The Mystic Cookfire written by Veronika Sophia Robinson.

http://http//www.themothermagazine.co.uk/bookshop/

Vegetarian recipes packed full of delicious goodness, written with love and care, packed with stunning illustrations, inspirational quotations and definitely worth going without the meat for.

And so, a new food adventure starts, 30 days of being vegan.

This Moment - Summer 2011 : 2

This moment, inspired by soulemama.

Summer on a plate.

Spring Time Suppers

Mother's Day Lunch

Welcoming Spring

With a plate of scones made by K, spread with jam gifted from friends, plants and candles on table and tea in pretty china.

Enjoying the wonderful new issue of http://rhythmofthehome.com/ full of Spring time inspiration.

Foods to Warm

Our days are beating to a slightly different drum lately due to the amazing amount of snow we've had, L's college is closed until Monday and N hasn't been able to get the car out of the village, so is working from home.

Such a gift to sit down to lunch together, candle lit, bowls of root veg soup and homemade bread. A true midday treat.

Remembering our feathered friends this morning, we made them foodie gifts to hang from our trees, so pretty.

Instructions here - http://themagiconions.blogspot.com/2010/07/darling-little-birdseed-cakes.html

Mugs of spiced chai latte and K's flapjacks for a delicious afternoon treat.

How I love snow days.

Brothers Lasagne

Cooking for O, with big brother for company.
A pleasure to set the bowls out, then sit back and watch, listen to their chatter, see O's smiles of triumph as he spoons, stirs and grates.

My little guy loved snapping those lasagne sheets, we had bits everywhere but each time he broke some, the giggles were such a joy and his glow of pride shone on us all.

Layering up and tearing in fresh Basil leaves.

What beauties and delicious too.
Recipe here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/icancook/makes/lasagne/

The Good, The Naughty and the Very Fishy

The Good, using the bounty of veg from our garden - Courgette and Tomato Flan.

The Naughty - a box of these darlings to welcome home your girl from summer camp.

Another Naughty ( but very nice ! ) Mama-Made Lemon Cheesecake, well, it's not every day your first born turns 16 .. oh my goodness!

Cheesecake is his treat of choice, he has his own Top Five List.

The Very Fishy - a stack of fishy face cloths for a Water themed swap.

Whats the news from your kitchen ?

Family Spaghetti Night

With all the Summer happenings, the comings and goings of sleepovers, Youth Hosteling Holidays with a friend for K, Libyan work trip for N and then all the days out and friends visiting here, it was time for a gathering in, a family favourite - Spaghetti and Meatballs, sitting at the table and being together, enjoying each others company, noticing the tanned faces, the sun-lightened hair,all the growing up that's happening around here.

A time to smile, be happy and be full.

399

What a time for "blogging block" to strike, post number 399, when I'm all geared up for a 400th post giveaway.

So, my smile of the morning, little O's breakfast, his first was cereal with his big brother, who was heading out the door for a days work with Grandad, with school finished and college in September, he is filling his days with a mix of fun with friends and some money making to fund all the adventures he has planned.




Then came toast with his sister, this boy does breakfast, wholemeal toast spread with Strawberry Jam, made by Gill, what a start to the day.

See you tomorrow x

Greek Pie - The Recipe

Here it is my friends, enjoy x

Wash and cook 200g ( or more ) of spinach, until wilted.Cool in sieve, squeeze out water.Chop roughly.
In a bowl, add the spinach, 100g feta crumbled and 2 eggs.
Mix well.
You could also add to the filling mix - olives, roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, cooked chicken, bacon etc.

Unroll around half a 250g pack of filo pastry, brush with alittle oil and then start to put the sheets into a loose bottomed dish, oil side down, drape the pastry so it overhangs the sides, moving around the dish with each sheet.After 3 or 4 sheets ( making sure bottom of dish is covered ) add your filling.
Bring the overhanging sides of pastry to the top, scrunch up, add some extra sheets scrunch up to cover the top.
Brush with oil.
Bake at 180c until golden.

Serve with a huge salad, cold glass of wine, good music and great company.

Greek Pie - a new family favourite.

This moment, a Friday tradition, a time to cherish, to remember, to honour its importance.To stop and give thanks, a time to feel blessed.

Inspired by SouleMama http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/

Trying to make Yoghurt

Fulfilling this May plan is not as easy as I thought it was going to be !

I have brought 1l of milk to the boil ( twice now ! ) and then let it cool to around 50c, added a generous spoonful of yoghurt - shop or from previous batch ( I wish ) and mixed with alittle of the milk, slowly adding in the rest of the milk and stirring.

Then lid on my 1970's yoghurt maker, it was a 50p car boot bargain ( although with the organic milk and yoghurt I'm wasting, not looking so much of a good deal right now ) and left.

I did have a peek at it and all was looking well.

However, both attempts have resulted in a curdled mess, swimming in a yellow, straw coloured liquid !

Help ... please.What am I doing wrong ? any tips would be much appreciated.

How are your May plans coming on ?

Happy weekend to all x

30 Days of Beauty : 24

Happy Easter.

Home Baked Challenge - Boggis's Chicken

We are having such fun, dreaming up dishes to take part in Hannah's Home Baked Challenge ( click on button in sidebar )
This month's theme is Fictional Food - food inspired by books.
Great ideas and laughs round the dining table, revealed a wealth of recipes to try ranging from Enid Blyton Famous Five picnic goodies to Twilight morsels.

Our first tasty treat is inspired by Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox, Boggis's Chicken.

" Boggis was a chicken farmer.He kept thousands of chickens.He was enormously fat.This was because he ate three boiled chickens smothered with dumplings ever day for breakfast, lunch and supper "



Ok, so we didn't have this for breakfast or lunch but for supper ( or tea as we call it ) and it wasn't three chickens, only one but we did boil it and it was smothered in tasty dumplings.

We had a great time, reading from the book, eating our tea and singing the song

Boggis and Bunce and Bean
One fat, one short, one lean.
These horrible crooks
So different in looks
Were none the less equally mean.