food, reviews & life in my kitchen
When anyone asks me what my favourite cake flavour is, it’s a difficult choice between lemon cake, chocolate cake and a classic Victoria Sponge. Actually, it’s a difficult choice between all cakes, but sometimes simple is best. These little Victoria Sponge fairy cakes make the most of the simple, timeless combination of vanilla sponge, vanilla… Continue reading Victoria Sponge Fairy Cakes Recipe
I love pizza – who doesn’t? The comfort in that delicious combination of tomato and cheese in every mouthful is really hard to beat. And really hard to resist. (Hence my long history of pizza related cheese burns on the roof of my mouth…) But despite this, it’s really hard to find pizza that’s done… Continue reading Cotswold pizza flour review and cheddar & tomato pizza recipe
This lemon drizzle cake is perfect for an Easter celebration, and I always associate it with spring and summer. As with most of my favourite baking recipes, this is one I’ve inherited from my mum, and it reminds me of hazy afternoons spent eating freshly baked scones and lemon cake in the garden, watching insects… Continue reading Lemon drizzle cake recipe
Anyone who knows me well will know that I love pie. I love pie with creamy mashed potato, doused in thick gravy until the mash begins to dissolve in the liquid and the pie crust starts to soften (to my mum’s sheer horror). I love cutting into fresh, crisp pastry, homemade when I have the… Continue reading 3 things that make a perfect pie & my 3 favourite pie recipes
This is an indulgent and warming recipe to treat yourself to on cold nights. For me, chicken and mushroom pie is ultimate comfort food, and is full of nostalgia. As a child, my favourite dinners were always the kind which came with gravy and veg. In fact at one stage, I wouldn’t even entertain the… Continue reading Chicken and Mushroom Pie Recipe
How to make a Valentine’s night in special: Treat yourselves to your favourite meal. Double points if you both love the same food – this makes it much easier to make! And serve it nicely! Sprinkle heats in the table, set places with napkins, wine glasses and a candle (or 10!) to set the mood.… Continue reading 5 ways to make a Valentine’s night in special & 4 things to cook to make them feel loved!
After Christmas is over, January drags its heels in a seemingly endless parade of grey sky and perpetual drizzle. The complete opposite of a month of sparkle and celebration in December, and unsurprisingly, it’s a struggle to stay motivated for the goals we optimistically set ourselves on New Year’s Day. It’s far too easy to slip into a dull routine, forget the resolutions for another year, and nothing changes. But, instead of all this, I think now is the best time to look after ourselves for a bit. Christmas is a barrage of friends, family, parties, and as much as we love them all, it’s exhausting! (Especially for us introverts.) I’m lucky in that Dad’s birthday is January, so there has always been something to look forward to after Christmas, but it has meant that I hadn’t taken any time out for myself to recover. This year could be the start of a new routine – something wonderful. The month of me.
Now that Halloween is over, the anticipation of Christmas festivities has moved to centre stage, with shops already sparkling with decorations and gifts. It’s clichéd, I know, but I really do love autumn and winter, especially now, in this little post-Halloween, pre-Christmas limbo. Crunchy leaves in vibrant red, copper and bright gold litter the ground outside, waiting to be walked in, kicked about, enjoyed, and jumpers and boots have made a convincing comeback in my wardrobe. There aren’t daily frosts just yet, but I can’t wait to see the beautiful silver spray of delicate, glittering lace over leaves and spiders’ webs in the morning sun. I don’t think I have long to wait. This morning I had to de-mist the car windows with the heating on max for a good 5 minutes before I left for work.
Before holly, trees, presents and cards, my first whiff of Christmas in the air is always signalled by the reappearance of mince pies in my life. Usually in early November, hopefully sooner. The garish boxes appear in the supermarkets far earlier, but, call me fussy, these can never match up to a home baked mince pie. I’m talking dreamy wafts of Christmas seeping through the house, leading to bites of crumbly, buttery pastry melting away in my mouth to reveal tangy fruits, rich spices and a hint of alcohol, all rounded off with the sweet drizzle of glace icing over the top. The pie in my hand almost falls apart in surrender: ‘eat me!’, and the filling is jewelled with glace cherries so red it’s almost offensive. But it’s Christmas: red goes.
Meat-Free Monday recipes which still feel hearty and filling - you won’t miss the meat! Mushroom & Ricotta Tart, Stuffed Peppers & Veggie & Lentil Bolognese.
