I am so looking forward to 2012!!
So much happening!!
So much to do!!
See you soon!!
Debbie
x
Friday, 30 December 2011
Thursday, 15 December 2011
Do you know what causes most arguments on Christmas day??
Personally i would have said lack of batteries!
Its actually carving the turkey!!
Its actually carving the turkey!!
To give men a helping hand this year Colman’s have compiled the ultimate top 10 tips to carving the perfect Christmas bird as well as a carving masterclass video with TOWIE star Sam Faiers and Colman’s butchers.
The research found that
- 72%* of UK mums spend up to six hours (87%*) in the kitchen on Christmas Day
- Dads don’t want the job of carving the turkey - with almost half (47%) actually being forced to do the job
- Nearly half of dads (44%*) admit they actually don’t have a clue what they are doing when carving and 45% say they dread having to do the job on Christmas Day
- Almost a quarter of mums find having to tidy up by themselves to be the number one cause of arguments over the yuletide
What causes most arguments in your home over Christmas and what do you do to combat those humbug moments?? :)
Monday, 12 December 2011
Its getting closer!!
Are you prepared for the big day?
I still have a few little Christmas pressies to get then do the food shopping and im done! I will no doubt bake some more too before the day as my fudge didnt set
(anyone know a foolproof recipe??) and the rocky road is going to be gone well before Santa arrives! lol
I made my usual rocky road but this time added dark and milk chocolate, Lebkuchen, whole dark cherries, brazil nuts, golden syrup and butter!!
YUMM!!
I also tried something new - Panforte - wow! Its gorgeous but you could only eat a small bit at a time as its rather filling!
It has lots of almonds, hazelnuts, mixed peel, chocolate, honey, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg!! Delicious!
Whats on your to do list?
I still have a few little Christmas pressies to get then do the food shopping and im done! I will no doubt bake some more too before the day as my fudge didnt set
(anyone know a foolproof recipe??) and the rocky road is going to be gone well before Santa arrives! lolI made my usual rocky road but this time added dark and milk chocolate, Lebkuchen, whole dark cherries, brazil nuts, golden syrup and butter!!
YUMM!!I also tried something new - Panforte - wow! Its gorgeous but you could only eat a small bit at a time as its rather filling!
It has lots of almonds, hazelnuts, mixed peel, chocolate, honey, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg!! Delicious!Whats on your to do list?
Friday, 9 December 2011
Sudocrem Christmas Superchef Competition
Instructions on how to enter the 2011 Sudocrem Christmas Superchef competition:
Step 1 - Prepare, bake, fry, steam, boil or stew your own Christmas themed recipe then take a picture of your creation
Step 2 - Visit and Like the Sudocrem Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Sudocrem) and click on the Superchef Competition page
Step 3 - Follow the competition page instructions: Enter your name, upload your picture and paste your recipe into the text box provided
Step 4 - Keep your fingers crossed that our celebrity judge, Aggie MacKenzie takes a shine to your creation!
Competition Start Date 7th December 2011
Competition Finish Date 4th January 2011
Competition winners announced 5th January 2012
The Sudocrem Superchef competition prizes:
1st Prize: 3 day cookery course for 2 in France and £200 contribution towards travel
2nd Prize: £150 Christmas Hamper from Selfridges
3rd Prize: £75 Marks & Spencers vouchers.
Good luck everyone and let me know if you enter :) I wont be as ive put up this promotion but i will cheer you all along!!
(this is a promotional post but i am not being paid for it and all opinions etc are my own)
Step 1 - Prepare, bake, fry, steam, boil or stew your own Christmas themed recipe then take a picture of your creationStep 2 - Visit and Like the Sudocrem Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Sudocrem) and click on the Superchef Competition page
Step 3 - Follow the competition page instructions: Enter your name, upload your picture and paste your recipe into the text box providedStep 4 - Keep your fingers crossed that our celebrity judge, Aggie MacKenzie takes a shine to your creation!
Competition Start Date 7th December 2011
Competition Finish Date 4th January 2011
Competition winners announced 5th January 2012
The Sudocrem Superchef competition prizes:
1st Prize: 3 day cookery course for 2 in France and £200 contribution towards travel
2nd Prize: £150 Christmas Hamper from Selfridges
3rd Prize: £75 Marks & Spencers vouchers.
Good luck everyone and let me know if you enter :) I wont be as ive put up this promotion but i will cheer you all along!!
(this is a promotional post but i am not being paid for it and all opinions etc are my own)
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Christmas School Fair.
I am in the process of making up diy cake jars, mint crisp, 
rocky road,
mincemeat muffins,
snowman poop, reindeer poop and lots of little bits as well as some canvases, 
(the red writing says... Ihope you dont mind, I hope you dont mind that i put down in words, how wonderful life is now youre in the world)
(words read - Things may change but we start and end with family)
Also making some memory jars and lipbalms! eek! The fair is Friday - guess I best get moving!!
rocky road,
mincemeat muffins,
snowman poop, reindeer poop and lots of little bits as well as some canvases, 
(the red writing says... Ihope you dont mind, I hope you dont mind that i put down in words, how wonderful life is now youre in the world)
(words read - Things may change but we start and end with family)Also making some memory jars and lipbalms! eek! The fair is Friday - guess I best get moving!!
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
A simple lunch...
Again working with the Forman & Field hamper I created a simple but delicious lunch of Scottish oak crackers topped with cream cheese, salmon and caviar.
This is the kind of salmon that deserves not to be messed with and the least you can do with it the better it will taste. (However i still cant wait to try salmon benedict with it!!)
To be honest the caviar was a little too fishy for me - i know thats the whole point but its psychological honestly!! LOL I did devour the salmon, cream cheese and oatcakes though!!
Ben loved it and went back to have a spoonful -
each to their own! lol
This is the kind of salmon that deserves not to be messed with and the least you can do with it the better it will taste. (However i still cant wait to try salmon benedict with it!!)
To be honest the caviar was a little too fishy for me - i know thats the whole point but its psychological honestly!! LOL I did devour the salmon, cream cheese and oatcakes though!!Ben loved it and went back to have a spoonful -
each to their own! lol
Monday, 28 November 2011
Leftover Christmas Turkey Curry!
I know, youre sitting there thinking, 'has she gone mad - its only November!' ..... besides the probablity of 'yes actually i am quite mad' please try to think preparation! Planning at Christmas is vital and to be honest the last thing any of us need is a plate of uneaten turkey looking at us screaming 'eat me or bin me' .... i know which one i usually choose! eek!
Anyways, I have had the absolute pleasure of working with a Forman & Field seasonal hamper which contained everything for Christmas day including turkey, salmon, caviar...even down to the fruit to make the curry with!
Marco Pierre White has created a fruit curry with the remainder turkey. This exclusive recipe wont be on the Knorr website until December but I am able to share it with you early :)
I made this on Saturday night and it went down really well, its not too hot but has a little kick. The kids enjoyed it too and as it has lots of squished fruit it surely counts as at least one of your five a day too :)
Ingredients (serves 10)
25g plain flour
2 Knorr Chicken Stock Pots
25g unsalted butter
1/2 a large pineapple, peeled and chopped into chunks (including core)
2 Cox apples (approx 250g), unpeeled, roughly chopped
1 banana
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 tbsps mild or medium curry powder
25g unsweetened desiccated coconut
75ml double cream (optional)
1kg leftover cold roast turkey, taken off the bone and chopped into chunks (you can also add in chunks of cooked ham or leftover veg like roast potatoes, parsnips or carrots, chopped into chunks)
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 220˚C/ 425˚F/ Gas Mark 7. Sprinkle the flour in an even layer in an ovenproof frying pan and place it in the oven for 12–15 minutes until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, as the flour browns, begin cooking the curry. First, take the 2 Knorr Chicken Stock Pots and mix them with a litre of boiling water, stirring until thoroughly dissolved. Set aside.
Now, heat a large, heavy-based casserole dish on the hob. Add in the butter. Once melted, add in the pineapple and sliced apple. Peel and slice in the banana. Add in the chopped onion.
Fry stirring with a spatula over a low heat for around 10 minutes until the fruit begins to break down.
Add in the curry powder, mixing it in well. Cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes over a low heat. Add in the desiccated coconut and mix in.
Remove the lightly browned flour from the oven and add it into the curry paste mixture, mixing it in thoroughly.
Pour in 250ml of the Knorr Chicken Stock, stirring it so that the paste dissolves into the stock.
Gradually add in the remaining stock, 250ml at a time, stirring in thoroughly after each addition to make sure the sauce is free from any lumps.
Bring to the boil, simmer for 8–10 minutes, stir in the double cream if using.
Using the back of a ladle to press it down, pass the curry sauce through a fine sieve if you wish or liquidise until smooth.
Return the sieved or liquidised curry sauce to the casserole dish. Add in the cooked turkey chunks, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the turkey is heated through.
Garnish with toasted flaked almonds and fresh coriander leaves and serve at once.
Anyways, I have had the absolute pleasure of working with a Forman & Field seasonal hamper which contained everything for Christmas day including turkey, salmon, caviar...even down to the fruit to make the curry with!
Marco Pierre White has created a fruit curry with the remainder turkey. This exclusive recipe wont be on the Knorr website until December but I am able to share it with you early :)
I made this on Saturday night and it went down really well, its not too hot but has a little kick. The kids enjoyed it too and as it has lots of squished fruit it surely counts as at least one of your five a day too :)
Ingredients (serves 10)25g plain flour
2 Knorr Chicken Stock Pots
25g unsalted butter
1/2 a large pineapple, peeled and chopped into chunks (including core)
2 Cox apples (approx 250g), unpeeled, roughly chopped
1 banana
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 tbsps mild or medium curry powder
25g unsweetened desiccated coconut
75ml double cream (optional)
1kg leftover cold roast turkey, taken off the bone and chopped into chunks (you can also add in chunks of cooked ham or leftover veg like roast potatoes, parsnips or carrots, chopped into chunks)
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 220˚C/ 425˚F/ Gas Mark 7. Sprinkle the flour in an even layer in an ovenproof frying pan and place it in the oven for 12–15 minutes until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, as the flour browns, begin cooking the curry. First, take the 2 Knorr Chicken Stock Pots and mix them with a litre of boiling water, stirring until thoroughly dissolved. Set aside.
Now, heat a large, heavy-based casserole dish on the hob. Add in the butter. Once melted, add in the pineapple and sliced apple. Peel and slice in the banana. Add in the chopped onion.
Fry stirring with a spatula over a low heat for around 10 minutes until the fruit begins to break down.
Add in the curry powder, mixing it in well. Cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes over a low heat. Add in the desiccated coconut and mix in.
Remove the lightly browned flour from the oven and add it into the curry paste mixture, mixing it in thoroughly.
Pour in 250ml of the Knorr Chicken Stock, stirring it so that the paste dissolves into the stock.
Gradually add in the remaining stock, 250ml at a time, stirring in thoroughly after each addition to make sure the sauce is free from any lumps.
Bring to the boil, simmer for 8–10 minutes, stir in the double cream if using.
Using the back of a ladle to press it down, pass the curry sauce through a fine sieve if you wish or liquidise until smooth.
Return the sieved or liquidised curry sauce to the casserole dish. Add in the cooked turkey chunks, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the turkey is heated through.
Garnish with toasted flaked almonds and fresh coriander leaves and serve at once.
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