I just adore this chicken dish, which is really quick and simple to make and oh so delicious!  I just love peanut butter and the sauce in this is moreishly peanutty . . . I absolutely love it.

I was invited to a pot luck supper recently to wish a good friend a fond farewell as she goes back to live with her family in South Africa.  The hostess asked me if I would bring a Macaroni and Cheese and I was only too happy to oblidge.   I have many Mac and Cheese recipes and all are very good, but this Sour Cream Mac and Cheese is one of the best.  Rich and cheesy . . . moreish even.

You are going to thank me for this quick and easy dessert I am showing you here this morning.   Boston Cream Pie Parfaits.  Not only do them embody all that is pretty tasty about Boston Cream Pie, but they are quick and easy to make as well!

I wish I had a pound for every jar of pickled beetroot (beets) that I put up when my family was growing up.   I'd be a very rich woman.  I used to put up tons of fruits and vegetables every year . . .  jams and jellies, pickles and relishes . . .  chutneys and fruit butters.   Dill pickles were always a favourite along with green tomato chow . . .  but I don't mind admitting my favourite of it all were the pickled beetroot.  I LOVE PICKLED BEETROOT!

Summertime . . .  not only are we enjoying (or at least hoping to enjoy) warmer temperatures, but we are also enjoying being out of doors and not wanting to be tied to the kitchen when it comes to meal preparation!  Simple, quick, easy, light . . .  they fit the bill when it comes to summer time cooking.  It does in my house at least. 

 I just love this time of year when my garden is filled to bursting with fresh summer fruits . . .  the last of the strawberries, logan berries, raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, black currants in the main and ripening blackberries in the hedge!  

  Usually at the weekend, I like to pull the boat out a bit and bake us something nice for our breakfast.  It could be muffins or scones, or even a nice tea bread or breakfast cake.   Today I baked us this lovely Twisty Fruity Bread!

More often than not, now we are both retired . . .  we have our big meal at noon.  Dinner.   That means that we aren't really all that hungry later on in the day.  Todd calls it supper . . .  a light meal which consists of not a lot really . . .  maybe some toast and cheese, or bread and jam . . .  or . . .

I've never made it any secret that I hate to waste anything . . .  cooked veg, cooked rice or pasta, cereal, stale bread.   I  often use my stale bread to make bread crumbs (which I freeze) or bread pudding . . .  but if I am feeling especially indulgent, I use my stale bread to make this delicious Cheesy Garlic Bread.

One thing I really love about the summer months is salads.  I simply adore salad in any way, shape or form.   I eat them all year round, but summer is when I especially enjoy them and that is mostly because of all the fresh salad leaves and vegetables that are available during the warmer months.  This salad here today is exciting and fabulous and quite simple to make.  I like simple don't you?

 I often cook too many potatoes in the summertime so that I have leftover potatoes just to make this salad.   It's a bit different than your usual salad . . . and very tasty!  I love fried potatoes . . .  so why not fried potato salad?  You know it makes sense!  (As Del Boy would say!)

In the summer I like to cook meals that are quick and simple and that won't heat up the kitchen.  I don't think I am alone in that.  We do eat a lot of salads and such, but I also often like to make quick and easy skillet meals such as this Skillet Chicken and Rigatoni with Pesto.

I discovered a huge pot of vanilla yogurt in the refrigerator that was almost at it's sell by date the other day and as I hate wasting anything, I decided to make a cake with it.  But not just any cake . . .  a deliciously dense and moreish Vanilla Yogurt Loaf cake!

I will put my hand up and admit it freely, I am a lover of potato crisps (potato chips to you North Americans.)  I don't think there are many flavours I don't like with possibly the exception of Prawn flavoured crisps.  (I HATE THOSE.)   So, recently I was contacted by Kettle Chips (purveyors of hand cooked potato chips with natural flavourings, etc.) and asked if I wanted to try their new limited Seasonal Edition of crisps . . .  Thai Sweet Chilli, Lemongrass and Coriander flavour . . .  I jumped at the chance.  I love, LOVE to try new things, and you don't have to ask me twice if it involves potato chips.  ☺



I admit freely that Kettle Chips are one of my favourite brands of potato chips.   I absolutely adore their Sweet Chilli and Sour Cream chips and their Cheese and Onion are other favourites, not to mention their Sea Salt and Black Pepper ones . . . but would I like these?   It's quite a lot of different flavours packed into one crisp . . .

Not overly sweet, with a nice chilli heat  . . . a bit of punch from the coriander and a tang of lemongrass, these had an unusually fresh taste that I quite enjoyed! (The Toddster doesn't eat potato chips.  He thinks they are too hard.)  They were nice and crisp, not hard, not greasy and had wonderful flavour.  In short, these are really quite quite moreishly good!

Good to Know:
Kettle chips are handcooked, using traditional methods.
Their chips are seasoned with real food ingredients.
Nothing artificial is added, no msg, artificial flavours or colours.
They use only sunflower oil.
Kettle Chips are sliced thicker for that Kettle crunch



The English Kitchen gives these delicious potato crisps a hearty two thumbs up for deliciousness.  As they are a seasonal edition you will want to get your hands on a tasty bag of them before they are all gone!

Note - although I was sent several bags of these crips free of charge, I was not required to write a positive review.  Any and all opinions are my own.  I WOULD pay money for these.

I don't know why it is but it's really difficult to photograph chocolate things and make them come out looking as delicious as they really are.  I am sorely lacking in knowledge about these things and so these cookies here today only look half as delicious as they really, so please don't let the photo's turn you off.  I promise you these are really, REALLY good!

Usually on Sundays I try to put something into the crockpot for dinner before I leave for church.  We are always so starving by the time we get home, which usually isn't until about 2 PM!  If I haven't been really organized and used the crockpot, we end up eating things we shouldn't because lets face it . . .  by that time we don't care what goes into our mouths.  We just want to fill that gap!   Not to self . . .  perhaps carry an apple in your church bag . . .



Sister Johansen who is another Senior Missionary here in the UK, said she really wanted to make this Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing recipe that she found on Pinterest, but wasn't sure if she actually could because they don't do boxed stuffing mix here.  Well  . . .  they do, but it's not like any stuffing mix we are used to in North America.  Over here in the UK, it is like cracker crumbs . . .  I think it's called crumbled rusk.  Anyways, like Sister Johansen, I didn't think it would work in this recipe.



And so I promised Sister Johansen that I would find a way to make it work.  And guess what???  I did!  I created my own stuffing mix.  (You will find the recipe below.)  And you know . . .  it has to be better than anything storebought with artificial ingredients and additives.  Well, that's my theory anyways!

 

It worked really well!  Really, REALLY well.   This was delicious and so simple to put together.  All I had to do was add some potatoes and vegetables.   Boiled baby potatoes and some steamed veg were just the trick.  The leftovers the next day were even tastier.




Place your chicken in the bottom of your crock pot.   Pour the chicken broth over all and then lay a slice of cheese over top of each.  Whisk together both of the soups and the milk.  Pour this over top ov the cheese and chicken.   Top with the stuffing mix.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or high for 4 hours.   Serve with your choice of side dishes.  I recommend steamed baby potatoes and broccoli.



To make stuffing:  combine 1 tsp instant chicken boullion stock powder, along with 6 ounces of boiling water.  Melt 6 TBS of butter in a skillet and saute one medium onion (peel and chop) with 4 stalks of celery (chopped) until softened.  Toss together with the chicken stock and 7 cups of the stuffing  mix.    Use to stuff a chicken or turkey prior to roasting, or bakd in a lightly buttered casserole for half an hour at 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  You can also use it to stuff pork chops.

 We often entertain in the summer months, barbequing being our favourite choice of activities to enjoy when friends are over.   They are casual and fun affairs and there is nothing like being out of doors to really whet the appetites!  This recipe here today is for a delicious appetizer that you can enjoy with a cold drink while the boys are slaving over the hot grill.  It's a recipe I got from my good friend Mabel many years ago, for a simple ham pate which is just perfect to be served with the lovely Melba Thins Multigrain which came in June's Degusta box!

I am so excited today to be able to tell you about the most fabulous adventure I had just two weeks ago today.  It was something I had been looking forward to for a couple of months now!    In my role as a food blogger,  I am often invited to attend special events.  I don't always accept these invitations . . .  more often than not they are held too far away from where I live, (which requires too many train changes and a lengthy travel time) or they are held in the evening and being too far away (which requires a hotel stay, etc.) or they are not interested in covering the cost of my travel.  All no no's in my book.  As I also have Osteo Arthritis, I usually want Todd to come with me when I travel nowadays as well.   The Mornflake Seed to Bowl Event ticked all the boxes for me.  It wasn't being held too far away, so travel would be easy.   It was at the right time of day . . . and more importantly  they didn't mind Todd coming with me at all . . .  and they were more than happy to cover the cost of our travel both to and from the event.   I am always keenly interested in learning all of the aspects concerning the growth, provenance and production of the foods which we like to eat.  Seed to Bowl . . .  an event put on by the people at Mornflake . . .  promised to take us from the initial growth of the oats all the way to the way it gets processed and fit for consumption.  A trip to the Mornflake Mill in Crewe was just the ticket!

My sister is always after me to eat healthier.  She's been into sprouting and fermenting and using whole grains for a long time now.   She really makes some interesting and delicious foods which I have enjoyed and which is why I was really excited when I was offered the opportunity to review a new cookery book  . . .  At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen, celebrating the art of eating well, by Amy Chaplin.

One of the favourite things that my mother would make for us on occasion when I was growing up was Stuffed Baked Potatoes.  These were a real treat, and something which I still enjoy.  She would bake potatoes until done, then cut them in half.  The insides were scooped out and mashed together with butter, milk, seasoning and a smidgen of minced onion.  Then she would stuff the skins with this mixture and pop them into the oven to brown.

One thing which stands clear the culinary memories of my childhood is that nothing went to waste.  My mother was a plain cook and a thrifty cook . . .  a lesson I learnt well, the thrift part at any rate.  I don't think anyone has ever called my cooking plain!!

I make a lemon cake that we are awfully fond of here in my house  . . .  a Lemon and Chocolate Chip Cake.  It's really good, with a nice lemon flavoured cake and just a hit of chocolate chunks throughout.   Lemon and chocolate are actually a very nice flavour combination.  It's true.

We grow a lot of our own soft fruits in our garden . . .  tay berries (a cross between a black and rasp berry), raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, strawberries and black currants.   They all start to ripen about the same time.  And right now is the peak time for the logan, rasp and  strawberries, and the black currants.  Oh and gooseberries.  The blueberries are not quite ready yet, but in a few weeks they will begin . . .

My mother celebrated her 83rd Birthday yesterday.  It was only a few years ago now that we almost lost her.   I feel so blessed that she is still with us and of course I called her on the telephone, where I could not actually be with her.  She was saying how my sister and I are such good cooks and she thought that she wasn't.   I, of course, begged to differ.  My mom was a simple cook, a plain cook, but most of what she did cook was quite good.  She didn't really like cooking  . . .  she didn't have the passion that my sister and I have for it, so perhaps that makes a difference.  I don't know.   What I do know for sure however, is that there are certain things that, no matter how skilled I am or how many times I cook them, they are never quite as tasty as the  memory of the things she cooked when I was growing up

 


Summer is finally here, and with it comes the influx of tasty seasonal food for perfect beach-side barbecues to simple alfresco dining. The LuxPad has collated 101 Summer Recipes from their favourite foodie blogs for you to try-out and enjoy, from breakfast to dinner they have your summer dining sorted. Enjoy your summer with their favourite dishes including my recipe for  . . .

 

Sauteed Garlic and Lemon Chops!

Do hop on over to the Lux Pad Blog to see all the other delicious offerings for everything from tasty cool beverages and cocktails to mouth watering desserts!

When I saw this recipe on Nigel Slater's Dish of the Day, I just knew I had to try it.  You all know what a big fan I am of Nigel.  I've made no secret of it.   I know I say it every time . . .  he just cooks like I want to cook and eat.

Some days it is just too hot to cook.   I find really hot and sticky days just zap all of my energy and I just can't be asked to cook anything.  Not complaining . . .  just saying is all . . .

I got to go to Costco the other day with some friends and I picked myself up a nice big pack of lean ground turkey breast for about £10.   What a bargain compared to what you pay for it in the shops.  I was able to divide it up into 3 (1 pound) packages and still had half a pound leftover that I used to make these delicious meatball sarnies/sandwiches!  This is cooking for two.  If you want to make more, just double the quantities!

Oh but we have had a lovely run of nice warm weather here in the UK.   You learn very quickly over here that you never take sunny days for granted . . .  or warm weather  . . . and you never complain about it.  They are few and far between, and so  generally people tend to revel in them!  Oh, for sure you will find the odd party pooper, but for the most part, we all tend to enjoy!

We are big fans of lemon cookies in this house . . . okay, so I lied, it's really only me that likes baked lemon anything, but I didn't want you to think I was a glutton and eat all the lemon stuff myself, even if it is true.  haha   That's actually a lie as well, I normally send half of every lemon bake I make to our good friend Doreen.  She doesn't mind in the least!

When I was growing up, this quick and easy dessert would have been considered the epitome of sophistication!  Invented back in 1893 by the French Chef Escoffier at the Savoy Hotel in London, it was designed to honor the Australian songstress, Nellie Melba.   Whatever it's origins, and however dated it may seem to some, I think it's nice to dust off these oldies and enjoy them every now and then, especially during the warmer months when fresh fruit is so readily available.

I was recently asked if I would like to try this new protein ice cream by Wheyhey!

 "Making sure you have enough protein in your diet is essential to getting the most out of your body - and life! Protein is the building block for all human cells, the second most abundant component of the human body after water, and can help with everything from losing weight to muscle repair and skin anti ageing! Protein is made up of amino acids of which there are 9 known as ‘essential’, and 11 other ‘non-essential’ and ‘conditional’ amino acids."

Wheyhey is made using a whey protein isolate, which contains  9 essential and 11 non essential amino acids that the human body needs.  Whey protein isolate is a by-product of the cheese making process and it’s 100% natural and considered to be easily and rapidly digested.

This ice cream is designed to not only taste good, but also do you good at the same time.  Each pot contains 20g of protein.  It's also sugar free and suitable for use by diabetic, being naturally sweetened by a natural sweetener called Xylitol in all of their flavours. (Xylitol is a derivative of tree bark and it’s what you find in sugarfree gum and toothpaste.) Wheyhey protein ice cream helps keep your blood sugar levels stable by slowing the absorption of glucose into the blood stream.

So now you know all the healthy stuff about it, but bottom line . . .  does it taste good?

 

I quite liked the strawberry and the banana, but I am not fond of chocolate flavoured milk anything . . .  not ice cream, not milk, not hot chocolate . . . so I didn't really care for that, but don't take my word for it because I am not fussed.   A chocolate milk lover might find it exceptionally tasty.  It just wasn't me.  Also the vanilla pot I think might have melted and then been frozen again as it had a really weird  texture . . .



which you can see in the middle pot in this photo on the top line.  It was foamy and airy and almost a bit like Styrofoam.  It did say on the pot not to refreeze if it melted, so I really couldn't make an honest judgement on it's flavour.

It comes in four  flavours . . . Banana, Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry, and is free of sugar,  additives and chemicals . . .  which can't be bad actually.  I often worry about all the chemicals we ingest nowadays.  (That can't be good for us I am sure.  So it's nice to see a product that tastes nice and is additive, sugar and chemical free.)

From the sports perspective ingesting more protein makes sense and this is a pretty tasty way to get it.

From the weight loss perspective, upping your protein intake helps to keep you feeling fuller for longer, cuts cravings and helps slow the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream, which is also a plus. 

It is available online now at Ocado and at Musclefood and is available in the single serving sizes and a larger family size. 

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