Well, it is day two of my Marmalade challenge and  what a delicious recipe I have to share with you today!  I was sent some delicious Marmalades to cook with earlier this month from the people at Mackays,  in honor of National Marmalade Week  (February 28th to March 6th) and asked would I like to try to create some new recipes using it.   I have risen to the challenge and this is the second recipe I created using their lovely marmalades.  For this one I used their old fashioned Dundee Marmalade, but I think any flavour would work well.

 I was sent some delicious Marmalades to cook with earlier this month in honor of National Marmalade Week and asked would I like to try to create some new recipes using it.  This speaks to two of my great loves  . . . one I love Marmalade, and two, I love to create new things and be challenged.  Everyone's a winner!  (And especially us because we get to try all these new delicious marmalade scrummies!)  First up Marmalade Cheesecake Crumble Cake!

 

Take on the morning with Rachel’s new 0% fat Greek Style yogurt


Rachel’s has launched its 0% Fat Greek Style yogurt range to bring you a collection of sumptuous flavours: Blueberry, Peach & Passion Fruit and Lemon & Ginger. These fruity flavours perfectly complement the thick, silky-smooth Greek Style yogurt for a guilt-free indulgence to help keep your healthy regime on track this year. Eat it as part of your breakfast or straight from the pot, either way is just as mouth-watering.


Rachel’s has breakfast in tip-top shape with its latest luxuriously smooth 0% fat organic yogurt. Each of the flavours carries on the Rachel’s tradition, being made with the finest organic ingredients, from locally sourced organic milk and with absolutely no artificial colourings, flavours or preservatives.

One thing which I have always enjoyed cooking since coming over to the UK are the old tradition recipes.  Recipes which have their roots deep in British tradition and which have been around for a very long time . . .  recipes which are a part of the fabric of this beautiful country's history and culture.

I have to confess that, aside from feeding the Missionaries, I haven't been doing a great deal of cooking lately.  I've been quite tired and not really feeling all that well.  No appetite.  We are having the Elders for tea tonight and I am making them a curry, but for Todd's lunch I  cooked him delicious Bagel Hole Eggs!  Like Egg in the hole, but with a bagel instead of bread.  ☺

 I've seen a lot of "hasselback" type of dishes on Pinterest these past few weeks.   Hasselback Potatoes have long been popular . . .  baking type of potatoes, sliced crosswise every quarter of an inch almost all the way through but staying intact on the bottm, and brushed with an herby garlic butter and baked until the potato edges are all tender on the insides and crisp and buttery at the edges.  They are now doing it with meats.  I've seen a LOT of chicken dishes done this way lately.  When I picked up two turkey breast tenderloin fillets at the shop the other day, I immediately had in mind to cook them in the Hasselback manner!

I had bought my husband some prawns to cook him for Valentines day, however I totally forgot to cook them for him.  (Good thing they were frozen, or they would be pretty manky by now!)  Anyways, I finally got around to cooking them for him and made him a tasty curry with them.  I can't eat prawns, as I am allergic, but he loves them, so this was a real treat for him as I only ever very rarely have them on his menu, preferring instead to cook things we can both eat.

 Miso is not something which I had ever tasted in my life before this past weekend.  I have read about it and always wanted to try it . . .  but it wasn't until I saw a recipe for a Miso Baked Cod in a recent issue of Delicious magazine that I was actually prompted to buy some, and I have to say . . .  with all honesty I have fallen in love.

I love Boursin Cheese.   It's one of my weaknesses . . .  the richness, the herbs . . . the way it tastes so good spread onto crackers and crispy things . . .  on celery . . .  on a baked potato . . .  in a wrap or on a sandwich.  It just tweaks all my bells.  I recently made my own Boursin type cheese from scratch and I dare you to tell the difference from the real thing.  This is so close that it's amazing . . . and dangerous, because as long as you keep a few things in your house, you will never be without Boursin cheese again.  Luckily I had some tasty Finn Crisp crackers in the house, courtesy of Degustabox!  I received them in my January box and this was the perfect way to indulge in and enjoy them . . .  but first about my January Degustabox!

One of my favourite soups has to be broccoli and cheese soup.  I just love it.  I love broccoli anyways, and when you combine it with cheese, well  . . . that is just a match made in heaven.  This delicious casserole today had very similar ingredients as broccoli cheese soup, except it's not soup, it's a fabulous casserole that will have your family scrambling for seconds!

 There are certain foods from your childhood that stand out and never get old . .  dishes which evoke the sweetest memories and most tender thoughts.  These squares do that for me.  Aunt Orabelle's Date Squares.  Aunt Orabelle was one of my mother's Aunts, sister to my Grandmother.  She lived up on the South Mountain back home in an old farm house, with a lino floor . . .  and she had a blind horse in the field next to her house that we loved to feed carrots and apples to.  She made the best donuts . . .  and yes, date squares!

 Usually at the weekend I try to do us some sort of breakfast treat . . .  something which is a bit out of the ordinary cereal that we have on weekday mornings.  We are not really heavy eaters so we never do the bacon and eggs thing for breakfast . . .  that's usually a dinner deal for us.  We do like pancakes, or french toast, muffins, cinnamon rolls, cinnamon toast . . . and when I saw this on Pinterest the other day . . .  Coconut Toast . . .  I knew that I wanted to make it.  It just sounded good, very good.

It's the end of the week and time to get rid of a few bits in the refrigerator before I do my grocery shop for the next week.  The bits I have leftover that are not large enough to be or make a meal on their own, but put together with other things can make a really tasty meal indeed!

We had the elders over for supper the other night and I made a huge pot of my spaghetti bolognese for them to enjoy.  I don't think I am bragging when I say that I make a really great bolognese.  I've had over 35 years to practice and hone my recipe until I now have it down pat and feel confident in saying to you this is the best. 

This is the cake that I always used to bake for the Mr when I worked and cooked at the Manor down South.  It was his Birthday cake of choice and I dutifully baked one for him every year.  And small wonder, as it is a most delicious cake!  From it's moist and flavourful crumb, to it's fudgy chocolate frosting, it pleases on all levels.

I am a real salad lover.  I could eat them 365 days of the year, for lunch and supper.   Todd is not so fussed, but I am slowly converting him into a salad lover, one salad at a time.   It's nice to have great tools when it comes to making salads and I was recently sent a couple of brilliant tools by the people at ICTC (The Intercontinental Cooking and Tableware Company) to use in my salad making, and I have been really pleased with them I have to say.

I think cabbage has to be one of my favourite vegetables.   I love it raw.  I love it steamed.  I love it fried.  I love it roasted . . .  all are very tasty, or at least they are to me, and this recipe here today is one of my favourites.

I didn't think I was going to have time to do anything heart shaped this Valentines Day as my days have been so busy, but I did have a chance today to do these little Lemon & Berry Hand Pies for my Todd.  He does love a jam tart and he really enjoyed these!

When made well, a homemade pizza can easily rival that of any pizzeria, and what's more if you follow these simple "Make Ahead" tips from the people at Cirio, you can have a pizza to be proud of on the table well before any delivery brand!

I know I should have some heart shaped cookies or some such here to show you today as tomorrow is Valentines Day, but I just don't have them . . .  sorry about that!  I do have some rather tasty Coconut and Cherry Cookies however!  I think that a bite of one of these and you will soon forgive me as they are delicious.   It's a recipe I got from an Amish Cookery book and we all know how great those Amish Cookers are.  I downsized it as the original recipe made twice the cookies and there are only two of us, one of us being a diabetic.  'Nuff Said.

I saw this recipe on Food 52 and the idea of whole chicken pieces done in a gratinee really intriqued me.  It sounded fabulous and looked delicious.  I am a sucker for a Gratinee.  It sings to my heart every time.  I have had plenty of gratinee vegetables in  my time, and a few casseroles, but never whole pieces of chicken done this way!

I cooked a Beef Brisket in the slow cooker at the weekend for a special project I am working on.  (To be revealed at a later date.)  I ended up with a decent amount of leftover cooked brisket and decided to make a Poutine with it . . .  but not just any Poutine, but a Barbeque Beef Poutine!

Mrs Crimble's (the gluten free people) recently sent me some of their New Range Authentically French Gluten Free Continental Cakes products to try out.  Yes, I am a very lucky girl.  The new Authentically French range from Mrs Crimbles, includes two deliciously gluten free products:  Classic madeleines and Chocolat Madeleine with a rich chocolate filling.  They are individually wrapped and made in France.  These little cakes are perfect for adding to lunch boxes or for adding a special touch to the breakfast table.

For the perfect big night in debbie&andrew’s has a selection of recipes that put a little heart into mealtimes. Whether it is a paleo breakfast muffin, a perfectly paired pie for supper or an aphrodisiac fig salad for lunch, debbie&andrew’s sausage recipes are guaranteed to have affection built in!

 

Mix a pancake, 
Stir a pancake, 
Pop it in the pan; 
Fry the pancake, 
Toss the pancake,
Catch it if you can. 
~Christina Rossetti

I always wondered who wrote that poem and now I know.  I had no idea it was Christina Rossetti!  In honor of Shrove Tuesday, otherwise lovingly known as Pancake Day, I thought I would list all of my pancake recipes for you!  All in one spot!  I do love pancakes, don't you?  This was the only time we ever had pancakes when I was growing up and we could have our fill.  My poor mum, must have been standing there cooking them for ages, as we could never get enough of them!

Now, lets get flipping onto some gorgeous tastiness.  Which ones will tempt your palate.  I would sure love to know!

I always think it's pretty amazing what you can do with just a few ingredients and a little bit of ingenuity.  Like this recipe here today.  I had a small bit of leftover ham that I wanted to use up and some chicken breasts and so after putting my thinking cap on I came up with a delicious and simple little entree that went down a real treat and went together lickety split!

Shrove Tuesday marks the last day before Lent, traditionally a period of abstinence, associated with clearing your cupboards of things like sugar, fat and eggs. It's known as Pancake Day because it represents a good opportunity to use up such ingredients. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

 If you fancy some delicious pancakes on Shrove Tuesday this year (February 9th), but you're worried about your batter being a soggy disaster, don't panic!  Mrs. Crumble's Pancake Mix guarantees quick and eay results!

 

Be the hero of the party and serve up some really tasty game day food for tonight's Super Bowl American football extravaganza!  I have brought together all of my finger-food appetiser dishes that I think would go over really well with the family and guests.  With a delicious mix of the traditional and the not traditional, these are sure to put a smile on everyone's face as they root for their favourite teams!  Why not try something a tad bit different this year!

I was recently sent some products from Orgran the Gluten Free people so that I could try them out before Pancake Day which is on Tuesday February 9th.  I am still waiting to hear whether I am a coeliac or not, (I go on Monday, wish me luck!)  so I was quite excited to be able to try these out.  Having to give up wheat and products which contain gluten is not an easy prospect, especially when you think of how many things are on the market which contain wheat or gluten and so options like these are really quite exciting!

 I had to cook a meal earlier this week to take to a member who has not been well.  I baked a casserole and made a salad, and then I decided to bake some cookies for the children in the family.  I love to bake, but more often than not I can't eat what I bake, so it's nice to be able to bake something which is going to be going to kiddies I know will be able to appreciate it.

This is an oven sandwich that I used to make often for my kids when they were growing up.  They're delicious, simple to make and they use ingredients I normally have in my larder.  So they are a bit of a store cupboard meal.  Also  if you use low fat cheese and mayonnaise, they are not that unhealthy.  Especially if you serve them with some vegetable sticks or salad on the side.

I have been taking a  Cooking for Diabetes Class thru the NHS on Thursday afternoons for the past month.  Today is my last class.  I really wasn't sure if I would learn anything by taking the course, but I have to say that I have been pleasantly surprised and I have really learned an awful lot.  Plus everything we have cooked has been healthy, low in fat, high in fibre and quite surprisingly delicious!

I am a child of the 50's/60's/70's.  There was not a lot in the way of convenience foods when I was growing up.  Being born in 1955, food in our home was really simple.    We didn't have access to exotic ingredients.  Pineapple was probably one of the most exotic ingredients we had and that came in a tin.  I don't think I ever saw a fresh one until I was an adult.  I did not live in a large urban area.  We had the rodeo room ( which was a family restaurant), a Chinese Restaurant in the village,   and the cafe in the Metropolitan department store which had super french fries, that I still remember and drool over.  We also had a local, family run and owned Bakery that had great bread and made delicious donut twists.

I never ever tasted a pizza until I was about 16 years old and it was by way of a Chef Boyardee Pizza mix that a boyfriend brought over and showed us how to make.  I remember thinking that it was pretty good, and actually it really was tasty.  The sauce had plenty of flavour and the crust wasn't too bad either.  So was the Kraft one . . .  if I am being honest, and I always try to be.

February being the month of love and all, I have my mind very much on baking treats for the man in my life over these next couple of weeks.  If I had children here or grands I would be baking them for them also.  Alas I do not, so the Toddster is the one who benefits the most from my desire to bake all things pertaining to love.

I have to admit that I am particularly fond of the flavour of cinnamon.   When I was a child it was a real treat if my mother made us cinnamon toast or cinnamon rolls.  Cinnamon just tastes like Home Sweet Home to me.  That's why when I saw this recipe for Snickerdoodle Bread I was very much intrigued, but then when I read the ingredients I thought to myself . . .  can't make it as we don't  have cinnamon chips over here.  Sigh  . . .  but then . . .  I put my thinking cap on.

A big Sunday tradition over here in the UK is the roast dinner.  People either cook one at home, or they go out to have one at a restaurant . . .  roast meat (beef, gammon, turkey, lamb, pork), with roast potatoes, veg, gravy etc.  Oh and Yorkshire puddings.  They're a must.   We never have a roast dinner on a Sunday.  By the time we get home from church and I call my  mom, etc., there just isn't the time and to be honest I am pretty tired by then.  So, I save our roast dinners for other days.  On Sundays, we usually have something which I have either remembered to put in the slow cooker before we left for church, or I whip up something quick like these Bacon & Cheese Omelettes.