For nearly 100 years, people have been flocking to Yorkshire for a taste of Bettys. Bettys was founded by Frederick Belmont, a Swiss baker and confectioner who came to England in search of opportunities to develop his craft skills. He opened his first Café Tea Rooms in Harrogate in 1919 and named it 'Bettys'. The reason why remains a mystery to this day.


Lots of things have changed since then. They now have six Café Tea Rooms in Yorkshire and the Bettys name has become famous the world over. They have also added a mail order service which delivers deliciousness to homes from Tunbridge Wells to Tokyo, and they share their knowledge and passion for food through Bettys Cookery School.


But in other ways, they are unchanged. Still family-owned, they believe in doing business in a way that is fair to people and kind to the planet. And at their Craft Bakery in Harrogate they still practice the artisan skills that Frederick Belmont brought to Yorkshire from Switzerland nearly 100 years ago.

 Its now Great British Bake Off Season here in the UK, and in honor of that each week Betty's will be sharing a delicious recipe, plus a video and their baking tips to go with each recipe. The kind of thing you won't find in any cookery book!

This week they sent me some delicious Fondant Fancies to enjoy eating while we enjoy watching the GBBO!  I can't wait to get stuck in. They look delicious!

This is a delicious chicken recipe that I made for our tea the other night.  I had some partially boned chicken breasts that I wanted to use.  I adapted the recipe from one that I found in a Diana Henry cookery book entitled A Bird in the Hand, chicken recipes for every day and every mood.  It's a great book.  I have a number of Diane's cookerybooks and I have to say I really like her recipes.  They are very good.

I was recently sent a sampling of Oteas to try out, some of their herbal blends and fruity teas.  I don't drink regular tea, so its always nice to try something herbal that I can drink.

Oteas was born out of a desire to promote and support an active, healthy and balanced lifestyle. Their teas are expertly blended with the highest quality ingredients.  They are sourced from around the world, from countries including India, Sri Lanka, China and Japan.

 


 The tea is  in pyramid shaped bio-degradable bags to maximise their infusion and to provide a superior taste. They come in 7 different ranges,  each with a variety of different blends.   You can choose from Black, Detox, Fruit, Green, Herbal, Organic or Rooibos and indulge in mouth-watering blends such as Date & Lime, Moroccan Mint and Lemongrass, Ginger & Cinnamon.


The blends are available in pouches or tins, each containing 15 bio-degradable tea bags, with prices ranging from £3.39 to £4.49 per pack.   The most eye catching and quirky member of the Oteas family is their individually boxed tea bags, which is what I received.   They are available in collections of 3, 12 or 24, with prices starting at just £1.29.   These delightful miniature boxes make the perfect gift for any tea-lover.   They would make great stocking stuffers coming Christmas time.

 

For those who are keen to embark on a health kick, they also offer a Detox range, called ‘Oteatox’ which is currently stocked in Lloyds Pharmacy.

Oteas also offers around 400 different teas in a loose-leaf only format, which is rising in popularity.

I quite enjoyed the selection I was sent.  I think my favourite was the Liquorice one.  I love Liquorice anyways and this had a lovely flavour without it being over-powering!  I also loved the cute little pyramid boxes.  Great for gift-giving.

To find out more  do check out their webpage.

I was given a mammoth Courgette the other day. I didn't mind at all . . . we kinda like courgettes, and as long as they aren't overly large, there's still a lot of value in them.  Once they get too big, they get a bit too spongy for me. I prefer small to medium sized ones, but the larger ones are quite good to use to make tasty courgette loaves.  In North America you will probably know this vegetable as the indomitable Zucchini!

 

I love this time of year when we blessed enough to be enjoying an abundance of fresh local produce!  I grew my own tomatoes this year and I have to say I did a really great job of it!  (Not to brag or anything!)  I took advantage of some of them, as well as some which I bought to make up the difference, to make a delicious homemade crock-pot marinara sauce.

I am not sure what it is about poppyseeds, but I love anything with poppyseeds in them.  When I lived out West we used to be able to buy the best poppyseed sweet buns at the grocery store bakery in Medicine Hat.  They were to die for!  I have been craving them ever since!  I will have to find myself a recipe one day and make my own.  These muffins are not quite buns, but they are quite delicious in a different sort of way!

There is no dessert that Todd loves more than a good crumble.   Apple.  Blueberry.   Strawberry rhubarb . . . if it has crumble in the name, Todd loves it.  Well, maybe not as much as the memory of his mother's apple pies, but almost!

mmm . . . mmm . . . mmm . . . This was my ABSOLUTELY favourite kind of day . . .  no, the sun did not shine, nor was it really, really hot.  It was kind of muggy actually and humid, so weatherwise not great.  It was my favourite day in another kind of way, in a tasty baking kind of way  . . .

When my veggie box came this week, there were two lovely big and fat red peppers inside, amongst other things of course! I have always loved the flavours of peppers . . . raw and with dips, sliced and sauteed and in omelets (I like to use more than one colour in these), sliced and sauteed with beef strips to make pepper steak . . . the possiblities are endless. I never run out of ideas on how to use them!

For nearly 100 years, people have been flocking to Yorkshire for a taste of Bettys. Bettys was founded by Frederick Belmont, a Swiss baker and confectioner who came to England in search of opportunities to develop his craft skills. He opened his first Café Tea Rooms in Harrogate in 1919 and named it 'Bettys'. The reason why remains a mystery to this day.


Lots of things have changed since then. They now have six Café Tea Rooms in Yorkshire and the Bettys name has become famous the world over. They have also added a mail order service which delivers deliciousness to homes from Tunbridge Wells to Tokyo, and they share their knowledge and passion for food through Bettys Cookery School.

But in other ways, they are unchanged. Still family-owned, they believe in doing business in a way that is fair to people and kind to the planet. And at their Craft Bakery in Harrogate they still practice the artisan skills that Frederick Belmont brought to Yorkshire from Switzerland nearly 100 years ago.

Its now Great British Bake Off Season here in the UK, and in honor of that each week Betty's will be sharing a delicious recipe, plus a video and their baking tips to go with each recipe. The kind of thing you won't find in any cookery book!

This week they are sharing their recipe for Classic Bread Rolls with us.   After watching the video, I think even I will be able to bake  us some lovely rolls!


11.The bread is baked when golden brown in colour and when tapped underneath they should sound hollow.  Place on a cooling wire.
 
NOTES IN THE MARGINS
~o~Beautiful Bread~o~

KNEADING
When kneading, always work the dough in the same direction. This will deveop the network of gluten strands.

To avoid sticking to your dough, use the one second contact rule - don't touch your dough for more than a second as you knead it

Imprint your dough with your thumb - if it springs back, its ready.

BALLLING OFF
This stage is really important - what you're trying to do is trap energy in the dough.

When Lisa holds up the underside of the balled off dough, you can see the swirls of the core - yet the top is smooth.

The  movement you're looking for is down and over.  Notice in our film how Lisa pushes slightly down and she rotates the dough in her palm, travelling in the same direction.

HOMEMADE PROVER
If you don't hav ea dedicated prover, few of us do, its easy to create one.

Simply take a bowl, turn it upside down in your sink, add hot water and your tray of dough, and cove rwith some cling fim.

Do you get tangled up in clingfilm?  Than fold it back on itself to double line it - it prevents it from misbehaving!

FINISHING THE RACE
Allow the dough a final 10% to finish the race.  In other words, remove the dough from the prover a little before it has completely risen.

This is because the yeast needs a last bit of energy to take into the oven for a perfect rice.

COOLING
When cooling your bread, make sure there's an airflor under the tray.

This prevents soggy bottoms!

Do check out the Betty's Baking Secrets Page, for a whole lot more baking secrets during the GBBO and beyond.   Also don't forget to check back next week to see what's baking next!  (With any luck I might even get it baked myself to show you my results!  There is no rest for the wicked!!)

This lovely salad comes from a cookery book which I just love and can't recommend enough. Genius Recipes, by Kristen Miglore.  Its a compilation of  recipes that promise to rethink the way you cook.   There hasn't been a dud in the bunch.  I have loved every one I have tried, and this one here today is no exception!

So you saw that lovely roast pork I posted yesterday.  I do love a roast dinner, don't you?  I love the leftovers even more!  They are a beautiful ingredient to use to create another delicious meal from.  My mother was great at making pot pies from leftover roasts.   I like to do that also, but if I can create a delicious casserole, so much the better!  Delicious casserles like this Leftover Meat Escallope casserole!  You don't need to use pork in this, lamb, beef or chicken work equally as well.

This is a lovely roast that I cooked a month or so ago and am just getting to show you now.  I figured now that temperatures are cooling down a bit the timing would be better and I didn't want you to give up on this delicious recipe because it was too hot outside!  This is a real winner!

Do you love shortbread biscuits as much as I love shortbread biscuits?  Who doesn't!  I think that shortbread biscuits have to be just about everyone's favourite cookie!  I make whipped ones every Christmas which are as simple as beating them together and dropping them on a baking sheet.    I make rolled and cut outs in a variety of flavours.  All are gorgeous.  When I saw this recipe for Peanut Butter ones, I knew I just had to bake them.  Peanut Butter and shortbreads . . . two of my favourite things together in one!

Oneof my friends on Facebook the other day sent me a photograph of a dessert they had found and wanted to know if I had ever seen it, or made anything like it.  I managed to track the recipe down to this place.  It appears to be in German.  I tried to translate it, but had no luck, and so instead I set about recreating my very own version of something similar, and with (I have to admit) most delicious results!  Oh how I love the challenge of creating my own recipes from scratch!

Harry Hill launches campaign for empowerment of children 

Newman’s Own Foundation has committed £150,000 for UK charities and Harry Hill announced the program today. Newman’s Own Foundation, started by the late actor and philanthropist Paul Newman, will grant approximately £150,000 (US$200,000) to registered UK charities for the empowerment of children. To date over £4 million has been awarded to a wide range of UK charities.


Long-time advocate of Newman’s Own, Harry Hill has worked with Newman’s Own Foundation since 2014. Citing Paul Newman as an inspiration, Harry is encouraging UK charities to apply for grants from this year’s campaign after this year visiting one of the recipients of the 2015 grants, Hackney Village. Applications are now open and charities meeting the requirements are encouraged to submit their grant requests by Monday 5th September, 2016. Final grants will be announced on 21st November 2016.


Newman’s Own Foundation was established in 2005 by Paul Newman to sustain the legacy of his philanthropic work. Since 1982, Paul Newman and Newman’s Own Foundation have donated more than US$ 470 million (approx. £355 million) around the world.




Comedian Harry Hill, says; “I am thrilled to be involved with Newman’s Own Foundation again. Last year I got the chance to meet some of the grant recipients and saw the incredible impact the funds had. Paul Newman has always been a huge inspiration to me personally and I wanted to get involved to help spread the word about this year’s grants and encourage UK charities to apply”. 


Bob Forrester is President and CEO of Newman’s Own Foundation, and was a close friend of the late Paul Newman. He comments, “We would like to encourage all charities which focus on empowerment programmes to submit a request for a grant during this campaign. We hope our funding can make a difference not only to empower but inspire, encourage and support children throughout the UK to overcome exceptional situations in order to build a better future”.


UK charities that meet the criteria may submit their contact information from 4th August 2016 via the expression of interest form available on www.newmansown.co.uk on or before the 5th September, 2016. Selected organisations will be contacted to receive a full application for funding from Newman’s Own Foundation. Additional charity requirements may be found at newmansownfoundation.org/what-we-support/funding-guidelines/. Grantees will be announced on 21st November 2016.

To find out more visit www.newmansown.co.uk

When I worked at the Manor one of the appetizers that was quite popular for the Dinner Parties was a Hot Artichoke Dip.  It was cheesy and garlicky and went down a real treat.  I also used to do a baked chicken dish slathered in artichokes that the Mr was gaga over.   This week, I created a casserole which incorporates the best of those two things into one delicious dish!

I like to treat us to gammon steaks every now and again, and I usually like to shake things up a bit when I do.  You can get a gammon steak grill at most pubs over here in the UK, served with chips and either a fried egg or a ring of pineapple on top.  Neither one has ever really appealed to me.  Today I created a curried pineapple sauce to serve with them instead and it went down a real treat!

Making Mexican (Tex Mex) food here in the UK has always presented me with somewhat of a challenge.  Although there are certainly many more ingredients available these days in the grocery shops than there were when I first  moved over here,  they are quite Briticized and not everything that I am used to using is available.   But that's okay.  I adapt.

Folkington's, a small, independent Sussex drink company, has launched a delightful dose of sparkle in a can with its new range of four fruit pressés called Folkington’s Garden. Each is made from a different harmonious blend of English fruits and flowers complemented with ingredients from sunnier countries only where necessary. Guilt-free, and coming in at under 100 calories each, free from all nasties and never from concentrate, they offer a sip of the English countryside anywhere.



Inspired by the Sussex Downs village Folkington, which was first mentioned in the Doomsday Book, the four flavours available are:

-traditional ‘Elderflower’
Made with wild elderflowers picked from English hedgerows and a dash of sunny Sicilian lemon juice.

- zesty ‘Lemon and English Mint’
A tried and tested favourite.


- a quintessentially English ‘Rhubarb and Apple’
Beautifully English.

- a fiery ‘Ginger beer’
 Using hot West African ginger root balanced with English rhubarb juice and Sicilian lemons.

Folkington’s sparkling pressés are perfect as mocktails for parties, refreshing at barbeques and as an everyday indulgence at work. You can find Folkington’s Garden range in independent shops, cafés and delis.

These drinks are refreshingly delicious served chilled and over ice on a hot summer's day!  Yum!

This is a really delicious chilli that you can make either in the slow cooker or on top of the stove.  It works well either way, so in the summer when it's hot out, I do it in the slow cooker, and in the cooler months when I don't mind a bit of heat in the kitchen, I do it on the stove!  It's hearty and delicious and actually very healthy!

 I so wanted to show you this easy dessert at the weekend, but my photo-bucket account where I store my photos wasn't letting me in so I have had to wait until now.  You are just going to love this simple and delicious dessert!  The timing for this is just perfect as our blackberries are just going into overdrive at the moment with the very beginnings of the seasoning starting and so much more to come!  Apples and Blackberries are a marriage made in heaven!

Kinda like a muffin.  But not like a muffin . . .

Today is the day I turn 61.  However did that happen?  I don't know, but it has and there is no lamenting it.  I am 61.  This is the cake I make myself every year for my Birthday.  Raspberry Celebration cake.

I confess to having a certain fondness for tuna and salmon casseroles.  I mean, can you ever have too many recipes for this?   I have my favourites of course, but every so often I get a hankering to try something new and when I saw this one the other day, I just had to give it a go!  Of course I can never leave well enough alone and so I adapted it to our own tastes and what I had in the cupboard, etc.

One thing which we really enjoy eating (and cooking!) are stir fries.  Not only are they delicious, but they can be as varied as the vegetables you have in your veggie drawer and can be quite healthy actually!

 As soon as I saw this recipe over on my friend Pam's blog (On The Bright Side) I knew I wanted to try it.    We like baked beans and we like hot dogs.  I like simple.  This recipe ticked all the boxes!

We don't eat red meat very often, but every now and again Todd really likes me to cook him a pork chop.  Today was the day and I cooked him one of his favourites, Cheesy Baked Chops.  This is a great little recipe.  Simple and easy and built just for two, although certainly it is very easy to multiply it to feed more.

I am really enjoying my overnight oats!   I loved the peanut butter and banana ones and the other day I tried Raspberry Bakewell Oats, with some of the berries from our garden!  Delicious!

One of the young Elders we have here at the moment (male missionary) is a Coeliac.   He's from Sweden and I don't think he has long left on his mission.  We had them for tea last weekend and I baked him a special Gluten Free Almond, Coconut and Vanilla Cake for dessert.  The whole meal was gluten free of course.  Gluten free sausages with a gluten free onion gravy, mash,  vegetables, salad and this cake, with some tinned fruit and cream.  It went down a real treat!

We had the Missionary Sisters for tea last night and I wanted to bake them something really special for dessert that I knew they would go gaga over!  I adapted this recipe for Jammy Dodger White Chocolate Blondies  that I found on a blog called Katie Cakes.  OH.  MY.  GOODNESS!!!  Was this ever a great choice of what to make.  Hands down the most gorgeous thing I have baked this year!

 























 I don't know about you, but I use Olive oil all the time in my kitchen, for cooking and for salad dressings and for all sorts.   I have been wanting to make a cake using Olive Oil for quite some time now, but just haven't gotten around to it.  It is quite a good oil to use in comparison to others and has many health benefits.   I received this really informative infographic from Jamie's Italian which is filled with  all sorts of useful facts about olive oil and its uses!  I did not realise that there were so many different flavour nuances in the different kinds.  Olive oil is not just for salads or frying!

I find myself feeling quite keen now to do an Olive Oil Tasting party.  That could be quite fun I think, with different breads for dipping, etc.   I'll let you know how I get on!

Note - This infographic is from Jamie's Italian and I received a small fee for posting it.

I had some leftover chicken that I needed to use up today and so I decided to make a tasty stuffing pie for our tea tonight.  This is a delicious casserole/bake, that goes together lickety split and always goes down a real treat.  We especially love it with creamed peas and carrots ladled over top.  SUUUUUUUUUUUUM  Good!!  (Yes I know, bad spelling.  Its called literary license.)

Here we are into the month of August  now and I am really hoping that we get a few fabulous grilling days before things start to cool down again.  I love barbequing food in the summertime. Of course a great BBQ Sauce adds to the fun and the taste!   This Honey and Balsamic BBQ Sauce is fantastic!  I think you are going to love it.    I used the Balsamic Vinegar that I received in my July Degustabox to make it!  More often than not what I receive in my box is very seasonal and just what I need to use at the moment.  I will tell you more about this fabulous sauce in a minute, but let me tell you about my July box first if I may!




To those not in the know, if you sign up for it, once a month, every month . . . Degustabox will deliver to your home . . . 10 to 15 new, special or innovative food products for you to try in the comfort of your own home via a subscription service. A monthly subscription costs £12.99 with free shipping, or you can pay bi-annually for only £11.99 per box, an 8% saving on the full subscription price.  You are also able to cancel your subscription at any time.  What you receive can be tailored to the types of things that you like and would use. To me it's a bit like a foodie Christmas every month of the year! I really love them! This is what was in my latest box . . .

I have one of those husbands who seemingly can eat whatever he wants without gaining an ounce.  Seriously.   He actually has a problem keeping weight on. I, on the other hand, only have to sniff at something tasty and I put on ten pounds.  It makes you sick. The problem is I do a lot more than sniff.  Good food.  It's my only weakness.

 

I'm having a really busy week this week, so quick and easy has been the order of the day when it comes to meal planning.  Dishes that I can just throw together without a lot of effort and that don't take a lot of time.

This new organic bottled herbal tea brand is #refreshinglyhonest

This summer, HONEST®, a new organic bottled herbal tea brand, launches in the UK for the first time, with three low calorie variants that taste “Just a Tad Sweet.”


After almost 20 years of success as the top-selling organic bottled tea in the US, HONEST®will launch in the UK on August 1st, 2016. HONEST®is aimed at those who seek organic refreshment during their busy on-the-go lifestyle. The three variants launching this summer are: Lemon Flavoured Herbal Tea with Honey, Orange and Mango Flavoured Herbal Tea and Pomegranate and Blueberry Flavoured Herbal Tea. Each variant contains brewed organic herbal tea (hibiscus, lemon balm and lemon myrtle, depending on the variant), organic fruit juice concentrates and each variant is sweetened with organic cane sugar.

HONEST®was launched in the US by Seth Goldman and his Yale School of Management professor, Barry Nalebuff. Seth and Barry were looking to fill a void in the beverage shelf with a flavourful but not-too-sweet drink they could enjoy on-the-go as part of an active and healthy lifestyle. They launched HONEST®from Seth’s kitchen in Bethesda, Maryland USA and after 10 years of impressive growth, the Coca-Cola Company invested 40% in HONEST® and acquired the company in 2011.

This is one of those pinch-me moments,” said Honest Tea co-founder Seth Goldman. When we started brewing tea in my kitchen, we always hoped we could help shift peoples’ diets toward organic, authentic beverage recipes that taste “Just a Tad Sweet.” We can’t wait to share our drinks with folks in the UK and are confident the “Honest” name and brand values will translate without the need of an interpreter.”

HONEST® is made in the UK, and is certified organic by the Soil Association. The three variants will be available in 500ML recyclable PlantBottle™ packaging in selected retailers from August.

ABOUT PLANTBOTTLE™
PlantBottle™ packaging pushes the boundaries on sustainable innovation by using ground breaking technology to create a fully recyclable plastic bottle made partially from renewable plant material derived from sugar cane. PlantBottle™ packaging is The Coca-Cola Company’s vision to develop a more responsible plant-based alternative to packaging traditionally made from fossil fuels and other non-renewable materials. PlantBottle™ packaging uses patented technology that converts natural sugars found in plants into the ingredients for making PET plastic bottles. The packaging looks, functions and recycles like traditional PET but has a lighter footprint on the planet and its scarce resources. http://www.coca-colacompany.com/plantbottle-technology


 

Back in my younger years when my children were growing up I used to make a ton of pickles every year to satisfy the family.  I used to can about 52 quarts of Dill Pickles a year alone, along with pickled beets, relishes, chows, chutneys etc.  And jams and jellies too.  It all got eaten.  It's not practical anymore for me to do any of that stuff with just the two of us in the house.  It would never ever get eaten.   i get a magazine every couple of month from the heart association and there are always some recipes in it that are quite healthy. These pickles came from the latest issue.  They are more  like small pickled vegetable salads, feeding just two people, but they're great!  There are four different versions!