Here we are at day four of my week of celebrations cooking fest! I have a fondness for eggs, especially good eggs. I always buy free range eggs for baking with, but if I am going to eat eggs as a meal/dinner, I often splurge and get some really good eggs.
I really like these Burford Browns or the Costwald Legbars. They have beautiful flavours and nice deep yellow yolks. When you are having eggs for a meal you want an egg which has a flavour that will really shine through! These are more expensive than regular free range eggs, but it's supper folks. Just think about how much you would spend on a piece of meat and it puts things in perspective and they don't seem to be so expensive anymore.
Continuing on with my week of celebrations, I just have to share with you one of my favourite soup/stews! Corn Chowder! This is a hearty family favourite that I have been making for my family and myself for many, many years. It is a tried and true!
It is chock full of vegetables . . . potatoes (of course!) celery, onions, carrots . . . and of course bacon. I use pancetta these days because I like the flavour of it, but you can use just ordinary bacon. I like the thicker cut bacon, and if you are lucky enough to be able to find home smoked bacon, then you are in for a real treat!
Well today is my birthday. Boo Hoo Fifty nine years old. However did that happen. No matter, happen it did and I am celebrating! Ten friends are coming over for lunch today and we are going to do it in style. I am looking forward to seeing and spending time with them.
This is the cake that I always make for my Birthday. It just wouldn't be my birthday without it. I make it every year, no fail, and this year it is no different.
This is the first of my week of celebrations posts! It is my birthday on Wednesday of this week and it will mark the beginning of my last year as a fifty something year old! (I know! Boo Hoo, how did that happen? I still feel sixteen inside. It's that first look in the mirror in the morning that's the kicker!)
Some days you just want something for breakfast that is really bad and a bit naughty. I know cake is a good thing to fill that urge, but sometimes you want it only a bit naughty, but still a bit decadent . . . any woman would know what I am talking about I think . . .
I recently bought a little booklet at the grocery store, entitled Delicious Pastries. I fear I have been in love with puff pastry my whole life, fueled by trips made to my French Grandmaman's home where we would feast on caramel filled puff pastry squares dolloped with thick sweet cream . . . mmmm . . . so good.
I have something spectacularly simple and yet very elegant to share with you today.
These little gems are quite old fashioned, coming from a recipe that's been around a very long time. (1933) I have a series of cookery books in my home library, called The Farmer's Wife cookbooks. I have the Baking one, the Comfort Foods one, and one simply entitled The Farmer's Wife. There are quite a few others as well, but I haven't managed to collect them just yet.
These are lovely ring bound cookery books, just stogged full of tried and trues, family and farm tested recipes, based on simple, wholesome and nourishing ingredients.
During the week, I try to cook meals which are quick and easy and not too hard on the budget. Living on a pension means we have a very basic fixed income, and so there is not a lot of room for playing around overly much, and with way food costs are rising, it gets harder and harder each week to make ends meet and still keep our meals interesting.
This means that I now do most of my shopping at one of the bargain supermarkets, usually Aldi. It's actually a pretty good place to do your shopping as the prices are great and the quality is pretty good on most things. There are no frills, and your choice is limited in comparison to the major shops, but overall it's a great place to shop. I do my major shop there and then if there is something I really need that they don't have, I will whip into one of the other shops to get it.
If you have ever planned a
wedding then you will know one thing for sure – they can be really expensive.
There are no two ways about it, as soon as you mention the word wedding whether
in a cake, dress or jewellery shop then you can automatically and another zero
to the price.
With so many different things
to think about for the big day the costs can spiral out of control. But help is
at hand! Making things like wedding favours can really cut down on costs and they
can be really simple to do.
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If
you are getting married in the summer then chocolate might not be the way to
go, especially if it is looking like it will be a warm day! An alternative
sugary treat to chocolate would be to use sweets instead; by purchasing a small
jar you can put a few sweets of your choice together and give your guests a
real treat! Attaching a small name label to the jar will also make them a
perfect
Sugar Almonds
These are a traditional
wedding favour would usually consist of 5 sugared almonds which are used to
represent health, wealth, happiness, long life and fertility. You can pick up
some organza bags fairly cheaply and put some almonds in, which can make for
some very attractive wedding favours that you haven’t had to spend a fortune to
make. Almonds can come in all shapes and sizes, and you can often find
specially coloured ones to add a different effect to your favour – Just make
sure that no one at your reception has a severe nut allergy!
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If you are looking for
something a little bit more modern then chocolate wedding favours are really
taking off – because who doesn’t like chocolate? (Ok, so there may be one or
two who don’t but you can’t please everyone!) Forever Wedding Favours have a great range of chocolate shaped wedding favours
to pick from including heart shaped or lollipop sticks all wrapped in foil. Whether
you’ve got a theme for your wedding or just something simple like a particular
colour, then chocolates in certain flavours and wrappings can tie into your day
perfectly.
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For a more elegant chocolate
favour you could use the “Just Married Neapolitans” and offer them round with
tea or coffee after the wedding breakfast as chocolate is a great way to finish
a meal.
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Sweets In A Jar
personalised gift and, while
it may take some time to create, they will look amazing once you have finished.
Choosing the most suitable wedding
favour for your guests can be tricky but it doesn’t have to cost the Earth. Creating
or making something small can often have a bigger impact than spending a lot of
money buying something that hasn’t had a lot of thought going in to it.
Remember though, it is your
day and while offering your guests a small gesture of appreciation is a great
way to acknowledge their involvement in being there, it is not something you
have to stress about!
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