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.

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.